Monthly Archives: August 2009

“Everything Happens for a Reason”

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Just like Sabio, this has happened to me before: a close friend is telling me how she just broke up with a boyfriend, or how she lost her job, or something else really depressing. At some point, she utters: “This … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 55 Comments

Why Should We Bother Having These Conversations?

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Here’s the gist of the conversation I had the other day with a Catholic over this story and the headline “Publisher, editor out over wafer story”: Catholic: I’m offended by this headline. It’s disrespectful to Catholics. Me: No, it’s not. … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 80 Comments

Were You Coerced to Go to Christian Bible Camp?

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Reader “Bob” saw the article by Ian Bell that suggested some Camp Quest attendees are going there against their will. In an email, “Bob” writes: I work for a Christian Bible camp which also serves as a weekend retreat for … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 45 Comments

The History of the Pledge of Allegiance

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Reader Ryan made a very nifty-looking presentation about the Pledge of Allegiance. I’ll admit I did not know about the pre-hand-on-heart gesture used during recitations of the Pledge… Ryan also explains some of the Constitutional issues surrounding it. It’s a … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | 11 Comments

Is Atheism Intolerant?

Posted on August 4, 2009 by Guest Contributor

The Big Questions is a BBC show that tackles you-know-what. A recent episode asked: Is atheism an intolerant belief? Forget the immediate answer (“No”) for just a moment and watch how the dialogue happens: Reader Tony summarized the entire video … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheist/Christian Cooperation, General | 51 Comments

Why Do So Many People Believe in God?

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Once again, I’m going to be interviewing someone soon for a project. The subject I will be discussing is why so many people believe in a god. (Could that many people really be wrong?!) I could use some help in … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 53 Comments

Doonesbury Takes on The Family at C Street

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Guest Contributor

I expect we’ll all enjoy Doonesbury this week: The bigger question: What symbol will represent Mark Sanford? If you’re unfamiliar with The Family, you can see Bill Maher‘s interview with Jeff Sharlet, the man who authored a book about the … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Humor, Politics | 4 Comments

Why Bring in an Unnecessary Middleman?

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Guest Contributor

Father Jonathan Morris appeared on FOXNews again… He was there to speak partly about Kara Neumann‘s parents, the people who let her die because they wanted to heal her sickness through prayer instead of modern medicine. His goal was to … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | 14 Comments

The Actual Cause of Baldness

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Guest Contributor

It’s fun explaining religious-y beliefs to gullible people: (via Pearls Before Swine by Stephan Pastis)

Posted in General, Humor | 6 Comments

Which College Majors Make You Less Religious?

Posted on August 3, 2009 by Guest Contributor

A new study from the University of Michigan tells us some somewhat surprising news about college majors and their effect on religiosity. Majoring in which subjects would decrease your religiosity? (That is, make you less likely to go to church … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheist Demographics, General, Science | 47 Comments