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2008-11-16

I found this article, "Ten myths -- and ten truths -- about atheism," in the Morning Call's web archives related to atheism. It was written by atheist Sam Harris, who has contributed a few interesting editorials for the LA Times. (Here's the Times' posting; no difference, but that's the original.)I went over to their archives and found these gems: "God's Dupes," by Sam Harris. Favorite line:
"Everything of value that people get from religion can be had more honestly, without presuming anything on insufficient evidence. The rest is self-deception, set to music."

"Disliked, not oppressed," by Paul Thornton (4/18/07) Favorite line:

"But being disliked doesn't come close to the vitriolic oppression other American minorities and women have endured, and it's disgraceful when prominent atheists like Harris and Dawkins compare their own plight to to the truly repressed in a single breath."

"Stalin was an atheist -- so am I," by Paul Thornton (11/7/07) This article explores a common atheist-Christian debates: guilt by association. Favorite line:
"You're supposed to shame me into adopting religion as a way to save my soul from the moral bankruptcy that ensnared Stalin and Hitler.I'm supposed to shame you into thinking that the delusion demanded by your moderate religious belief shelters the fanatics who wage holy war."

2008-11-15

atheist ad will run in DC at Christmastime

Via Atheist News, a story ran in The Springfield, MO News-Leader about advertisements District-of-Columbianites will be seeing on buses with the tagline, "Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness' sake." The coverage from the News-Leader is admirably objective. Kudos to them.

A quote in the article from American Family Association's President Tim Wildmon reads, "It's a stupid ad," he said. "How do we define 'good' if we don't believe in God? God in his word, the Bible, tells us what's good and bad and right and wrong. If we are each ourselves defining what's good, it's going to be a crazy world."

So according to Mr. Wildmon, human beings are incapable of deciding right and wrong by thinking about it. They must have God's law to follow. You've got to get pretty irrational to start with, "It's a stupid ad," and then say something even less reasonable.

I checked out the AHA's website, and they've got an article link on the front page. There's more info there, including that interested parties should visit "whybelieveinagod.org." Check it out.

2008-11-13

Atheist views in popular culture

Visit Athesim and Religious Satire in Popular Culture, a blog devoted to sightings of non-religious views (and its neighbor down the block, religious satire). The blog is run by an atheist/secular humanist group out of the University of Minnesota.

In less popular culture, nerdcore rappers MC Frontalot has written a humorous song about creationism. Frontalot's "Origin of Species" has him playing the role of a creationist minister in a tongue-in-cheek call for action toward ignorance (warning: hip-hop, possible profanity, nerdiness after the jump).

I just watched an episode of the Simpsons from season nine, "Lisa the Skeptic." Lisa, on an archaelogical dig with his class, finds a planted "angel skeleton" which turns out to be an elaborate advertising ploy by "Heavenly Hills Mall." Only Lisa doubts the angel's holiness, and she is vindicated in the end.

Where have you seen non- or anti-religious views presented in pop culture?