Life Without a Net
morality
Atheist Empathy, or “How I Got My Conscience Back.”
I’m going to tread in dangerous territory with this entry. For one thing, I’m going to lay bare a lot of the inside of my brain. And I’m always a little wary of making myself too vulnerable in front of the impersonal, anonymous world of the internet. For another, I’m going to admit something that … Continue reading
Rabbi Says Religion is Better for Human Rights
Writing for Huffpost Religion, Rabbi Alana Suskin has argued that with all its history of human rights abuses, religion is still a better basis for human rights than secularism. I disagree. To begin with, she addresses the claim that “religious people are a sort of automation for God’s whim:” While I can’t speak for all faiths, the … Continue reading
Evolution’s Harsh Truth, and the Atheist’s Moral Imperative
Unlike many of the children who grow up today learning about the “conflict” between Creationism vs. Evolution, I grew up in a comfortable bubble where the two never saw eye to eye, but never drew swords. In church, I was taught that humans were special, and in school, I was taught that all life … Continue reading
Do Atheists Need Absolution?
I received a short email from a reader concerning atheism and guilt. Here’s the nutshell version: What do atheists do for absolution? Whether there’s a god or not, Christians believe that by asking forgiveness directly or of a priest, they experience a spiritual change and receive peace. And maybe the belief creates the reality, which … Continue reading
Open Letter to Moderates and Agnostics
If you are still riding the fence about whether non-believers are moral people, here’s a little tidbit from the Pew Research Center. White Evangelical Protestants agree at a startling 62% that torture can sometimes or often be justified. One out of five thinks we ought to use it often. Significantly less “unaffiliated” (psst… non-believers) agree … Continue reading
This Religious Meme is Not Moral
There are a few things I’ve had trouble with in contemplating this whole “religious morality” debate. This verse and others like it are one of the most glaring. (For you sticklers, I didn’t make this poster, and I know it’s technically 1 Timothy 2:11-12. Get off my back.) Here’s the problem in a nutshell. There’s … Continue reading
Good Without God?
This is a cut-and-paste version of an ad created by a secular student organization. The frame with Pat Robertson is an unauthorized addition. (Here’s the original.) This version doesn’t reflect the intent of the creator, but it still has an important point to make. (Look here to see that the creator agrees with me.) One … Continue reading
The Problem of Evil and Moral Accountability
I don’t spend much time talking to theists about the problem of evil. It doesn’t really address the existence of God, which is most often the topic of choice when atheists and theists get together. (Consider, even if God is responsible for great evil, he might still exist, and just be a pretty rotten deity, as … Continue reading
Sin
As an addendum to my presentation of morality, here’s a brief explanation of why the concept of sin (as opposed to morality) is a nonsense term, and why it adds no value to any discussion of ethics. Like so many other religious concepts, Sin is nonsense. Let’s start from the beginning. How does Christianity define … Continue reading
What is Morality?
Yesterday I reposted my account of why the Christian model of morality is unworkable. Today I will repost my article outlining the scientific alternative. As a pre-emptive strike against the accusation that I am not proposing an actual prescriptive ethical methodology — I know. This is a blog, not a compendium of all knowledge. That’s … Continue reading
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