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“When you come out as an atheist, you’ll probably be in for a round of Atheism 101 – Myths and Facts. Maybe more than one round. Even the most supportive believers often have misunderstandings about us. And the more people you come out to, the more mythbusting you’ll have ahead of you. So do some …

What do you think of the efforts to bring a mammoth-elephant hybrid to life, as mentioned in the above news item? Even assuming it can be safely done without harm or suffering to the creatures involved, what ethical, scientific, or other challenges do you think might arise? Our favorite answer will receive a copy of …

“The United States of America was no birthed in prayer, as the religious right repeatedly claims, It was birthed in protest. We kicked the king, dictator, master, sovereign, and Lord out of our affairs, turning government upside down, making “We, the people” the supreme authority. Our Declaration of Independence, which does not govern our country …

This lovely letter is an example of the kind of thing that makes it all worthwhile. It must have been among those handed to me at one of my book signings in Korea, and I have only just found it while unpacking. It is unsigned so I can’t thank the author personally, although I would …

“Students who enter seminary, like any students who have committed time and tuition payments to specialized, masters level education, are strongly motivated to complete their studies and succeed in their chosen fields. Like all serious scholars, seminary students have a thirst for knowledge and a desire to apply it properly. Most graduate students hope for …

Nominees to the Supreme Court must first answer questions at the Senate’s confirmation hearings, giving both lawmakers and the American public a chance to get a glimpse of a nominee’s underlying beliefs. If you had the chance to ask Judge Neil Gorsuch a question at these hearings, what would it be? Our favorite answer will …

“The use of theological experts by Congress or other governmental bodies is not made any more acceptable if representatives of various faiths are invited (current standard lists of invitees: Catholic, Protestant, Jew, Muslim) to avoid the appearance that the government is favoring one religion. This attempt at even-handedness just underscores the futility and pointlessness of …

“Fundamentalists need truth to be absolute. They are extremely uncomfortable with uncertainty or estimates of truth. They think truth is an object. Jesus said, “I am the truth.” But a person cannot be the truth. Truth is not a thing. Truth is simply a measure of how well a statement matches reality. The only thing …

A father and son accused of raping a teenage girl over a three-year period and keeping her shackled in a basement have made it clear that they don’t have faith in the law or in the people who practice it. When they face an Ohio jury as they defend themselves against criminal charges that carry long prison …

“Atheists have to come out! Coming out is the most powerful political action we can take! It’s how we change people’s perceptions of us! It’s how we counter the myths and bigotry against us! It’s how we find each other! It’s how we create communities and give each other a safe place to land! It’s …

“Let’s take stock for a moment. We entered into this discussion of revelation because it is through revelation that we are supposedly made aware of God’s commands. If God is to have any direct role to play with respect to morality, either as moral dictator or moral adviser, we would need to be able to …

“Thomas Jefferson was a deist, living just like an atheist with no religious practices, but believing there had to be some kind of starter god or impersonal force that got everything going. The deists were the pre-Darwinian freethinkers, lacking a model for the origin of life. But Jefferson got it right about instincts, anticipating the …