Study Results: Religion makes kids less compassionate and more intolerant

A few articles have been popping up about a new study that reports the discovery that kids raised without god are far more altruistic and compassionate than kids raised with god. This appears odd (to some) and might perhaps be a surprise, primarily because there exists a popular perception that religion is all about love, kindness, and compassion … Read more

Preacher Gives a Familiar Speech Against Gay Rights, but With a Surprising Twist

This is not a new story, but rather is an old one that dates back to 2012. The Friendly Atheist has been highlighting some of his older postings on Facebook, and while this goes back a few years, it was new to me. The context is a council meeting in Springfield, Missouri where testimony is being offered … Read more

Bishop wants to see a Theocratic dictatorship imposed

The Christian Times reports on the rather bizarre proposal made recently by Church of England Bishop, Tom Wright. He completely rejects any secular ideals and would very much like to see everything rolled back into a pre-enlightened era where the church and the state are one and the same … “The Gospels tell the story of … Read more

Changing your mind about Sam Harris and “New Atheists”

I’ve often been astonished at the manner in which Sam Harris is demonised. Various claims abound about him being Islamophobic, racist, a bigot, etc… and yet when you dig into what he is supposed to have said, it often turns out to be a rather stark contrast to what is actually being said. To give … Read more

2015 Nobel Prize : Peace – #NobelPrize – Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet

This is the Nobel Prize where the folks in Sweden hand the baton over to the folks in Norway to select the winner, and it is also where things can often take a sudden left-hand turn into the utterly bizarre or outright absurd, but I would add, not because it is Norway, but rather because … Read more

2015 Nobel Prize : Literature

Today’s Nobel Award moves on from science to Literature. The leap from science to literature might appear odd, but is like this because Alfred Nobel within his will decreed it… one part to the person who shall have produced in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction The written word is … Read more