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Freethought in the light of the sun
Two juxtaposed articles in the June/July issue of Scientific American Mind offer some intriguing insights into how theistic beliefs may have first developed in the human species. First, an article titled Preschool Determinists: When cognitive scientists Laura E. Schulz of the Massachusetts ...
I have often described atheism as a positive and hopeful worldview, and I stand by that description. I truly do believe that humanity has the potential to inherit a future glorious beyond imagining - not an imaginary heaven, but a real and genuine utopia existing in this world, one built up by our ...
The founding fathers of the United States of America wrote freedom of the press into the very first amendment of the Bill of Rights. As their own quotes and records show, they did this because they felt that a free, independent press was one of the most vital checks on the power of government, and ...
It is my honor and privilege to announce that the 44th Carnival of the Godless will appear at Daylight Atheism on Sunday, July 9, thirteen days from today. If you're a godless blogger who hasn't yet appeared in the CotG, this is your chance! I'd very much like to feature some fresh new voices ...
I realize this has been an eventful day on Daylight Atheism, but it's come to my attention that today is also a very special day, one that I'd be remiss if I failed to commemorate. From the Freedom from Religion Foundation's daily Freethought of the Day e-mail bulletin: On this date in ...
To all my readers, As a rule, I don't discuss my personal life on my blog - I assume you all have more important things to do than read about what I had for breakfast this morning. However, an upcoming change in my life will be unavoidably affecting my writing, and I thought it fair to let you ...
One of the most widespread delusions of our society is the belief in self-proclaimed psychic mediums who assert that they can speak to the spirits of the dead. John Edward, Sylvia Browne, James van Praagh, and Allison Dubois are some of the most popular, and command considerable fame and wealth for ...
I've been aware of The Raving Atheist since before I created Daylight Atheism. For a time, his was one of the few atheist blogs I read regularly. However, I gradually soured on him, and by the time I had created this blog, I had decided that on balance he was a detriment rather than a credit to the ...
Ladies and gentlemen, dear readers and interested lurkers, I'd like to introduce you all to a group that holds a unique place in my memories: the ChildCare Action Project, or CAP for short. I mentioned in a previous post, A Personal Journey to Atheism, that one of the last things I did before ...
The Politics of Atheism posts back in April inspired a healthy debate with several regular commenters who advocate a libertarian political philosophy. One of the major claims of this philosophy, defended both on this blog and by prominent libertarians such as Timothy Sandefur, is that "taxation is ...
Allow me to be the first person to offer Michael Newdow a oneway ticket (coach, please) out of the United States and leave him with the words of Southern outlaw music group Lynyrd Skynyrd: "I hope Mr. Newdow will remember, a Southern man don't need him around anyhow". —http://www.herald-dispatch ...
In a previous post, Shattering Stereotypes, I discussed ways in which atheists can clear away the noxious stereotypes about us that are spread by religious groups and that hinder our ability to get our message across. That is the vital first step in speaking effectively on behalf of atheism. But ...
I recently had an opportunity to see The Da Vinci Code, the movie based on Dan Brown's novel that alleges a sensational plot by the Catholic church to cover up the truth about the origins of Christianity. First things first: Yes, I did enjoy the movie, and I do recommend it. Without a doubt ...
A new essay, "The Great Sage's Visit", has been posted on Ebon Musings. The article poses the question of how people would react if some of the moral atrocities typical of the Bible and other holy books instead appeared in the writings of a human held up as a high authority on ethics. This is an ...
Inspired by a recent post by Pam Spaulding about the antics of Fred Phelps and his clan of lunatic hatemongers, I'd like to propose an idea for how this group could be humiliated, and possibly even stopped altogether. The sole raison d'etre of Phelps' church is to travel around the country ...