Here’s a subjective list of the top 30 atheist/agnostic blogs. There are a few oddities in there, though: Fred Clark is going to be surprised to learn that he has left the Christian faith, and The Panda’s Thumb tries to avoid the theist/atheist wars altogether.
Still, the list can’t be all bad since it puts me at #1.
- Pharyngula
- Friendly Atheist
- Cynical-C
- Debunking Christianity
- Atheist Media Blog
- Atheist Eve
- Atheist Movies
- Atheist Revolution
- Bad Astronomy
- Bad Science
- By the Book Comics
- Daylight Atheism
- Derren Brown’s Blog
- Dwindling in Unbelief
- Edward Current
- Evangelical Realism
- Greta Christina’s Blog
- Julia Sweeney
- Mid-West Humanists
- Negligible Knowledge Base
- Religion Comics
- Richard Dawkins
- SkepChick
- Skeptic Blog
- Skeptico
- Slacktivist
- Panda’s Thumb
- Primordial Blog
- Why Won’t God Heal Amputees Blog
- William Lobell
Panda’s Thumb is quite explicit in not taking a stance on god. You’ll get some atheistic posts, and some “NOMA” type posts.
Pym, a theist, used to write a lot of the posts.
So, it’s certainly not an entirely accurate list.
Glen D
http://tinyurl.com/6mb592
Here’s an excellent addition! Mano Singham’s Blog.
(kind of a shameless plug since I know him, but his writing and reasoning really are quality)
I wouldn’t really consider Skepchick an atheist blog, either. There are quite a few atheist posters and commenters, but there are several theists, too, and it certainly focuses way more on skepticsm in general than anything having to do with atheism…
Seems this list uses pretty broad indicators or something…
Heh, that list reads a lot like my favorites menu.
Slacktivist isn’t an atheist or an agnostic, if I read his posts right, but rather a very liberal Christian. Maybe the compilers of this list got confused by his awesomeness and put him on the list anyway. (Or it’s because he gives Left Behind both barrels on a weekly basis.)
Oops, I see that PZ addressed my point in his opening paragraph. In my defense, reading comprehension isn’t my strong suit before caffeine.
Apparently, I have to try harder.
If you ever want to put up the funniest “atheist” blogs, don’t forgot Ray Comfort’s blog
// withholding the link. Don’t want to take the chance of any stupid leaking through
Oh, great. More places I’ll want to visit instead of getting my work done. And I’ve got lots of work these days since I’m a bankruptcy lawyer.
Hey, I’ve got foreclosures to stop. Don’t try to distract me. Oooh! Look at the pretty flowers!
I love slacktivist’s blog, he is one of the few Christians I have come into contact with, irl or online, that I have a good deal of respect for. And the comments are always good reading and get into some interesting debates. He has often self-described as an evangelist.
There are a few here I haven’t had a look at though….hm, I’ve got some reading to do!
Mine is all experimental music, all the time– but it’s WRITTEN by an atheist!
But but… how could Edward Current be on that list. A good Christian like him, I’ve learned so much about God from him. Whatever will I do now knowing he’s a fraud, lieing about his faith. :(
Richard will be so pissed off being at #22 …
Well, Richard’s site isn’t really a blog, IMHO. He does sometime contribute an original entry, but mostly it’s news items and articles submitted by others.
SteveN
Isn’t that what makes it agnostic?
:)
Bad Science is a bit of a stretch as an atheist/agnostic blog too. The nearest I’ve seen is eye-rolling about clerics meddling in medical matters in the sidebar miniblog
DaveX wrote:
I just put up a link to my musical experiments:
http://normdoering.blogspot.com/2009/02/testing-1-2-3-testing.html
But my blog isn’t any one thing at any time… at least not any more.
Glad to see Evangelical Realism on the list — Deacon’s multi-part dissection of Vox Day’s book is a tour de force.
Slacktivist is an excellent blog, and its writer is indeed a liberal Christian. In fact, about the only time when Slacktivist goes awry for me is when he does discuss Atheists, as he often falls back on tired cliches about them, despite a large percentage of them in his readership.
What?! No Cuttlefish? That’s blasphemy.
What an odd list. Apart from the top four and the few ones beginning with P near the end, it’s in more or less alphabetical order (though some aren’t quite sorted).
Maybe if others want to be near the top of this list “AAA Atheist Aardvark” might be a good title to adopt.
The link says the top five are in rank order, and the others are an alphabetized “best of the rest”.
What!? No ERV? She’s going to sick Arnie on you dude!
I find the atheist blogg aggregater or http://planetatheism.com/ to be very handy. And they have an RSS feed.
No Kaffir Girl either. She rocks
I must echo Pdiff … where’s erv??
What about me?!
http://thehoopinghumanist.blogspot.com
While Slacktivist clearly doesn’t belong on this list, I think everyone should visit it regularly anyway. One of my favorite sites on the Internet.
*cough*…though Pharyngula is nice, too…
Well, aside from bitching about you occasionally.
Anyway, trying to stay out of the fray is just as bad as promoting a specific view to the “you’re either with us or against us” crowd.
It’s William LobDell, incidentally (not Lobell), and he has written a fasicnating book coming out soon, “Losing My Religion” about how his time on the LA Times religion beat lead to his atheism. Seeing up close the various high crimes and misdemeanors of the faithful put him on a path toward reason. It’s the first really good memoir I’ve seen come out of the atheist movement (I mean one that is not strictly a deconversion story, used as a prop to make a larger point). In Lobdell’s case, biography becomes philosophy, and it makes for some dramatic reading. I especially appreciated in his book that he gives a shout out to Julia Sweeney, whose story his in some ways reflects.
I love slacktivist too. His Left Behind series is awesome – never has there been such good writing on such bad writing sustained over such a long period – and it remains entertaining and informative throughout!
Derren Brown has a blog?! Damn, I wanna eat that man’s brain (i.e. I can’t actually be arsed to put in the work to acquire any talents).
I’m mildly amused that the Antichrist, hisself, is all the way down at 22. I hope he doesn’t have much of an ego.
Where are Brent Rasmussen and his rowdies from Unscrewing the Inscrutable?
Slacktivist is one of my favorite blogs. I’ve found that it’s more some of his commenters making assumptions about atheists than Fred himself (just had a big row recently, as a matter of fact). Plus, his nearly page-by-page dissections of the odious Left Behind novels are must-reads.
Yeah, it really should have been labeled “atheist/agnostic/skeptical” blogs but that was too long. But that was my thinking when I compiled it, and I put that in the post itself. Alas, titles must be short.
@Greg Peterson: Doh, I left the “d” out! Thanks for catching that typo.
Feh, just a buncha militant neo-rationalist, neo-secular, neo-atheist and neo-non-theist, neo-militant, fundamentalist science secularists.
Sam Harris was right.
Well isn’t this just special:
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Thursday signed an order establishing a White House office of faith-based initiatives with a broader mission than the one overseen by his predecessor, Republican George W. Bush.
Obama said the office would reach out to organizations that provide help “no matter their religious or political beliefs.”
Obama is calling his program the Office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
He said in this time of economic crisis, it was proper for the government to be providing help to Americans.
But no matter how much the government does, “the change that Americans are looking for will not come from government alone.”
The president will also appoint Joshua DuBois, a 26-year-old Pentecostal minister who headed religious outreach for Obama’s Senate office and later his campaign, to lead the partnership’s office and name 25 religious and secular leaders to a new advisory board.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090205/ap_on_go_pr_wh/rel_obama_faith_based
Here is one of the new advisors..Frank Page, former Southern Baptist Convention President. Who is a flaming homophobe and misogynist. He makes Rick Warren look like a liberal.
No idea what you are trying to say John.
I’m surprised that the Atheistexperience blog is not listed. That blog is from the gang in Austin, Texas that sponsers The Atheist Experience live call-in TV show every Sunday, as well as The Non Prophets webcast.
I wonder how they rated these blogs? What criteria did they use? What did you do that the #2 spot didn’t do?
JD @ 35
Is that a pro or con inference to Sam Harris? Whatever, I am glad he is on our side, and he is right most of the time. Sure wish he would comment here on Pharyngula, as he seldoms answers E-mails.
Harris being facetious:
http://www.richarddawkins.net/article,3574,Jerry-Coynes-Seeing-and-Believing-with-responses,Jerry-Coyne-Lawrence-Krauss-Daniel-Dennett-Sam-Harris-Steven-Pinker
BTW, it was *definitely* pro-Harris.
So attacking creationism makes me atheist/agnostic? Really? Isn’t that buying into the “Christian nation” idea, in that this country is a monlithic religion?
Phil has a point, and an excellent blog.
Man, this is going to take weeks to get through, not even taking into account all the links in the comments.
Thanks, JRQ, that clears up a little bit of the mystery, though they deserve some teasin’ for sorting P after S :)
It’s a pretty good list. I like Slacktivist as well, although going through Left Behind like that has got to leave permanent damage. The Left Behind experience could be summed up thusly:
People who are used to assuming their conclusions don’t understand motivation and are willing to ignore everything that doesn’t make their point, kinda like the “I used to be an atheist” stories. This makes their works of fiction suck talking donkey balls.
Daylight Atheism is another one of my favorites. Thoughtful, and manages to be “nice” without any Sagan-damned “framing”.
Not that I like “nice” all the time, of course. There’s a reason PZ is at the top of the list :)
Foul! That didn’t rhyme.
I’d like to pimp out http://www.bay-of-fundie.com/ which gives me a good laugh every few days. Also, http://fundiewatch.blogspot.com/ is good, but the author has become too busy to post very often.
Read the Harris comment on Edge.org in reference to (and in defense of) Coyne and it should remind you of a “certain courtier” and his erudite reply.
JD @ 41, 42
Thanks for the link. Good stuff. I for one, think science and religion will never reconcile. Science deals with the real and rational, and religion does not.
For atheist blogs, my favorite is Planck’s Constant (http://plancksconstant.org/), mainly because he isn’t a hair-brained Liberal Obot.
Um, what is a Liberal Obot?
I assume Obot means “Obama Bot”, one who would hold Obama in uncritically high esteem.
Given the fracturing of the left in many countries (for example, my own home Canada), I’m just happy that enough Left-leaning and Centrist Americans found enough common ground to elect the reality-based candidate, even if he turns out to be less-than-perfect and less-than-expected.
Karl:
I’m surprised that the Atheistexperience blog is not listed.
Me too! :)
Foul!
OK, I’ll go sit in the sidelines.
But really you’re expecting a lot, do you think it’s easy being an ignorant slut everyday? *pout*
Funny, I really do not see much uncritical Obama love on this site. I guess it is easier to shot off a blanket statement as opposed to actually having an idea.
@ Patricia OM #19 and Pdiff #22
Both Cuttlefish and ERV were mentioned in the comments on that thread. The injustices have been mended.
@55: Then you haven’t been paying attention. Of course, now that the Obamassiah has gotten his hand slapped a couple of times for doing things like nominating tax cheats for cabinet positions, or demonstrating that he considers the rule of law to apply only to Other People, I’ve noticed that this blog has become strangely and uncharacteristically silent about Liberal issues and sticking to science (I really prefer it that way…).
A few I would recommend adding
The Daily Doubter: http://dailydoubt.blogspot.com/
New Humanist Blog: http://blog.newhumanist.org.uk/
Butterflies and Wheels: http://www.butterfliesandwheels.com/
Atheist Ethicist: http://atheistethicist.blogspot.com/
YYAAAWWWWNNNN…
Did someone just say something?
EEEEEEK! Who let the astronomer in?
I didn’t make the list, so I know it is strictly subjective.
I personally like (and would nominate for the second list (not quite first list worthy, but definately second)) (((Billy))) the Atheist. Which can be found at http://iambilly.wordpress.com
Of course, I am biased.
@TX CHL Instructor@#57: This is such fail. There’s a difference between commitment to liberal politics (which is common amongst commenters here) and idolising Obama (which I’ve not seen at all).
A large proportion the response to Obama here is sniping from the left for being just another centre-right corporate shill. PZ himself has offered only the most grudging support for his and your new president. Show us some examples of Obamolatry (as opossed to merely saying he seems a relatively good guy). If Pharyngulites are as star-struck as you claim it shouldn’t be hard.
What about “Rationally Speaking?” I’m surprised that’s not up there (http://rationallyspeaking.blogspot.com/)
Top ~30 Atheist Romanian blogs (not in any particular order)
This is a country of 22 million people where only 16.000 people declared themselves Atheist in the last census!
http://www.tlp.ro/
oenoanda.blogspot.com/
dracool.ablog.ro/
thinkingoffcenter.wordpress.com/
draculgol.wordpress.com/
http://www.logosfera.ro/
happyateista.blogspot.com/
confruntadurerea.wordpress.com/
http://www.selfhelp.ro/
alexandra1305.blogspot.com/
despreprostie.blogspot.com/
dumnezeueateu.wordpress.com/
caveatlector.eu/
sweetenought.blogspot.com/
horiapatrascu.wordpress.com/
ateistul.com/
laponaantigel.blogspot.com/
salutsuntdumnezeu.wordpress.com/
i-confess-my-sins.blogspot.com/
civilizatiafoametei.com/wordpress
gaudisilviu.blogspot.com/
justmejustyou1.blogspot.com/
ateismcritic.blogspot.com/
dazeloop.blogspot.com/
fishingwithdarwin.wordpress.com/
scrierile.wordpress.com/
roguefilthypunk.wordpress.com/
credsaunu.blogspot.com/
dracu-gol.blogspot.com/
theateu.blogspot.com/
highmage.blogspot.com/
gygess.blogspot.com/
TLP @ 65
16,000 rational people out of 22 million says a lot for the religious hold on an area strickened for centuries with superstition allied with religion. May the 16,ooo persevere and increase in numbers.
Sorry i was so boring; but then I have little interest in sluts.
Rassmussen’s UTI is good, as is the God-is-for-suckers blog–that one cracks me up.
Bric, my snarkiness was not meant for you. It was for the person who posted just before you.
I suspect that accusations of Obama worship is just the Right projecting their treatment of the recently departed moon-calf like a golden one.
bric, if you have little interest in sluts, you’re sure hanging out in a saloon that’s full of them.
I was surprised to learn that one of the old kids on the block is now one of the new kids on the blog: The Center for Inquiry has started up a blog, although it’s not updated as frequently as I’d like.
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/blog
my friend jake’s blog is pretty awesome:
http://thegoodatheist.net/
One of my favorite things today has been the people posting here and at ‘unreasonable faith’ basically saying “Hey, what about my blog? Look at my blog!” :) Probably not the best way to get some readers, in my opinion…
And not that anyone really cares, or that they’re even the best, but my fav blogs right now, aside from the obviously already listed ones above, are:
http://www.tuibguy.com
universalheretic.wordpress.com
politickybitch.blogspot.com
car54.wordpress.com
Kinda OT – My friend found a Catholic communion kit by the side of the road, with a couple probably-blessed jesus crackers inside. We want to emulate crackergate, but we aren’t exactly sure what to do with them. Suggestions?
The suggestion box, and video:
– CJ
Drat! I’m not even in the top 30! So much progress yet to be made…
Realistically I’m probably not in the top 30,000, but I can dream. :)
Thanks, and Darn You (and no, do not read as “Darnwinist You”)! You have exposed me to Slacktivist and now I am completely hooked. I love your science but he writes better prose. In reality, thanks, why would anyone need television as a diversion? Good investment of time is websites like yours and others of similiar ilk or link.
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1875032,00.html I think this is super-shiny amounts of awesome. Go Iceland.
:: insert here shameless plug for my own site http://venomdoc.blogspot.com ::
PZ — You’re going down.
— #2
:)
#80:
Funny, you don’t sound so friendly…
Goodness, WHERE IS SANDWALK??
Larry’s going to be very unhappy.
A
I’m going to throw in a plug for another fine atheist blog:
http://www.atheismblog.blogspot.com/
By far, the best blog on that list (IMHO) is http://debunkingchristianity.blogspot.com/
Fred Clark is a Christian, alright, but I love him dearly. He is proof that you don’t HAVE to get a lobotomy to be religious. If any of you guys haven’t red his blog, you should. Go to the archives and read his Page-by-Page dismantling of “Left Behind”. He spent several years doing a post every Friday for that. It is amazing stuff.
He’s working on LB the Movie now.
He has opinions on a long list of other things. I have yet to disagree with him about anything but the whole “god” issue, but as far as I am concerned, anyone who has his compassion, his brains, and his fire can go right ahead and believe in a god if he wants to. I won’t think the less of him.
I’ve got to try harder to get on things like that.
Oh, Crystal D., of sunnyskeptic.wordpress.com, you are so sweet!
I really hate to do this, but… wait that’s a lie. I really love to do this. Greg Laden and Stephanie Zvan have done the heavy lifting to launch a new blog. I am along thanks to their generosity. This collaboration has yielded Minnesota’s own atheist/agnostic blog Quiche Moraine.
It’s not in the top thirty yet, but watch for it!
Slacktivist may not be an atheist, but his blog is a good one for atheists who want to discuss religion (as long as they are polite about it), along with various sorts of believers.
I managed to find my blog named on the Moderate Christian Webring at one stage! My ‘teach the controversy’ series of pictures was linked to a few pro-evolution Christian sites and for some reason my site ended up on a list of those sorts of sites. I was mildly amused by the idea considering that half the stuff I have on my site condemns me to some particular level of their hell.
American Atheists’ NO God Blog is my homerable honerable mention choice.
Do you guys realize you’re the mirror image of the fundamentalist Christians you hate so much? They’re all hiding out in their Christian ghetto with their top 10 lists of Christian blogs, etc., and now you’re doing the same with your lists of “all things atheist.” Can you taste the irony like I can?
Thanks for linking to those blogs, PZ, and for you others making additional blog suggestions. Now I’ve got a lot of new blogs to check out!
OH MY GOD YOU’RE RIGHT.
We better alert the Star Trek fans with their top ten list of blogs.
And the Medical bloggers and the cooks and photographers and cat fanciers and writers and firearms fans and hell we should let anyone who uses this obscure top ten list idea.
OH NO. WHAT ABOUT DAVE LETTERMAN? HE HAS A TOP TEN LIST TOO.
Surprised this one didn’t make it:
http://www.ebonmusings.org/
fabulous stuff.
There’s two blogs I read *every day* as opposed to every now and then, and that’s Pharyngula and Evangelical Realism. The latter is extremely underestimated. With all due respect to PZ’s esteemed and highly informed opinions – DD is simply wonderful. Duncan is one of those rare human beings who are not only extremely knowledgeable, but also almost heroically humble. The fact that he’s very well versed (unlike PZ) in Christian theology and STILL produces a mind-blowing critique of Christianity never ceases to amaze and fascinate me