The encouraging trend is that Americans are increasingly tolerant toward atheists and the expression of atheist perspectives in public discourse. But the bigger picture must include a recognition that this greater tolerance does not translate into proportionately greater respect for atheist arguments or for atheists themselves. Atheists still lag far behind all comparable groups in…
When I wrote my book, “Belief in Science and the Science of Belief,” I intentionally treated belief as just – belief. I tried to soften any characterizations that might be excessively inflammatory and personal. But one must ask whether the word belief is far too weak and benign, even inaccurate, to describe many of the…
We Atheists take great pride in pointing out that we are not monolithic in our politics. In fact we heatedly insist that Atheism transcends political ideologies and includes people from every political outlook. And yes, we are indeed a very diverse community and in theory, anyone of any political and social viewpoint can be an…
Of all the questions that we Atheists get asked, of all the unintentional criticisms, perhaps the most common and the most confounding is, “Why bother with Atheism?” It often gets posed with utmost sincerity by our most like-minded friends and associates. Implicit in the question is their bewilderment as to why we would focus so…
In April of 1963, Martin Luther King found himself enduring harsh treatment in the Birmingham jail. He had been incarcerated, along with some fellow non-violent protestors, for disobeying a blanket injunction against “parading, demonstrating, boycotting, trespassing and picketing” in response to a long history of brutal racism and segregation in Alabama and broken promises negotiated…
In the 2012 feature film Jack Reacher, Tom Cruise plays the title role of a military police officer working in an elite investigations unit. While tracking down a rogue ex-military assassin, Jack observes that: “There are four types of people who join the military. For some, it’s family trade. Others are patriots, eager to serve….
Over the last few years the Conservative Right has public schools, or any political subdivisions of the launched a massive campaign of state-by-state State from making laws respecting an establishment of legislation to advance its agenda. The campaign is religion.” unprecedented in sheer volume and audacity. They have clearly decided that whatever they cannot According…
Over the last few years the Conservative Right has launched a massive campaign of state-by-state legislation to advance their agenda. It is unprecedented in sheer volume and audacity. They have clearly decided that whatever they cannot accomplish at the national level they will force through by sheer persistence and at the states level. As part…
November 6th was a day of victory for facts and reason. It was a day when a majority of Americans finally said enough is enough to the brazen overreach of political and religious extremism. They said enough to the avarice of the 1%: enough to big money buying elections, enough to the systematic dismantling of…
On March 24th we Atheists will rally in Washington D.C. to seek parity in a nation that mostly marginalizes nonbelievers. Some people may wonder: How are Atheists a persecuted class? How are Atheists discriminated against? We have the right to vote, we can sit in the front of buses and we can get legally married….