Monthly Archives: July 2009

A Contest: Pick a Name for the “Convert-the-Atheist” Game Show

Posted on July 19, 2009 by Guest Contributor

By now, you’ve heard of the Turkish game show where religious figures from different faiths (priest, rabbi, Imam, etc.) try to convert a group of atheists. The show is called Penitents Compete (Tovbekarlar Yarisiyor in Turkish). British magazine The Week … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Pop Culture | 30 Comments

Goodbye, Frank McCourt

Posted on July 19, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Frank McCourt, the author of Angela’s Ashes, died today. He taught at Stuyvesant High School in New York. I know Harvard’s Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein went to school there, but I don’t know if he ever had McCourt as a … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, General, Pop Culture | 4 Comments

Jimmy Carter Severs Ties with Southern Baptists over Gender Equality Issues

Posted on July 19, 2009 by Guest Contributor

***Update***: It’s old news. Australia’s just now catching up to the rest of the world … Former President Jimmy Carter may still be religious (despite the misleading headline in the linked piece), but he has left the Southern Baptist Convention … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | 21 Comments

Did Governor Mark Sanford Miss This Bible Verse?

Posted on July 19, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Governor Mark Sanford says “God will make him better” after he had an affair with an Argentinian mistress. Apparently, God was missing when Sanford was secretly emailing the mistress, catching a flight to see her, and getting it on: It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Humor, Politics | 3 Comments

iPhone Applications for the Pseudoscientific

Posted on July 19, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Crispian has compiled a list of the number of iPhone apps that cater to the religious/pseudoscientific. Here’s a taste of it: Paranormal Woo Astrology – 65 Apps Tarot Cards – 61 Apps Psychic – 60 Apps Fortune Telling – 41 … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Pseudoscience | 13 Comments

The New Atheism Is Not Gone Yet

Posted on July 19, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Professor Byron R. McCane is chair of the Religion Department at Wofford College in Spartanburg, South Carolina. I don’t know what it takes to earn that title, but it can’t be much. In an opinion piece for The State newspaper, … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheist Demographics, FFRF, General | 19 Comments

An Atheist Who Prays

Posted on July 19, 2009 by Guest Contributor

I want to empathize here, but it’s tough. I understand how comforting it would be to *think* someone was listening to (and maybe answering) your prayers. But how could any atheist think it’s “nice” to pray… when you know no … Continue reading →

Posted in Fine Arts, General | 34 Comments

Atheist Dating Advice for Women?

Posted on July 19, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Now that we know how to meet and woo the atheist women, people are asking me for the list of how to woo the men. I didn’t realize we needed one of those. If you breathe and have estrogen, we’re … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Love | 74 Comments

How to Transition from Godless to Godly

Posted on July 18, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Troy Conrad is offering suggestions to those atheists who find themselves becoming religious, but who are not sure how to make that transition happen. As freethinkers, we’ve gotten a bit rusty in the worship department. When working out the faith … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Humor | 6 Comments

Who Are the “New Atheists”?

Posted on July 18, 2009 by Guest Contributor

The term “New Atheist” is overused… I’m guilty of it, too. I automatically use it whenever I refer to successful atheist authors, whether or not that’s appropriate. SarahH proposes a new definition of the term: A “New Atheist” is an … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 32 Comments