Life Without a Net
Religion
Justice Scalia says religion is more important than law.
“The Rule of Law is second only to the Rule of Love. The here and now is less important than the hereafter.” – Antonin Scalia, Supreme Court Justice. In America, the Supreme Court is the ultimate judge. Once it has decided a matter, that’s pretty much it. Antonin Scalia, one of the judges who … 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
Can Liberal Theism and Atheism Get Along?
Many believers have never spent time talking honestly and openly with an atheist. Especially here in the Bible Belt. One of the most common observations I’ve made since becoming an “open atheist” is that lots of believers honestly have no idea what I believe and what I do not believe. Misconceptions abound. (I’ve been asked … Continue reading
Religious “shared reality” hinders acceptance of scientific reality.
One of the difficulties in discussing religion is that it is not a single phenomenon. It is a belief system, a social structure, a moral paradigm, a set of rituals and practices, and a sense of identity. Typically, when a critic of religion advances a hypothesis about something that religion “causes,” he is shouted down … Continue reading
Anger at God: The Scientific Facts
Anger at God is a difficult phenomenon to quantify. There are several limiting factors, including dogmatic stigma against admitting anger, which has been prevalent among theists in past research. Additionally, there are definition issues when atheists and agnostics feel anger. Can we discuss anger about God in the same study as anger at God? Finally, there … Continue reading
More Lies About Homosexuals from the Religious Right
The Family Research Council has fired another salvo in the debate on legalizing same-sex marriage with the release of a new documentary that details the harm same-sex marriage can inflict upon a society. (LINK) Here we go again. The “dangers” of same sex marriage. Anybody want to take an over-under on how much unbiased science is going … Continue reading
Darrel Ray Responds to Critics of Sex and Secularism Survey
Darrel Ray, who recently published the results of his Sex and Secularism survey, sent me a detailed email responding to various criticisms, and invited me to publish it in whole, part, or as a collaborative effort. I’ve decided to do something in between. I’ll be posting his comments (in regular type) and my additional comments … Continue reading
Born Again Christians Have Smaller Brains. Literally.
The Templeton Foundation needs to quit funding scientific research of religion. It seems like they’re shooting themselves in the foot at every turn. First they proved that prayer doesn’t work. Now they’ve proven that the more radically religious believers — evangelicals, born-agains, and the like have smaller brains than the rest of us. They literally … Continue reading
Girl Pleads Religious Fervor, Walks on Attempted Murder Charge
A teenager who dressed in dark clothing and stabbed her mother five times as she slept has walked free from court after claiming she was possessed by the spirit of her dead grandma. (LINK) In a baffling ruling, a British judge accepted a 19 year old girl’s defense in the multiple stabbing of her mother: … Continue reading
Ex-Christians and Childhood Sexual Abuse
Yesterday I focused on some of the positive aspects of secular sex. Darrel Ray and Amanda Brown’s research has given us clear insight into the positive benefits of removing religious guilt from our sex lives. Unfortunately, there’s a dark side to the research as well, and we can find it by focusing on people’s answers … Continue reading
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