I am occasionally asked to explain when I became an atheist.  I have several stock answers, but one of my favorite is, “When I read the Bible.”  

Here are a few selected verses from both the Old and New Testaments that pretty much explicate both the “morality” and “compassion” of God.  Choose one, some, or all of them at your leisure.  If you only have the energy to choose one, I recommend my favorite:  2 Kings 2:23-24. 

Or if you’re too lazy to bother looking them up at…

Here is a question many of you would probably consider a bit whimsical, if not heretical; but I assure you, it has a dead serious intent.  If you were education czar, what would YOU require be taught (or not taught) in American schools?

Let me get you started.  Here are three things that I believe SHOULD be taught but AREN’T: metric system; evolution; critical thinking.

And here are three that ARE being taught, but SHOULDN’T: spelling; long division; propaganda.

My full…

Imagine that there is no God.  So your species has a meeting and decides it wants or needs at least one god.  What kind of god would you propose?  What would be its attributes?  Its powers?  Its motivations?  I have definite ideas about that, which I may post here later; but the purpose here is not to debate MY conception of an ideal god, but to give you the opportunity to describe yours.  Details, please!  

   I just read Richard Raymond's atheist prayer.  Here's mine, verbatim.

   Dear God.  Kill me.  Please!  I have lived a full life with no (well, a few small ones, maybe) regrets.  I'm ready to terminate my existence.  I'm waiting, God.  Nothing's happening.  I'll try a little harder: please, please, pretty please, oh great God.  I know you have the power to kill me; so why don't you?  It shouldn't be too hard; after all, I'm 75 years old. You could just give me a heart attack.  God,…

Good evening ladies and gentlemen.  It is gratifying to see so many Christian fundamentalists in the room, tonight.  Before I begin, I forgot that I left my elephant outside, and I wanted him to come inside.  Would someone in the back of the auditorium, go out and get him?  He is sitting in the back of my Corolla smoking a cigarette.  Uhhh, someone?  Please?  Is there anyone here who would be kind enough to go get my elephant?

What’s that?  What did you shout, sir?  You’re saying that…

WHERE WERE YOU?

Where were you when Abraham Lincoln was assassinated?  Or when the Romans were building the Coliseum?  Or when the Solar System sprang into being?  The obvious answer to all but the most imaginative among us would be: nowhere.  Nowhere, because you didn’t exist when those events occurred. Does the apparent fact that you did not exist when Tyrannosaurus rex roamed the earth cause you any sleepless nights?  Not likely.  Why not?  Maybe this most gargantuan of…