The most paradoxical, oxymoronic, never-going-to-be-written book… that I would love to read one day. I’m just curious what the stories would be like… [tags]atheist, atheism, Pharyngula, Christopher Hitchens, Chicken Soup for the Soul, Victor Stenger, Nica Lalli, Julia Sweeney, Dale McGowen, PZ Myers, Daniel Dennett[/tags]

Last week, I ran this contest: What newspaper headline would atheists most like to read? Here are the Top 5 headlines (with submitters)! 5| Natalie Portman holding out for the atheist Mr. Right (Ben) 4| The Rapture is here. All dogs go to heaven. Christians confused. (Jeff) 3| One nation, indivisible (Rebecca) 2| Study shows [...]

A friend who knows I’m an atheist gave me a holiday card where she had drawn a number of cartoons. Including this one: I love people who share my sense of humor about all this (Got anything to top that?) And many thanks to all those who made me smile by saying, “Hemant, have a [...]

Brought to you by the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia, the tree stands outside the Chester County Courthouse, alongside more traditional holiday displays: A closeup: The full list of books on the tree can be found here. Makes you feel all warm and gooey inside, no? [tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]

A while back, I did an interview with Susan Hogan/Albach, a reporter with the Chicago Sun-Times. For a few reasons (having nothing to do with my atheism or the article itself), it didn’t make it into the paper. But the interview is now up on the paper’s new religion blog, Divinity and Beyond. Go check [...]

There’s so much shameless propaganda against atheists, I tell you! It’s been going on for decades. In this case, since 1929! Just look at this excerpt from Cecil B. DeMille‘s last silent film The Godless Girl: Apparently, our atheist heroine (actress Lina Basquette) falls in love with the head of a Christian youth group. (We [...]

Apparently there are comic book characters who are Jains, Hasidic Jews, Catholic (lapsed), and everything else you can imagine. The list is thorough and extensive. The atheist characters? Meh. Never heard of them. Except for Spiderman’s “arch-enemy,” the Green Goblin. (Even in fiction, we’re considered evil!) ***Update***: As Joel points out below, the superhero The [...]

After my posting yesterday about the Rational Response Squad’s more aggressive tactics, you all had a lot to say. Brian Sapient is responding. And calling you out. An excerpt: As for “deconverting” success, we counted no less than 150 emails and 50 posts on our forum in the last year from believers who–in full or [...]

Dave Silverman, Communications Director for American Atheists and blogger at NoGodBlog.com, will be part of a four-person panel on CNN tonight. The show, What Would Jesus Really Do?, is hosted by Roland Martin. Wish him well! (It’s tough to speak in .00005 second soundbytes.) [tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]

The Halton Catholic District School Board in Canada recently banned Philip Pullman‘s His Dark Materials trilogy (which includes The Golden Compass). Board chair Alice Anne LeMay said that a majority of the board voted against a committee’s request to keep the books in the library. Here’s the money quotation: “The board felt that because it [...]

After hearing about Kaleena’s story, this question naturally arises: Have you ever been accidentally discovered as an atheist by your family? Share some good stories (Question via The Exterminator) [tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]

On the eleventh anniversay of Carl Sagan’s passing, Joel Schlosberg has the meta-posting for the second annual Carl Sagan Blog-a-thon. Lots of good reading and reminiscing in store for you. (My own posting from last year can be found here.) Thanks to Joel for organizing this remarkable endeavor! [tags]atheist, atheism[/tags]

It’s all fun and games until somebody (maybe/possibly/are-you-kidding-me?) dies. DEAR ABBY: I have found the man I will be with for the rest of my life. I knew from the moment I met him that he was The One. We are very happy and very much in love. Ever since I was about 9, my [...]