Public prejudice toward atheists is still high, not only in the United States but in most of the countries in the world. Around half of Americans would refuse to vote for an atheist for public office, according to recent polls. Polls also show that the rejection of atheists is mainly due to the public assumption that people who are irreligious are also immoral, since they have no fear of punishment by God. But is God really the source of human morality? Certainly the Judaeo-Christian-Muslim…

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Time and time again when speaking of atheists, the question of whether one can be moral and upright without God and/or religion unfailingly comes up. For years, I have believed that the…

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Without the shedding of blood is no remission...

I do not understand how there could have been a time in my life when that statement did not seem absurd to me.  Now that the fog has been lifted, I see the absolute ridiculousness of the concept of blood atonement for the forgiveness of the sin of being a human being.  I simply cannot understand how the concept of a god that required...even craved blood could in any way make…

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A common argument among theists and atheists centres around the nature of morality. We can all claim to have an idea of what is moral, but we often fail to agree why we think it is so. Many theists would argue that we are bound to objective moral standards which are immutable, regardless of perspective, opinion, or circumstance. An atheist may argue that our sense of morality is grounded in little more than this.



We could argue that determining which party is correct, rests on… Continue

Nero fiddled while Rome burned. While considered only a rumor, the acrid aroma of rosin coming from the US House of Representatives is not. While the economy burns, the Republican led House is fiddling with "birth control."



As much as some men may desire it, becoming octomom is not a goal of today's woman, nor is staying barefoot and pregnant a desired state. Watching the shameful antediluvian political display of men discussing birth control for women would be laughable if not for… Continue

Greetings, 

Your hosts bring in reinforcements to tackle a divine view on morality. God said it, people believe it, and we’re questioning it. Does this week’s moral theory stand a prayer’s chance? What’s wrong with saying God is good? And can he draw a square triangle? Join us as we spin our wheels trying to explain Divine Command Theory in this holy edition of Norm’s Conceptual Corner, with special guest Joel…

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Recently a friend asked me the following question:

There’s a big debate over the origins of morality. Some say the answer lies in…

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Painting of King Soloman, 1872 or 1874, by Simeon Solomon, British 1840 - 1905.

Gift of William B. O'Neal, to the National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC 1995.52.170

Not on View - Public Domain http://www.nga.gov/cgi-bin/tsearch?artistid=9868…

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The languid success of logic and facts to dislodge believers from their mistaken beliefs, calls for a new course in the claim for morality’s mantle; religion fails humanity on ethics.





There appears to be no amount of reason or facts that will extricate believers from their cognitive biases, or the nucleus of their intractable, mistaken, and teleological beliefs. Non-theists, in my humble, yet scholarly opinion, need… Continue

(Reprinted from my blog HERE)



These days, the archetypes of good and evil in our society are Mother Teresa and Hitler, respectively. If you start with these two as the paradigms, it becomes pretty easy to figure out what "Good" and Evil" are really all about.



I admit that I have never met Adolf Hitler. Fortunately for this blog post, however, I have met Mother Teresa. It was in… Continue

Akosombo Dam, The only Hydroelectric Dam in Ghana prayed for by group of pastors so rains come down or be restored to supply the country's energy. They believe its the devil stopping the rains. so wont look for any solutions or renewable sources of energy, they get an excuse like always its the devil and satan. Ignorance once again.



Why do we as a people sit down, watch for a Dam like this to run out of water without looking at…

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Enlightened Self-Interest



See my blog at http://brazilbrat.blogspot.com/



There is no substantive evidence for an omnipotent father-figure deity as postulated by the Christian/Jewish/Islamic tradition. So without religion can there be morality? Certainly, because true moral behavior is based upon simple self-interest. The guiding ethic is to truly act in your own best interest. That would mean treating all people fairly,… Continue

Evolution



I am an avid fan of day dreaming, and unlike many people who muse of friendships, potential meetings with celebrities or other frivolous thoughts to occupy a bus journey, I happen to love thinking about science. Yes you could say this a post about me admiting a tendancy for geeky thoughts but I want to write about an opinion/ concept I have been thinking alot about lately.



The fact of evolution, is clear to many, and I do not want to spend my time here… Continue

Christians believe that without God, Atheists have no morality, and therefore the Root of All Evil.



Really? Do they believe that Atheists are immoral? Well, Let's take a look at the Christians own morality.





Once upon a time, there was a man, about 5' 6". He lead a revolution for the sake of his people, with the extinction of the old monarchy. He later crowned himself 'Emperor' and lead a war, which his empire almost stretched from the Atlantic Ocean to… Continue

Recently while skimming through discussion threads on the Richard Dawkins forum, I was attracted to a thread discussing uproar by some members over the number of sexually themed discussion threads, with several members very upset over the number and the type of topics being discussed. The topics ranged from serious non religious based ethical queries into such topics as how one should view homosexuality or how one should define pedophilia, to more superfluous topics such as how long the perfect… Continue