1. Vote for the Time 100 - Are They Worthy?

Comment #34591 by simplicio on April 24, 2007 at 3:31 pm

done. A 100 rating for inspiring atheists to be more bold and for getting a discussion going about religious faith that we need to have.

2. Atheist Apostle

Comment #24356 by simplicio on March 6, 2007 at 6:32 am

jonecc #24344, the easiest way is to just copy and paste the link into your browser.

3. Richard Dawkins interview with Paula Zahn

Comment #22065 by simplicio on February 12, 2007 at 9:29 pm

Thank you Richard!

I thought you were composed and did atheists proud with your positive defense of the atheist position. The panel was ok, but really crammed into a short time.

4. Panel discussion on atheism where no atheists are included

Comment #21243 by simplicio on February 8, 2007 at 7:57 am

Dear Richard

Thank you very much for going on tonight's Paula Zahn show! As an atheist living in Texas, I was of course, very bothered by what I saw from the atheist panel and am glad that the pressure all of us have brought to bear seems to have gotten results.

One thing I would sincerely ask is that you try to focus more on defending atheists in a positive way rather than attacking theists. I'm not asking you to be meek here, only to be firm yet not demeaning of the other side. There are times for being combative with dogmatic religious believers, but in this case, knowing that a whole lot of religious believers also sent complaints to CNN and that we need these allies in the fight to have atheism become more accepted in society, I think your appearance would be of much more benefit if you keep it on the positive, pro-atheist side.

Most importantly, thank you again for doing your part to inspire all of this activism!

5. Panel discussion on atheism where no atheists are included

Comment #21178 by simplicio on February 7, 2007 at 10:07 pm

My email to Karen and Debbie from the panel:

Hi Karen and Debbie,

I just wanted to send a quick note thanking you both for speaking in
such offensive terms about your fellow atheist Americans. You both
seemed so giddy as you said over and over that atheists need to "shut
up."

I am an atheist; a kind, compassionate, fulfilled human being who
leads an ethical life without reliance on the supernatural. I donate
blood, I volunteer in my community, and I am a teacher with a deep
concern for the lives of my students. By propogating the myth that
atheists have no morals (since you think we need prayer in order to
have morality in school), you have slandered people like me, millions
of your fellow citizens.

To Debbie, you said you are glad that atheists are not powerful in
America. I beg to differ. We are starting to organize in support of
one another and having our voices heard. CNN was flooded with
thousands of responses to your performance on the atheist panel. I
even got many of my religious family and friends to send in
complaints! And we owe it all to the vitriol you two expressed last
week. Thanks to the overwhelming negative reaction to you two, CNN
has invited Richard Dawkins on the program on Thursday night at 8 pm
EST.

It makes me very happy that we atheists are getting organized and
fighting back against the bigotry you two so gleefully expressed on
national television. I hope you will tune in to learn more about the
worldview of millions of your fellow Americans tomorrow night.

6. Panel discussion on atheism where no atheists are included

Comment #20855 by simplicio on February 6, 2007 at 7:55 pm

I have written my objections to CNN. It's great to see so many of us pushing back against this! It is my hope that, thanks to the courage of people like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Dennett, Randi . . . and groups of support such as this website, atheists will begin to find their voice and get organized.

7. CNN Sylvia Browne Fraud

Comment #19547 by simplicio on January 28, 2007 at 7:34 am

So I went to the Montel Williams show website to find out how to contact the show to complain that he gives this vulture publicity on his show and found that she is scheduled to appear on the show this very week!! Please consider sending an email to the show asking how they can give Sylvia Browne a megaphone when she has hurt so many people.

Please consider going over to Montel's website to ask the producers to stop inviting Sylvia Browne on the show:

http://www.montelshow.com/sendyourpov/

8. The A to Z Guide to Political Interference in Science (US)

Comment #12894 by simplicio on December 14, 2006 at 8:45 am

Just signed the petition. I am a graduate student in astronomy at the University of Texas.

Munger, comment 4, I agree that people can believe anything they want up to a point. Once their beliefs affect public policy, it is time to get active. Recent books, this website and other organizations like the Freedom From Religion Foundation are all very encouraging.

From the point of view of religious people, I can see how they would be frustrated by people not wanting them to influence public policy with their beliefs since often those beliefs are the most important things in their lives.

However, the only way I'll back off of pointing out that their beliefs are irrational is when they remove them from the public square. That's the deal we can make. You can believe whatever irrational thing you want and not have people like me pointing out that it has no evidence if you keep it private.

For the theists in the crowd who think this amounts to intolerance, would you be ok with people who believe in UFOs, scientology, Zeus, or unicorns basing their public policy stances on those beliefs?

Answer that question honestly and I think you will understand the position of people like me.

9. I'm an atheist, BUT . . .

Comment #9135 by Simplicio on November 23, 2006 at 6:21 pm

On a practical level, a great deal of beneficial organisation and process in current society has its roots in organised religion. Charitable works, altruism and tolerance are all areas which are peopled extensively by practising religionists, and the reputation of atheists is of unfeeling and uncaring individuals. The practical benefits of religion appear to outweigh those offered by atheism. How can this be countered? How can an atheist convince others that an irreligious society will care for the sick, look after the disabled and disadvantaged, and comfort the dying just as well (or even better) than current societies based on religious principles?

Simplicio

10. God knows why faith is thriving

Comment #3060 by simplicio on October 25, 2006 at 9:56 am

just sent an email off to Dinesh listing all of the kind,moral acts I have done in my life. When I do acts of kindness for my fellow human being, I don't advertise that I am an atheist. Maybe this is something that needs to change for PR reasons. Perhaps establishing atheist/agnostic/humanist charities that visibly do good in the world would be a good thing to do?

11. Stephen Colbert Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #2157 by simplicio on October 19, 2006 at 11:03 am

It Worked!

A Mormon friend of mine watched the Colbert Report interview and now wants to borrow my copy of the God Delusion. Going on a variety of different shows is key to getting the message out!

12. Stephen Colbert Interviews Richard Dawkins

Comment #1989 by Simplicio on October 18, 2006 at 7:00 am

Well done Richard! Colbert's satirical persona can be a bit frustrating to deal with and I thought you handled him brilliantly. Of course such an arena will never allow for a full in-depth discussion of the issues at hand, but you managed to work in a few very good points. In particular, I think theists tend not to equate Zeus and Thor with the Judeo-Christian-Islamic God. Well done making the point that atheists and theists have many disbeliefs in common and only differ on the one.