A common descriptor of the Christian god (and many other monotheistic religions) is the word perfection. Despite some searching, I could not find any uniform description of what Christianity means by perfect. The most common I heard was that God is a ”being without defect or blemish: a perfect specimen.” That is a good enough starting [...]
The video below was recently brought to my attention by Hemant Mehta over at Friendly Atheist. I found it profoundly moving, even as a nonbeliever. Please watch it (and/or read the transcript) and then join me on the other side to discuss it: Transcript Will only a few select people make it to heaven? And will [...]
Death comes to all of us, religious and rational. As an atheist, I do not have the same rich collection of songs, poems, and readings to draw from that my religious counterparts do. I know this is something others struggle with as well. Which is why when this poem was shared with me, I knew [...]
One of the primary defenses I hear for a religion is that it is good for people, usually with two different examples. The first is practical benefits of the charity work religions do, from soup kitchens to counseling. The second are the psychological benefits: sense of purpose, death comfort, etc. Every time these get trotted [...]
This video is both beautiful and profound. I do not have much to add to this beautiful video by YouTube user philhellenes. It is something that everyone should watch, no matter if you are religious, atheist, or undecided. It is fifteen minutes worth giving up for this experience. It is like the universe screams in your [...]
A recent study has discovered an interesting trend in regards to Americans and religion: As recently as 1990, all but 7% of Americans claimed a religious affiliation, a figure that had held constant for decades. Today, 17% of Americans say they have no religion, and these new “nones” are very heavily concentrated among Americans who [...]