TV discussion on atheism and public policy

Thanks to Rev. El Mundo, I learned that on Up with Chris Hayes on the day after the Reason Rally, the host talked about the impact of atheism on public life with a variety of people, some of whom had been speakers at the rally. Hayes also casually let it be known that he was an atheist too. I hope that this may encourage other prominent figures to also casually mention it. [Read more…]

What is the MEK and why should we care?

The Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK) is an Iranian dissident group that has been designated by the State Department as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) since 1997. It is one of the main groups that seek to foment war against Iran and hopes to be installed as the Iranian government in the event of an invasion that overthrows the current government. It has put on its generous payroll a large number of Washington insiders from both parties (of course) who are lobbying on its behalf. [Read more…]

Conning ordinary religious people

Every Friday, many Muslims around the world will attend their mosques. The next day, Jews will follow suit into synagogues, and on Sunday many Christians will attend church. We know that some of the people in these houses of worship will be those trying to hold on to their belief in a god despite their increasing doubts. Some of them will be people who are fighting to prevent the voices of doubt entering their minds while for others that battle has already been lost and now the only thing that keeps them returning is because they do not know how to make a clean break without alienating their family and friends and perhaps the only real sense of community that they have known. But even they may not suspect that leader of the congregation is also one of them, a doubter or even an outright nonbeliever. [Read more…]

Is the pope a credible expert on what constitutes reality?

On the eve of his visit to Cuba, the pope said that “It is evident today that Marxist ideology as it had been conceived no longer responds to reality.”

Should we really be getting lectures on what constitutes reality from someone who worships an imaginary figure who supposedly tells him what to do? It would be as absurd as a supposedly lifelong celibate laying down rules on contraception and sexuality. Hey, wait a minute…