"So, you're an Atheist/Scientist/Rationalist/Skeptic, eh?"

"Yes... And?"

"I saw a ghost - EXPLAIN THAT!"

...

If something similar hasn't happened to you guys yet (assuming you're all 'Atheists/Scientists/Rationalists/Skeptics', which I hope isn't necessarily the…

I'm asking people who believe in souls.

One popular declaration is that a Soul is invoked when Sperm hits Egg to form Zygote. But really, says who? It's not in the bible or other ancient scripture, because those were written before science discovered sperm and egg... unless you feel you have the right to interpret scripture in a way that looks prophetic.

Or how about after, when zygote splits into two, to make identical twins? Does one soul now split into two, or do…

My previous post made an example of why the story of Abraham sacrificing Isaac has so many problems. I’d like to share how this story haunted me personally while growing up Christian.

In Genesis 22, God demands that Abraham sacrifice his son, Isaac, to test Abraham’s obedience. Abraham is blessed for doing whatever God says, no matter how hard it was for him.

This surely tells us something about…

Here, let me tell you two stories, and see which one you think has the better moral.

A poor man has been looking a long time for a job, and finally gets one. After a time the boss tells him he’s thinking of promoting him to a supervisory position with a big pay increase. But the poor man will have to look the other way while the boss does some cooking of the books. The poor man really needs this raise. And, he’s afraid that if he says no, the boss will find some excuse to fire him,…

I've long been a fan of Douglas Adams's books.  Even when I was trying so hard to be a believing Christian, I enjoyed his books, even though he clearly thought God was a silly concept.

This interview with American Atheists was reprinted in the posthumously released Adams book The Salmon of Doubt: …

Just finished reading this excellent article: http://churchandstate.org.uk/2012/04/the-top-10-reasons-i-dont-believe-in-god/.  It summarizes the points so well, I thought it was worth sharing.  Enjoy!

[Okay, I'm gonna try this again. The first time I did this post, everything disappeared except for the first paragraph.]

A couple days ago, a 7-year-old girl in Illinois went missing. Of course, a Facebook friend (a Christian) posted a plea for prayers for the missing girl.  The next day, a body was found, and it turned out to be the murdered little girl.  Her uncle is being held in custody, presumably as a suspect in her murder.  So the Christian Facebook friend…

I was watching an episode of Atheist Experience this morning, and Matt Dillahunty was talking to this guy who insisted on the idea that atheists just had "faith" in science, and asked what was the difference between an atheist's faith in science and a Christian's faith in God.  Dillahunty, quite sensibly, responded that a reasonable confidence on facts, based on demonstrable evidence was completely different from faith, which by definition is belief in something that is not demonstrable.…

I hope I am allowed to say things like this on Think Atheist.

I feel like whenever I humbly ask God for a sign, or to help me with something, he answers. I don’t know what to believe, because the things I ask for are usually simple, and could be explained by coincidence easily. But it keeps happening, and this is what I was trained to recognize as God at work.

Today I sat down to eat pancakes and watch this atheist video…

Let me explain a few things, right off the bat:

• I recently became convinced (again) that my so-called Christian faith was a crumbling edifice just last week at a Bible study, of all things.
• Even though I've always been too weak to stick with atheism as a worldview in the past, I think, in my own mind, it's the only thing that really makes sense.
• Because I have a church job, and it's a pretty significant portion of my income, I am unable at this time to "come…

Oh NO! Baby Jesus is reported missing. Da Da Dant Da Daaaah!

After I have this smoke I'll get right on it

Lots of call to make, leads to follow

I betcha it's one of those TA Crazies. We know who you are. I heard they even eat babies

(both shake heads)

or maybe it's an inside job, lets go check it out

Ahhh there he is. Turns…

finally

mr. hope & change has come

full circle,

come out to show his true colors,

to be the arm of the companies that got him where he is,

to sell the weapons, to fly the planes,

to try out the new toys in

Syria---

like the American people need…

The Fort Hood mass murdering, islamic Army major gets his wish:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/28/us/nidal-hasan-sentencing/index.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_allpolitics+(RSS%3A+Politics)

I guess he is drooling over those eagerly anticipated…

There’s a parable, or joke, told by Christians about a man who was caught in a flood. He’s standing on the roof of his house, and the water’s up to his knees as he prays to God for help.

Some people come by in a boat and offer to help him. He says, “That’s all right, the Lord will save me.” Soon the water is up to his waist. A second boat comes by and tells him to hop on, and he says, “No, the Lord will save me.” Presently the water is up to his chest, when a helicopter flies overhead…

I'm about to move to Chicago, and work in The Loop--but I don't want to live in the loop, perhaps a quieter less expensive place that is close to some form of public transportation that could get me quickly to the loop?

Does anyone know anything about Chicago and care to advise me on...anything. This is becoming scary ! 

Dear Readers,

I'm not used to posting my woes and sorrows for all to see. I am however open to allowing my life to be opened up to the truth and allowing it to liberate me as I believe the truth should. With that said, I'm hoping that there are others who can gain or empathize with my story.

I'll start from the day that I told my wife I was an atheist, July 20, 2011. I did it, most cowardly, in an email. On our anniversary. I was hoping that my gift to her would be "honesty."…

I've invented the perfect drink.

It's called the "John Cage."

2 fl. oz. shot glass.

Empty. No ice.

Serve neat.

Sit with it for a non-predetermined duration.

Reflect upon it.

Handle the glass.

Or don't.

Leave when you feel you've finished.

My life is so far removed from contemporary consumerism that every once in a while, when I am exposed to the day-to-day workings of a consumer lifestyle, I am awestruck with culture shock.

Such was the case today when a realization became quite clear to me - one which had eluded me thus far in my simple life of antique-buying and online marketplaces.

(Bear in mind that I have lived the majority of my adult life without ever walking into a brick-and-mortar store.  But really, in…

Welcome to my Atheist Parables series. In the tradition of Plato, Jesus, and Aesop, I will use stories and allegory to examine issues of faith, reality and reason.

Here, I'll share a thought experiment related to Pascal's Wager, and to the charge that "Atheists just want to sin." Is that a legitimate charge, or are there other ways to look at it?

We were pretty excited when our parents dropped us off at the city park.  It was not our own city, you see; we were…

Samsung has released its new Galaxy Mega, which has a...(wait for it)....(wait for it)...(wait for it)...6.3-inch screen! Tablets tend to start off just .7 inches larger. 

I have to laugh because after a couple decades of making cell phones as small as possible...…