The Jesus myth is alive and well, and its fascination for the faithful grows with time. Two examples of this intense interest are Mel Gibson’s blockbuster movie The Passion of the Christ and Dan Brown’s novel The Da Vinci Code. This novel sold, as of March 2006, 40 million copies. It espouses provocative heretical ideas …
Category Archive: Religion
Oct
18
Jan
05
Freethought Musing: “God’s Will” Gets in the Way
To the news of a peer’s death in an automobile accident, one interviewed teenager said, “It’s fate. When your time comes, it comes.” Another tearily added, “God called him home.” Apparently, as far as you know, your time could be up at any moment. Nothing you can do about it. This is sloppy and dangerous …
Dec
14
Why Does Exorcism Persist in Modern Times?
Overwhelmed with requests for exorcism practitioners, U.S. Roman Catholic bishops recently held a special training workshop in Baltimore to teach the rite. The church signed up 56 bishops and 66 priests for the two-day session, aiming to boost the small group of just five or six American exorcists currently on the church’s books. “There’s this …
Nov
01
Is God Redundant?
In his latest book, The Grand Design, Stephen Hawking examines this question. Professor Hawking says that a new series of theories makes a creator of the Universe redundant. This conclusion has led to full-throated outrage and denial from many in the religious community. But there is no reason for believers to be at all surprised …
Oct
21
The Moral Landscape: The Lows
To my mind, Sam Harris’s otherwise fine new book, The Moral Landscape, has three weaknesses. First, much like his blockbuster, The End of Faith, this books starts blazingly strong, then peters as the page numbers go into triple digits, particularly post page 150. Harris seems to include previously written filler to bring the book to …
Oct
20
The Moral Landscape: The Highs
Sam Harris’s new book, The Moral Landscape, is a thought-provoking read. I recommend it. My highest praise is reflected in this note I scribbled while reading: “One of the most important and clear-minded books I have ever read.” I wrote that? Yes, though my overall enthusiasm did wane somewhat toward the end (as my next …
Oct
18
What Science Says about Morality
Many people believe that science is strictly the domain of mute facts. What is. And it consequently has nothing to say about values and morality. About what should be. Many religious folks, or simply thinkers friendly to religion, will claim that values and morality are a special category addressed best or exclusively by religion. I …
Oct
12
“Today I Quit Being a Christian” By Jesus Christ
“Today I Quit Being a Christian” By Jesus Christ Interview by Nick Farrantello This just in: Today, on his Twitter page, Jesus Christ, philosopher and rumored “Son of God” announced “I quit being a Christian. I’m out. ” Twitter followers were stunned. “I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to …
Aug
06
Scientific Evidence on Homosexuality
The Bible’s appraisal of male homosexuality is clear. Leviticus 20:13 states: “If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.” It is not surprising that this sort of pronouncement sometimes leads …
Jun
25
Spot the Flaws: Unpacking the Religion Variable
Does religion exert a positive influence on people’s lives? The answer to this question likely depends on how we define the variables. Yet is it truly religion exerting the influence, when we get right down to it, or something more mundane: social values, adopting a meaningful life narrative, community involvement, pleasing rituals, what? A huge …