December 23, 2009

Richard Carrier on Secular Morality

I've previously mentioned we're entering A New Era for Atheism: Moral Realism. This is a follow-up post:

Does God Answer Prayer? A Better Perspective

23,000 children will starve to death today.

Another 23,000 tomorrow.
Another 23,000 the day after…. Another….

If God doesn’t listen to their prayers, what makes you think he will listen to yours?
HT: Pete Roode

"MythBusters" Does God Exist?

Since I've been recently discussing unanswered prayer check this test for God out!

Welcome to the Universe

The year 2009 was the international year of astronomy in celebration the 400th anniversary of Galileo's Work. Here's a great video survey of astronomy:

December 22, 2009

Robert G. Ingersoll on "What I Want For Christmas"

Here's part of what he said in the year 1897:

Conflicting Bible Teaching of the Week

How should a faithful Christian interact with non-believers? Check out this link for the answer. ;-)

Science is Essential to Morality

That's what professor McCormick argues in his latest Blog post. This is his conclusion:

God Blew it Again on National TV! Maybe He's on Strike, Right?

In light of my previous discussion about unanswered prayer, this is precious! Again God Blew it on National TV!

Dr. Marlene Winell - Recovering from Toxic Religion (Parts 1 & 2)

Here's an excerpt from a recent "Release and Reclaim" retreat where former DC Team Member Dr. Marlene Winell outlines 7 steps towards recovering from indoctrination by authoritarian religions.

Recently Posted: Richard Dawkins Interviewed (With Several Personal Questions)

This is part 1 of 3 which can be found on YouTube:

Richard Carrier on the Existence of Nazareth and the Movie Zeitgeist

Carrier argues that Nazareth probably existed in the time of Jesus and that the movie Zeitgeist is "absolute garbage." Don't fall for the arguments to the contrary, especially when it comes to that movie.

Richard Carrier on the Health Care Bill

We interrupt the fun here at DC with an analysis of The Health Care Bill by Richard Carrier.

December 21, 2009

How the Religious Right Stole Christmas

Link

More Rapture Madness, This Time With Pets!

Recently I wrote on Why I Think The Rapture Madness is Indeed Madness. Now I've learned there is a way for believers who love their pets to buy insurance so that they will be taken care of by atheists after the rapture. Yep, that's right!

The Decade in Pictures "What a Wonderful World"

Anyone care to count how many of these pictures are about suffering through wars, floods, and the like? Link. Only a Pollyanna can look at this carnage and sing this song. ;-) Play the song while looking at the pictures if you can! I know, I know, believers will say this is not God's fault. Nothing is, right? But if a business was in this much disarray the CEO should be fired (remember, like God, he too must deal with human beings)!

Today is the Winter Solistice!

Today is the winter solstice. The sun has halted its northerly trek and is headed back toward the equator for the spring equinox. Atheists, what are you doing in celebration today? ;-) And what do you do on the Summer Solstice (June 24th)? Why celebrate one rather than the other? And why even do it when we no longer worship the sun? I just celebrate having family and friends during this season.

On Mythras, Myth, the Virgin Birth and December 25th

There is an interesting post on this topic over at "God is for Suckers." This is the conclusion:

The Mind of the Believer and Unanswered Prayer

[Written by John Loftus] I want to continue a discussion I started right here and followed up on here, about a time when God blew it on national TV to answer a high profile prayer by three contestants (self described "prayer Warriors") in a reward challenge for food during an episode of CBS's Survivor.

Did Jesus Exist? Thinking About Earl Doherty's "The Jesus Puzzle."

Recently I wrote on this issue here. I've been reading through Doherty's book The Jesus Puzzle since then. It's a great read and very provocative. He does as good as I would expect in arguing there never was a historical Jesus. Nonetheless there is a problem as I see it.

THINK Christian! A Graphic Depiction of the Scale of the Universe

Are Christians kidding me that this universe is fine tuned for life when so much of it is lifeless? Vast areas of this universe cannot support life, probably 99.9999% of it. And are they also kidding me that the whole purpose of creation was to test human souls for entrance into heaven? Why couldn't an omnipotent God who created the laws of the universe and who could also do perpetual miracles need this vast universe? All he needed to do was create a flat earth with human beings on it!

Can We All Just Get Along? Clergy Unite On a Common Message: Thou Shalt Be Civil

It calls on people to display respect for those with whom they disagree; to debate issues, not demonize opponents; to stop misrepresenting opponents' views; and to stop circulating e-mail messages that "demonize or humiliate persons or groups."

December 20, 2009

Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor Interviewed in The Daily Page

Check it out!

HT Friendly Atheist

Stephen Law on "The History of Humanism'

Link.

Who Was Wenceslas? Christmas Myth-Making, by William Hopper

Link.

A New Era for Atheism: Moral Realism

One of the main charges against atheists is that we have no basis for morality. Many early atheists like Nietzsche, Sartre, and Camus echoed the same thought. But we are now entering a new era. Sam Harris is a moral realist. So also is Richard Carrier, Link. Michael Shermer seems to be one as well who argues: "Moral principles are provisionally true—that is, they apply to most people in most cultures in most circumstances most of the time." These moral principles are based in the universality of human nature; who we are and what we want. We want to be happy, holistically happy. This is an end in and of itself that needs no further justification. As we figure out what makes us happy we should do it. It can be expressed like this: "Since humans want to be happy we should therefore do X." Here is a follow-up post on this same subject.