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.
I’d never read the Wikipedia entry on “New Atheism” before, and so I just did. It’s pretty good, and clearly not heavily edited by theists. But the section on “Criticisms” of New Atheism reports a bale of the usual twaddle: New Atheism is a religion (I always read this as “See? You’re as bad as … Continue reading Atheist-bashing quote of the day
Here’s a new 25-minute interview of philosopher Anthony Grayling by Dan Barker, co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF). Anthony and Dan cover a surprisingly large area of ground in this short time (there’s the famous Ron Reagan’s “not afraid of burning in hell” commercial in the middle, which is still great), and rather … Continue reading FFRF interview with Anthony Grayling
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
In a post over at Rationally Speaking, “The community of reason: a self-assessment and a manifesto,” philosopher and one-time biologist Massimo Pigliucci defines what he calls the “community of reason,” sets out criteria for belonging, criticizes those who pretend to belong but violate Massimo’s canons for inclusion and, finally, names those whom he considers role … Continue reading Guest post: Pigliuicci defines the “community of reason”
I’m announcing two trips a bit in advance (I leave next week for Boston) because the people in Mexico asked me to, and also because the second meeting has a bearing on a certain autographed book. Finally, it’s to let you know that the press of preparation is keeping me from any substantive postings, so … Continue reading Upcoming peregrinations
Neurosurgeon Jonathan T. Pararajasingham has put up a great resource: two videos of 100 renowned academics explaining why they don’t believe in a god or an afterlife. Most are scientists; many are Nobel Laureates. Each video is a bit longer than half an hour. I’ve put in bold the names of those people whose statements … Continue reading 100 voices of disbelief
Over at Metamagician, Russell Blackford has a nice two-part post on what he sees as the defining traits of New Atheism, as well as his perceived reasons for its success (part 1 is here, part two here). I won’t repeat his analysis, for his pieces are short (for Russell!) and you should read them. I’ll … Continue reading Blackford: What is New Atheism?
Using the excuse of criticizing an advertisement by the American Atheists, Massimo Pigliucci goes after what he calls “in-your-face” atheists over at Rationally Speaking. The ad, which has been criticized by others, including Rebecca Watson, is indeed unfortunate: it’s ugly and probably not very effective: Like Watson, Massimo properly calls out the AA organization for … Continue reading Pigliucci calls out atheists again
