Atheism vs. religion

Overview

This page is for weighing the relative costs and benefits of atheism and religion, and for analysis of discussions between atheists and religionists.

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• 2008-10-28 [Talk|Index] Three Crucial Things You Must Know Before Challenging An Atheist’s Unbelief § The three origin-categories of atheists (natural, apathetic, and dissonant), and why the third type is never an easy convert "back to the fold".
• 2007-07-21 [Talk|Index] Religion - Marcus Brigstocke § [2]“Marcus Brigstocke rants about religion. Not for the faint-hearted! Audio from 'The Now Show', Radio 4, Saturday 21 July 2007. Pictures compiled and sequenced by Alien8ted.”
• 2007-06-02 [Talk|Index] The Atheist Delusion § [2]presentation-style video satirizing Christian criticism of atheism
• 2007-03-06 [Talk|Index] Fascinating letter to the editor § [2]“It’s time to stomp out atheists in America. The majority of Americans would love to see atheists kicked out of America. If you don’t believe in God, then get out of this country. .. The United States is based on having freedom of religion, speech, etc., which means you can believe in God any way you want (Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, etc.), but you must believe. .. I don’t recall freedom of religion meaning no religion. Our currency even says, “In God We Trust.” So, to all the atheists in America: Get off of our country.” (In God We Trust only became the national motto in 1956.) Another reaction: Austin Cline
• 2007-02-22 [Talk|Index] Bible essay stirs trouble for teacher § [2]“The nature of God will no longer be part of an atheist teacher's American literature class at Lake Stevens High School. .. Gary McDonald, 60, said he had no intention of swaying students' religious beliefs during a lesson last month. .. "I regret in the strongest terms the trouble that I have caused," McDonald said on Tuesday. The goal, he said, was to get students to think. .. The school's principal gave McDonald a verbal reprimand after one student's parents complained he was denigrating their Christianity.” That's about right, isn't it – thinking denigrates Christianity. This should also lay to rest any notion that religion will leave rationality alone if rationality leaves religion alone. The teacher wasn't spreading his own beliefs, much less challenging those of the students; he merely asked them to consider some specific questions about them – apparently, Christianity finds this intolerable. Commentary: Pharyngula
• 2006-12-29 [Talk|Index] God's Enemies Are More Honest Than His Friends § [2]“As someone who has spent the last few years publicly criticizing religion, I have become quite familiar with how people of faith rise to the defense of God. As it turns out, there aren't a hundred ways of doing this. There appear to be just three: either a person argues that a specific religion is true, or he argues that religion is useful, or he simply attacks atheism as intolerant, elitist, irrational, or otherwise worthy of contempt. Any conversation between atheists and believers is liable to fall into one or more of these ruts, or lurch back and forth between them:” Harris proceeds to discuss and answer each of these three claims.
• 2004-06-05 [Talk|Index] 281 tricks to irritate an atheist § [2]Teaching by counterexample – a list of things religionists should avoid doing if they are trying to have serious conversations with atheists. Many are logical fallacies or rhetorical deceptions.

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