Living Life Without a Net

Christianity and Therapy

Over the weekend, I attended a two day workshop for clinical therapists on the topic of sex and sexuality.  There was one incident that got me thinking very seriously about the negative impact of popular Christian beliefs on American culture. A great deal of the material dealt with breaking down the cultural myth of two … Continue reading »

Online Dating: Especially Bad for Atheists

I wrote an article a few months ago about why internet dating is a bad choice for a lot of people.  There’s a new study out which strongly implies that it might be even worse for atheists, but not for the reason you might think. There’s a psychological term called Need for Cognition (NfC).  It … Continue reading »

I’ll Be Walking to Fight Leukemia.

  The Foundation Beyond Belief is a “charitable foundation created to focus, encourage, and demonstrate humanist generosity and compassion.” Embodying the humanist belief that charity is good in and of itself, and need not be accompanied by proselytism, the 501(c)(3) has become a powerhouse for philanthropy in the secular community. In 2012, the Foundation has … Continue reading »

Christian Zombie Attack?

Why is Gay Marriage Even an Issue?

With President Obama’s landmark endorsement of gay marriage, the United States has taken a significant rhetorical step forward in the First World.  The barrage of hate and vitriol spewing from the Far Right seems farther and farther removed from the opinions of workaday Americans, who appear to be coming around to the belief that things … Continue reading »

The Avengers: Great Movie, but Disturbingly Violent.

I enjoyed The Avengers.  It was a well acted, well directed, intense movie, and I’ll probably see it again on the big screen, which is extremely rare for me.  As super-hero movies go, it is as high quality as anything I’ve seen in recent years.  (Although personally, I think the first Iron Man will hold up better to … Continue reading »

What Does Science Say About Porn?

Pornography.  To be sure, it’s a controversial topic.  More than a few non-believers feel that pornography is harmful or degrading to women, or that it increases sex related crime.  On the other hand, many believe that it is healthy, normal, and even has positive effects on both individual and societal levels. Thankfully, there is a … Continue reading »

The Story of Easter, Updated for 21st Century Readers

The Plan, Part 1:  In the Beginning Approximately six thousand years ago, a magical being called “God” set a plan into motion.  He’d been waiting and doing very little for several googols of googols of years, so this was a very important time.  All that brain power had just been sitting around, formulating the most … Continue reading »

Shania Twain and the Welfare System: America’s Fixation on Beating the Odds.

What could Shania Twain and the U.S. welfare debate have in common?  It sounds like the beginning of a bad joke, but I believe there’s something very profound to be discovered in the comparison.  If music is indeed a reflection of our culture, then I believe Shania’s greatest hit reveals a profoundly dysfunctional fixation with … Continue reading »

This is Why it’s Wrong to Tell Women to Cover Their Bodies.

This may seem like just another big-haired 80s pop song to you, but it’s way more than that to me.  In fact, I’m going to be a bit self-indulgent and say that this otherwise innocuous bit of music trivia is a microcosm of my coming of age, and a perfect example of what I’ve become. … Continue reading »