Compelling stuff that is all too rarely addressed on American television. Silverman is right that atheism has at least a couple of things to offer society: the promotion of knowledge and tolerance.



H/T to Atheist Media Blog

I have seen a handful of former Christians turned atheist apologize for some of what they did as Christians (e.g., bigotry, evangelism, etc.). I think this is a positive development, and I hope that such examples continue to inspire more to do the same. While I was generally content to keep my Christian beliefs to myself when I actually had such beliefs, I do have something much more recent for which I'd like to apologize. In fact, my apology isn't for something I did as a Christian at all but for something I did as an atheist.

Thanks to Atheist Ethicist for bringing this one to my attention.

According to The Sun Chronicle, Michael Stopa, a Republican running for the 3rd district of Massachusetts who also happens to be a physicist employed by Harvard, has managed to convince himself that President Obama is an atheist. But that really isn't the story. The story is that Stopa was quoted as saying:

I have no specific evidence, but I think he's sympathetic to anybody who is opposed to America and American values.

As Alonzo Fyfe points out, this makes it sound an awful lot like Stopa is claiming that all atheists are anti-American. If only the interviewer had asked this obvious follow-up question, we would know if this is indeed what he was saying. And if it turns out that Stopa was indeed claiming that all atheists are opposed to America, then he should be exposed as a bigot.

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When Christopher Hitchens is asked by Anderson Cooper in this interview whether he tells people not to pray for him, he responds that he does not.

If it makes you feel better, you have my blessing.

That is an interesting perspective. Of course, nobody is going to stop those who want to pray from doing so. Asking someone not to pray for you seems unlikely to change their behavior precisely because the prayer is really for them and not for you. On the other hand, it seems like this might be a brief teachable moment to point out that one does not believe in magic.

What do you think? Would you respond like he does, and if not, what would you say instead?

Cross-posted at Mississippi Atheists

August 29 was once a day with no particular significance for me, but that seems like a long time ago. Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, and maintained hurricane strength over more than 150 miles of our state. When the immediate effects were combined with significant damage to the infrastructure, massive flooding in New Orleans, and an inadequate federal response, we endured the worst natural disaster in U.S. history. And as difficult is it may be for those outside the South to grasp, the effects of Katrina are still evident today.