I don't consider myself a militant atheist. If someone asks what I believe, I'll tell them, if someone attempts to use their faith as evidence, I'll challenge them, but I don't seek those discussions out. My view is that someones belief is their own damn business... mostly. What I am passionate about though, is the notion that the United States is a secular nation. That it was founded on basic principles that not only included religious tolerance for a variety of faiths, but freedom from the…

On September 19 2011, the Telegraph website published an article titled "Atheism is cool, says Archbishop Rowan Williams". In the article the Archbishop claims the apparent rise in atheism due to it's "cool" factor, and that refutations of authors such as Richard Dawkins don't get the attention they "deserve" because atheism is the latest fad, not…

Yesterday I had the pleasure of attending the Think Inc conference in Melbourne Australia, the inaugural event, and one that showed much promise with a line-up of speakers which included Professor Tim Flannery, YouTube sensation Christina Rad, activist Ayaan Hirsi Ali (appearing via Skype), poet Shane Koyczan, Professor Neil Degrasse Tyseon, Professor Michael Shermer and political commentator Christopher Hitchens (also intended to appear via Skype).

Unfortunately Christopher Hitchens…

"If a man is offered a fact which goes against his instincts, he will scrutinize it closely, and unless the evidence is overwhelming, he will refuse to believe it. If, on the other hand, he is offered something which affords a reason for acting in accordance to his instincts, he will accept it even on the slightest evidence. The origin of myths is explained in this way." - Bertrand…

I've had a few people ask me lately "Why don't you pick on other religions apart from Christianity and Islam? After all, there are thousands you could choose from." Well the answer is pretty simple, but threefold.



Firstly, I live in Australia, which is a predominantly Christian nation. Upwards of 60% of Australians identify themselves as Christians (according to the 2006 census). Most of the first westerners to arrive here were Christian, and that tradition has been carried on…

Yesterday I tweeted Humans don't need God to exist but God needs humans to exist, once we stop believing he will disappear this was retweeted a few times and even compared to Terry Pratchett (I'm flattered, I must read his books now!) so I thought I would elaborate.

An excerpt from the life of Kairan:

My mom and I are watching The Weather Channel in our condo on the east cost of Florida.  We want to see how nasty things will get for us with Hurricane Irene.  It turns out she's forecast to pass by us two-hundred miles out to sea, throwing 50 to 70 mph winds our way. 

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If God provided proof that he exists, then it would be logical to believe in him.  The absence of proof leaves only faith for belief.  You do not need faith if you have proof and vice versa.  By God’s own choice, he can only be known by faith.



But why have faith in this particular God?  If God won’t give us proof, what’s to stop us from believing in Allah or Zeus?  To have faith is to deny logic.  What alternative is there to logic?  How do we think?  Mindlessness is the absence…

I've been pretty interested in perception lately, and how our brains decipher the world around us. I've written on Pareidolia (Part 1, Part 2,…

I originally posted this at my blog Martin S Pribble, and it was subsequently picked up as an "Article" at RDFRS, which made me quite happy. It has caused quite a discussion at both sites, so I thought it would be good to share with you lot also.

 Religion is running scared from advances in science, particularly brain science such as neurology. Why? Because the brain is the final frontier in uncovering the reasons for belief in superstitions, religion and a higher…

If there is any text in the bible that presents us with a clear cut case against god[1], it’s the Book of Job. If it isn’t an outright cry for atheism then, at the very least, if you still insist on theism, you might find yourself saying, “Not this god.”…

"In what has become one of the greatest deceptions of our day, radical environmentalism…