Why Evolution is True is a blog written by Jerry Coyne, centered on evolution and biology but also dealing with diverse topics like politics, culture, and cats.
Paul Troop has a short essay at the University of Oxford’s Practical Ethics site: “What do do with the redundant churches after the demise of religion?” Troop starting thinking about stuff after he heard Dan Dennett lecture at Oxford, where he said that after atheism’s triumph the abandoned places of worship could be used as … Continue reading What’s the harm in believing something false, so long as it makes you happy?
We’ve often discussed a criticism leveled at New Atheists: we try hard to get rid of religion, but do nothing to replace it with anything that would fulfill the needs of those who become atheists. My feeling has always been that those replacements will arise naturally as religion disappears, as they have in Scandinavia. Some, … Continue reading “Can I get a Darwin?”: the eloquence and humor of Jerry DeWitt
I haven’t paid a lot of attention to Massimo Pigluicci lately, and for several reasons. I’ve been busy writing, and haven’t had time to read many websites. And when I have read Massimo’s site, Rationally Speaking, I’ve been put off by his arrogance, attack-dogishness (if you want a strident atheist, look no further than Massimo), … Continue reading Pigliucci to all New Atheists: we’re doing it wrong
Shades of Alain de Botton! First we’re told, as atheists, that we need churches; now Tanya Luhrmann, in a post today’s New York Times, “Addicted to prayer“, tells us that atheists need prayers, too. And she’s not just talking about the physical and mental benefits of meditation: she suggests invoking an imaginary, non-existent God to … Continue reading Tanya Luhrmann recommends prayer for atheists
A new report from the University of California News Center describes data on American religiosity from the “General Social Survey” (GSS), a project that has been following American social attitudes since 1972. The project is in turn run by the National Opinion Research Center (NORC) here at the University of Chicago. You can download the … Continue reading “Formal” religiosity declining in US, but nonbelief stays level
The New Statesman, like other British publications including the Guardian, has recently decided to solicit some pushback against New Atheism (NA). It includes the latest trope in critiques of NA: they decry it on the grounds that we don’t suggest ways to meet the human needs satisfied by religion. Most of the anti-NA pieces never … Continue reading A slew of apologists and atheist butters in The New Statesman
As you know if you’ve followed this site for the past two months or so, the media have taken it upon themselves to declare the end of the Era of New Atheism. The time of the Four Horseman is gone, they say. Dawkins is now irrelevant, and New Atheism is giving sway to a kinder, … Continue reading The ultimate dumb atheist-bashing article
Two of the common tropes used against New Atheists are that 1) we’re not dolorous enough given our realizations that we’re not going anywhere after we die and that our lives are supposedly meaningless; and 2) the world is rejecting New Atheism, and religion is here to stay anyway. Both of these can be seen … Continue reading New Atheism once again pronounced dead, still refuses to lie down
