3.29.2012

Mockery Could Be Valuable Even If It Entrenches Belief

ridiculeSuppose that ridicule and mockery could be shown to make some religious fundamentalists more entrenched in their beliefs. Would that mean that it should be avoided by those of us in the reality-based community? Not necessarily. It depends what one's goal is in ridiculing and mocking the beliefs. It might also depend on whether the religious beliefs in question are public or private.

3.11.2012

Ronald Reagan on the Separation of Church and State

Ronald Reagan statue
We in the United States, above all, must remember that lesson, for we were founded as a nation of openness to people of all beliefs. And so we must remain. Our very unity has been strengthened by our pluralism. We establish no religion in this country, we command no worship, we mandate no belief, nor will we ever. Church and state are, and must remain, separate. All are free to believe or not believe, all are free to practice a faith or not, and those who believe are free, and should be free, to speak of and act on their belief.
- Ronald Reagan, Speech to Temple Hillel and Community Leaders in Valley Stream (October 26, 1984)

H/T to Butterflies & Wheels

3.09.2012

Atheism: A Relationship With Reality

Atheism: A personal relationship with reality

I do not have a list of silly things evangelical Christians say. If I did, I am fairly confident that the thing about having a "personal relationship" with Jesus would be near the top. I have addressed this claim before, and I will not repeat myself here except to point out that I would much rather have a relationship with reality than one with someone who was either a fictional character or who has been dead for over 2,000 years. I mean, zombies were cool before The Walking Dead ruined them, but it seems like such a relationship would be awfully one-sided.

No Forbidden Questions recently tackled this absurd claim (update: link no longer active) in the sort of meaningful but concise manner that requires sharing, concluding:

John Hinckley, Jr. had more of a relationship with Jodie Foster than any Christian has with Jesus Christ.

3.07.2012

Mormons: Still Believing in Things Shown to Be False

South park mormonsWe often say that all religions are equally absurd and that the only reason some seem more absurd is that we are less familiar with them. Islam will seem strange to someone living in a thoroughly Christian culture, and Christianity will seem odd to someone raised in a thoroughly Islamic culture. But one of the things most religions have going for them is the difficulty in disproving them. That is, most of the popular religions have survived in part because they do not base themselves on concepts that are extremely easy to disprove. However, there is an important exception in the case of the Mormon religion.

3.06.2012

When Your Neighbor's House is Destroyed, Remind Them Your God Likes You Best

Storm cloudsYou won't find the line about their god working in mysterious ways in the Christian bible, but it seems to be a favorite of many Christians. Whenever they are confronted with something they cannot explain - usually an inconsistency between their "holy" book or some aspect of their faith and reality, we hear about how their god works in mysterious ways. We also hear about how whatever happens - no matter how bad it may seem to us - is part of their god's plan.

3.05.2012

Criticism: Dishing It Out and Taking It

Criticism

You've probably heard what is sometimes referred to as Republican's 11th commandment (i.e., a Republican should not speak ill of a fellow Republican). I've seen a similar sentiment here in the atheist movement. We should not waste valuable time and resources criticizing one another and should instead direct our criticism at the religious. I don't buy it. Criticism, especially when it is genuinely constructive, can be an extremely valuable commodity that we should welcome. We learn from it, we improve as a result of it, and we would likely make far more serious mistakes without it.

3.03.2012

A Thousand Years

Praying Hands

There have been so many scientific and technological advances during the last 1,000 years that even listing them would be a massive undertaking. One can scarcely imagine what the life of an average human (one who hasn't been raptured) will look like 1,000 years from now, except that the peak of today's science and technology will undoubtedly appear quite primitive. And yet, our modern science and the technology it has made possible could be 1,000 years ahead of where it is now if not for the aptly named Dark Ages.