The Good Atheist's Page

from my site, www.thegoodatheist.net

Alright, you guys in Ireland need to get your shit together. When reading this article on a proposed “Defamation Bill“, I had failed to realize that it was already a crime to defame religion in your Republic. The problem is, of course, that the very concept of “freedom of speech” conflicts with any special provisions meant to protect religion. Apparently, having +90% of your population actual believers isn’t enough… Continue

from thegoodatheist.net

There’s an interesting article here that argues that there is, in fact, no religious right. The arguments are convincing; it does sound at first glance that there has been an over simplification on whether or not a discernable movement is actually present. It would seem illogical to assume that there are secret clandestine meetings involving hundreds of pastors and clergymen, all agreeing on the best course of action to defend… Continue

from www.thegoodatheist.net

I must have been asleep the last few days, because I could have sworn that the US was facing one of the worst financial crisis in it’s history, accompanied by two wars that are not going very swimmingly. It’s must be all fixed, since a group of Senators are busy trying to get the motto “In God We Trust” up in the new Capital Visitor Center in Washington.

The building is your classic boondoggle; it cost 3 times what was est… Continue

from thegoodatheist.net

I mentioned before that many individuals believe in religion because of what they perceive to be logical reasons, and it is often based on the illusion of design, both here on earth, and in the cosmos in general. The Universe, as far as we can observe, seems to be both extremely complex and mysterious at first glance. Here on earth, the complexity of life is staggering; in a handful of dirt, there are million of organisms, some… Continue

from thegoodatheist.net

Yesterday, I argued that the selective advantage of belief was too attractive for individuals in a community not to partake. But this advantage, as humans became more prosperous in the West, became increasingly marginal. In the 15th century, Europe began to experience new found prosperity from the most unusual source: the aftermath of the Black Death.

Over a third of the population is estimated to have been killed, but at the… Continue