The Secular Spectrum
My students were angry to learn that their college was named for someone who probably didn't exist. I channeled their anger into one last act of satire. Read more
My students were angry to learn that their college was named for someone who probably didn't exist. I channeled their anger into one last act of satire. Read more
“You’re certainly colorful today. Something for Easter?” said one of my many specialist physicians, referring to my vibrant tie-dyed blouse. I looked at him blankly. Mostly, that was due to the earliness of the hour. I’m not exactly a morning person. Each morning is like a new coma awakening for me. “You know, how they paint Easter eggs?” he helpfully elaborated. I smiled and said, “Ah, I’m of Jewish heritage.” It was a casual remark that most people wouldn’t have... Read more
The details of the 4th century life of St. Catherine of Alexandria are painstakingly woven into the lore and song and symbolism of St. Catherine University, a Catholic college in Minnesota where I taught for many years. But 10 years ago this month, in my last semester on the faculty, I learned that Catherine, the namesake of the university, never existed at all — and that the Catholic Church had known this for decades. The idea of religious figures failing to move the needle on existence is... Read more
(image credit) “If others have half the experience I had today, they will be completely changed.” That’s what a participant told me after the end of a Giving Game I facilitated that aimed to engage reason-oriented people in making an effective decision about where to donate. Giving Games are workshop-style events aimed to advance philanthropic education. Participants learn about a couple of pre-selected charities, think about and discuss their personal values and reasons for giving, consider what methods and metrics... Read more
By Meg Gisonda (Content note: This piece refers multiple times to “cr***”, an ableist slur.) Over the last few years, we’ve seen the Disney Company attempt strides towards equality. We’ve seen working princesses, self-rescuing princesses, princesses with depression and princesses of color, but always, these films blast micro-agressions like glowing neon signs. Last night, I saw Disney’s latest installment, Zootopia. Certainly, Zootopia was a wonderfully subversive film. It’s a seemingly “pro-cop” animated film about talking animals that features a strong... Read more
I’ve long nicknamed the GOP, God’s Official Party. But lately, the Republican Party has seemed to have gone to the Devil. Is it a coincidence that the Republican frontrunner has such poufy orange hair? Could it be that Donald Trump’s infamous ‘do is concealing something other than a balding pate? Consider the evidence. Ted Cruz, son of an evangelical preacher, loses the evangelical vote handily to a potty-mouthed, thrice-divorced casino magnet in the South Carolina primary. Like Iron Eyes Cody... Read more
In Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye’s daughters sing, Matchmaker, matchmaker, Make me a match, Find me a find, Catch me a catch. Yet those days are long gone. Nowadays, people who don’t meet a mate through natural means have to act as their own matchmakers. And as I learned, being an atheist didn’t make me such a catch for many non-secular Jews. When I read Dale McGowan’s account of how he broke his atheism to his then-girlfriend (now wife), I... Read more
I remember how in November 2013 my wife (and fellow Intentional Insights co-founder) and I, together with a great bunch of people, organized a spaghetti dinner fundraiser at our Unitarian Universalist church in Columbus, OH. The event was a big success, with more than 120 attendees, a music program, a raffle and silent auction. We raised over $2000 for the Mid-Ohio Food Bank. It might surprise you that the dinner organizers and volunteers came from Columbus secular humanist, atheist,... Read more
I have to admit that I feel a bit embarrassed when it comes to my atheism. No, it’s not due to my heresy. After all, the Washington Post called me, “Funny, profane and adamantly atheist.” I want that on my tombstone. The reason for my abashment is that most atheists arrive at their godlessness through years of wrenching struggle. They’ve wrestled with the philosophical implications and moral arguments, reading countless books along the way. They often risk estrangement with religious... Read more
I stepped to the mirror and began to turn as my daughter watched between her fingers: "Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary, Bloody Mary!" Read more
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