President Obama's inauguration speech and references to God

(This is also posted on servingatheists.org)

I listened to President Obama's inauguration speech with interest today because I believe myself to be a responsible American citizen. How he frames his next term is important to me and all citizens of the United States and, indeed, to everyone around the world. But I also listened to his speech to see how often and in what ways he would…

Here is the link to the ServingAtheists.org page with the "mini-poll" on morality:

http://blogs.elon.edu/servingatheists/?p=1350

One of the very first questions in the survey deals with morality:  ”How do you view the morality of religious believers as compared to the morality of atheists?”  To date, there have been over 7600 respondents to the survey and over 3300 have added comments after selecting their…

Though it was down for about 36 hours (!), the blog I am using to follow up on the "Better understanding the world of atheists" survey is now back in action.  I have been a bit surprised -in a very positive way- how many people are visiting and interacting with the site.  Several of the "mimi polls" that I have added to the site have generated quite a few responses.  I encourage anyone -particularly those of you who took the time to critique the questions on the main survey (thank you!)- to…

We could use a world with more reason

I should have had questions that would get at this on the main survey:  

How can the atheist movement (to the extent there is one) be more gender inclusive in terms of its public face and its organizational leadership?

Please go the www.servingatheists.org and make your suggestions!

As you might have noticed (on the A/N main page or elsewhere), Brother Richard and I have teamed up once again to do a survey of atheists around the world.

Please go to www.servingatheists.org for more information about the survey and to look at some mini "polls" I have added to that site.  I will be updating regularly about the survey in the next couple months, so stay tuned.

If anyone has specific suggestions how we…

This was published in the 26 December edition of the Greensboro News and Record:

A tall tree has fallen

By Dr. Tom Arcaro

Professor of Sociology

Elon University

336.263.4578

Arcaro@elon.edu

“Human decency is not derived from religion. It precedes it.” …

Prelude to a Major Survey

by Dr. Tom Arcaro & Emily Wappes 

 

It is clear to many members of the atheist internet blogosphere that there is a noticeable gender disparity among participants in atheist activities (fora, blogs, comments, readership) online.  Two quick examples will illustrate. As of 6 May 2011 only 27% of Atheist Nexus (A|N) membership is…

Hey folks.  Nothing major from this end, but I am working with a student on more writing and research on atheism and atheists -and the public perceptions of same, and I will start posting again some of our musings.

Updates?   My course on the sociology of atheism did not get enough students enrolled last summer, so I had to shelve it.  I was the moderator on a panel on the media treatment of atheism held on our campus earlier this month, and the headline panelist was none…

Atheists' rights in eyes of Christians?…