1. Obama Wants to Expand Role of Religious Groups

Comment #203558 by nancy2001 on July 3, 2008 at 6:38 am

No one actually knows what Obama's religion is. He may be a Christian. He may have ties to the Muslim faith. But he's definitely not an atheist. That much is obvious.

2. Can't Darwin and God get along?

Comment #202355 by nancy2001 on July 1, 2008 at 11:20 am

Giberson's gibberish.

3. Logical Proof of the Existence of a Divine Creator, Why Atheism is Not Logically Sound

Comment #190881 by nancy2001 on June 9, 2008 at 7:44 pm

Want absolute proof that God exists? Just scramble the letters of the author's name, Yomin Postelnik, and string the anagrams together:

In me stinky pool
My kin lies on top
One skimpy loin
Skinny loop item
My loose pink tin
Oink! stop my line

Believe me, a poem as beautiful as this would never happen in a random universe.

4. The day of judgment

Comment #189613 by nancy2001 on June 6, 2008 at 5:09 pm

I was skimming this interminably long article, when my eyes fell upon two preposterous words and stopped dead in their tracks. Pat Boone -- that white bread, 50s crooner who sang Writing Love Letters in the Sand is now sending junk mail about the Rapture, and he can't contain his glee.

5. Character Attacks: How to Properly Apply the Ad Hominem

Comment #188483 by nancy2001 on June 4, 2008 at 6:32 am

I don't go to Tom Cruise movies because I refuse to subsidize his pro-Scientology activities. I can't stand the sight of this obnoxious man, and the thought of looking staring at his dreadful, smiling face plastered across the big screen for two endless hours makes my flesh crawl.

6. Girl, 17, killed in Iraq for loving a British soldier

Comment #174314 by nancy2001 on May 2, 2008 at 5:43 am

This incident is an unspeakable act of violence against all women. Racism has nothing to do with it. It is about sexism.

7. Happy Birthday, Richard Dawkins!

Comment #150278 by nancy2001 on March 26, 2008 at 4:32 pm

Happy Birthday, Professor. I hope this coming year is even better than this past year.

8. Happy Birthday Josh Timonen!

Comment #119101 by nancy2001 on January 31, 2008 at 10:19 am

Happy birthday, Josh. And thank you for making this website a must read.

9. Banned From Church

Comment #115802 by nancy2001 on January 24, 2008 at 8:15 pm

This story is disturbing and timely. I suppose it's only a matter of time before the fundies revive the pillory and the stocks.

Just last week I was on my favorite message boards and one of the members who lives in the Bible Belt complained her pastor had called her into a meeting to criticize this woman's style of child rearing. Apparently, another church goer had overheard the woman tell her child "not to act like a butthead."

At the time I advised the woman to resign from the church and "find a more congenial and less intrusive alternative." Unfortunately, she and her husband decided not to leave. Tonight I did however, send her an email with a link to the WSJ article listed above. Perhaps it will enlighten her.

10. Mother Nature is Not Our Friend

Comment #108289 by nancy2001 on January 6, 2008 at 11:59 am

I'm glad Sam Harris has modified his opinioins and finally come around to the viewpoint I've held for almost as long as I can remember. Our lives are far too short and far too limited by biology.

We've used weak and ineffective methods to cure disease, improve our abilities, enhance our appearance and lengthen our lives for thousands of years. I for one would much rather have my genetic makeup determined by rational choice than pure, dumb chance.

11. Huckabee Stands by Christmas Campaign Ad

Comment #103032 by nancy2001 on December 24, 2007 at 8:12 am

Unfortunately, Dr. Benway, it's not just born again multimillionaires who are funding right wing Christianity. The gullible lower and middle class are also sending in bucketloads of cash.

Every night on cable TV here in the South, three channels broadcast nothing but wingnut televangelists asking listeners to send money. Oral Robert's infamous son Richard and his wife are on TV every night healing people of eczema and diverticulitis and begging for hundred dollar donations. And dozens of other hucksters clog the airwaves with equally noxious shows.

I'd love to see the Trinity Broadcasting Network shutdown and run off the airwaves. Their round-the-clock lineup of religious propaganda has brainwashed a good chunk of the U.S. population. And they funnel tens if not hundreds of millions of dollars to the religious right wing.

12. Finding My Religion: An Interview With Shalom Auslander

Comment #94061 by nancy2001 on December 4, 2007 at 4:59 pm

Last year, I read an unforgettable story in the New Yorker magazine written by Shalom Auslander. Shalom just needs to get off the fence and admit to himself he's an atheist just like the rest of us.

13. Papal encyclical attacks atheism, lauds hope

Comment #93310 by nancy2001 on December 2, 2007 at 4:23 pm

More nonsense from Pope Ratso Rizzo.

14. Dogs Can Classify Complex Photos In Categories Like Humans Do

Comment #92260 by nancy2001 on November 30, 2007 at 6:38 am

This is just anecdotal evidence. When my Yorkshire terrier Pookie was about six months old, I happened to be watching the movie Tarzan: The Legend of Greystoke on TV. I placed the puppy on my lap and noticed that he seemed to be unusually attentive to what was happening on screen. We sat like that for a long time and whenever I glanced at him, the dog seemed transfixed by the sights and sounds. I was really surprised since I'd never seen Pookie take any interest in anything on TV before. And the next time this movie was shown on TV many months later, he seemed completely indifferent to it. I really don't know what to make of this.

15. Boy dies of leukemia after refusing treatment for religious reasons

Comment #92242 by nancy2001 on November 30, 2007 at 6:00 am

The state should have returned the boy to his real parents. It would have been better for the boy to be alive and living with recovering drug addicts than dead because he'd been brainwashed by religious crazies.

16. Georgia plans service to pray for rain

Comment #86944 by nancy2001 on November 10, 2007 at 1:46 pm

Sacrificing a goat might work. Better yet, let them sacrifice a Fundie.

17. Mother dies after refusing blood

Comment #86142 by nancy2001 on November 8, 2007 at 8:47 am

Atheists should have similar legal document they could sign whenever they entered a doctor's office, hospital or nursing home. The form would prevent any doctor, nurse, hospital employee, volunteer or clergy member from discussing God, religion, prayer or "spirituality" with the patient under any circumstances. Violators would be subject to fines, license revocation and/or imprisonment.

18. Mother dies after refusing blood

Comment #86135 by nancy2001 on November 8, 2007 at 8:21 am

In the U.S. the JW situation is even more appalling. If a JW enters the hospital and signs a routine admission form rejecting blood products, the doctor is not allowed to ask the patient to reconsider their decision under any circumstances -- even when there's a medical emergency and it's a matter of life and death. The JWs will sue the doctor for medical malpractice. If this isn't screwed up, I don't know what is.

19. The Turning of an Atheist

Comment #84978 by nancy2001 on November 4, 2007 at 11:55 am

The moment I saw the photograph of Anthony Flew, with his sad eyes staring blankly into space, it was obvious he was suffering from dementia. It is despicable that the religious right would exploit this private tragedy in such a public way.

20. Jesus Rides the Number 7 Train

Comment #84738 by nancy2001 on November 3, 2007 at 11:39 am

Great little essay. I enjoyed it.

21. What the New Atheists Don't See

Comment #84516 by nancy2001 on November 2, 2007 at 8:25 am

I hereby nominate Theodore Dalrymple (ridiculous name) to be officially and permanently excommunincated from the atheist community.

22. Downward, Christian soldier

Comment #80609 by nancy2001 on October 22, 2007 at 10:17 am

Excellent article. I agree with every word.

23. Fiction or prediction?

Comment #78012 by nancy2001 on October 11, 2007 at 1:28 pm

This was an absolutely wonderful article. Thank youk, Paul, for posting it.

24. The Problem with Atheism

Comment #76756 by nancy2001 on October 7, 2007 at 5:46 am

All I can say is I'm extremely disappointed in Sam Harris.

25. Larry King Interviews Kathy Griffin

Comment #71395 by nancy2001 on September 18, 2007 at 4:59 pm

It's great that Kathy Griffin spoke out against religion last week. Millions of people heard her comments. The tide is starting to turn.

26. RELIGULOUS: A Conversation with Bill Maher and Larry Charles

Comment #69978 by nancy2001 on September 13, 2007 at 1:01 pm

I think it's terrific that religion is starting to come under attack in the mainstream media. Comedians like Bill Maher and Kathy Griffin are now speaking out in a way that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. Of course, the books written by Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens are the reason for this new openness.

27. Griffin's 'offensive' Emmy speech to be censored

Comment #69538 by nancy2001 on September 11, 2007 at 4:35 pm

It's terrific Kathy Griffin is so open about her atheism. She should be invited to appear an atheist conference, and her performance should be recorded and shown on her reality show.

28. India to charge writer Nasreen with 'hurting Muslim feelings'

Comment #67486 by nancy2001 on September 3, 2007 at 3:11 pm

The world would be so much better off without the Muslim religion.

29. Shop targets U.S. hunters with camo Bibles

Comment #65536 by nancy2001 on August 24, 2007 at 4:23 pm

It's not just the hunters -- it's also the bikers here in the Alabama bible belt. My husband and I were driving through our neighborhood early last Sunday. As we drove past the local Baptist megachurch we saw almost 50 hard core bikers and their Harleys assembled in the parking lot. Apparently they were getting a little dose of old time religion in before their weekly joy ride. Anyway it was a very strange sight.

30. Mother Teresa's '40-year faith crisis'

Comment #65528 by nancy2001 on August 24, 2007 at 3:24 pm

The hypocrisy of Mother Teresa reminds me of J. Edgar Hoover, the cross dressing head of the FBI who blackmailed homosexuals in midcentury America.

31. A hole lot of nothing found by astronomers

Comment #65525 by nancy2001 on August 24, 2007 at 3:13 pm

Maybe it's like the Monolith in 2001, artificially created to capture our attention.

32. I'm gonna be a MOVIE STAR

Comment #65196 by nancy2001 on August 23, 2007 at 6:12 am

The politico-religious right wing in the U.S. has a long history of using dirty tricks against its opponents. No one motivated enough to film a documentary about evolution vs. creationsm could possibly feel neutral about the topic in 2007. Mathis's strangely noncommital letter and "the perfectly reasonable blurb" on the Rampart Films website should have raised PZ's suspicions immediately.

33. A Designer Universe?

Comment #61654 by nancy2001 on August 6, 2007 at 6:36 am

Excellent article. Prof. Weinberg should write more on this topic.

34. God-Fearing People: Why are we so scared of offending Muslims?

Comment #60016 by nancy2001 on July 31, 2007 at 1:29 pm

Excellent essay. I agree with every word.

35. Religion beat became a test of faith

Comment #57858 by nancy2001 on July 21, 2007 at 5:14 pm

Excellent article. Thank you for posting it.

36. New Research Proves Single Origin Of Humans In Africa

Comment #57487 by nancy2001 on July 19, 2007 at 2:07 pm

Even at an intutitive level it's a lot easier to believe the single origin theory than the multiple origin theory.

37. Phony Piety on the Far Right

Comment #57362 by nancy2001 on July 19, 2007 at 3:07 am

The conservatives are lying about their faith, and the liberals are, too. I'd love to see the Trinity Broadcasting Network and all the televangelists shut down.

38. Muslim heads stuck firmly in the sand

Comment #56756 by nancy2001 on July 17, 2007 at 5:55 am

Hassan Butt isn't Christopher Hitchens, and he isn't even Sacha Baron Cohen. He's a real live former Muslim extremist who appeared on CBS News this past March.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/23/60minutes/main2602308.shtml?source=search_story

39. Before the New Atheists: Confessions of a Lonely Atheist

Comment #56748 by nancy2001 on July 17, 2007 at 5:24 am

You are right, sane1. Natalie Angier's review of Sam Harris' book was a watershed moment for atheism. After I read Natalie's review, I promptly bought Sam's book and began to get involved in atheism.

Natalie is a great science writer who's written many fascinating articles for the NY Times. I hope she's working on a book about atheism. I think it would be a terrific read and a best seller.

40. The Republican War on Science Rages On

Comment #55982 by nancy2001 on July 13, 2007 at 5:04 am

Grand Old Party. It may be old, but it's certainly not grand.

41. Transcending God: An interview with Christopher Hitchens

Comment #55978 by nancy2001 on July 13, 2007 at 4:50 am

Great interview, an absolute pleasure to read. Thank you for posting this.

42. Police plea on genital mutilation

Comment #55439 by nancy2001 on July 11, 2007 at 5:13 am

This is a sickening practice.

43. Tinkering with Humans

Comment #55143 by nancy2001 on July 10, 2007 at 5:31 am

Both the book and the last two paragraphs of the article are ridiculous. Every day each one of us cheats "Mother Nature" in a thousand ways. Why not destroy your eyeglasses so you can "celebrate" myopia and astigmatism.

44. Genetic Engineers Who Don't Just Tinker

Comment #55126 by nancy2001 on July 10, 2007 at 4:26 am

In 1962 when I was 11 years old and a newly minted atheist, my sixth grade class was studying "protoplasm," the living material of the cell as it was called back then. After class, I told my teacher I believed scientists would some day create protoplasm, and a look of horror crossed her face. "No," she said, "that will never happen. God would never allow it." Looks like she is about to be proven wrong.

45. A force for good?

Comment #55116 by nancy2001 on July 10, 2007 at 3:51 am

I really tried to get through this article, but half way down, I just had to stop. Life is much too short to waste reading nonsense like this.

46. Floods are judgment on society, say bishops

Comment #53700 by nancy2001 on July 2, 2007 at 5:49 pm

Question: Where on earth did the Bishop find his bizarre outfit?

Answer: He raided the closet of Little Miss Muffet.

47. Rival to evolution may enter schools

Comment #52929 by nancy2001 on June 28, 2007 at 2:39 pm

I hope Scotland comes to its senses and bans this idiotic American export from its shores.

48. I believe that there is no God.

Comment #52927 by nancy2001 on June 28, 2007 at 2:34 pm

I think it's terric Penn Jillette was allowed to promote atheism on Public Radio's "This I Believe" series. Like Penn, I believe there's no God. In fact, I'm sure there's no God and have known this ever since the moment I became an atheist at the age of eleven.

Fine distinctions between 6.99999 and 7.0 don't interest me. Nor do I care what dusty philosophers have to say on the subject. To me, it's perfectly obvious -- God simply does not exist. Do I care that I'll never be able to prove this? Absolutely not.

49. Germany imposes ban on Tom Cruise

Comment #52292 by nancy2001 on June 26, 2007 at 4:23 pm

Germany has banned Tom Cruise -- I think that's great.

50. 'Purity' ring case in High Court

Comment #51502 by nancy2001 on June 23, 2007 at 6:46 am

I hereby dedicate this limerick to Miss Playfoot from Horsham.

Miss Playfoot from Horsham's no swinger
That Silver Ring Thing on her finger
Though she claims that she's sure
She wants to stay pure
She's praying for someone to zing her.