AOF Online - Freethought News

If the old testament is one of the main criticisms of christianity, why is judaism not criticized as much?

Christians often dodge the problematic behaviour of the god of the old testament or his orders by using the new testament card. But what about the religion that does not even has a new testament? Is it less criticized because[…]

An atheist inmate, denied parole for refusing to profess Christianity, is finally free

submitted by /u/agaric [link] [comments]

The Bible should be renamed the "The Goat Herder's Guide to the Galaxy"

Godless humor for this rainy Tuesday. submitted by /u/sometimesifeellikemu [link] [comments]

Leopards Ate My Face : Gay atheist goes to Islam sub thinking they’re accepting and tolerant. Then learns that The Religion of Peace calls for the death of gay people

submitted by /u/Acanthaceae-Trick [link] [comments]

Speaker Mike Johnson frets that high schoolers increasingly identify as LGBTQ in fundraising email: 'We have much to repent for'.

submitted by /u/Leeming [link] [comments]

Oklahoma Senate candidate: Parents who use IVF are “waging an assault against God”. Pastor Dusty Deevers, an anti-abortion extremist, loves embryos more than infertile couples referring to them as “cryo-orphans”.

submitted by /u/Leeming [link] [comments]

Hanukkah in 2023: Will Jews Be Festive in Fearful Times?

With Israel at war and antisemitism, particularly on college campuses, showing a sharp upswing across America, is this any time to put a menorah in the window — to "publicize the miracle" of Hanukkah by celebrating boldly, according to Jewish[…]

Religion is cancer to society

I am in a relationship with a religious girl. We can't marry because I'm not her faith and I'd need to convert, which is a whole other topic. The kids would have to be raised religious, etc. She believes she[…]

Anglican Church Moves To Oust Archbishop Over Rigged Election

The October elections in Mozambique — now confirmed to have been rigged in favor of President Filipe Nyusi’s ruling FRELIMO party — have left the head of the Anglican church in the southern African nation fighting for survival, while a[…]

Steve Bannon: Non-Christian nationalists 'all have to be purged' in Trump's second term

submitted by /u/Lower_Acanthaceae423 [link] [comments]

House Speaker Johnson argues against democracy, advocating for a republic based on Bible (video)

submitted by /u/Art_Bored [link] [comments]

“Bespoke Realities” – A How-To Guide for Book Banning, Bad Science, and Worse History

Ahoy-hoy! Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s thrice-weekly roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. We’ll start the week with a new edition of the Consumer Health Digest at CFI’s Quackwatch, which features: Last week, the International UFO[…]

‘The Prince of Egypt: The Musical’ Is A Triumph Of Faith And Art

The stage version of “The Prince of Egypt” is a rousing triumph of both faith and stagecraft. It is one of the most satisfying viewing experiences of the year and a stunning reminder of what can be accomplished when faith[…]

Why I Wish I’d Voted For Jimmy (And Rosalynn) Carter In ‘76

(OPINION) As an abundance of odes to Rosalynn have reminded me, the Carters proved themselves Christians in the truest sense of the word, unlike so many Bible thumping politicians today. Before they reached the White House, while in it and[…]

How Red Buckets Became A Symbol Of Giving At Christmas

In what has become an annual holiday tradition, Salvation Army volunteers have flooded the streets across the United States and in countries around the world seeking donations for the organization’s annual Red Kettle campaign.

It's the r/atheism winter donation drive!

Hello, r/atheism community! We are excited to announce that we are doing a donation drive again this year. Our goal is to raise $50,000 to support the amazing work of Doctors without Borders. They have been providing medical assistance to[…]

Disestablished: Goodbye Church of England? But Meanwhile in America… by Robert Conner

New legislation scheduled to be introduced in Parliament on December 6, 2023, proposes to finally, officially, separate the British government from the Church of England: “Perhaps the distressing sight of King Charles III kneeling before a bible and kissing it at[…]

What Unites Millions Around The ‘Free Palestine’ Cause?

(OPINION) There is no question that hatred of the state of Israel, and more broadly, hatred of the Jewish people, helps animate the pro-Palestinian cause. If people really cared about the Palestinians themselves, there would not be Palestinian refugee camps[…]

The Challenges Of Being A Religious Scientist In 2023

(OPINION) When religion does seem to reduce individuals’ acceptance of scientific ideas, it is typically not because of the facts themselves. Rather, religious individuals’ objections are often grounded in the moral implications of that research, or scientists’ perceived role in[…]

“Dangerous Uncharted Territory” – Charles’ Climate Change Warning, Montana’s TikTok Ban, and more

Happy Friday, friends! Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s thrice-weekly roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. Does turkey really make you sleepy? Does caffeine really stunt one’s growth? Ada McVean examines some classic holiday-season food tropes for[…]

How Did Christianity Get to Be Such a Mess?

Churchgoers don’t seem to care Evidence of the Mess: OneWhen American Christians head off for church on Sunday morning, how many church buildings of other Christian brands do they pass on the way to their own denomination? Baptists would be horrified at the[…]

Season’s Readings: Bringing In The Sheaves

(REVIEW) As Christmas approaches, some U.S. Christians despair that millions who used to go to church no longer do so. “The Great Dechurching” by Jim Davis and Michael Graham shows the decline, which — given cultural pressures plus scandals within[…]

Latest ‘Mainline Protestant’ Renewal Development Is Intriguing, But Is It Quixotic?

(ANALYSIS) Reconquista strategists want the mainline’s remaining conservative members to stay put. They argue that these grand old denominations have future potential and that parishioners must restore the vast valuable assets “hijacked” by the doctrinal left to the purposes intended[…]

Division Among India’s Political Parties Threatens To Dilute Opposition To Modi

India’s opposition has made significant strides to garner support as they recently banded together against the Hindu nationalist Modi government, but could possible in-fighting may dull their efforts ahead of next year’s elections?

Heretic on the Hill: The Bible Can Be So Convenient

I’m thinking about House Speaker and Christian nationalist Mike Johnson because I just came from what I’ll just call a high-level meeting with several members of Congress and people from other secular organizations where we talked about ways to confront[…]

“The LeBron James of Being Wrong” – More from the Latest Free Inquiry, Psychics on TV, and Media Literacy

Welcome to the midweek edition of the Morning Heresy, CFI’s roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. We begin with a giant, heartfelt “thank you” to everyone who supported Center for Inquiry’s Giving Tuesday campaign this year, especially[…]

“We Focus on Trains” – Free Inquiry Highlights, Bizarre Conspiracies, and Evolution in the Classroom

Ahoy-hoy! Welcome back to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s thrice-weekly roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. The December/January issue of Free Inquiry is now available to read online. In the new issue’s cover feature, D. Alan Bensley examines[…]

Reality Check: What Must Be the Case if Christianity is True?

In 2011 I did a series of posts called "Reality Check: What Must Be the Case if Christianity is True?" I put some of them in the third chapter in The End of Christianity, and the first chapter in God[…]

The Metastability of Faith

Quick summary: atheism is easier than religious faith, and people are lazy, so why does anybody bother with the hard option? Why don't human brains seek a kind of lowest-energy state, by analogy with dynamical systems that tend to run[…]

Americans Under 30 Don’t Trust Religion — or Anything Else

Why the shift away from organized faith seems a little different for young adults.

Upcoming Virgin Birth/Miracles Debate, December 21st

In this debate I'm going to focus on the alleged miracle of the virgin birthed incarnate god. Dr. Slade, of the Global Center for Religious Research, will focus on Mary's apparitions and on testing miracles in general. I'm told this[…]

A Big Item on God’s To-Do List: Kill as Many People as Possible

Yet the church gets away with “God is love” Those who have been assured since childhood that God is Love—and have been coached to pray to their loving father well into adulthood—seem immune to many Bible texts that contradict this idea, for example, these[…]

The Magic Self-Authenticating New Testament, Robert Conner

It can be asserted with little fear of contradiction that every literate adult the world over has a mental image of Jesus of Nazareth. After all, Christianity is the largest religion — an estimated 2.4 billion adherents — and has[…]

David Eller, "Is Religion Compatible with Science?" An Excerpt from Chapter 11 in "The End Of Christianity"

IS RELIGION COMPATIBLE WITH SCIENCE? by Dr. David Eller (pp. 257-278). [This is a 4000 word excerpt out of 8600 words. Get the book!] In most of the squabbles between religion and science, religion is never defined, because, since[…]

“Who You Gonna Call?” – Ghost Buses, UFOs, and Church-State Separation in the Courts

Happy Friday! Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s regular roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. Get ready for a new episode of SkeptiLab: The Bunk Stops Here! from the Center for Inquiry Investigations Group. The new episode—which[…]

Christianity’s Embarrassing Apostle Paul Problem

Hallucinations are not a credible foundation for any religion The church gets away with a far, far too much because most of the laity don’t bother to read the Bible, let alone study it carefully. This failure enables the clergy to nurture an[…]

Where Does Religion Come From?

How do you get from the desire for meaning or the fear of death to the specific content of religious belief?

AHA Denounces Supreme Court Code of Conduct Charade

Code falls short of meaningfully addressing the Justices’ corrupt behavior. The post AHA Denounces Supreme Court Code of Conduct Charade appeared first on American Humanist Association.

“A Misnomer” – Creationism’s Comeback, a Lack of Faith in Science, and Mike Johnson’s Latest

Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s regular roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. In the latest Spanish-language “¡Paparruchas!” feature for Skeptical Inquirer, Luis Alfonso Gámez examines the widespread panic in Spain last August after a number of[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Let’s Stop the Christian Insurance Scam Before It Grows

On Veterans Day be sure to take a minute to think about the veterans you know (and don’t know), thank them for their service, and if it seems appropriate ask if there’s anything you can do for them this weekend.[…]

“Modern Apes” – Boring Conspiracies, Rejecting ‘The Monkey,’ and the Danger of Anti-Blasphemy Laws

Ahoy-hoy! Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s thrice-weekly* roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. On the CFI blog, Benjamin Radford notes a few actual, “yes, this really happened” conspiracies in the news—and the apparent lack of interest[…]

The Christian Illusion of Rational Superiority (Part 2)

[This is one of my earliest posts, published in January 2006] Many Christians will maintain they have a superior foundation for knowing and for choosing to do what is good. They claim to have objective ethical standards for being good,[…]

Why Should Their Religious Beliefs Limit Your Freedom?

What if I was vegan? What if I was vegan and you weren't? Let's imagine that both of these things are true for a moment. Not only are you not vegan, but you enjoy all the foods vegans don't eat.[…]

How to come out to your parents as non-religious

By Marlene Winell ~ After going through your own deconstruction of religious belief, it can feel like a challenge to reveal your change to your religious parents. You might have a lot of fear about their reaction – anger, hurt, disappointment in[…]

“Religion and Health Insurance Do Not Mix” – Demanding ‘Health Share Transparency,’ Pop Culture Optimism, and more

Happy Friday, everyone! Welcome back to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s thrice-weekly roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. Earlier this week, Rep. Jared Huffman (D-CA) and his colleagues reintroduced the Health Share Transparency Act. Yesterday, CFI issued an[…]

“One Clear Signal” – The Big Election Takeaway, a New ‘Now What?,’ and Paranormal Photo Follies

Welcome to the midweek edition of the Morning Heresy, CFI’s regular roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. Annika Harrison interviews Stephanie Dreyfürst of the German skeptics’ organization GWUP for the Skeptical Inquirer website. They discuss how Dreyfürst[…]

“A Family-Size Serving of Word Salad” – Creationism, Christian Nationalism, and School Board Elections

Ahoy-hoy. Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s thrice-weekly roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. We noted last week some new survey data on Americans’ views evolution versus creationism. If you missed it, CSI Fellow Glenn Branch has[…]

More Americans Say They Are Spiritual but Not Religious

We've all heard of people who identify themselves as "spiritual, but not religious." Who are they? What do they believe? We should have many opportunities to find out in the coming years. After all, a recent Gallup poll shows that[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Speaking of Christian Nationalists

The new Speaker of the House is really the complete package: a man-made climate change denier, stridently anti-LGBTQ rights, stridently anti-abortion, and conservative on pretty much every issue of any importance. One vital qualification for winning the race for Speaker[…]

Letter to Congressman Burgess Owens

Letter to Congressman Burgess Owens DOWNLOAD The post Letter to Congressman Burgess Owens appeared first on Secular Coalition for America.

SCA Calls for an Extension to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR)

SCA Calls for an Extension to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) DOWNLOAD The post SCA Calls for an Extension to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) appeared first on Secular Coalition for America.

Exorcism is Harmful and Doctors Should Not Legitimize It

In the United States, we have a controversy raging around gender-affirming health care. Some conservatives would like to charge physicians who provide it with crimes. Many of those who wouldn't go that far still hope to discourage this care. In[…]

Disney, the Creator, and Christ

By Carl S ~Is Dumbo more real than Jesus? The answer depends on who you ask. Doesn't every culture have fantasy-fabricated individuals, often with lives of heroic proportions? Haven't celebrities with their real/imagined lives, been around forever? In the beginning,[…]

Heretic on the Hill: There’s a Lot Going On

So, the government didn’t close down two weekends ago as predicted here. No one thought Speaker McCarthy would wake up Saturday and decide to do the right thing, even if it meant working with Democrats and losing his job. Clearly[…]

THE FRIGHTENING FACE

By David Andrew Dugle ~ October. Halloween. It's time to visit the haunted house I used to live in. When I was five my dad was able to build a big modern house. Moving in before it was complete, my[…]

To Preserve Democracy, Democrats Are Better Than Republicans

There's a common argument that one can expect to hear from some on the political left in the United States. The two major political parties are so similar, they say, that there's little reason to support one over the other.[…]

Delusional in D.C.

Editor’s Note: The following was just a little off in predicting a government shutdown on October 1st. No one expected that Kevin McCarthy would wake up on September 30 and realize that he would never be able to satisfy the demands of[…]

Are Christians Disliked Because They Are Christian?

I have seen some speculation about why Christians are disliked. I've noticed that many of those speculating do identify themselves as Christians. I wouldn't mind sharing my thoughts on the topic, but it seems like there's a question we'd want[…]

Accepting Responsibility for My Role in Enabling a Delusion

"Why are you an atheist?" I open my mouth as if to begin my answer, an answer I've given countless times before. But the words don't materialize this time. And now I suspect I've made a mistake by answering the[…]

Bills and Unintended Consequences

This week SCA’s executive director Steven Emmert and I attended a briefing for Members of Congress and government affairs staff from secular organizations on the issue of humanist chaplains in the military, or the lack of them. The briefing was organized by[…]

Your Complaints Protect the Separation of Church and State

We've all seen signs encouraging people to wash their hands in restaurant restrooms. Many of us appreciate these prompts. We don't like to think about the people who are preparing our food disregarding this advice. The idea of such a[…]

Countering Christian Nationalism in Our Local Communities

There's a group of people in your local community working hard to bring about a state of affairs you find undesirable. They aim to limit your access to ideas they do not favor. They want to take away some of[…]

Louisiana Baptists Spread Nonsense to Welsh Students

What do evangelical Christians in the United States do when they have a hard time finding support for their more extreme beliefs at home? They export them to some unlikely places. According to the National Secular Society, one of those[…]

ACTS OF GOD

By David Andrew Dugle ~ Settle down now children, here's the story from the Book of David called The Parable of the Bent Cross. In the land Southeast of Eden – Eden, Minnesota that is – between two rivers[…]

Herb Silverman’s Letter: Honoring the Legacy of Woody Kaplan

By now, I’m sure you have heard that Woody Kaplan died last month. Woody was a great friend of the Secular Coalition for America and all of our member organizations. I first met Woody in 2000, when the national[…]

Canada: How Do They Keep It So Clean?

I was born in the United States and have lived here all my life. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest in a family that enjoyed road trips and camping. Thus, it is no surprise that I've been to Canada[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Delivering Bad News for Secular Workers

It’s Labor Day Weekend again. I’ll be at a Labor Day picnic sponsored by one of the local political parties and attended by some of the local politicians. (Protecting the rights of nonreligious Americans is somewhat easier if you aren’t[…]

How to Live a Happy Life, From a Leading Atheist

“I want to show people, look, the magic of life as evolved, that’s thrilling!" says philosopher Daniel C. Dennett. “You don’t need miracles.”

Old Seventh

By David Andrew Dugle ~ In an era long before televangelism and megachurches, before the Age of Muscular American Fundamentalism, my grandfather made sure that all of his grandchildren had a Christian upbringing. Every Sunday he drove us all the[…]

On Living Virtuously

By Webmdave ~ As a Christian, living virtuously meant living in a manner that pleased God. Pleasing god (or living virtuously) was explained as:Praying for forgiveness for sins Accepting Christ as Savior Frequently reading the Bible Memorizing Bible versesBeing baptized (subject to church[…]

I can fix ignorance; I can't fix stupid!

By Bob O ~ I'm an atheist and a 52-year veteran of public education. I need not tell anyone the problems associated with having to "duck" the "Which church do you belong to?" with my students and their parents. Once[…]

Why do bad things happen to good people?

By Webmdave ~ When I was Christian, one of the paradoxes that I pondered was the question of why bad things happen to good people. The unsatisfying (at least to me) explanations from many true believers included statements such as[…]

Science Education: What We Get Wrong and How to Do It Better | Carl Wieman on Skeptical Inquirer Presents, August 17

Science has advanced enormously in the past 500 years, guided by experimental tests of theory and practice. In that same time, science teaching and education—guided primarily by tradition and dogma—has remained largely medieval. Join us on Thursday, August 17, at[…]

Hate in the Homeland: The New Global Far Right | Cynthia Miller-Idriss on Skeptical Inquirer Presents, Thursday, August 3

Hate crimes. Misinformation and conspiracy theories. Foiled white-supremacist plots. The signs of growing far-Right extremism are all around us, and communities around the globe are struggling to understand how so many people are being radicalized and why they are increasingly[…]

The Christian Guide To Ultimate Wisdom and Love

By Carl S ~ Dear readers: This was composed over a period of several days of re-writing, revising, adding and subtracting entire paragraphs, etc., in order to convey my thoughts and conclusions as honestly as possible. I hope you feel[…]

Weird Earth: Strange Ideas about Our Planet | Donald Prothero on Skeptical Inquirer Presents, July 20

Many strange notions about Planet Earth are finding a foothold in the mainstream: Flat-earthers, geocentrists, hollow earth, expanding earth, dowsing, crystal healing, and so many more. Thanks to the internet, these nonsensical theories get much more publicity—and many more believers—than[…]

Humanists Condemn Exclusionary 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis Supreme Court Decision

"This Court is determined to challenge the separation of church and state." The post Humanists Condemn Exclusionary 303 Creative LLC v. Elenis Supreme Court Decision appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Center for Inquiry Warns: 303 Creative Decision Gives Businesses ‘Ability to Exclude Customers on Religious Grounds’

This morning, the U.S. Supreme Court closed out its current term with a 6–3 decision in 303 Creative LLC vs. Elenis. The case was filed by a graphic designer, Lorie Smith, who wanted to expand her business offerings to include[…]

Center for Inquiry: New Legal Standard for Religious Accommodation Unfairly Shifts Burden to Nonreligous Americans

The U.S. Supreme Court today issued its ruling in the case of Groff v. DeJoy. The unanimous decision changes the long-observed legal standard under which businesses are allowed to reject an employee’s request for religious accommodation. The case now goes[…]

What Churches Offer That ‘Nones’ Still Long For

Houses of worship are, uniquely, one-stop shops of meaning, continuity and support.

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