tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28218890772608020442012-01-10T01:56:14.985+01:00The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.comBlogger1451100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-18157090015346479042009-01-23T18:06:00.006+01:002009-01-23T18:15:55.492+01:00

Outside of Scientology headquarters in Berlin, officials have posted a warning sign expressing opposition to activities of the sect and asking people to keep a critical eye out (read Der Speigel article here).The German government has never recognized Scientology as a religion, refuses to exempt it from taxes, and keeps a constant eye out for "anti-constitutional activity" because of aggressive

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-56704930944528422042008-11-12T17:30:00.005+01:002008-11-12T17:43:46.107+01:00

Group's new Christmas message: Be good, not godlyAds proclaiming, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake," will appear on Washington buses starting next week and running through December....The American Humanist Association unveiled the provocative $40,000 holiday ad campaign Tuesday...."It's the ultimate grinch to say there is no God at a time when millions of people around the

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-86681286994279346422008-11-11T11:17:00.004+01:002008-11-11T11:21:38.923+01:00

I suppose I would be irritated if the Mormon church was trying to posthumously baptize my family members. But only slightly, since it's entirely nonsense and has no effect on reality.Holocaust survivors said Monday they are through trying to negotiate with the Mormon church over posthumous baptisms of Jews killed in Nazi concentration camps, saying the church has repeatedly violated a 13-year-old

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-76401253537099659492008-11-01T18:03:00.002+01:002008-11-01T18:11:39.113+01:00

Around the country early voters are having to wait in long lines to cast their ballots. These waits have been as long as 8 to 10 hours.It is unconscionable that we still do not have an organized national voting system instead of a disorganized mess that lends to so much unfairness and error. This is unfair to voters who cannot afford to stand in line for that long because of their jobs, children,

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-56550108746545935442008-10-29T11:53:00.003+01:002008-10-29T12:11:09.853+01:00

The other day I set my blog as private. I was thinking about discontinuing it, but did not want to do anything hasty like deleting it. I was surprised that some of you noticed, as I have been a bad blogger lately and have not written anything in ages, so I suspected that I had lost most readers. I realize that doing that without saying anything was in bad form and I apologize.I promise you there

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-62485703673364536782008-10-10T11:04:00.003+02:002008-10-10T11:09:24.446+02:00

Hey everyone,I'm back from my honeymoon. Thank you for all of the kind wishes. We didn't really have a ceremony, we did it city hall style and then went backpacking around Croatia for a little over a week.I just got my absentee ballot in the mail today and voted for Obama!Hope everyone else votes as well.Cheers

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-43803615018624056762008-10-01T17:21:00.002+02:002008-10-01T17:21:35.751+02:00

Please excuse my absence, I'm on my honeymoon for the next week or so.Cheers!

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-56092758129458752232008-09-23T00:41:00.005+02:002008-09-23T00:56:41.282+02:00

As a kid I remember being slightly disappointed that Scooby Doo always ended the same: every mystery would have a rational explanation.I guess I was lucky enough as a child to have seen a couple of good shows in the midst of all the rubbish on TV, like Scooby Doo and Bill Nye the Science Guy.I was reading Carl Sagan's Demon Haunted World the other day(yes, it takes me this long to read it!) where

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-90332383571388274392008-09-22T18:19:00.004+02:002008-09-22T18:50:02.180+02:00

It was pretty lame being the youngest kid in youth group.I had just turned 13, so they forcibly removed me from the safety of Sunday school class with my younger brother and made me go alone to the class with all of the scary high schoolers who were all at least 16 years old. I felt like such a dork. Junior high was bad enough without having to hang out with these older kids who clearly thought I

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-21883142910979629812008-09-21T09:23:00.003+02:002008-09-21T09:28:05.019+02:00

Former ROB ZOMBIE guitarist and current SCUM OF THE EARTH frontman Riggs' 13-year-old son was reportedly reprimanded by his eighth-grade art teacher for wearing an inappropriate t-shirt in the classroom. The art teacher allegedly insulted the student in front of his peers, dragged him out of class into the hallway and forced him to pray on his knees for forgiveness from Jesus Christ."This is

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-64215443088813846382008-09-13T13:49:00.001+02:002008-09-13T13:50:23.713+02:00

Oh my goodness, the internet is a scary place!And apparently only liberals use it...

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-26206895397467943562008-09-13T13:04:00.004+02:002008-09-13T13:16:54.850+02:00

To demonstrate the fact that there are clearly crazies on every side of every issue is this young man, Timothy Brown, an atheist who continually harassed a Christian woman by urinating or smearing excrement on her property because she had put a fish sticker on her own car. Regardless of what someone believes, this is clearly an inappropriate way to communicate with them. This guy is immature and

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-4036493134554735772008-09-09T09:02:00.004+02:002008-09-09T09:08:29.935+02:00

Scientists about to conduct one of the world's biggest physics experiments have received death threats amidst fears they could destroy the world.Despite the expected scientific benefits, some fear the experiment could create black holes that will eventually swallow the Earth. German chemist Professor Otto Rossler even led a last-ditch legal attempt to stop the experiment.While recent studies have

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-49004163417956616692008-09-09T08:48:00.002+02:002008-09-09T08:58:39.237+02:00

You've probably heard of Jeremy Hall, an atheist soldier who, working with the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, sued because he was harassed for not believing in god. Now Hall has received a death threat in the form of an SMS message on his cell phone. The message is laced with obscenities and a racial slur commonly directed at African-Americans, though Hall is white. In it, the caller

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-87346947869960534042008-09-08T14:45:00.007+02:002008-09-08T14:58:41.514+02:00

Sen. Joe Biden talks about abortion and his faith on Meet the Press.Sen. Joe Biden: I know when it begins for me. It is a personal and private issue. For me as a Roman Catholic I'm prepared to accept the teaching of my church. But let me tell you, there are a lot of people of great confessional faiths, Protestants, Jews, Muslims and others, who have a different view. They believe in God as

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-1605188772883769602008-09-08T14:25:00.002+02:002008-09-08T14:43:13.292+02:00

Here is a short article titled Communion between God and science by Rev J Williams.Immediately after Neil Armstrong’s walk on the moon in 1969 and his ‘One small step for man, one giant leap for Mankind’ speech, his colleague Buzz Aldrin celebrated Holy Communion in the landing craft.Buzz, after whom the toy Buzz Lightyear is named, asked Mission Control for silence.Then, to mark this historic

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-73172499019576667392008-09-05T17:43:00.004+02:002008-09-06T08:46:04.827+02:00

This will be the first year that I vote in a presidential election and the first year that I have paid close attention. I will admit that I was of age in 2004, but I was still too young and naive to have a real opinion about it. I was still strongly influenced by my family and religious upbringing and hadn't formed any thoughts of my own on the matter. I figured since I couldn't make an educated

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-52941109936146396742008-09-04T16:17:00.003+02:002008-09-04T16:19:24.326+02:00

I've been having trouble containing my anger regarding McCain's VP Pick. To avoid saying anything unamiable, I will just let Jon Stewart do the talking:Thanks to Parenting Beyond Belief for the link. Visit here to Learn more about Palin.

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-34268870608286451422008-09-02T17:51:00.003+02:002008-09-02T17:54:45.348+02:00

Wish I was there to see it! Group of atheists, agnostics put up billboards in PhoenixPHOENIX - Billboards touting freedom from religion and separation of church and state are going up around the downtown Phoenix area.The Freedom From Religion Foundation, based in Madison, Wis., paid advertising company CBS Outdoor to put up five signs around Phoenix that read Imagine No Religion. Annie Laurie

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-17017581221798180592008-09-02T17:15:00.003+02:002008-09-02T17:42:30.552+02:00

I just read an article titled Fundamentalist atheists show arrogance, too, by Paul C. Campos, in which he discusses what he considers to be militant atheists.I'd like to point out a couple of problems I have with this article:Needless to say, just as most religious people aren't fundamentalists, the same holds true for atheists. Those who are, however - what we might think of as the Taliban of

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-76487272461435932222008-08-30T13:57:00.016+02:002008-08-30T21:48:05.981+02:00

This is my response to a comment left by Kitty Foth Regner, author of the book Heaven Without Her.Original comment is here.You mentioned several different topics in your comment to me, which you probably realize have already been addressed and answered hundreds of times by more qualified people than me, and that the responses are available for you to see on the internet and have been for a long

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-9309986610296239132008-08-28T19:07:00.004+02:002008-08-28T21:18:01.095+02:00

Here's a book review I stumbled upon. The book is Heaven Without Her by Kitty Foth-Regner, the story of an atheist turned believer after her mother's death. This is a clear illustration of the fact that people do not turn to religion out of rational thought, but out of pure emotion. Because there is nothing rational about it.But what particularly struck me is the opening line of the review:We've

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-31375993375517238782008-08-28T08:16:00.005+02:002008-08-28T08:25:56.138+02:00

The Atheist Spot has a series on their blog where they interview atheist bloggers so we can all get to know the atheist community a little better.I was lucky enough to be asked to contribute, and here is my interview!Check it out, and please read the other interviews. Two of them are from two of my favorite bloggers Adrian and Vjack. I am looking forward to getting to know the others and to

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-31384329670471217942008-08-26T16:01:00.006+02:002008-08-26T16:30:49.863+02:00

Since I have had the awesome opportunity to live in Europe, I have seen several beautiful cathedrals. I can easily see how these massive structures inspired awe.These buildings could be seen from far away and people traveled great distances to visit them. It is mind-boggling to consider how difficult it must have been to build these cathedrals without modern machinery and it is easy to imagine

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-51947042754879174002008-08-22T10:38:00.003+02:002008-08-22T10:43:21.156+02:00

I just wanted to promote a blog I discovered recently which many of you might have already heard about: Parenting Beyond Belief. Someday I hope to have kids and I already anticipate what a challenge it will be to answer their questions and encourage them to be skeptical and thoughtful individuals. I read an entry where the blogger talks about death with his two daughters, ages 6 and 10. I am

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-30730330151642272022008-08-11T20:55:00.007+02:002008-08-11T23:25:35.312+02:00

Here's an interesting interview with the creator of the game Spore, Will Wright.In the interview Wright talks about being an atheist, his initial fears about offending religious people with the representation of religion in the game, and the surprising fact that most criticism of the religious aspects of the game are from what he calls "militant atheists"."I'd probably be best described as an

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com14tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-87521961516172426292008-08-08T16:29:00.004+02:002008-08-08T17:39:45.507+02:00

I often make the assumption that all atheists are rational.I know this is a silly assumption, especially since atheists are usually compared to a "herd of cats". We have nothing necessarily in common with each other except our disbelief in gods.But never the less, I usually make this assumption subconsciously.Perhaps it is because I know that rational thinking has led me to my disbelief in gods,

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-64584747463837565682008-08-06T18:03:00.003+02:002008-08-06T18:13:22.499+02:00

Oh how I love to beat a dead horse...This will be brief. I tend to dwell on a topic, but it's only because I want to be sure I have satisfactorily stated my point. I have been called a prude (among the nicer names) since my recent "crusade" against profanity. But I want to assure you all that I am no saint, and that I do use profanity in real life occasionally. I never wanted to condemn all users

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-47626530816360504562008-08-05T16:35:00.010+02:002008-08-05T18:09:06.083+02:00

I mentioned in a previous post that it seems like it is taboo for an atheist to admit that they want to convert people.One of the reasons this word is so taboo is that many atheists are wary of being called a religion.First of all: Atheism is not a religion. There is no atheist philosophy. Atheism does not tell you where life came from or how it ends, and it does not give you rules to live your

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-72795724646164250422008-08-04T17:58:00.013+02:002008-08-06T18:14:46.521+02:00

I received many varied responses to my previous entry Catching Flies where I talked about the ineffectiveness of using profanity and personal attacks, specifically when writing an atheist blog, and just when communicating in general.I would like to address some of the typical responses I received:"There are appropriate uses of profanity."I would agree with this statement, there are appropriate

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-25977640595109161832008-08-03T00:29:00.005+02:002008-08-03T00:34:43.067+02:00

Coming Out Godless is a site that allows people to sumbit their personal stories and read other stories about nonbelief.Perhaps one of the most moving types of stories are ones of personal experience. The idea here is to encourage atheists and other nonbelievers to come out in hopes of normalizing the idea.They were kind enough to post my story. It is the same one you can find in my first post

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-38101720745281673632008-08-02T23:45:00.006+02:002008-08-06T18:15:29.947+02:00

Have you ever heard the saying that goes something like, "You can catch more flies with honey than with vinegar"?I do not wish to compare my readers to flies, but I think there is a lot of truth in this, and wanting to "catch flies with honey" is one of the motivations behind this blog and its title.I recently engaged in a discussion with other atheists about the tone of our message.I read some

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-19897155689657190402008-08-02T22:35:00.006+02:002008-08-03T07:35:12.653+02:00

I almost busted a gut watching this. You will either laugh or be completely annoyed...Thanks to The Skeptical Sorcerer

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-21939471076385992052008-08-01T17:26:00.004+02:002008-08-01T17:44:32.107+02:00

This is an excerpt from an article that was posted over at RichardDawkins.net:A Bush administration proposal aimed at protecting health-care workers who object to abortion, and to birth-control methods they consider tantamount to abortion, has escalated a bitter debate over the balance between religious freedom and patients' rights.The Department of Health and Human Services is reviewing a draft

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-28090806202955510692008-07-30T17:07:00.003+02:002008-07-30T17:16:46.750+02:00

A sex-ed program that was devised by Presbyterian and Baptist Churches is being taught in schools in New South Wales.The program pushes an anti-abortion and pro-abstinence messageThe Education Act in Australia demands that public school instruction be strictly non-sectarian and secular.Read the article here.

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-14707492357246851042008-07-30T09:11:00.003+02:002008-07-30T09:15:20.128+02:00

This is a very amiable video from Troylus2 on YouTube that attempts to explain to a believer where atheists get their morals from, and that belief in your god is not required to be a moral person. Also, the dog in the video is entirely adorable. Thanks to Raytractors for the video.

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-59868670117654112742008-07-29T22:31:00.004+02:002008-07-29T22:43:41.603+02:00

State judges determined that harm done to a 17 year old girl during an exorcism performed by her church are protected by the First Ammendment. And while this might mean "certain harms may go unaddressed...the larger protection of the church and religious freedom is the overriding concern." The protection of the church overrides our children's safety?"The government can't get involved in

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-67282273440587772592008-07-29T20:33:00.005+02:002008-07-29T20:39:39.107+02:00

A 44 year old woman in Canada just gave birth to her 18th child. "We never planned how many children to have. We just let God guide our lives, you know, because we strongly believe life comes from God and that's the reason we did not stop the life," said Mr Ionce, who works in construction.None of the couple's children were multiple births and all were born naturally apart from their

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-58335699880297194912008-07-29T15:48:00.012+02:002008-07-29T17:11:07.433+02:00

A city council in the UK has blocked its staff from looking at websites about atheism.The Birmingham City Council has established rules that prevent its staff from visiting websites promoting atheism, witchcraft, Satanism, the occult, sexual deviancy, and criminal activity.Under the Employment Equality (Religion or Belief) Regulations 2003, it is unlawful to discriminate against workers because

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-25542255222261529872008-07-29T09:07:00.002+02:002008-07-29T09:09:31.082+02:00

I love orangutans. They are so amazing! Check out this video:Thanks to Atheist Media for the video.

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-60144943542821898972008-07-28T22:12:00.004+02:002008-07-28T22:23:51.072+02:00

'Environmentalism' is the new worldwide faith, writes J.D. Longstreet.At the center of this new faith is a single deity. Mother Earth!If I try to keep my house clean and orderly or wash and style my hair, does that mean I worship my house and my hair?Environmentalism is a 'feel-good' religion based on a myth!As opposed to your 'feel-bad' religion based on a myth?It is a Pagan religion and

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-35300985025133130312008-07-27T22:07:00.004+02:002008-07-28T21:34:18.879+02:00

Obama says Muslim issue is 'no-win situation'Sen. Barack Obama said Sunday that responding to incorrect assertions that he’s a Muslim has put him in a “no-win situation."If he allows the Internet rumors and other misleading information to go unchallenged, it’s an affront to his Christianity and could cost him support from voters who don’t want a Muslim in the White House. But if he aggressively

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-45187750836889142332008-07-27T20:33:00.013+02:002008-07-28T21:33:20.057+02:00

In almost every heated debate somebody inevitably plays the Hitler Card.What is the Hitler Card? This is associating your opponent's position with either Hitler or the Nazis, and basically claiming guilt by association.This is basically seen as a last resort or a dirty trick to use in an argument, as associations made to Hitler are often factually incorrect, or are insufficient to discredit an

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-25047534197203183332008-07-27T15:42:00.003+02:002008-07-28T21:34:54.597+02:00

Senator Barack Obama today will propose setting a goal of eliminating all nuclear weapons in the world, saying the United States should transform its nuclear posture and dramatically reduce nuclear stockpiles to reduce the threat of nuclear terrorism.Read the entire New York Times articleThanks to Pharyngula for the video

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-67748679881844238062008-07-26T21:07:00.005+02:002008-07-28T21:35:42.191+02:00

Bishop John Shelby Spong:Religion is always in the control business. That's something people don't really understand, it's in the guilt producing control business.The church doesn't like for people to grow up because you can't control grown-ups. People don't need to be born again, they need to grow up.Every church I know claims that we are the true church...the idea that the truth of god can be

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-73391449454543848332008-07-26T20:54:00.003+02:002008-07-28T21:36:18.728+02:00

Oh yes, they did.Since when did "socialism" become a dirty word?Since when did wanting to improve our nation and to work together with other nations make us unpatriotic?Since when did the news become so horribly biased?

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-32428852386748008632008-07-26T13:26:00.005+02:002008-07-28T21:37:12.050+02:00

Infants are hard-wired to believe in God, and atheism has to be learned, according to an Oxford University psychologist.Pyschologists have debated whether belief in God or atheism was the natural human state. According to Dr Petrovich, expert in experimental psychology and psychology of religion, belief in God is neither caught nor taught, but develops naturally. It is a result of other

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-73475887747985113452008-07-25T13:24:00.000+02:002008-07-25T14:00:37.062+02:00

Countless blogs have already weighed in on this topic, so I will make this brief. PZ Meyers finally desecrated his cracker and everybody is up in arms about the thing.He is being criticized on all sides for being disrespectful and rude to the Catholic faith. It is my opinion that the Catholics brought this on themselves. If they wouldn't have made such a huge stink about a young man taking a

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-20666509027105390572008-07-25T11:56:00.005+02:002008-07-28T21:39:01.061+02:00

Excerpts from an article I read in Time magazine by Aravind Adiga while riding the train to Berlin yesterday:Technology may be vibrantly alive in the U.S. — cell phones and laptops are everywhere — but faith in the science that produces this technology has weakened in the past decade. Evidence ranges from the proliferation of street-side palmists all the way to the White House: in 2005, the

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-16398852456878759762008-07-25T11:49:00.004+02:002008-07-28T21:39:37.130+02:00

I don't give a stuff what people believe in, but it won't stop me poking at it or prodding it. Why should religion be any exemption? Telling me I'm going to hell won't bother me because I have the Flying Spaghetti Monster, the Invisible Pink Unicorn and Bertrand Russell's Teapot in my heart. Google them if you are in the market for some red hot enlightenment. I spent every Sunday for the first 18

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-88064002396902773732008-07-25T10:50:00.006+02:002008-07-28T21:40:17.626+02:00

Some highlights from his speech.In this new world, such dangerous currents have swept along faster than our efforts to contain them. That is why we cannot afford to be divided. No one nation, no matter how large or powerful, can defeat such challenges alone. None of us can deny these threats, or escape responsibility in meeting them. Yet, in the absence of Soviet tanks and a terrible wall, it has

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-12804278679277218222008-07-24T13:30:00.003+02:002008-07-24T13:40:20.538+02:00

This has nothing to do with atheism, but I am going to see Obama in Berlin tonight, so ...yeah.Obama is being criticized for providing flyers and posters about his speech in Berlin in German language. I suspect that if he had printed them in English, he would be criticized for assuming that all Germans should understand English. Obsidian Wings states "every German under the age of 40 speaks

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-60273173615381800652008-07-22T19:58:00.005+02:002008-07-28T21:41:07.356+02:00

...in which the Amiable Atheist gets a bit snippy. If you're looking for a more amiable post please see this one, or this one.Your caller is entitled to his belief, it is however false.It must get old having to hear the same bad arguments time after time. And frustrating that apparently none of these people have bothered to read his book or listen to anything he has said repeatedly before making

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-24756069242546568102008-07-21T19:14:00.007+02:002008-07-28T21:41:33.498+02:00

I am responding to a USA Today opinion article by Michael Novak in which he saysThe New Yorker (of all magazines) gave a good number of pages early last month to a quite brilliant book reviewer, James Wood, for a long essay on why he could no longer be a Christian. Stories like his are widespread. They usually cite the natural evils that too often crash upon humans — in China a stupefying

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-78395827249013721792008-07-20T12:39:00.010+02:002008-07-28T21:42:13.894+02:00

A Time article discusses the recent trend of purity events across the U.S.For the most part these are ceremonies where daughters promise to remain pure until they are married and fathers promise to help them protect their purity.[They]came up with a ceremony; they wrote a vow for fathers to recite, a promise "before God to cover my daughter as her authority and protection in the areas of purity,"

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-77202100258162493532008-07-20T09:34:00.003+02:002008-07-28T21:42:37.673+02:00

I was reading about this woman in France who applied for citizenship, but was denied because she wears a burqa. In 2005 her application for French nationality was rejected for “lack of assimilation”. Now the Conseil d’Etat has rejected her appeal on the ground that she “adopted a radical practice of her religion, incompatible with the essential values of the French community, and particularly

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-74904916804763652882008-07-19T22:09:00.005+02:002008-07-28T21:43:08.939+02:00

I read this Newsweek article that talks about faith-based mutual funds. The writer starts out by commenting on how strange it is that such a thing exists. Remember the camel and the eye of the needle? Anyways, these faith-based mutual funds work by screening out stocks that don't reflect their values, and apparently some faiths are doing better than others. The big winners in faith funds (if you

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-81681428499522346932008-07-19T18:17:00.004+02:002008-07-28T21:43:45.061+02:00

This is a documentary on the Qu'ran (1:41:32). Very long, but worth it. I must admit I don't know a lot about Islam. Mostly I only know about the negative aspects because that is all one ever sees on the television or reads in the news.But I thought this video was very enlightening. I wish more people could see it because I think there is too little understanding of this religion that over 1

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-24164696943138331242008-07-07T13:30:00.004+02:002008-07-28T21:44:07.817+02:00

Greta Christina raises an excellent point when she asks, "Is it ok for atheists to try to change people's minds? And is there any difference between that and religious evangelicalism?"Most of us feel negatively about the way that evangelical christians try to spread their beliefs. But are we guilty of doing the same? Are we being hypocritical?Sure, we're not going door to door or handing out

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-18199742042389279212008-07-06T21:36:00.006+02:002008-07-28T21:44:21.520+02:00

Freep.com gives us a look at the different Christian denominations of presidents in the U.S.:• Episcopalian: 11 presidents• Presbyterian: 10• Methodist: 5• Baptist: 4• Unitarian: 4• Disciples of Christ: 3• Reformed: 2• Quaker: 2• Catholic: 1• Congregationalist: 2• Jehovah's Witness: 1Note: The total is greater than the number of men who have been president because some changed denominations

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-17722460248202107382008-07-06T21:27:00.004+02:002008-07-28T21:44:41.211+02:00

In Germany you are required to register in each town you live in. One of the things they ask you is your religion.They asked my boyfriend, and he told them he was atheist.The woman wrote "VD", and he asked, "What does that stand for?"She replied "verschieden denkend", which means different thinking."No," he said, "normal denkend" (normal thinking).

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-86158063757289833222008-07-06T15:08:00.004+02:002008-07-06T15:19:06.415+02:00

Preaching to the PubA devout British Christian couple took over the management of a North London pub less than a year ago.They banned gambling and swearing, and would carry Bibles around. They barred several long-time customers for swearing. "You can't run a pub and not swear. If they are Christians, they should run a church, not a bloody pub," one customer said.The couple upset so many of the

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-83542290713917069322008-07-06T14:48:00.002+02:002008-07-06T15:01:02.689+02:00

Christians Denounce TV Program for Humanizing JesusA television documentary depicting Jesus as a human is drawing sharp criticism from Christian circles.While Christian leaders have called for the cancellation of the program, the TV network's union has vowed to continue the broadcast.The Christian Council of Korea (CCK), a group of protestant Christians, recently sent a complaint to SBS who aired

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-73771622743504259622008-07-06T14:01:00.002+02:002008-07-06T14:04:21.301+02:00

Thanks to The Friendly Atheist, I am now a member of Atheist Nexus.It's a social network for atheists, humanists, agnostics, non-theists, and free thinkers. ...we all share a common desire to live free from the fallacies of religion. This site is about relationships with people of like-mind.There are quite a few social networking platforms out there that cater for freethinkers - why is Atheist|

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-56806252852346736082008-07-05T18:25:00.002+02:002008-07-05T18:58:47.059+02:00

Choice Cuts22% of Americans claim to be certain that Jesus is going to come back to Earth and judge the living and the dead sometime in the next fifty years. Another 22% think he probably will. So that's 44% of the electorate who are basically convinced that he's coming back in their lifetime. ...It is perfectly maladaptive to planning for a sustainable future...certainly when it comes time to

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-63287768976360920772008-07-05T10:02:00.003+02:002008-07-06T21:42:43.061+02:00

Britain's top judge, Lord Phillips, has expressed support for certain aspects of Sharia law.Is cosying up to Muslim extremists the best way to defeat terrorism?The Lord Chief Justice, Lord Phillips of Worth Matravers, was nice about sharia this week. It is not "only about mandating sanctions such as stoning, flogging, the cutting off of hands and death to those who do not comply with the law", he

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-84113504839292720452008-07-04T20:29:00.002+02:002008-07-04T20:31:33.602+02:00

In Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court Hank Morgan watches his medieval companion wallow with pigs she believes to be enchanted nobles and proclaims, “I was ashamed of her, ashamed of the human race.” Twain’s own shame at the human race’s partiality to superstition and pseudoscience was revealed on a much larger scale by his audacious hoax that claimed a petrified man had

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-2964479694155581002008-07-04T20:00:00.003+02:002008-07-04T20:03:16.053+02:00

Robert Lancaster, of Stop Sylvia Browne recently attended a show of hers in Las Vegas. Read his account of what happened when Sylvia Browne and him exchanged words during the show and she called security on him. Cheers to The Lippard Blog

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-4359994135478061842008-07-04T19:53:00.004+02:002008-07-06T21:43:06.391+02:00

That's what Christopher Hitchens has...guts. That or he's just crazy.Last February he agreed to being waterboarded to determine once and for all if it is torture or not. He described the event in an article for Vanity Fair and it was also videotaped:"It doesn't simulate the feeling of drowning, you are being drowned slowly."Cheers to The Atheist Blogger.

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-31952892357123412212008-07-04T17:13:00.004+02:002008-07-04T19:45:53.675+02:00

Group Asks for Divine Intervention to Ease Oil PricesAs the price of oil continues to rise, some are turning to God and prayer for an answer to their financial troubles. The Pray at the Pump Movement, founded by Rocky Twyman, has been holding prayer vigils at gas stations across the country. On Monday, Twyman decided to take his movement from Exxon and Shell stations straight to the steps of the

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-12309584581573507492008-07-04T16:42:00.004+02:002008-07-28T21:08:30.813+02:00

Does anyone else have that Diana Ross song stuck in their heads now? Good, me too.I was recently watching a talk Richard Dawkins did for Ted called Militant Atheism, where he basically says that more atheists need to come out and be "militant" and stop being so "damned respectful". (I'm sorry, I can't get it to embed.)It basically inspired me to stop being such a sissy about admiting my atheism.

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-75959724121239285682008-07-04T16:23:00.005+02:002008-07-06T21:43:32.789+02:00

Happy 4th of July. In honor of our nation's celebration of independence, here is an excerpt from an article discussing the Declaration of Independence.When was the last time you read the Declaration of Independence? You can read it in a matter of minutes. Omit the long list of grievances against King George III that appear in the middle of the document, and you can read it probably in less than

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-51281448957539269182008-07-04T15:47:00.003+02:002008-07-04T16:15:18.978+02:00

I couldn't resist posting my thoughts on this article...Atheists are those who deny the existence of a divine, supreme being (which is usually called “God”).As usual, assuming their god is the only one worth mentioning....atheism and Christianity both believe in the existence or non-existence of God. Neither one “proves” it. (I must clarify that when I use the term “prove”, I mean it strictly in

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-89359687359675663912008-07-02T19:11:00.002+02:002008-07-02T19:17:07.708+02:00

Sorry, for some reason I couldn't embed this video.It is Susan Savage-Rumbaugh talking about Bonobos. Really cool.If you haven't visited the Ted website yet, you should. Lots of cool videos, you can waste tons of time there...

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-59480202116744798522008-07-02T16:08:00.003+02:002008-07-02T16:13:08.647+02:00

This is a really interesting article from the Tehran Times, an Iranian newspaper, which discusses Anti-Americanism, the war, and the dark ages that Taleban rule would result in. Here are some excerpts:There is, of course, reason for people in Pakistan and across the world to feel negatively about America. In pursuit of its self-interest, wealth and security, the United States has for decades

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-84767448742992734882008-07-02T16:02:00.004+02:002008-07-02T16:05:13.303+02:00

Jordan charges Dutch MP over anti-Islam film AMMAN, July 2 (Xinhua) -- Amman Prosecutor General Hassan Abdallat on Tuesday subpoenaed Dutch MP Geert Wilders to stand trial for posting the so-called anti-Islam film "Fitna" on the Internet in March, local daily Jordan Times reported on Wednesday. According to the indictment, Wilders is charged with five counts including blasphemy and contempt

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-1742482362574833942008-07-02T15:51:00.002+02:002008-07-02T15:55:58.055+02:00

Judge denies Christian group's request to display crossA local Christian group has a right to free speech but they “don’t have to shout,” a federal judge in Norfolk said Tuesday when he denied the group’s request to display a 12-foot-tall cross at a Fourth of July celebration in a Chesapeake city park.In April, Ministries’ founder Steve Taylor filed a federal civil rights suit against Chesapeake

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-43407664467812098072008-07-02T15:39:00.002+02:002008-07-02T15:43:25.730+02:00

Here is an interesting Newsweek article, and some bits I thought were interesting:We often hear that some new scientific discovery has confirmed ancient religious teaching. It now appears that this hearkening back has gone full circle, and modern religion is coming around to ancient secular wisdom.At the recent "Seeds of Compassion" event in Seattle, the Dalai Lama spoke of three paths to

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-37851726188733416412008-07-02T15:33:00.002+02:002008-07-02T15:36:49.241+02:00

There are no atheists in foxholes," the old saw goes. The line, attributed to a WWII chaplain, has since been uttered countless times by grunts, chaplains and news anchors. But an increasingly vocal group of activists and soldiers—atheist soldiers—disagrees. "It's a denial of our contributions," says Master Sgt. Kathleen Johnson, who founded the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-18100554067523388952008-07-02T15:02:00.004+02:002008-07-02T15:17:44.672+02:00

I have to say I am very torn regarding the news about Obama supporting Bush's faith based initiatives...Sen. Barack Obama said Tuesday that if elected president he would expand the delivery of social services through churches and other religious organizations; the announcement was a vow to achieve a goal he said President Bush had fallen short on during his two terms.When I first heard this I was

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-66722228129731999432008-06-30T14:57:00.002+02:002008-06-30T15:06:59.407+02:00

I lived in Arizona for 10 years and call it my home. I often thought of Arizona as being very conservative. So I imagined that a lot of its population was religious.But it turns out that Arizona's churchgoer rate is far behind the nation's. Thirty-nine percent of Arizonans say they seldom or never go to worship service, which is much higher than the national average of 27 percent. And a Pew

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-11328310570338355732008-06-29T12:40:00.001+02:002008-06-29T12:42:09.175+02:00

From Legal News Online.The Texas Supreme Court on Friday rejected a jury award over injuries a 17-year-old girl suffered in an exorcism conducted by members of the church she attended.The justices ruled that the exorcism was a matter of church doctrine and subject to certain First Amendment religious protections, and thus the case would "unconstitutionally entangle the court in matters of church

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-67947955470014846772008-06-27T20:28:00.002+02:002008-06-27T20:30:57.195+02:00

There is a rumour going around that I have found God. I think this is unlikely because I have enough difficulty finding my keys, and there is empirical evidence that they exist. I don't think I've found God, but I may have seen where gods come from.Read the entire article here.I thought it was fishy that the article I mentioned earlier claimed that Pratchett had found "God", but provided no

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-54827598305171599152008-06-27T19:48:00.004+02:002008-06-27T19:54:53.468+02:00

Wars over religion seen in one-third of workplaces, says an article at ReportonBusiness.comThe survey was conducted with 100 Canadian senior executives by staffing service Office Team.Nearly one-third of employers have seen clashes connected to religion in their workplaces, 31 per cent said that the "unsolicited sharing" of religious views has been a problem, and 13 per cent have seen employees

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-5175167705201884492008-06-27T19:22:00.003+02:002008-06-27T19:27:36.432+02:00

I have to admit, that I had to look up Kerala, because I had no idea where it was. Sorry. Pretending my readers are as ignorant as I am, Kerala is a state on the tropical Malabar Coast of southwestern India.A textbook that allegedly tries to inject Communism into pupils has rallied disparate forces against the Left Democratic Front Government in Kerala. The Church, the Muslim League and the Nair

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-71996028747433210852008-06-27T17:47:00.002+02:002008-06-27T17:55:45.406+02:00

DEAR DR. GRAHAM: I want to make myself clear: I have no interest in God or religion, and I don't care who knows it. As far as I'm concerned, God doesn't exist, and this life is all there is. Don't even bother to write me back, because I'm not interested. -- G.P.DEAR G.P.: To be frank, it sounds to me as if down inside you actually do know that God exists; otherwise, why would you be fighting so

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-82953861290275988372008-06-27T17:40:00.003+02:002008-06-27T17:45:37.646+02:00

Alzheimer's leads atheist Terry Pratchett to appreciate God TERRY PRATCHETT, the fantasy writer suffering from Alzheimer’s disease, has suggested he may have found God after years of atheism.The 60-year-old creator of the Discworld series has spoken of an unexplained experience shortly after his diagnosis with the condition.“I’m certainly not a man of faith, but as I was rushing down the stairs

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-77254541761038636742008-06-27T17:28:00.003+02:002008-06-27T17:33:08.483+02:00

Atheist China set to become world's top Bible producerThe factory looks like it could be any plant in this export-driven nation. Hundreds of Chinese workers huddle over loud machines churning out large orders for customers at home and abroad.But what they're making might surprise you: Bibles."We have the same structure as a Motorola or a Philips," said Dean, a New Zealander who has worked with

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-28647848788457134982008-06-27T16:13:00.003+02:002008-06-27T16:21:38.795+02:00

My favorite bits:It's our fault for indulging religion and for giving religious opinion a status in our society that it hasn't earned and doesn't deserve. Your soul doesn't need cleansing and is not dirty, and anyone who tells you otherwise is doing so for their own benefit, not for yours. Because the purpose of religion is the employment and empowerment of clergy.Secularism is not atheism, as

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-59370022521132144652008-06-25T21:30:00.003+02:002008-06-25T21:38:04.567+02:00

This is a rush transcript from "Hannity & Colmes," June 24, 2008. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated. (FoxNews.com)DOBSON: Speaking as a private individual again, it terrifies me the thought that he might be our commander in chief, might be in the oval office, might be the leader of the free world because I said it a minute ago, the man is dangerous, especially with regard

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-35081026824578961012008-06-25T21:18:00.002+02:002008-06-25T21:23:49.931+02:00

English metal band, Cradle of Filth, has come out with a shirt that claims 'Jesus is a (expletive deleted)' and depicts a nun masturbating. (swiped from RichardDawkins.net)A 16-year-old was arrested on Monday for wearing the shirt and was charged with offensive behaviour under the Summary Offences Act 2005 for public nuisance.I've been informed the expletive removed rhymes with stunt, runt and

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-36887670582677619792008-06-25T15:13:00.002+02:002008-06-25T15:21:29.804+02:00

I didn't post a single blog entry for several months and then today I posted way too many. As the Atheist Blogger said, I have some explaining to do. He is probably the only reader I have, so I don't think anyone else noticed my absence :)Basically, I run kind of hot and cold on things. I get really excited about an idea and rush into it, but then I don't really have much stamina. This blog was

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-69870962754749045632008-06-25T12:00:00.002+02:002008-06-25T12:03:13.921+02:00

Stephen Prothero makes a good point in his article "The Islam You Don't Hear About" (Khaleej Times Online).But jihadists are one thing, and ordinary Muslims are quite another. Americans of good will know this. What we also need to know is that in the fight against Islamic radicalism, one of our key allies could be Islam itself.In fighting the battle against fundamentalists of all faiths, we would

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-16317584246405602852008-06-25T11:49:00.002+02:002008-06-25T11:51:34.335+02:00

Parvez Sharma believes the gay and lesbian Muslims in A Jihad for Love, his new documentary, are an unlikely but compelling group of storytellers.While discussing the challenges of being gay Muslims, they also are giving audiences a glimpse into the world of Islam."I think the greatest stories of empowerment about a religion can be told through their most vulnerable minorities," Sharma said. "And

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-67628947561313459642008-06-25T11:34:00.004+02:002008-06-25T11:38:32.409+02:00

Read Ray Comfort's latest blog entry in which he begins..."Light is invisible. We can't see it..."Thank you to The Atheist Blogger for the link.While reading Ray Comfort's words of wisdoms I came across an entry titled: The Atheist Worldview"There've been several hundred gay marriages enacted in California in the past few days. Maybe a couple of thousand by now, I haven't checked the numbers. And

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-32007452688207514462008-06-25T11:19:00.005+02:002008-07-28T21:45:26.673+02:00

Serena Williams would vote for Barack Obama if she could. Don't even ask Venus Williams what her political leanings are.The Williams sisters, vocal on so many issues from fashion to gender equality and equal pay for women, say they're not allowed to vote because of their religion. The sisters, who have 14 Grand Slam singles titles between them and are among the most recognizable athletes in

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-56046506851982843162008-06-25T10:51:00.003+02:002008-06-25T10:56:45.829+02:00

Bruce Walker of the Canada Free Press writes:There is an invidious desire by those on the atheist Left to pretend that Hitler and the Nazis were some sort of rogue Christians and that many devout Christians accepted the Nazis and Hitler as protectors against Bolshevism and Jews. He then goes on to say that Hitler was a pagan and that he supported Islamism. I think he misses the point entirely.

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-74988281829272542512008-06-25T10:47:00.001+02:002008-06-25T10:49:12.305+02:00

Modesto is known as the bible belt of California. It has deep conservative roots in farmland and a vocal Evangelical community. Like many other places, Modesto is becoming more religiously diverse.But unlike any other place, religion is a required course in high school here."We can't preach, but we can teach," teacher Yvonne Taylor said. Most schools studiously avoid religion. In fact, Modesto is

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-71921171440937816122008-06-25T10:24:00.002+02:002008-06-25T10:28:24.869+02:00

Three years after a scandal at the Air Force Academy over the evangelizing of cadets by Christian staff and faculty members, students and staff at West Point and the Naval Academy are complaining that their schools, too, have pushed religion on cadets and midshipmen. Read more of the NY Times article here.

The Amiable Atheisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11591728632496066343noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2821889077260802044.post-37510583874933079962008-06-25T08:24:00.002+02:002008-06-25T08:28:51.670+02:00

Hindu religious groups have been protesting over a soon-to-be-released comedy film The Love Guru. They object to the presentation of Hinduism in a comical way.The ‘love guru’ is a comic character who helps others with their love-life. Hindus have claimed that their religion has been slighted because the character is shown in traditional Indian yogi attire and is shown to have been trained in

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