Category: Atheism
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We’re Making It All Up
I am a huge fan of the human imagination. I’m a huge fan of all imagination; I’m convinced plenty of other animals and creatures have imaginations, too. They use them – same as we humans do – to problem solve both small and big problems. Finding food, a safe place to sleep, our place in […]
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Certainty v Uncertainty
Want to know the real difference between atheists and theists? It all comes down to uncertainty. Atheists can handle it. Theists detest it. In fact, they’re “certain” uncertainty doesn’t exist. Or it can’t – or shouldn’t. Because, in their world, all questions are answered. By a deity. Mysteries remain of course, but they’re all part […]
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Maybe A “War On Christmas” Is A Good Thing
I grew up Jewish in America. That’s probably why Christmas always feels like I’m crashing someone else’s party. And the person whose party I’m crashing doesn’t like me very much. Strange thing is, the party aspires to be a celebration of a spiritual ideal while actually celebrating something else entirely: consumerism. There’s nothing wrong with […]
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Religionistas Don’t Believe IN God, They Believe They ARE God
I blame monotheism. Anything that puts the voice of the creator of everything into a person’s head is playing with fire. Take your average “religionista” (be they Christian fundamentalist, evangelical or other True Believer). They’ll tell you proudly: they have a personal relationship with God that you probably don’t. That means when God talks, they […]
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America A Christian Nation? God Forbid!
Fundamental religious faith and rule-of-law democracy are mutually exclusive propositions. Fundamental faith demands unthinking fealty. Rule of law democracy demands that we think. While the men who wrote America’s founding documents were all Christians of one stripe or another, Deism “subverted orthodox Christianity“. Many of America’s founders practiced a brand of Christianity modern American Christians […]
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I’m Grateful To Hebrew School For Making Me An Atheist
Let me stretch that out a bit: I have always been grateful to Hebrew School for making me the atheist I am today. Now, in all fairness, I suspect I was an atheist when I dropped from the womb. Hebrew School didn’t make me an atheist. But, it did close the deal. Whatever lingering doubts […]
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Religious Institutions & Sex Scandals Go Together Like S & M
Today we learned that the Mormon church faces yet another sex scandal. Maybe it’s just how it is. Religious institutions and sex scandals go together. As the AP reported: “The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was hit with several lawsuits Monday for allegedly covering up decades of sexual abuse among Boy Scout troops in […]
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The Ravages Of Magical Thinking
Think magical thinking isn’t potent? Magical thinking is threatening our democracy in real time! Left unchecked, it will bring down the greatest experiment ever in human self government. To be fair, magical thinking now threatens lots of the world. Maybe it just feels like the bulk of its focus is here. Right wingers don’t look […]