The War on Christians?

Rabbi Daniel Lapin, who introduced Jack Abramoff to former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, talks of a “persecuted majority of christians".    “ There is no better term than propaganda blitzkrieg to describe what has been unleashed against Christian conservatives recently, " he is quoted as saying.  "Consider the long list of anti-Christian books that have …

Continue reading ‘The War on Christians?’ »

Dawkins again

From The Times Literary Supplement 26 January 2007 Dear Sir, Steven Weinberg’s endorsement of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins leaves unanswered most of the fundamental questions many readers must be asking.  How is it that when theologians modify their views in accordance  with fresh developments in scientific knowledge this represents a “retreat”, whereas when …

Continue reading ‘Dawkins again’ »

Are secular liberals doomed? What are the odds?

BREAKING THE SPELLReligion as a Natural PhenomenonBy Daniel C. DennettViking. 448 pp. $25.95 Fertility rates in the relatively secular blue states are 12 percent lower than in the relatively religious red states, according to Philip Longman in the March/April issue of Foreign Policy. In Europe, a similar correlation holds. As Longman writes: "Do you seldom, …

Continue reading ‘Are secular liberals doomed? What are the odds?’ »

Epicureans reject advocates of religious extremism

Epicureans, committed or otherwise, should seek ataraxia, that is peace and calmness of mind.  This becomes difficult when one is confronted with people like Charlie, who seem to be in favour of a deliberate conflagration in the Middle East for religious ends.  I have said that Charlie should be allowed to have his say, but …

Continue reading ‘Epicureans reject advocates of religious extremism’ »

Is he right, or is it wishful thinking?

“….the day will come when religion is…………………………….no longer cool–except in its socially valuable forms, where it will be one type of allegiance among many.  Will those descendant institutions still be religions?  Or will religions have thereby morphed themselves into extinction?  It all depends on what you think the key or defining elements of religion are.  …

Continue reading ‘Is he right, or is it wishful thinking?’ »

A message from Ellery Schempp

Of the many sins of the past Congressional leadership, perhaps their greatest one,was to wrap themselves in the cloak of "godliness"— to give them claim to own patriotism. "Faith-belief" is no longer accepted as excusing incompetence in public affairs. This is a very significant shift in public opinion. It is very encouraging that a goodly …

Continue reading ‘A message from Ellery Schempp’ »

Religious belief leads to more dysfunctionalism , not less

In general, higher rates of belief in and worship of a creator correlate with higher rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy, and abortion in the prosperous democracies (Figures 1-9). The most theistic prosperous democracy, the U.S., is exceptional, but not in the manner Franklin predicted. The United States …

Continue reading ‘Religious belief leads to more dysfunctionalism , not less’ »