Time to Move? Considering Medium as a Possible Replacement for Blogger

Image by TEREX12 from Pixabay

I joined Medium at the end of February 2022 and have been writing there since then. Initially, I didn't do much more than share some Atheist Revolution posts with a new audience. I learned that there is no SEO benefit to doing this (all external links are nofollow); however, it has resulted in getting some posts in front of people who wouldn't have seen them here. And since that was the point, I can't say I'm disappointed.

I soon began writing some off-topic stuff there too since there seems to be a lot of flexibility around niches. Their algorithm does a decent job of putting content in front of people who are likely to have some interest in it. Writers tag their posts, and we can follow tags we are interested in. For example, I started following "religious trauma" and a few others.

After a while, I decided to write some new on-topic stuff just for Medium instead of posting it here first. I wasn't sure I wanted to do that, but I figured I would need to if I wanted to test Medium as an eventual replacement for this blog.

Here are a few recent "Medium exclusives" for those who are interested:

• The Pro-Life Label Is a Smokescreen and We Can Reject It
• Tolerating Disinformation is Harmful to Democratic Societies
• Bigotry and Social Disapproval Reveal Inequities in Religious Freedom

There Are No Holy Lands: Proactive Approaches to Ending Religious Privilege

Image by Jolyne D from Pixabay

I turned on the cable TV news a few nights ago because I wanted to see if the pro-choice protests were being covered. PBS NewsHour is the only national news show I watch these days, so that's what I selected. There was little coverage of the protests, but something else caught my attention. The anchor referred to portions of Israel and Palestine as "the holy land." The graphic that filled the screen did the same. Holy land? Are you serious?

This was not the first time I had heard this phrase. I have heard it thousands of times. We all have. But on this night, I recognized it for what it was: religious privilege.

Pro-choice Catholics Need to Speak Out on the Importance of Maintaining Reproductive Rights

Image by Mauricio A. from Pixabay

Tired of hearing about Roe and the leaked Alito draft yet? I'm not. I'm curious why we haven't been hearing more than we have. At least, I'm curious why we haven't been hearing more from certain people. People like President Joe Biden, for instance. And then it hit me. Could this be a Catholic thing? Might President Biden be more reluctant to speak out because of his Catholic beliefs? Even if he's pro-choice, could he have decided to hold back?

If Roe falls, the Catholic Church deserves much of the blame. It has been a central part of their agenda for as long as Roe has been with us. And yet, it is important to remember that most Catholics in the United States support reproductive rights. Most Catholics want abortion to remain legal. There is a gap between what most Catholics want and what conservative Catholics want.

Community-Building for Atheists: Applying a Support Group Model

In many parts of the U.S., atheists do not feel free to be open about their atheism. Reasons range from social ostracization to threats to one's personal safety. Indeed, living as an atheist in many parts of the U.S. can be a lonely experience. Atheist groups do exist in many communities, but they tend to attract few active members. This suggests they may not meet the needs of many atheist residents.

How might we improve the appeal of such groups, making them more attractive to more atheists? Could we learn something from the support group model? Atheist support groups might be one option to consider.