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Top 100 All-Time Favorite Articles

Organized by visitor rankings. All logged-in users can rank entries through the form at the bottom of each article.


Document 1: Fleabytes • Paula Kirby • 19th Feb 2008

You will no doubt have heard the (admittedly not particularly funny) joke about there being two versions of The God Delusion: one of them moderate, reasonable, utterly convincing and only bought by atheists, and the other vicious, aggressive, offensive, and exclusively bought by Christians.

Document 2: Are the 'New Atheists' avoiding the 'real arguments'? • Edmund Standing, ButterfliesAndWheels.com • 31th Oct 2007

Recently, the popular and successful books of atheist authors such as Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens having been receiving some public criticism from religious quarters, with the most recent coming from Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Document 3: The Tony Blair Foundation • Richard Dawkins • 2nd Apr 2009

The author of the God Delusion responds to Tony Blair's article on faith in last week's New Statesman

Document 4: Those fanatical atheists • Dan Gardner, The Ottawa Citizen • 6th May 2007

It's popular these days to equate those who question God with the worst kind of zealots, but it's not fair

Video 5: Beyond Belief 2006 Videos • beyondbelief2006.org • 21st Nov 2006

15 hours of video from the conference in San Diego, CA.

Video 6: Lou Dobbs Interviews Christopher Hitchens • Lou Dobbs Tonight, CNN • 4th May 2007

Lou Dobbs interviews Christopher Hitchens author of God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything this is the interview Jon Stewart should have done, but couldn't and still try and be funny.

Video 8: RDF TV - The Baloney Detection Kit • Michael Shermer, The Richard Dawkins Foundation, Josh Timonen • 23rd Jun 2009

With a sea of information coming at us from all directions, how do we sift out the misinformation and bogus claims, and get to the truth? Michael Shermer of Skeptic Magazine lays out a "Baloney Detection Kit," ten questions we should ask when encountering a claim.

Document 9: Waking up in America • Marshall Evans • 24th May 2009

"I happened to have breakfast with Marshall Evans (not his real name) at the American Atheists conference in Atlanta in April 2009. He looks exactly what he is, an American military pilot, flying jets from aircraft carriers." - Richard Dawkins

Audio 10: Can the rest of us have our planet back? • The Now Show, Marcus Brigstocke • 20th Jul 2007

Stand-up comedian Marcus Brigstocke delivered a seven-minute rant during this evening's Now Show on BBC Radio 4, on the evils of religion (I think he's been reading The God Delusion).

Document 11: Postmodernism Disrobed • Richard Dawkins, Nature • 1st Apr 2007

Richard Dawkins' review of Intellectual Impostures by Alan Sokal and Jean Bricmont.

Document 12: New Bus Campaign • Richard Dawkins • 14th Jan 2009

I wonder whether people might send in all their bus slogan suggestions, to form an orderly list on this page, so that we can survey a gathered field and make a choice.

Document 13: Happy Birthday Richard Dawkins! • RichardDawkins.net • 26th Mar 2009

Today is Richard's 68th birthday, be sure to leave him your birthday messages in the comments.

Video 14: A Darwinian Perspective on Religions: Past, Present and Future • Dan Dennett • 6th May 2009

19 March 2009. World famous philosopher and humanist Daniel Dennett speaks at Conway Hall, providing "A Darwinian Perspective on Religions: Past, Present and Future". Introduction by Richard Dawkins.
You Tube posted by the British Humanist Association on April 23.

Video 15: Pale Blue Dot • Carl Sagan • 14th May 2007

This is taken from the book. Having him read to you is something else. Enough said. Take a listen and leave comments please. Email this video to atleast one other person, its your moral duty.

Video 16: Free Speech • Christopher Hitchens • 14th Mar 2007

The speech is from a debate at Hart House, University of Toronto. Hitchens speech is in opposition to a proposed amendment to criminalize hate speech. A big thanks to Scott T.

Video 17: Reading of The God Delusion in Lynchburg, VA • Richard Dawkins / C-SPAN2 • 12th Nov 2006

Richard Dawkins reads excerpts from The God Delusion and anwsers questions at Randolph-Macon Woman's College in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Video 20: Seven Wonders of the World • Richard Dawkins • 15th Feb 2009

Richard Dawkins explains his picks for the seven wonders of the world in this program from 1997.

Document 21: Extract from Chapter One of The Greatest Show on Earth • Richard Dawkins - Times Online • 24th Aug 2009

People who reject the theory of evolution should be placed on a level with Holocaust deniers, argues an author in his controversial new book

Document 23: Open Letter to a victim of Ben Stein's lying propaganda • Richard Dawkins • 20th Apr 2008

On 18th April, the day Ben Stein's infamous film was released, Michael Shermer received the following letter from a Jew, whose identity I shall conceal as "David J".

Video 24: Richard Dawkins and Alister McGrath • Root of All Evil? Uncut Interviews • 31th May 2007

This interview was filmed for the TV documentary "Root of All Evil?" but was left out of the final version. Time restrictions dictated that not all interviews filmed could be used. This was especially regrettable in the case of the McGrath interview, which is therefore offered here now, unedited.

Video 25: Free speech is sacred • Pat Condell • 18th Mar 2009

Time to put a crescent moon on the UN flag?

Video 26: THE FOUR HORSEMEN - Available Now on DVD! • Discussions With Richard Dawkins: Episode 1, RDFRS • 14th Dec 2007

On the 30th of September 2007, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens sat down for a first-of-its-kind, unmoderated 2-hour discussion, convened by RDFRS and filmed by Josh Timonen.

Document 27: The Courtier's Reply • PZ Myers • 24th Dec 2006

There's a common refrain in the criticisms of Dawkins' The God Delusion(amzn/b&n/abe/pwll) that I've taken to categorizing with my own private title—it's so common, to the point of near-unanimous universality, that I've decided to share it with you all, along with a little backstory that will help you to understand the name.

I call it the Courtier's Reply. It refers to the aftermath of a fable.

Video 28: Der Digitale Planet (lecture) • Richard Dawkins • 5th May 2006

Der Digitale Planet (lecture) featuring Douglas Adams, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Jared Diamond and Steven Pinker.

Document 29: We of little faith • Sue Blackmore, Guardian • 8th Jun 2007

Religious belief is inconsistent with reason and corrosive to the human mind - and I don't want to live in a world where it is respected.

Document 32: The Great Bus Mystery • Richard Dawkins • 26th Sept 2009

Contribution to The Atheist’s Guide to Christmas (in press, 2009). Ed Ariane Sherine. London: Harper Collins.

Document 33: Elephants' wings • PZ Myers, Pharyngula • 11th May 2009

Once upon a time, four blind men were walking in the forest, and they bumped into an elephant.

Document 35: Anti-atheist prejudice widespread in America • Zac Smith • 11th Mar 2009

Americans find atheists a particularly repugnant minority. According to Gallup, they are more disliked than any other major religious group, with the exception of Scientologists.

Document 36: Speaking with a purpose • Lawrence Cosentino • 25th Feb 2009

Winds of change are putting fresh blood into British biologist Richard Dawkins’ cheeks.

Document 37: Why should I respect these oppressive religions? • Johann Hari • 27th Jan 2009

Whenever a religious belief is criticised, its adherents say they're victims of 'prejudice'

Document 38: Review of Richard Dawkins' new book 'The Fascism Delusion' • TheValve.org • 9th Sept 2007

The controversy stirred up by Dawkins's latest book The Fascism Delusion really seem to be heating up. Here is one recent review, from many, that takes him to task

Document 39: Bible Belter • Richard Dawkins • 6th Sept 2007

There is much fluttering in the dovecots of the deluded, and Christopher Hitchens is one of those responsible. Another is the philosopher A. C. Grayling. I recently shared a platform with both. We were to debate against a trio of, as it turned out, rather half-hearted religious apologists ("Of course I don't believe in a God with a long white beard, but . . .").

Video 40: The Moral Necessity of Atheism • Christopher Hitchens • 23rd Mar 2007

Christopher Hitchens: "The Moral Necessity of Atheism." Convocation Hall February 23 at 4:30 p.m. Sewanee University.

Video 41: Richard Dawkins: Author of the Year! • Galaxy British Book Awards • 28th Mar 2007

Richard Dawkins has been named Author of the Year by the Galaxy British Book Awards!

Document 42: PUPILS QUIZ PROFESSOR ON EVOLUTION • Jennifer Morrison - Inverness Courier • 30th Apr 2009

Renowned academic enthrals pupils on school visit to explain controversial theory

Video 43: Richard Dawkins interviews Father George Coyne • Richard Dawkins, RichardDawkins.net • 9th Dec 2008

This is the full uncut interview with Father George Coyne which was omitted from Richard Dawkins' television program "The Genius of Charles Darwin" for Channel 4 in the UK.

Video 45: Sapolsky on Religion • Robert Sapolsky • 6th Jun 2009

Sapolsky on Religion
Prof. Robert Sapolsky Bio 150/250, Spring 2002 Human Behavioral Biology
82min - includes lecture outline

Audio 46: Richard Dawkins and John Lennox at the Oxford University Museum • Richard Dawkins, John Lennox • 1st Jun 2009

This is the third of my encounters with John Lennox, all organized by the Fixed Point Foundation, which is an American Christian organization.

Document 47: Science IS imagination • Phil Plait • 7th Apr 2009

People don’t understand science.

Video 48: What If God Disappeared? • BuzzFeed • 4th Mar 2009

A probing exploration of what the world would be like if God disappeared. One of the worst parts: success or failure in life would depend only on hard work and luck, rather than God's bestowing his grace upon us (like He does for professional athletes, but only the ones who win).

Document 49: A Designer Universe? • Steven Weinberg • 4th Aug 2007

I have been asked to comment on whether the universe shows signs of having been designed. I don't see how it's possible to talk about this without having at least some vague idea of what a designer would be like. Any possible universe could be explained as the work of some sort of designer. Even a universe that is completely chaotic, without any laws or regularities at all, could be supposed to have been designed by an idiot.

Video 50: Religion & Culture Panel • 2007 LA Times Festival of Books, Christopher Hitchens • 30th Apr 2007

Description: Book TV presents LIVE coverage of the LA Times Festival of Books. At 1:30pm ET/10:30am PT, a panel on the mixing of religion and culture featuring: Christopher Hitchens ("God Is Not Great"), Zachary Karabell ("Peace Be upon You: The Story of Muslim, Christian, and Jewish Coexistence"), and Jonathan Kirsch ("A History of the End of the World: How the Most Controversial Book in the Bible Changed the Course of Western Civilization"). The panel is moderated by Thane Rosenbaum.

Document 51: Book Review: Questions of Truth: God, Science and Belief by John Polkinghorne and Nicholas Beale • AC Grayling • 23rd Mar 2009

John Polkinghorne's former student Nicholas Beale runs a website on behalf of his mentor, on which questions about religion, and the relation of religion to science, can be posted.

Document 52: Darwin was right • Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Jerry Coyne, PZ Myers • 19th Feb 2009

What on earth were you thinking when you produced a garish cover proclaiming that "Darwin was wrong" (24 January)?

Video 53: Stephen Colbert Interviews Richard Dawkins • The Colbert Report, Richard Dawkins • 18th Oct 2006

Richard Dawkins is interviewed by Stephen Colbert on Comedy Central's 'The Colbert Report.'

Video 54: Professor Dawkins On Bestselling Book • Adam Boulton - Sky News • 13th Sept 2009

Professor Richard Dawkins speaks to Sky's Adam Boulton about his latest book volume 'The Greatest Show On Earth - Evidence For Evolution', which is top of the Sunday Times' bestsellers' list.

Video 55: Panel Discussion - Dawkins, Tyson, Druyan, Stenger, Grothe • Center For Inquiry • 23rd Jul 2009

This panel discussion took place at a Center for Inquiry - New York City conference titled "Secular Society and its Enemies." The panel discusses a wide variety of topics, including, science, science education, the nature of science, the correct political methodology and much more.

Richard Dawkins, Neil Degrasse Tyson, Ann Druyan and Victor Stenger. Moderated by D.J. Grothe.

Document 56: Secularists' vital war on religion • AC Grayling • 20th Dec 2008

As long as religion is a danger to the lives and liberties of others, secular liberals will never relent in their protests

Video 58: Christopher Hitchens and Tony Jones: Does Religion Poison Everything? • ABC Fora • 7th Oct 2009

Festival of Dangerous Ideas. Presented by the Sydney Opera House and the St James Ethics Centre, Australia

Video 59: The Four Horsemen HD - Now on YouTube • Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens, Daniel Dennett • 23rd Feb 2009

On the 30th of September 2007, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens sat down for a first-of-its-kind, unmoderated 2-hour discussion, convened by RDFRS and filmed by Josh Timonen.

Video 60: Debate: Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D'Souza • Thomas Center • 21st Feb 2009

Christopher Hitchens and Dinesh D'Souza at Macky Auditorium, CU Boulder, January 26, 2009

Document 61: Despite these riots, I stand by what I wrote • Johann Hari • 13th Feb 2009

The answer to the problems of free speech is always more free speech

Document 62: Heat the Hornet • Richard Dawkins • 11th Feb 2009

Why we really do need to know the amazing truth about evolution, and the equally amazing intellectual dishonesty of its enemies

Video 63: Uncut Interview with Ian McEwan - Root of All Evil? • Richard Dawkins, Ian McEwan • 2nd Feb 2009

This is the uncut interview from the Channel 4 TV program 'The Root of All Evil?'

Video 64: We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers • Andy Thomson, Richard Dawkins Foundation • 4th Oct 2007

The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science presents Andy Thomson's lecture titled "We Few, We Happy Few, We Band of Brothers." This video was taken at the AAI 2007 conference in Washington, D.C.

Document 65: God-Fearing People: Why are we so scared of offending Muslims? • Christopher Hitchens, Slate • 31th Jul 2007

During the greater part of last week, Slate's sister site On Faith (it is jointly produced by Newsweek and washingtonpost.com, both owned by the Washington Post Co., which also owns Slate) gave itself over to a discussion about the religion of Islam. As usual in such cases, the search for "moderate" versions of this faith was under way before the true argument had even begun. If I were a Muslim myself, I think that this search would be the most "offensive" part of the business. Why must I prove that my deepest belief is compatible with moderation?

Document 66: Don't Know Much Biology • Jerry Coyne, Edge • 6th Jun 2007

Whether he knows it or not, Brownback's forthright declarations, denying any possibility that empirical matters of fact might differ from those assumed by his creed, amount to nothing less than a rejection of the whole institution of science. Who is "we", and where did "our" conviction and certainty come from? Would Brownback believe these "spiritual truths" if he hadn't been taught them as a child, or brought up in the United States instead of China?

Document 67: The Case Against Intelligent Design: The Faith That Dare Not Speak Its Name • Jerry Coyne, edge.org • 12th May 2007

In the end, many Americans may still reject evolution, finding the creationist alternative psychologically more comfortable.

Document 68: Grief Without God • Carol A. Fiore • 27th Jan 2007

I'm an atheist. I'll just say that up front, so there's no confusion. I suffered a horrible tragedy, and continue to endure lasting effects.

Document 69: Surviving 'Jesus Camp' • Josh Timonen • 3rd Oct 2006

(Review of the new documentary film 'Jesus Camp') "Raise your hand if you think that God can do anything!"

Audio 70: Richard Dawkins on Minnesota Public Radio • Richard Dawkins • 4th Mar 2009

Richard Dawkins says atheists should be just as forthright in their views as those who believe God is real. The prominent atheist talks about why he wants to convert more to his way of thinking.

Video 71: Freedom Under Fire: U.N. Anti-Blasphemy Resolution • Christopher Hitchens, Lou Dobbs • 26th Feb 2009

The United Nations Anti-Blasphemy Resolution aims to curtail speech that offends religion, specifically Islam. Critics, religious groups and free speech advocates say the resolution is spreading Sharia law to the Western world. Christopher Hitchens joined Lou.

Document 72: Lying for Jesus? • Richard Dawkins • 23rd Mar 2008

The blogs are ringing with ridicule. Mark Mathis, duplicitous producer of the much hyped film Expelled, shot himself in the foot so spectacularly that the phrase might have been invented for him.

Video 73: A Bunch of Monkeys • Marcus Lindgren • 7th May 2007

Short YouTube clip about a bunch of monkeys.

Audio 74: Penn Jillette Interviews Richard Dawkins • Penn Radio, Richard Dawkins • 26th Oct 2006

Penn Jillette (of Penn and Teller) interviews Richard Dawkins on his radio show.

Document 75: 'God Is Not a Moderate' • Sam Harris and Andrew Sullivan, Beliefnet.com • 17th Jan 2007

Most Americans oppose violence spurred by religious fundamentalism, but few agree on how to address it.

Document 80: Johann Hari: Republicans, religion and the triumph of unreason • Johann Hari - The Independent • 19th Aug 2009

How do they train themselves to be so impervious to reality?
Something strange has happened in America in the nine months since Barack Obama was elected. It has best been summarised by the comedian Bill Maher: "The Democrats have moved to the right, and the Republicans have moved to a mental hospital."

Document 81: Religion's parasitic morality • Peter Ellerton • 14th Apr 2009

Are atheists parasitic on god's morality, or is it the other way around...?

Document 82: Atheists should be allowed to argue their case • George Williamson • 2nd Apr 2009

- The new atheists’ principal fault would seem to be failure to abide by the rule that demands "respect for religion", philosopher George Williamson claims. He strongly disagrees with Julian Baggini's assertion that the new atheism-movement is counter-productive.

Document 84: The deification of stupidity • AC Grayling • 20th Mar 2009

If the OIC succeeds in turning criticism of religion into 'defamation', freedom of expression will be eradicated

Document 85: Children of God? • AC Grayling • 29th Nov 2008

There's no real evidence to suggest that religion is hardwired – it's just wishful thinking on the part of religious academics

Document 86: EXPELLED! • PZ Myers, Pharyngula • 20th Mar 2008

There is a rich, deep kind of irony that must be shared. I'm blogging this from the Apple store in the Mall of America, because I'm too amused to want to wait until I get back to my hotel room.

Document 87: The Problem with Atheism • Sam Harris • 2nd Oct 2007

To begin, I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge just how strange it is that a meeting like this is even necessary. The year is 2007, and we have all taken time out of our busy lives, and many of us have traveled considerable distance, so that we can strategize about how best to live in a world in which most people believe in an imaginary God. America is now a nation of 300 million people, wielding more influence than any people in human history, and yet this influence is being steadily corrupted, and is surely waning, because 240 million of these people apparently believe that Jesus will return someday and orchestrate the end of the world with his magic powers.

Document 88: They let anybody onto the faculty at Oxford nowadays • PZ Myers, Pharyngula • 2nd Aug 2007

A few readers sent me a link to this interview with Alister McGrath; most thought it was worth a laugh, but one actually seemed to think I'd be devastated. I'm afraid the majority were correct: everything I've read by McGrath suggests that here is a man whose thoughts have been arrested by a temporal lobe seizure that he has mistaken for a lightning bolt from god.

Video 89: The new preface to The God Delusion paperback and Q&A • Richard Dawkins • 19th Jun 2007

During a recent trip to the Galapagos with the Center for Inquiry, Richard Dawkins gave a reading of his new preface to the paperback edition of The God Delusion. This video is of the reading, and a separate video (coming soon!) will have the Q&A session that followed.

Document 90: The Great Mutator • Jerry Coyne, The New Republic • 12th Jun 2007

Browsing the websites of different colleges, a prospective biology student finds an unusual statement on the page of the Department of Biological Sciences at Lehigh University.

Document 91: The Myth of Secular Moral Chaos • Sam Harris • 4th Jun 2007

One cannot criticize religious dogmatism for long without encountering the following claim, advanced as though it were a self-evident fact of nature: there is no secular basis for morality.

Video 92: Richard Dawkins interviews the Bishop of Oxford • Richard Dawkins Foundation, Root of All Evil? • 19th Apr 2007

Bishop Harries and Richard Dawkins have collaborated on several occasions to promote the proper teaching of science in UK classrooms. This is the full unedited interview, which was originally filmed by IWC for the Channel Four documentary 'Root or All Evil?'

Audio 93: Richard Dawkins Explains 'The God Delusion' • NPR, Richard Dawkins • 29th Mar 2007

Fresh Air from WHYY, March 28, 2007 · In his most recent book, British scientist Richard Dawkins writes about the irrationality of a belief in God, examines God in all his forms and sets down his arguments for atheism. The book is The God Delusion.

Video 94: Even Stephven: Islam vs. Christianity • The Daily Show with Jon Stewart • 6th Mar 2007

Here's an oldie that's always worth watching again for a good laugh. Stephen Colbert debates Steve Carell, back when everyone was still on The Daily Show.

Document 95: To Live at All Is Miracle Enough • Richard Dawkins • 11th May 2006

We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born.

Video 96: Root of All Evil? Part 2: The Virus of Faith • Richard Dawkins - Channel 4 • 12th May 2006

How is it, asks Richard Dawkins, that despite science having exposed old religious myths, militant faith is back on the march?

Video 97: Root of All Evil? Part 1: The God Delusion • Richard Dawkins - Channel 4 • 11th May 2006

Richard Dawkins is astounded that religious faith is gaining ground in the face of rational, scientific truth based on hard evidence.

Video 98: Richard Dawkins at the Edinburgh Book Festival 2009 • Richard Dawkins • 28th Oct 2009

Richard Dawkins talks about his latest book "The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence For Evolution" at the Edinburgh Book Festival 2009.

Video 100: Satellite interview with Richard Dawkins • Royal Society of New Zealand • 26th Jun 2009

Richard Dawkins is interviewed via satellite and announces the Royal Society of New Zealand's Science Book Prize.