Atheist Revolution

Cincinnati Christians Threaten Landowner Over Atheist Billboard

2009-11-13T12:09:00.002-06:00

The billboard in Cincinnati had a simple message: "Don’t Believe In God? You are not alone." And yet this was sufficient to outrage some Cincinnati Christians enough to issue "multiple, significant" threats against the owner of the land on which the billboard appeared, prompting it to be relocated.

I agree completely with co-coordinator of the Cincinnati Coalition of Reason, Shawn Jeffers on this point:

Everything that has happened shows just how vital our message is. It proves our point, that bigotry against people who don't believe in a god is still very real in America. Only when we atheists, agnostics and humanists come together and go public about our views will people have a chance to learn that we too are part of the community and deserve respect.

Absolutely! This shows me that we need one of these billboards in every community.

H/T to Pharyngula

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Technorati Tags: atheists, Cincinnati

Introducing Young Freethought

2009-11-10T05:31:00.003-06:00

I received an email recently from Michael, editor of a new blog for young atheists and freethinkers - Young Freethought. He described the goal of his new blog as follows:

Our aim is to begin publishing articles by young people aged 16-21 on topics relating to humanism, science, philosophy and atheism.

Sounds like a great idea to me! I know that some younger atheists have an even harder time feeling like they are part of a community than some of us old farts.

Check out Young Freethought.

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Technorati Tags: atheists, blog, atheist, freethought

Thoughts on Atheist Identity

2009-10-11T08:31:00.003-05:00

Spend much time on atheist blogs or forums, and you are sure to encounter some version of the following:

I just don't get why atheists would be into atheist t-shirts, car emblems, or other symbols like the Dawkins A. I mean, what's the point of wearing a symbol to tell people what you don't believe in?

I find myself thinking about culture and identity today for some reason, so I'd like to share my thoughts on this question.

It is true that atheism merely refers to the lack of god belief. And yet, for those of us living in the U.S., being an atheist is very different than being someone who doesn't believe in fairies, monsters under the bed, Santa Claus, or unicorns. While I agree that it wouldn't make much sense to wear a t-shirt saying "I don't believe in Santa Claus," this is not because such a statement is analogous to atheism; it is because such a statement has no significant implications for one's identity in a culture.

What many Christians and more than a few atheists seem to have difficulty understanding is that atheism remains a pretty big deal in the U.S. It is widely perceived as a rejection of anything positive and as an embrace of pure evil. We are despised as arrogant, immoral, and treasonous by a vast segment of the populace. We are the ultimate scapegoats. One implication of this widespread anti-atheist bias is that publicly disclosing one's lack of god belief is far more significant than expressing one's lack of belief in monsters or fairies.

By declaring that I do not believe in unicorns, I am saying nothing of significance to anyone. However, by explaining that I think the existence of gods is no more likely than the existence of unicorns, I am making a statement with vast cultural implications. I am identifying myself as a member of a tiny and thoroughly hated minority

What we must understand is that the same factors which lend cultural significance to atheism also make it a part of our identity which many of us view as worthy of celebration. There is a reason that many of us would extend congratulations to someone who told us that they were an ex-Christian who was just beginning to explore atheism. We see it as an accomplishment to have escaped the dominate cultural paradigm and ally oneself with what is real rather than merely what is popular. We atheists may not agree with one another on many issues, but it means something to most of us to know that we share membership in the subculture of atheism.

When I see someone with an atheist tattoo, wearing an atheist t-shirt, or driving a vehicle with an atheist emblem, I feel a little bit less alone. I even feel a bit more hopeful about the future.

For more on this subject, see Atheist Identity.

H/T to Religious People Are Funny

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I am a Believer

2009-08-30T09:51:00.000-05:00

Image by metrognome0 via Flickr

I am making a concerted effort not to refer to myself as a "non-believer" anymore. It just isn't an accurate description. I am an atheist, and I prefer to call myself an atheist when discussing matters of religion. "Non-believer" may indeed be an efficient way for referring to atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, freethinkers, and the like collectively, but it strikes me as misleading. In most respects, I am very much a believer. That's right, I believe in all sorts of things.

I have noticed that when religious people refer to "non-believers," they usually do so as a matter of convenience to describe those who call themselves atheists, agnostics, etc. I certainly understand the need for broader terminology, but the label still strikes me as a product of religious privilege. Why must "belief" be equated with "religious belief" as if no other types of belief are as worthy? As an atheist, why should I grant the religious the right to equate "belief" with "religious belief" when we are all believers in something?

And how dare any religious person give me the load of crap about "How can you be an atheist? I can't imagine going through life not believing in anything." I believe in plenty of things.

In contrast to how the religious use the "non-believer" label, we who are described by it tend to use the term as a socially desirable alternative to other labels. We recognize that "non-believer" is more socially acceptable than "atheist" and less likely to be misunderstood than other labels.

If one was so inclined, one could make the case that atheists who call themselves non-believers do so because they are too chickenshit to admit what they really think about religion. Of course, one could also point out that there are situations in which one may wish to avoid or simply not have time for the sort of responses elicited by the "atheist" label. One could even argue that atheism is so widely misunderstood that it is preferable to use a term without so much baggage.

When it comes to me, I am an atheist. That is certainly not all I am, but I am that. I see no reason to water it down for public consumption.

I do not believe in gods, but I do believe in plenty of other things. I'm not sure I am willing to allow continued religious privilege. I'm not sure I'm willing to remain a non-believer. I'm an atheist.

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Indiana Atheists Prevail: Bus Ads Coming to Bloomington

2009-07-29T05:33:00.000-05:00

Remember the atheist bus ads that were scheduled to go up in Bloomington, Indiana? The Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation rejected the ad on the grounds that it was "controversial," prompting the ACLU and the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign to sue the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation in federal court. The fight is now over, and the atheists won. The ads will now go up in Bloomington. Way to go Indiana atheists!

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Existence of Atheists Scares Florida Christians

2009-07-12T07:23:00.000-05:00

I am sure you remember the recent atheist billboard that went up in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I suspect you've also heard about the subsequent Christian protests of the billboard and the local media's description of it as "controversial." Many atheist bloggers have already sounded off about the situation, so I merely want to echo some of the great points that have already been made.

Opponents of the billboard seem to have two main objections:

The billboard is located next to a Christian-owned business.
The billboard is located in a predominately African American community.

I'm going to focus on the first objection because I am honestly unable to fathom how the second is in any way relevant. If someone would care to explain it to me, I'd appreciate it because I just don't get it.

The first objection, as explained by area residents, centers on their expectation that nobody will patronize businesses near the sign. Are religious people really so terrified of encountering messages which might differ from their dogma that they would go so far as to avoid this part of town because of an atheist billboard? If so, I would have to assume that these same people would not own televisions, allow their children to attend public schools, or be able to leave their homes without wearing blindfolds!

This explanation is laughable and seems to merely obscure the real issue - those protesting the sign do not want their children to know that atheists exist. Our very existence is a threat to them for some reason. As Rep. Monique Davis (D-Chicago) said on the floor of the Illinois legislature to atheist activist Rob Sherman:

And it’s dangerous for our children to even know that your philosophy exists!

...You have no right to be here! We believe in something. You believe in destroying!

For more on this story, see

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Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) is an Atheist

2009-07-06T06:05:00.000-05:00

Image by longplay via Flickr

Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who has player Harry Potter in the films of that name, has confirmed in an Esquire interview that he is an atheist. As reported in The Telegraph, Radcliffe not only identified himself as an atheist in this interview but expressed his respect for Richard Dawkins. I suppose Christian extremists have yet another reason to boycott the Harry Potter films.

Radcliffe was quoted as saying,

I'm an atheist, but I'm very relaxed about it. I don't preach my atheism, but I have a huge amount of respect for people like Richard Dawkins who do. Anything he does on television, I will watch.

It is good to see another talented actor join the ranks of the reality-based community.

H/T to Trina Hoaks, Atheist Examiner

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Reaching Those Who Doubt

2009-07-03T15:23:00.000-05:00

Image by alles-schlumpf via Flickr

Most atheist blogs end up writing to their largely atheist audience. This is as it should be, but it is nice to address a different audience every once in awhile. Daylight Atheism has a great post written especially for religious people who find themselves doubting their faith, "To Those Who Doubt Their Religion," up now.

I wrote something similar in January of 2008 that I keep meaning to update: "Doubting Your Faith?" This is a good meme to spread, and I'm happy to see as impressive an atheist blog as Daylight Atheism doing so.

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Showing Some Atheist Pride

2009-07-01T14:11:00.000-05:00

A common complaint heard by atheists any time someone introduces the idea of atheist pride is, "Why would I take pride in something I don't believe?" It is a viable question, but I think it misses the point. Sure, atheism is the lack of god belief, but most of those who would wear t-shirts like the one pictured here and available from Revolution Books (no affiliation with this blog) do so for an entirely different set of reasons. They typically do so to raise the visibility of atheism, to communicate to other atheists that they are not alone, and/or to show that they are not willing to go along with something which they might consider harmful.

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Atheist Billboard in Fort Lauderdale

2009-06-30T13:04:00.000-05:00

Florida Atheists and Secular Humanists (FLASH) has erected a billboard in Fort Lauderdale, FL. Here is what the group had to say in a recent press release:

This is the start of a campaign to counter the negative image portrayed of "non-believers". Many people would be surprised to find out that some of the nicest, most honest people they know are secretly atheist, and agnostic. One in 6 Americans claims no religious affiliation. That number would most likely increase if it were not for family and social pressures.

Anyone wanting to know more about the group can reach them at Browardatheists@mac.com.

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Atheist Blogroll: Now With 900 Blogs

2009-06-23T05:12:00.000-05:00

If you write an atheist blog, you probably already know about the Atheist Blogroll, maintained by our friend Mojoey of Deep Thoughts. But this isn't just about bringing traffic to atheist bloggers. The Atheist Blogroll is also an ideal starting point for anyone wanting to read about atheism and related topics such as church-state separation, humanism, the dangers of religious extremism, community building, and activism.

And now, the Atheist Blogroll has 900 blogs and a combined 4,308,160 page views. It seems that the word is getting out about who we are and what we do.

To celebrate (and because I think it is incredibly cool), I am sharing a video made by toomantribbles below. Enjoy!

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Atheists Stand Up in Bloomington

2009-05-17T07:50:00.000-05:00

Image by Canadian Atheist Bus Campaign via Flickr

I wholeheartedly approve of the atheist bus ads and billboards we have seen sweeping the U.S. Although their message varies, the common core is that they demonstrate the simply truth that atheists are present even in more religious regions. This is empowering for atheists and a useful eye-opener for those who have not yet been able to leave superstition behind. As I am sure you have heard by now, our bus ads have been meeting with some resistance in Indiana. The Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign and ACLU deserve credit for taking this fight to court.

Briefly, the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign seeks to run an ad on area buses stating, "You Can Be Good Without God." The Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation rejected the ad on the grounds that it is "controversial." Now the ACLU is suing the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation in federal court, alleging that they are in violation of the 1st and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution.

Despite apparently confusing the ACLU and American Humanist Association, a recent article in the The Indiana Daily Student had some great quotes from Charlie Sitzes, spokesperson for the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign.

My personal opinion is that if a simple truthful slogan, ‘You Can Be Good Without God,’ can shake a religious institution to its core, then perhaps its adherents might want to consider abandoning that system of faith for one that has a stronger footing.

This notion that human morality somehow requires gods may be absurd, but it also seems to be a central assumption many Christians make in reference to atheism. Of course, incorrect assumptions must not be off limits from criticism. As Stizes correctly notes,

Atheists are at the low end of the totem poll, and we are fed up with it.

It is also great to see that the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign has support from an unlikely source, Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan.

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The Reason Project

2009-05-14T06:16:00.000-05:00

I have long been lamenting the lack of atheist think tanks, umbrella organizations to help unite the various atheist groups, and the like. It looks like a promising new foundation may help with some of this. In case you did not receive the same e-mail I did, I wanted to post a quick announcement about The Reason Project, brought to us by Sam and Annaka Harris. This sounds like an excellent idea and something which will be easy to support, as long as it does not devolve into a personality cult.

The Reason Project is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society. Drawing on the talents of some of the most prominent and creative thinkers across a wide range of disciplines, The Reason Project seeks to encourage critical thinking and wise public policy through a variety of interrelated projects — all with the purpose of eroding the influence of dogmatism, superstition, and bigotry in our world.

Now that is something I can get behind! Not surprisingly, they are seeking donations. However, it also looks like there are opportunities to volunteer to help out in other ways. At this point, I suspect what they could use most is publicity.

And yes, the prospect of these things becoming more about the personality of their founders than any actual platform does concern me. I want to give the Harris' the benefit of the doubt and am happy to see that they have an advisory board. Perhaps it is just that we do not yet have many effective models of how to do this sort of thing without their becoming way too much about the founder.

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Coming to Terms with One's Atheism

2009-05-08T05:19:00.000-05:00

Image by Napalm filled tires via Flickr

Now that you have learned what atheism means, it may be time to come to terms with your own atheism. Do you believe in any sort of god(s)? If your response was anything other than an affirmative one, you are an atheist. Yes, you.

I know full well how difficult it can be to take the final step and apply this label to oneself. No matter what you have been taught about atheism, it is fairly likely that you have been told that atheists are evil, immoral, and otherwise flawed. So yes, it makes sense that you might be reluctant to join our ranks. Perhaps you feel comfortable calling yourself an agnostic, a humanist, or a freethinker. But an atheist?

In a recent post titled "Just Accept That You're An Atheist," Sisyphus Fragment wrote,

Freethinker, Non-theist, Non-Religious, Heathen, Infidel, Naturalist, Bright..

While I think that some of these terms are “cute”, I personally feel that these names are nothing more than an intentional obfuscation of one’s religious inclination.

I agree. It is time to stand up and be counted. Doing a bit of reading may help you gain some confidence, and I encourage you to interact with other atheists online to dispel some of the remaining misconceptions. And by all means, feel free to reach out to those you meet online and ask for help. A cannot speak for everyone, but I know that you are one of the main reasons I am writing. I remember how alone I felt as I first considered atheism, and I want to do what I can to ease that burden on others.

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Time For Some Atheist Pride

2009-05-01T07:37:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Black Sun Journal has a great post integrating some of the recent high profile reporting on the atheist movement. His conclusion is that the very same tactics for which atheists are frequently criticized appear to be working. One of the lessons I take from this post is that it is important for us to pause periodically and take stock of what we have been able to accomplish so far. In addition to realizing how far we still have to go on the road to atheist equality, it is important for us to take some pride in the progress we have made.

BlackSun uses recent coverage of the atheist movement from the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other sources to demonstrate that the commonly heard criticism about in-your-face tactics is misplaced.

These are objections the entire movement has been dealing with ad nauseam. And they’re clearly bunk. This bellyaching has always demonstrated to me more than anything else where a person’s true sympathies lie–with the believers. It’s also self-refuting.

The critics who claim that we are too harsh, need to be nicer, would "catch more flies with honey," and the like are missing the signs of progress. Of course, this is by no means a call for complacency. We acknowledge that our work is far from finished. Rather, it is a reminder to give credit where credit is due.

Fund raising for secular political action is entering the same orders of magnitude as the top religious lobbying groups. The scare tactics and attempts at intimidation by accommodationists have not only failed, but failed spectacularly.

To all who have been working tirelessly to promote atheism and call out bigotry, keep doing what you are doing. It is working, and we are all in your debt. And a big thanks to BlackSun for reminding us to take pride in our accomplishments.

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Freethought Organizations

2009-04-04T07:38:00.002-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Until recently, I have listed several freethought organizations on my left sidebar. I decided to move this list to its own page (this page) to reclaim sidebar space and give me more room to expand the list without the space constraints imposed by the sidebar. I'd also like to provide readers with more than a simple list by grouping the organizations in various ways and changing that grouping over time based on my familiarity and the degree to which I recommend them.

Freethought Organizations of Which I am a Member

American Atheists
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (highly recommended)
Freedom From Religion Foundation (highly recommended)

Other Organizations of Which I am a Member

National Center for Science Education

Other Valuable Freethought Organizations

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Atheism on Family Guy

2009-03-30T13:00:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

I suspect you have already heard about this by now, but a special episode of Family Guy aired last night (Season 7, Episode 11) in which atheism played a fairly prominent role. The dog, Brian, came out as an atheist to the family and faced the typical set of reactions one might expect from a Christian family. He was assaulted by enraged townspeople after Meg publicly outed him, and there was even an appearance by Christian hero Kirk Cameron.

I have heard that Seth McFarlane, creator of Family Guy and American Dad, is an atheist. After watching this episode, I applaud his courage and conclude that he truly seems to get it. Being a comedy, there was of course some great mockery of Christianity as Meg became "born again" after watching Kirk Cameron. But more to the point, I thought that the episode did a good job of showing the degree to which atheists are still demonized in the U.S.

Aside from villains or objects of conversion, it is still rare to see atheists on TV. I see this episode as a step in the right direction.

If you missed the episode, you can watch it at Hulu.

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The 34th Humanist Symposium

2009-03-22T05:45:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the 34th edition of The Humanist Symposium! It is time to replenish your sense of awe, restore your confidence in humanity, and above all else, promote humanism as a viable alternative to superstition and delusion. That's right, the reality-based community has much to offer and this is a great forum for sharing some of it.

Beyond Atheism

Let me say at the outset that I love the idea of promoting atheism. It is something I try to to regularly here at Atheist Revolution. The trouble is, those of us who understand the meaning of atheism (i.e., the lack of theistic belief) recognize that it is not anything that really can be promoted. Promoting atheism is promoting the absence (or at least reduced influence) of something. To promote atheism means little more than to advance the idea that religious belief is irrational and has tremendous destructive potential.

This is a viable starting point, but we need to have something besides just less religion to offer. We need to go beyond atheism. It is not enough to demonstrate the myriad problems associated with religious belief; we must help people find meaningful secular alternatives for meeting many of the needs currently met via religion. Just because we have managed to do this for ourselves does not mean that we will be effective promoters. Greater effort is needed.

This is why I am finding my excitement for The Humanist Symposium renewed. This blog carnival is not about critiquing religion or mocking the superstitious, although my regular readers will know that I occasionally indulge in both. No, this carnival is about promoting humanism. With humanism, we have something that can be celebrated and promoted. Think of it as the yin to atheism's yang. We need both.

To the atheists who oppose humanism (and I've encountered more than a few who are mildly hostile to the humanist philosophy), you may replace it with whatever you like. The point is that you have something real to promote.

The Posts

I am happy to present, in no particular order, the posts from this edition of the carnival:

Restoring a Sense of Awe and Wonder

Celebrating Us

Meaning and Humanism

On Religion

Postscript

What these excellent posts demonstrate, at least to me, is that many atheists are already comfortable with the idea of going beyond atheism. They recognize that no gods are necessary and have stripped such superstitions away to find an amazing world. They are well on their way to crafting a meaningful secular identity. To be sure, atheism is a valuable part but it is not the whole.

###

If your submission was not included in this carnival, either I did not receive it or I determined that it was not a good fit with the guidelines provided by Daylight Atheism. I did not write these guidelines, but it is my job to enforce them as carnival host.

The next edition of The Humanist Symposium will be held on April 12, 2009, at Psychodiva's Mutterings FCD. To submit a post for consideration, please use the Blog Carnival submission form.

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Promoting Atheism on Facebook

2009-03-17T13:39:00.004-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

I am posting the following announcement at the request of a reader, Neil. He is organizing a Facebook event this Friday (March 20, 2009), "I am an Atheist." It seems like it might be an effective way to do some consciousness raising for those who are open abut their atheism on Facebook. I'll just let him tell you about it:

This virtual event is titled "I am an Atheist", and it's goal is to function as a sort of online "Pride Day" for nonbelievers. All day on March 20th, participants will set their profile picture to the Scarlet "A", and change their status message to read "I am an atheist" or some other similar proclamation of (dis)belief.

I and Danny Piccirillo, the creator of this event, have worked to ensure a positive attitude would surround this day; we're not looking at it as an opportunity to start fights or awkwardly alienate our colleagues--nothing like that. Instead, we hold the hope that some of the Facebook users out there with ill-informed impressions of the atheist community will see their friends list colored scarlet for one day, and maybe begin to realize that atheists are more diverse than our stereotype, and that we are often in fact productive, caring, ethical people that believers already interact with every day.

The event's page, which does require you to have a Facebook account, can be found at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=88239290014&ref=mf

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Atheist Bus Ads Approved in Ottawa

2009-03-16T05:53:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

Remember the various calls for Ottawa to allow the atheist bus ads we are seeing in many major cities around the world? The vote is in, and the Council approved the bus ads 13-7. According to Trina Hoaks (Atheism Examiner):

It was reported that a crowd of people wearing t-shirts with the atheist message, "There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life," on them sat quiet through the deliberations. They were pleased by the outcome, not surprisingly. One of those onlookers, Paul Bendus, said "Do we have the right to be non-religious? Council has voted that yes, we do."

Congratulations Ottawa!

H/T to The Good Atheist

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Reaching Out to Atheist College Students

2009-02-23T07:05:00.000-06:00

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Long-time readers know that I have repeatedly struggled with ways to foster a positive atmosphere for atheist students at the university where I work. I want to provide such students with a safe place where they can find reprieve from the religiously oppressive environment in which we find ourselves. At the same time, I am not particularly interested in going out of my way to alienate the numerous fundamentalists Christian students (and faculty) who walk the same halls of higher learning. I have always been wary of those who use their positions as educators to advance political agendas. The challenge, which remains largely unsolved, is how to provide a welcoming and safe environment for atheist students without alienating the Christians who are equally deserving of a positive learning environment.

You can imagine my delight in seeing that the Chronicle of Higher Education addressed this very topic. Surely I would find some assistance in this highly respected source.

After documenting the need for universities to attend to atheist students, the authors offer some tips for faculty and university administrators:

Create a welcoming environment for atheist students.
Include atheism in student programming.
Ensure that atheists can, like other students, explore their inner development.
Create safe spaces that are "atheist only" for students.
Look to other institutions for best practices.

I appreciate what they are saying, but these recommendations are simply too general to be of much value. What I want to know is how to create a welcoming and safe environment for atheist students. As an individual faculty member, what can I do to help?

I recognize that many campuses have active groups for atheist students. I would be thrilled to serve as the faculty advisor to such a group, but I am not sure how interested students would even know to approach me about doing so. Clearly, I need to be more open about my atheism at work. I'm willing to do so, but I'm still not quite sure how best to do so.

H/T to Friendly Atheist

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Letter to Obama: Stop Excluding Non-Believers

2009-02-03T05:36:00.000-06:00

President Obama's acknowledgment that we non-believers exist was a small but positive step, even if the inauguration as a whole felt like way too much of a godfest. It is time to encourage the Obama administration to take another important step. What follows is a letter I am sending to President Obama at the suggestion of Atheist Ethicist. I have modeled it closely on Alonzo's letter but attempted to give it my voice as well.

Dear President Obama:

Like millions of Americans, I was happy to hear you acknowledge non-believers in your inaugural address. It was nice to be recognized as a worthwhile part of this great nation. I am writing both to thank you for including us and to ask you to consider taking another important step to signal that you value the contribution of all Americans.

You have held many events where people of faith have come together to discuss their visions of America, both through informal discussions and religious services. You have provided them with forums for sharing their views and their values, but have not included non-religious Americans.

Regardless of your intention, this exclusion communicates that atheists, agnostics, secular humanists, and freethinkers have little to offer in crafting a vision of America. It suggests that your administration considers values to be the exclusive purview of the religious community. We non-believers are also stakeholders in the future of our country, and we have much to contribute. We should be included in discussions of American values.

As a secular democracy, our government has no business promoting faith-based events. However, events focused around values which include representatives from the various faith communities and from communities of non-believers would be an effective solution. Everyone would benefit from such an inclusive gathering, religious and non-religious alike.

I hope you will cease to promote events which cater to religious believers while excluding non-believers and instead embrace an inclusive approach. This would send a powerful message that you value the input of all Americans and could do wonders in bringing diverse groups together in pursuit of common goals.

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We Need a List of Atheist Debaters and Media Contacts

2008-12-30T08:45:00.007-06:00

Image via WikipediaI have been receiving an increasing number of requests lately for two similar but distinct types of public activity. First, I have been asked to help groups hoping to put on atheist vs. Christian debates (some of whom will pay travel expenses plus an honorarium) find a suitable atheist debater. Second, I've been asked by various media outlets to recommend an atheist for radio and/or print interviews. Other than referring such requests to the Freedom From Religion Foundation or American Atheists, I'm not sure what else to do. I wonder if it might be worthwhile to develop some sort of directory of persons willing to do this sort of thing. Any ideas?

Here is what I've come up with so far:

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Young Australian Skeptics

2008-12-26T10:51:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaA reader asked me to let you know, especially you Aussies, about a new website and podcast from Australia. Pay a visit to the Young Australian Skeptics website and consider subscribing to the Pseudo Scientists podcast. And for those of you on Facebook, they also have a Facebook page.

It is so nice to see new groups appearing with the goal of welcome young people into the reality-based community. I wish them the best in their efforts.

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Atheist Billboard Comes to Little Rock

2008-12-20T11:25:00.000-06:00

I just received word from a reader that the Freedom From Religion Foundation has placed another one of their "Beware of Dogma" billboards in Little Rock, Arkansas. Good news for those of us in the bible belt. I'd love to see one of these billboards in Mississippi.

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