TwitNuuz: Atheist news

I take it that the title to this post is uncontestable and undeniably true from what we know about human beings. The ONLY responses I have gotten from believers are these two: 1) The Ad Hominem Tu Quoque Fallacy which does nothing to address the point…

Jennifer Keeton wants to be a school counselor when she graduates from her grad school program at Augusta State University in Georgia. If a student ever tells her he’s gay, though, she’s going to tell him he’s living a life of sin and…

In Louisiana, the Livingston Parish School Board wants to teach Creationism in the public schools and unanimously voted in favor of continuing discussion on this. This type of thing only happens when a school board is taken over by people who don’t…

I’m not a scientist and I don’t claim to be one. At least I can admit that. Dr. Jason Lisle of Answers in Genesis can’t seem to do the same. He claims to have solved the “distant starlight problem“: This is the issue of how…

A major problem with religion is that it causes believers to accept nonsense over reality. Sometimes, it’s just silly. Other times, that can lead to disaster. Take a look at what happened to 8-month-old Alayna May Wyland: I don’t care if that…

A six-week old baby has died in Moldova. The culprit? Superstition mixed with a preacher blinded by religion. Father Valentin dunked the baby in a tank of water three times, never covering its mouth. The father explains what he saw: “He couldn’t…

She does so in the form of a letter to me: John, you have asked me to respond to a critique at the site, Triablogue, of my chapter, “Christian Belief Through the Lens of Cognitive Science” for The Christian Delusion. Reading the critique, I am struck,…

People believe and defend what they prefer to be true. This is an obvious and non-controversial fact. That’s who we are as human beings. That’s what we human beings do. That’s what psychological studies have repeatedly shown us over and over. To understand…

It happens at In-N-Out Burger, Alaska Airlines, and Forever 21 — Christians verses popping out at you when you least expect it. No, it’s not a big deal, but it’s a little off-putting when you find out your sandwich and sweater are made…

I’m finally back home (and rested) from the annual Secular Student Alliance conference in Ohio. I’ve been involved with the organization for several years and this was by far the best conference our staff has put together. A few thoughts on…

Whenever Salman Rushdie‘s memoir comes out, I’m going to stop whatever I’m doing to read it. “I just thought it might be time to tell that story,” Rushdie said. “I always for a long time didn’t want to tell it….

Normally, I’m all for baby cakes. But this one is a bit creepy… Oh, wait! I get it. It’s Upside-Down (Baby) Cake. In that case, someone cut me a slice. (Thanks to Elyse for the link!)

I’ve been faulted for suggesting that the Outsider Test for Faith (OTF) has force primarily against religious faiths. I think so because of the nature of them, how they were first adopted, the evidence (or lack thereof) that can decide between them, and…

I’ve argued for the Outsider Test for Faith (OTF) but most believers like Paul Manata just don’t get it. For people like him I’ve made a playlist of four short videos so he can see what he refuses to see because he’s blinded by his faith. Watch these…

If someone would pitch this song by Jim Steager to a megachurch, I’m pretty sure they’d go along with it. It’s not like churches pay attention to lyrics, anyway… that’s how they end up with bland, boring songs that mention…

Note: I responded to this letter by email, offering the kind of caution and encouragement that I usually give to young people who are in very vulnerable positions. The advice itself is not remarkable; what you might expect for this situation. I decided…

These are adorable… and perfect for your next atheist function: (via Epicute — Thanks to Gemma for the link!)

Triablogue’s amateurs have compiled a supposed refutation of The Christian Delusion. Some uninformed bloggers are already hailing it as a “massive” and definitive refutation. Yet, even the most superficial look at Triablogue’s efforts reveals…

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There’s nothing to be ashamed of if you claim moral relativism. Not everything in life is good or bad, right or wrong, all the time: Read the full comic here. (via @MykDowling)

Here’s a great video from Dr. Ken Miller explaining solid proof in favor of evolution and against Intelligent Design/Creationism: (via The Religion Virus)

Although many of the blogging tips I provide here are aimed at atheist bloggers, most have a wider applicability to all sorts of blogs. This one is a bit different because it focuses on how to handle Christian trolls on atheist blogs. Start by accepting…

As far as progressive blogs go, Huffington Post is tough to avoid. Many of the stories I see being re-tweeted trace back to HuffPo. They have some top-notch people writing for them, and they are also one of the few left-wing blogs that is big enough to…

Contrary to popular belief, not all idiots call the United States their home. For this week’s honoree, we must travel to Israel. District court judge Tzvi Segal made legal history this week by sentencing Sabbar Kashur to 18 months in prison for “rape…

American Atheists’ Blair Scott has suggested that the recent Shirley Sherrod debacle provides a good example of what happens when critical thinking is largely absent. He’s right. This case does reveal a notable absence of critical thinking. But that is…

This one is inspired by an excellent pair of questions asked of me on my Formspring account. The initial question was as follows:If you knew someone who you thought you could deconvert (and not fundamental or evangelical about their beliefs - but it gave…

The following is a press release from Americans United for Separation of Church and State. Since it involves church state issues likely to be of concern to atheists, I thought it was important to share. July 21, 2010 Americans United for Separation of…

While reading an encouraging post about how Australia is following the lead of many other Western nations in leading faith behind at Rationalists’s Blog*, I found myself wondering when the U.S. might join the progress. We continue to trail the pack by…

What is God? If you don’t have a fairly clear answer to this question, then I have one additional question for you. How can you claim to worship something you can’t define and don’t particularly understand? More importantly, if you aren’t sure what this…

I live in a dry county. That means that I cannot buy beverages containing alcohol within the county because stores are not permitted to sell them. The fact that I can be in a normal county where alcohol sales are permitted in about 15 minutes makes this…

When I asked my Twitter followers whether they thought atheism was a choice, most said that it did not seem like anything they had deliberately chosen. Instead, they described it as a reflection of the available data (i.e., they don’t believe in gods…

This is the second part of my response to Paul Manata’s criticisms of the Outsider Test for Faith (OTF). Part 1 can be read here. Again, I’ll not repeat myself. In this part I’ll examine where Paul also claims it’s not a sound argument. Really? Let’s…