It is certainly true that much contemporary discussion between (and about) atheists and religious believers suffers from the tendency to assume that “God” means (and can only mean) one thing, usually the classic theism of Christianity as reduced into the understanding of popular Christianity today. Equally problematic, however, is a lack of clarity about what is meant by atheism and atheist. Does being an atheist mean one denies theism? If so, then one can be a deeply spiritual atheist, even... Read more

Review of James A. Herrick, Scientific Mythologies: How Science and Science Fiction Forge New Religious Beliefs (Downers Grove: IVP, 2008). Some books are annoyingly bad, but others may seem even more annoying because they had the potential to be excellent, and yet in the end are marred by a narrow ideological slant, apologetic interests, and/or an inability to examine their own worldview as critically as that of their opponents. James A. Herrick’s Scientific Mythologies falls into this latter category. Although... Read more

The biblioblogs (among others) seem to have turned their attention of late to the Bible’s “naughty bits”. Here is a sampling of some of the blogs that have focused on topics related to sex in recent days: Doug Chaplin has been looking at sex and the censored Scriptures. He looks at texts of “queer terror”, too. Codex looked at the Uncensored Bible. James Crossley considers Evangelical erotica. Sex comes up at the Lambeth Conference too – once the media looks... Read more

Apparently there is more to posting on a WordPress blog than I know. I’m not sure when the post will appear over at the Crowded Handbasket, but in case it doesn’t, I’m duplicating it here… It seems somewhat typical of me that I used th occasion of my first post over there to problematize the reason for that blog’s existence. I resonate with the identity of the Crowded Handbasket blog – the fringe, the heretics, the outliers. And I have... Read more

I’ve posted on the subject of the “faithful fringe” over at the new blog The Crowded Handbasket where I was invited to participate. Do take a look! Read more

The National Center for Science Education recently posted this job opening: Help wanted Communications Coordinator NCSE seeks a communications coordinator, who will be responsible for NCSE’s overall communications strategy, reporting to the executive director. Tasks include: Providing guidance for creation of journalist-oriented webpages; ensuring that web presence of NCSE is maximized for disseminating news and information. Interacting with other staff to identify newsworthy items being produced by NCSE staff, and to identify story angles to reach NCSE’s diverse audiences. Identifying... Read more

I happened across information about the Nation of Islam’s mythology recently. It never struck me before that one part of its teachings at one point involved an island on which a renegade scientist named Yakub who creates an inferior race that comes to dominate the planet. Whenever I hear “island” and a version of the name “Jacob” in close proximity, I inevitably think of the TV series LOST. The Wikipedia article on Yakub also mentions that an author names Chi-Town... Read more

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Via New Scientist I found this great video clip of the earth as seen from 31 million miles away: Read more

I have refrained from jumping into the discussions about the removal of a Eucharistic wafer (or “cracker“, if you prefer) from a church by another individual and then, in protest to the heated reactions from Catholics, once again by P. Z. Myers, outspoken atheist. Myers has received threats and various other sorts of hate mail. But I think this case provides a wonderful opportunity for Christians to revisit the story in Judges 6:25-32 about Gideon (also called Jerub-Baal). I will... Read more