Like most of you, I don't condone political violence. I can't reconcile it with the sort of democratic society I prefer. The democratic process doesn't always work the way we want it to, and… Read More

In Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that presidents (and former presidents) are immune from criminal prosecution for "official acts" while they were in office. Can we agree th… Read More

I did not watch the first presidential debate of 2024. The thought of exposing myself to that level of depression and anger seemed unwise. It wasn't like the outcome was ever in question. Tr… Read More

The state of Louisiana passed a law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. As expected, secular organizations oppose this. In their press release, the S… Read More

No, I didn't realize it was Atheist Pride Day either. I can't seem to remember from year to year that there is such a thing. I heard about it for the first time in 2013 from American Atheist… Read More

It's official. He's a criminal. Pending a successful appeal, he's a convicted felon. Will it matter? Yes and no. I doubt it will matter much in the outcome of the next U.S. presidential elec… Read More

When it comes to secularism, my views have evolved over the years. I used to think of it as little more than church-state activism. It was reactive because it had to be. The separation of ch… Read More

 The question of whether atheism is a choice comes up often. Many people believe that it is a choice, including some atheists. This has long puzzled me. I've never experienced it as a c… Read More

It has long puzzled me that Easter seems to be so much less important to Christians than Christmas. Everyone who's ever lived was born. Celebrating someone else's birth has never made much s… Read More

Sometimes the pattern is so obvious we can't believe we didn't see it. Hell, we may have participated in it for years without more than a vague sense of what we were doing! It wasn't that we… Read More

I wrote a post on Medium recently called "Taking Responsibility for Your Church" in which I considered a question I've had for some time. If your church is not accepting of people like you… Read More

In the United States, we like to talk about our rights. We rarely have much to say about the many responsibilities that go along with these rights. But we sure do love to discuss our rights!… Read More

What if I was vegan? What if I was vegan and you weren't? Let's imagine that both of these things are true for a moment. Not only are you not vegan, but you enjoy all the foods vegans don't… Read More

We've all heard of people who identify themselves as "spiritual, but not religious." Who are they? What do they believe? We should have many opportunities to find out in the coming years. Af… Read More

In the United States, we have a controversy raging around gender-affirming health care. Some conservatives would like to charge physicians who provide it with crimes. Many of those who woul… Read More

There's a common argument that one can expect to hear from some on the political left in the United States. The two major political parties are so similar, they say, that there's little reas… Read More

I have seen some speculation about why Christians are disliked. I've noticed that many of those speculating do identify themselves as Christians. I wouldn't mind sharing my thoughts on the t… Read More

"Why are you an atheist?" I open my mouth as if to begin my answer, an answer I've given countless times before. But the words don't materialize this time. And now I suspect I've made a mist… Read More

We've all seen signs encouraging people to wash their hands in restaurant restrooms. Many of us appreciate these prompts. We don't like to think about the people who are preparing our food… Read More

There's a group of people in your local community working hard to bring about a state of affairs you find undesirable. They aim to limit your access to ideas they do not favor. They want to… Read More

What do evangelical Christians in the United States do when they have a hard time finding support for their more extreme beliefs at home? They export them to some unlikely places. According… Read More

I was born in the United States and have lived here all my life. I grew up in the Pacific Northwest in a family that enjoyed road trips and camping. Thus, it is no surprise that I've been to… Read More

I did not grow up in a religious cult. That is, most people around me didn't consider it to be a cult. No, the religion of my childhood was "normal." But what does that even mean? It was com… Read More

I watched the first Republican presidential debate. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it, and I didn't. I watched it because I was curious. We are facing a new situation in which the frontrunner i… Read More

In a post earlier this month, Rhys Long (Americans United for Separation of Church and State) wrote:Around the country, good people have been pushing back against the forces of religious ext… Read More

Most nonbelievers recognize the difficulty of bringing atheists, humanists, and freethinkers together. Protests about how "we're not joiners" are so common that they have become a psychologi… Read More

We've all heard of Christian privilege. I'd assume that most people have at least a basic understanding of what the term means. But what does it look like? There are many illustrative exampl… Read More

When I encounter bigotry, I often feel obliged to speak out. This reaction isn't limited to anti-atheist bigotry. I also experience it in cases of racism, gay bashing, sexism, and the like… Read More

I've long thought that Christians who tell atheists to "just believe" don't understand how belief works. I can't will myself into believing something I don't believe. But what if I've missed… Read More

I'm not sure why some in the news media are still asking whether there is anything Donald Trump can do to lose the support of evangelical Christians. Continuing to pose this question seems e… Read More

I got my first wallet when I was a child. It was a gift. I don't remember it well because I was young, and it didn't last long. It was a bi-fold made of nylon, and it had a Velcro closure… Read More

If I had a valid driver's license and adequate funds, I could buy a red car if I wanted to. I could also choose not to buy a red car for all sorts of reasons. I could decide I don't like the… Read More

Are you an atheist? If so, I'd say the odds are good that you have uttered something close to the following words on at least one occasion: How can anyone believe what many Christians clai… Read More

We all realize that the world we inhabit is far from perfect, right? Even on a good day, there are some things we'd like to improve. We won't necessarily agree on what they are, but each of… Read More

There's a bit of good news to report from a recent Gallup poll. Their strange title gives most of it away: Belief in Five Spiritual Entities Edges Down to New Lows. But what are the five ent… Read More

It is almost impossible to imagine anyone winning a presidential election with more than a slight majority of the popular vote. This is not a new phenomenon, but there does seem to be someth… Read More

"Why are you an atheist?" I've heard that question or some version of it more times than I can count. I don't blame the person asking it for asking it. Like me, they might live in a country… Read More

If you live in the United States, you are familiar with "trickle-down" economics. Republicans have favored this approach at least since Reagan. Tax cuts for the wealthy are supposed to be go… Read More

"What does it mean to be American?" Assume that the person asking this question isn't looking for something trivial. An answer like "one who lives in the U.S." won't be satisfying. They are… Read More

Americans have many good reasons to review our Constitution and reflect on what it means. The 4th of July seems like as good an occasion as any other for this. We might consider the implicat… Read More

Here is a quote attributed to Donald Trump from his recent keynote address at the Faith and Freedom Coalition's "Road to Majority" conference: We are warriors in a righteous crusade to stop… Read More

I ran across a comment the other day someone had shared on their social media account. It said something about how only Americans would brag about how much of our lives we've sacrificed for… Read More

I've been paying attention to national secular organizations for close to 25 years. In that time, every one of them has done or said at least a few things that made me cringe. Most of these… Read More

Most of us would agree that context matters. Even the context in which someone delivers a bible quote matters. The same quote delivered in one context could have a different intent and impac… Read More

When I was a Christian, it was hard not to notice that some Christians were good people. They were kind, considerate of others, and generous with what they had. They stood out to me, and I c… Read More

When it comes to secular activism, it often seems like we don't have many victories. At least, it has seemed like that lately. This makes it even more important to celebrate those we do get… Read More

Most of the evangelical Christians I've encountered in Mississippi have been Southern Baptists. They aren't the only Christian denomination in the area. There are also lots of Methodists and… Read More

I started writing about the importance of church-state separation in 2005. I'd had enough of the Christian privilege that pervades the United States. I was sick of the bigotry that seems to… Read More

I've written quite a bit about how it is a mistake to equate "Christian" with moral goodness. This is still common practice in the United States, and it is a practice not limited to Christia… Read More

I considered some of the reasons I haven't written more about secular spirituality. I decided that none of them were good reasons to avoid a topic that interests me. And it is a topic that i… Read More

Toward the middle of March, the Pew Research Center released a study in which they reported evidence that the acceptance of atheists is growing in the United States. I enjoyed how the Freedo… Read More

Can an inanimate object be evil? A person can be evil. They can behave in ways most of us would label as evil. But what about an inanimate object that has never and will never live? Can that… Read More

In a secular democracy, it makes sense that religious believers shouldn't be forced by the government to do things that conflict with their religious values. That said, I'm sure we can all t… Read More

One challenge involved in sharing more good news involves finding it. In the context of secular activism, humanism, and related areas, it often seems scarce. But it is there, and it is impor… Read More

Television news programs in the United States have a long-standing tradition. We usually see it toward the end of their regular broadcast: the human interest story. It is shorter than the ot… Read More

I had wondered whether this might happen, and it now sounds like there is cause for concern. Those living in states with extreme anti-abortion measures may see a decline in the quality of ou… Read More

We keep hearing that an indictment of a former president is "unprecedented." I suppose it is. It also strikes me as something that is less common than it should be. Accountability should be… Read More

Spirituality is a topic I haven't written much about. This might seem odd because I do have some interest in secular spirituality. I've thought of writing about it many times but always seem… Read More

In the United States, we hear a lot about the ongoing conflict between Democrats and Republicans. Around election time, we hear about red states and blue states. We hear about the urban-rura… Read More

If someone hated you, wouldn't you want to know about it? To clarify, I am not asking whether you'd like to listen to them express their hatred of you. I'll assume you would not enjoy that a… Read More

"Faith," in a religious context, does not refer to an abstract sense of hope or confidence. It refers to a particular sort of belief, a belief in something not supported by evidence. That's… Read More

"Don't you believe in the paranormal?" The look on her face suggested that she wanted an affirmative response. She wanted me to say that I believed. As tempting as it was to give her what sh… Read More

The subject of spirituality has long been controversial among atheists. Some argue that no self-respecting atheist should talk about it. They insist that it implies supernatural entities. Do… Read More

I have heard many misconceptions about atheists from Christians. The one I'll address here is one I've always found interesting. It is the idea that all atheists have had traumatic experienc… Read More

What are we going to do with all the AI-generated writing? Should we treat it like any other writing? Should we boycott it and distance ourselves from those who do it? Does it matter if a bl… Read More

"Do I have to?" The question, delivered in my best whine, was one to which I already knew the answer. Yes, I'd have to go to church with the family on Christmas Eve just like I had for every… Read More

Flashes of insight are great. Flashes of insight where the insight seems so obvious you can't believe you didn't get it can be humbling. I'm still trying to come to terms with how I could ha… Read More

It took me some time to learn what an atheist was. The term had been a popular playground insult long before I knew what it meant. It wasn't something I was eager to own. I'm ashamed to admi… Read More

This is going to be a short one. Most of you reading these words will already be familiar with what I'm about to say. It may even remind you of thoughts you've had countless times. I'm writi… Read More

Image by Dominic Flamini from PixabayThe image at the top of this post shows a Venn diagram depicting the overlap between three common image formats. The content is not relevant, but I wante… Read More

I'm trying to think back to 2008 when I joined Twitter or even to 2010 when I began to understand how it worked. Did it offer a sense of community at that time? If so, what happened to it?Th… Read More

While talking with my family recently, the topic of history came up. This was in the context of news about Republicans meddling in the teaching of history. I had said something about the imp… Read More

For the first few years of writing a blog, I had a weekly ritual. I didn't do it every week, but I managed to do it most Sunday mornings. I made coffee and fired up a random iTunes playlist… Read More

The National Prayer Breakfast has been a slap in the face to secular Americans throughout its history. It is one of far too many things that should never occur in a nation that values the se… Read More

Have you seen other people carrying small pocket notebooks? Some of them look cool, don't they? Have you wondered how they use them and whether you should try one? You could run out and buy… Read More

Imagine that you come up with an idea of something you want to write about. You are considering a title like, "Things I've Learned About..." And then you get stuck. You could list several th… Read More

I joined Twitter in 2008, and I enjoyed using it until 2021. I started re-evaluating my use of it then, as I found that I was enjoying it much less than I used to. The benefits I had derived… Read More

Many atheists have called on Christians to denounce Christian nationalism. I know I have. There are various ways atheists and other secular folks can help, but there aren't enough of us. Thu… Read More

Shortly after his win in Georgia, Sen. Raphael Warnock thanked some sort of god. And why wouldn't he? Professional athletes, such as his opponent, have been doing this sort of thing for as l… Read More

The United States has a problem with Christian nationalism. It is not a new problem, and it is important to understand that it predates Donald Trump. It has flared up in some major ways we h… Read More

What is your evaluation of 2022 as compared to other years? Was it better than most, worse than most, or the same? I don't find this an easy question to answer. Some things were better, and… Read More

The Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol released its final report this month. As expected, the report has faced mixed reactions. Some secular… Read More

I grew up in a time and place with a social norm against discussing religion in public. I learned that the topic was so divisive that it would invite conflict. Most families discouraged chil… Read More

Accusations of being a Grinch aside, there are some things I like about the time of year many refer to as "the holiday season." Some of them don't even have anything to do with the war on Ch… Read More

There are some good reasons to use social media in the context of secular activism. Raising awareness is one of the big ones. People are unlikely to engage with issues they've never heard of… Read More

"If you don't like Christmas, just ignore it." Yes, that is a nice idea. I have no idea how to make it work in practice, though. I cannot leave my home without a steady bombardment of all th… Read More

Does it sometimes seem like there are several ready-made worldviews for the taking? One person sees "conservative Christian" hanging on the shelf and grabs it. Another selects "secular progr… Read More

"There is no way that movie could get made today." I hear this claim quite a bit from people who are close to my age. It is accurate for many of the films I have enjoyed over the years. I ca… Read More

Some atheists have various complexes (i.e., psychological conflicts invested with emotion). This isn't a bad thing, as it reflects our humanity. Lots of people have these, no matter what the… Read More

As hard as this might be for some of us to believe, some people do enjoy attending church services. They might find comfort in the familiar rituals, especially if they grew up with them. The… Read More

It is no secret that people use social media in different ways and for different reasons. Some people seek meaningful social interactions with others. They rarely share links but ask questio… Read More

I watch a lot of horror films, but I don't watch many during the year of their release. I don't have any interest in going to movie theaters, and the concept of streaming has little appeal… Read More

Why do so many people seem so convinced that their gods have a gender? Why do they insist on using gendered pronouns to describe them? Gender applies to humans, but few are eager to claim th… Read More

After concluding that Tribel wasn't for me, I headed over to Mastodon. I found a platform with a steep learning curve and not much guidance for getting started. But I pushed through these in… Read More

I have received many versions of the same question since I've been writing an atheist blog. I have answered it many times, but it has been a while since I last did so. The question looks som… Read More

Not convinced to let Twitter go without a replacement? You have many to choose from, but which one is right for you?Tribel Social was the first alternative to Twitter I decided to check out… Read More

This is for those of you who might be trying to figure out where you'll go after the end of Twitter. Of course, most of you don't use Twitter at all. The numbers I've seen suggest that only… Read More

As a child, I found myself fascinated with the topic of psychic phenomena. The sort of fortune-teller psychics many people pay to visit today held no interest. My focus was on things like te… Read More

In most contexts, we take pride in progress. When we see ourselves starting out at a lower level of mastery and advancing to a higher level, it feels good. We've learned something. We've gro… Read More

For the sake of this post, I'll make two assumptions that may or may not apply to you. First, you use Twitter. Second, you are not a fan of Elon Musk. What's the best argument for leaving Tw… Read More