Kiosk

This is a general review of the last four chapters, the chapters that deal with evolution, of Ann Coulter's book Godless. "She is a lawyer and a journalist, and the research techniques she uses to study political and historical subjects, which in this case amount to 'quote mining,' are not suitable for studying issues in biological science. What makes her account bearable is her acid wit. She is genuinely funny."

Without dwelling on deep theological issues and arguments, Holt details his journey from Catholic to naturalist, outlining the reasons that led him to give up his belief in God and the supernatural, and to ultimately come to the conclusion that metaphysical naturalism is most likely true.

The legitimacy of the three main commandments of the Gospels--"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you," "Love your neighbor as yourself," and "Love God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind"--is accepted not only by believers, but the first is admired by many unbelievers as well. However, although they sound pretty, they do not pass philosophical scrutiny, and they must be rejected by a morally-minded and reasonable person.

O'Kane argues that even if a punishing god were to exist, it would remain a logical and ethical necessity to behave as if it did not, that to succumb to such a being would be a moral failure, and that the only moral course of action would be nonbelief and the acceptance of damnation--"in essence, the virtuous must all 'go to hell.'"

"Theists frequently make the assertion that it is just as impossible to prove that there is no such thing as god as it is to prove that there is such a thing as god; therefore, atheism (the positive assertion that no god can exist) is rooted in blind faith, just as theism (the positive assertion that a god does exist) is. I believe, however, that there is a rational basis for the positive assertion that god cannot exist, which can be arrived at through extrapolation on empirical evidence, and through deductive reasoning regarding the properties of the universe."

A popular theistic "explanation" for why God would permit even a slim evidential basis for atheism goes something like this: "God does not give us absolute proof because this would work against our free will. He gives us just enough evidence so that we can find Him and just enough to reject His existence if that is our desire." But is this reasonable? Kuchar says not.

One of the most acclaimed poets and Latin scholars of the twentieth century, Housman's poetry and prose contain eloquent observations palatable to atheists.

Those who advocate displaying the decalogue in classrooms, courtrooms, and public parks assert that the Ten Commandments are a declaration of fundamental principles that are the cornerstones of a fair and just society. But a careful study of the Bible indicates that it isn't as simple as that; there are many questions that would need to be answered before it could be decided which version and which interpretation--if any--should be displayed.

The Bible portrays God's moral judgments and punishments in many instances as arbitrary and inconsistent, holding people accountable for rules they may not be aware of. The Bible's treatment of incest is only one example of the Scripture's inconsistent moral judgments. Gay Christians and every other demographic should eschew wasting time reconciling their ideas about morality to such an arbitrary and inconsistent standard.

This is a response to an article by Rabbi Gellman entitled, "Trying to Understand Angry Atheists: Why do nonbelievers seem to be threatened by the idea of God?" Parra contends that because clergy have a vested interest in invalidating affronts to their theology, Rabbi Gellman runs through every "tired assumption that every smug believer uses to convince himself that he is somehow morally superior to those who reject his faith."

"In a national survey, part of a broader project on multiculturalism and solidarity in American life, that we call the American Mosaic Project, we found that one group stood out from all others in terms of the level of rejection they received from the general public. That was atheists. And not by a small margin, either."

Strictly speaking "atheism" is a simple lack of theism, but those of us who assert the nonexistence of god generally have a lot more to say about what that means for our individual lives, the lives of our families, and for society as a whole.

Christians today denounce atrocities committed by their religious forebears during the Inquisition and Crusades. President Bush calls Islam a "religion of peace," despite the murder of American innocents on 9/11 in the name of Allah. Violence in the name of religion is often portrayed as the purview of psychopaths who twist the divine word of God to suit their own destructive purposes. But is religious violence a problem of people, or a problem of scripture?

In a recent column, Toronto Sun columnist Michael Coren labels Da Vinci Code "a disgrace," likening its criticism of the Church with the imprisonment, torture, and killing of Christians in countries where "there are concerted campaigns to eliminate followers of Jesus Christ." What Coren doesn't appreciate, however, is that Dan Brown's book taps into the widespread dismay with the early compromise of Christian ideals by the Church itself.

Although Dan Ferrisi was born into a 100% Roman Catholic family, he eventually came to deplore religion as a pernicious influence on the species. This is the story of his journey from Catholicism to atheism.

The judicial system establishes that a criminal theory can be shown true beyond a reasonable doubt without anyone witnessing the event. The credibility of a well-established theory is powerful enough to warrant the death sentence. Yet, there is a gear shift that occurs whenever detectives are compared to scientists. The very same people who agreed or disagreed with the prosecutor's hypothesis will say that no amount of evidence will convince them that evolution occurred.

In defending his transcendental philosophy, Ralph Waldo Emerson used reason, logic, and evidence when they served his purpose, but abandoned them when they conflicted with his cheery intuitions.

A Review of Facing Death: Epicurus and His Critics, by James Warren.

Both Hemingway and his character Frederic Henry were victimized by an inability to live up to the selfless ethic associated with Jesus.

A tongue-in-cheek look at the intelligent design movement and the logical consequences of the intelligent design theory.

The Kuzari Proof is a famous proof of the validity of Judaism and is commonly used in outreach programs to convince estranged Jews to return to the fold of observance. The author will demonstrate the logical flaws in this proof in hopes that it leads all parties to conduct discourse on a higher level of understanding.

By simply being reactive, nontheistic debaters have allowed religious organizations to set the agenda. The time to create a freethought debate circuit, where both sides have fair legal representation and adequate debate preparation, has finally arrived!

This is Bradley's rejoinder to Professor Antony Flew's reply to "An Open Letter to Professor Antony Flew," also by Bradley, which was published as the Secular Web's Current Feature for August. 2005.

It is one thing to examine the effects of a person's belief system on illness when there is a plausible connection between the belief, including prayer, and the body's systems, but another to seek to investigate an effect that lies outside the known laws of science.

At the very beginning of the twentieth century, discussions on Atheism had a popularity and vigour that would astound most of us today. By contrast, in England today, religion is hardly mentioned and the main concern with any religious talk seems to be not to upset people with what you say.

In his twilight years, unknown to his adoring public, the venerable Twain spewed relentless venom on his Maker.

Lori Lipman Brown Brown goes to Washington as the first Director/Lobbyist of the Secular Coalition for America, of which Internet Infidels is a founding member. As the nation's very first 501(c)4 lobbying organization for freethinkers, the Coalition works to increase the visibility and respectability of nontheistic viewpoints within the larger culture, and to protect and strengthen secular government as the best guarantee of freedom for all.

George Walker Bush relates that he relied on guidance from "a higher Father" as he came to the decision to invade Iraq. Now that it's apparent that the best case scenario for Operation Iraqi Freedom will be a moderate Islamic republic aligned with Iran, and the worst case scenario a metastasizing war between Sunnis and Shiites spreading throughout the Middle East, perhaps it's time to address some questions surrounding President Bush's initial decision to go to war.

A fictional tale about a village that worships a giraffe in a tree.

Although we can never prove or disprove the existence of God, science can tell us where God isn't. God isn't to be found in the creation of the Earth, nor in the evolution of life. Nor can God know the future; physics shows us why.