Life Without a Net
Religion and Spirituality
Atlanta’s Apologist Examiner Calls for Christian Education. I Disagree.
Atlanta Christian Apologetics Examiner Terrence Albritton has penned an exhortation to good Christians to consider religious education “an order,” not “a luxury.” This is not an uncommon belief, especially among evangelicals and the far right. It is also a major point of contention for many non-believers, who claim that (1) religious “education” is really a euphemism for indoctrination and scare … Continue reading
Hey God: What Did I Ever Do To You??
Do you punish the ones you love every single time they hurt you? It’s not a flippant question. I’ve been thinking about all the people who have done things that hurt me, and I’m struck by the realization that punishment is something I reserve for particularly bad offenses. I don’t go about life doling out … Continue reading
Hitchen’s Letter to American Atheists
Dear fellow-unbelievers, Nothing would have kept me from joining you except the loss of my voice (at least my speaking voice) which in turn is due to a long argument I am currently having with the specter of death. Nobody ever wins this argument, though there are some solid points to be made while the … Continue reading
Moderate Christians: An Alternate Viewpoint
I’ve almost never written anything complimentary about moderate Christians. In fact, I’ve generally held them in philosophical contempt for implicitly condoning extremism, and more importantly, for extolling faith as a virtue. This is a hotly contested position, and I honestly feel a little ashamed that I haven’t at least presented a reasonable argument from … Continue reading
Yeah… Christians are Different than Muslims. Not.
How do you feel watching a group of people shouting down another group of people over whose invisible friend is real? It makes me feel pretty creepy. If you’re a Christian, can you take yourself out of your own shoes for a minute and pretend you don’t understand the language these people are speaking? Can … Continue reading
This is What Faith Does.
Want to know why I’m opposed to religion? Watch this video. It illustrates the number one reason I believe religion is a horrible force in society. There are several things I think are noteworthy: At the very beginning, we can tell that these folks — homeless, begging for change in a Wal-mart parking lot, with … 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
“Live and Let Live” vs. Burden of Proof
Once again, I’ve seen this conversation between atheists, and it’s got me irked enough to write about it: Atheist(1): Theists are the ones making claims about god(s). We don’t have to prove god doesn’t exist. They have to prove he does. Atheist(2): I dunno. I think you’re just being harsh. I’m a live and let … Continue reading
Don’t Be a Dick
Phil Plait, the Bad Astronomer, gave a controversial talk at TAM this year. He entitled it “Don’t Be a Dick.” (View the whole thing HERE. It’s about 30 minutes.) His main point was two-fold. First, he articulated just how difficult it is to be an advocate for skepticism, science, and reason. It’s a lot easier … 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
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