Dial-an-Atheist is live and on the air! What is an atheist?

What is an atheist? There’s a lot of stereotypes and misinformation to be had, but now is your chance to talk to real live atheists on the TV. Details and phone number here.

An Atheist’s Lullaby

Our friend Vastleft from Corrente has a new video out, this time a lullaby for all the little nonbelievers out there. And let’s be clear…. No one is born believing in gods (or much of anything else for that matter) so all our children begin life as atheists. You might remember vastleft from his previous [...]

Open Forum Friday: Is “ambush skepticism” a good idea?

Mark Edward at Skepticblog has a post up suggesting we (skeptics, not FFW) take up “ambush skepticism“. Just a couple of the suggestions he makes in his post:

Offer a tarot reading to the Watchtower person once you agree to have them come into your house to discuss Jesus. If they balk, quote Corinthians to them [...]

Pastor calls for followers to pray for Obama’s death

Notorious religious nutbar Rev. Wiley Drake of the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, CA is inserting himself into the news again. Well, that’s assuming you don’t find the phrase “Fox News” to be a non sequitor.
Drake is now calling for imprecatory prayers, calling upon God to visit death and misfortune, on President Obama. [...]

June 2009 Church & State from Americans United is out

The June 2009 issue of Church & State, the official magazine of Americans United For Separation of Church and State is out, and available for free online. Included are a couple of great articles on religious freedom and the judiciary and how Hollywood celebrities are trying to push Transcendental Meditation in the public schools. Separation [...]

Open Forum Friday: 10 Books That Screwed Up The World

Last year that stalwart bastion of fine literature, Regnery Press, published a little tract called 10 Books That Screwed Up The World: And 5 Others That Didn’t Help. Regnery Press, as you might know, publishes only the most erudite and informed of authors. Savvy scholars such as Jerome Corsi (Unfit For Command), Newt Gingrich and [...]

Liberty Univeristy shuts down Democratic Party club

Another sign that the religious right is retreating even further into delusions after its pet political party lost power. From Think Progress we learn that televangelist Jerry Falwell’s Liberty University has shut down its’ student-run Democratic club. University officials say the Democratic Party, “…stands against the moral principles held by” the university. Democratic club members [...]

Open Forum Friday: Can believers and nonbelievers ever have a productive conversation about belief?

It’s important to understand how and why people form the beliefs they do, especially when it comes to extraordinary beliefs but is it really possible for a believer and a nonbeliever to really have a substantive dialogue? When it comes to public debate, I say no, and furthermore I think it’s a pointless endeavour. However, what about on a personal level? And what is a productive conversation when it comes to beliefs anyway?

Sorry. Religion is just make believe.

I’m not sure how I missed this video by my blogger friend Vastleft from Corrente. Well, that’s not true. I do know. I tend to ignore my email when it starts to pile up. But be that as it may, this is definitely one of the finest expositions of personal disbelief that I’ve heard in [...]

Open Forum Friday: Are accomodationists dragging us down?

This Week’s Topic
Ever since the resurgence of outspoken atheists, led by the so-called “New Atheists” such as Richard Dawkins, PZ Myers, Sam Harris and others, an oft-repeated refrain has been that the New Atheists are somehow hurting atheism’s common cause (which at a minimum is greater acceptance of atheists and atheism).
This new breed of atheists, [...]