By DocMike Evangelical leader James Dobson said, yesterday, that Obama was "distorting the Bible " when he made the following statements in a speech: Obama asked, "Which passages of scripture should guide our public policy? Should we go with Leviticus, which suggests slavery is OK and that eating shellfish is an abomination? Or we could go with Deuteronomy, which suggests stoning your child if he strays from the faith? Or should we just stick to the Sermon on the Mount?" Dobson said, "I think he's deliberately distorting the traditional understanding of the Bible to fit his own world view, his own confused theology," adding that Obama is "dragging biblical understanding through the gutter." He went on to say that Obama should not be referencing "antiquated dietary codes and passages from the Old Testament that are no longer relevant to the teachings of the New Testament ." Isn't this typical? It's okay for Dobson and oth...

A report from The Onion news network Christian Charity Raising Money To Feed Non-Gay Famine Victims

Note: This video is not work friendly A look into the symbolism of sex and it's reflection in religion, modern symbolism, and architecture.

The Cambridge Companion to Atheism - Michael Martin - Upload a Document to Scribd Read this document on Scribd: The Cambridge Companion to Atheism - Michael Martin the cambridge companion to ATHEISM In The Cambridge Companion to Atheism, eighteen of the world’s leading scholars present original essays on various aspects of atheism: its history, both ancient and modern, defense, and implications. The topic is examined in terms of its implications for a wide range of disciplines, including philosophy, religion, feminism, postmodernism, sociology, and psychology. In its defense, both classical and contemporary theistic arguments are criticized, and the argument from evil and impossibility arguments, along with a nonreligious basis for morality, are defended. These essays give a broad understanding of atheism and a lucid introduction to this controversial topic. Michael Martin is Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at Boston University. He is the author of more than 150 art...

A paper by Psycholex What is Atheism? Read this document on Scribd: What is Atheism? What is Atheism? Just about everyone knows what an Atheist is, right? Well, judging by what I've read on the internet, read in chat rooms, & received in Emails; many people still have no clue what Atheism really is! Since not all Atheists have the same view of Atheism as I do, I may not cover your individual outlook on it, but I will attempt to define the basics of Atheism. Defining Atheism To define Atheism, you must first look at its root word, theism. Theism is simply the belief of a god(s). Theism by itself is not a religion; it is just simply a belief, nothing more. Theists can be either polytheists or monotheists, depending on how many gods they choose to believe in. After this we go into specific religions, like islam, judaism, & christianity. Atheism is simply the opposite of theism. The prefix A means "without" or "not", so Atheism is simply a l...

By Astreja One of the odder things about Christianity is its tendency to exalt the child at the expense of the adult. In fact, the "Ye must be born again" meme lies at the heart of the evangelical form of the religion. But is this desirable? Well, it all depends on what the "keepers" of that faith are actually trying to accomplish. Consider this: In most cultures, the transition to adulthood is a highly significant time. "Childish things" are put aside, and the mantle of responsibility is assumed. In return, the initiate gains the authority to participate in adult matters such as procreation, governance and support of the tribe. Contrast this with the infantilization of Christians by Christianity. Cast in the role of eternal child to an Eternal Parent, the natural maturing process is short-circuited. Responsibility gives way to "I'm not perfect, just forgiven". Reasoning, skepticism and problem-solving skills are downplayed or denigra...

A two-hour debate between Bill Cooke, Senior Lecturer at Manukau Institute of Technology and William Lane Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology in La Mirada . Born and raised in Kenya, Bill Cooke was educated there, in the United Kingdom, and in New Zealand, where he now lives. He is currently Senior Lecturer at the School of Visual Arts, Manukau Institute of Technology , in Auckland and is editor of the NZ Rationalist & Humanist . Cooke has authored several books, including " A Rebel to His last Breath, an intellectual biography of Joseph McCabe " and " A Gathering of Infidels ." William Lane Craig is an American philosopher, theologian, New Testament historian, and Christian apologist. He is an author and lecturer on issues related to the philosophy of religion, the historical Jesus, the coherence of the Christian worldview, and natural theology. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.

Bullshit The Ten Commandments On June 22, 2008, American comedian George Carlin was admitted to St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California complaining of chest pain. He died later that day at 5:55 p.m. PDT of heart failure at the age of 71. He had a history of cardiovascular issues, including several heart attacks. "Frisbeetarianism is the belief that when you die, your soul goes up on the roof and gets stuck." -- George Carlin Raised in the Roman Catholic faith, Carlin often denounced the idea of God in interviews and performances. He invented the parody religion Frisbeetarianism, defining it as the belief that when a person dies "his soul gets flung onto a roof, and just stays there" and cannot be retrieved. Carlin also joked that he worshiped the Sun, because he could actually see it, but prayed to Joe Pesci (a good friend of his in real life) because "he's a good actor", and "looks like a guy who can get things done!" Carlin ...

By Daniel Florien of UnreasonableFaith.Com . The test read positive. Ayesha’s face flushed; tears formed in her eyes. She was trapped. She would be killed. She was a stain on her family’s honor. Amir, her soon-to-be husband, would turn her in as soon as he found out. She knew she deserved death. The shame was unbearable. That night she had a vision. The brightness blinded her at first, but gradually she saw an angelic face and it said, “Ayesha! You are favored indeed by Allah! For God himself is the Father of your child. Do not be afraid. He will be great and be called the Son of the Most High.” The next day Ayesha told her fiancé that God had impregnated her, she was still a virgin, and an angel had told her this. Would you believe Ayesha? An ancient book says a man 2,000 years ago was born of a virgin and was sired by God himself. I once believed this, because I believed the Bible — a book I thought God himself wrote. I was wrong. Here are five reasons why I no longer believe in...

By webmdave For those who remember the scandal a few years ago surrounding Tom Tewell, the pastor of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in New York City , and who also remember the nearly worshipful devotion in so many of the comments posted here , and who have developed a decided cynicism toward all things Christian, the following information will come as no surprise. Salary and Benefits Salary - $145,000 Housing Allowance - $50,000 Benefits including Pension, Medical and Continuing Education - $80,775 Total - $275,775 The Presbyterian Church has created a job for him, one that pays him over a quarter of a million dollars a year. What is this job? He is the executive director over a new pilot program aimed at "renewing Presbyterian ministers." Executive Director of The Pilot Project on Renewing Presbyterian Pastors MISSION STATEMENT Believing that Leadership is the key to the future of the Church of Jesus Christ and that a congregation cannot go farther spiritually than ...

Sponsored by Tim Simmons, CEO How does your god stack up? With so many gods on the table, how can you be sure you're worshiping the very best god? Fifteen minutes could save you 15% or more on... Oh, wait. Sorry. Just take this simple test to see how your god compares, but be HONEST! If you aren't honest with yourself, the results will be worthless and why even bother? Each question has two choices so pick the BEST answer. (Click here to take the test...) Come back here to comment!

By John L Armstrong Does the alleged fanaticism in the face of the alleged persecution of the alleged disciples and apostles prove the validity of Christian belief? If so, does it also prove a variety of other cults and religions who's followers and leaders demonstrated the exact same fanaticism?

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Sam Harris speaking at the 2007 Aspen Ideas Conference . Sam Harris is the author of two best-selling books, The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation . He speaks regularly on television and radio about the danger he believes religion poses to modern societies. His essays have appeared in Newsweek, The Los Angeles Times, The Times of London, The Boston Globe , and numerous other publications. A graduate in philosophy of Stanford University, for 20 years he has studied both Eastern and Western religious traditions, along with a variety of contemplative disciplines. He is also currently completing a doctorate in neuroscience. This video is approximately 70 minutes in length. Download: Believing the Unbelievable: The Clash Between Faith and Reason in the Modern World (mp3) Believing the Unbelievable: The Clash Between Faith and Reason in the Modern World (Windows) Believing the Unbelievable: The Clash Between Faith and Reason in the Modern World (Quicktime) Download transc...

By Brother Jeff I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ. -- Mohandas Gandhi I find myself in agreement with Gandhi. Though I don’t believe that he was god, I have nothing in particular against Christ. I do, however, have something against Christians, and it is this -- I hate their willful ignorance and I hate their bigotry and intolerance. I am referring specifically to homosexuality. I get so tired of hearing about how homosexuality is allegedly a “sin” and an abomination worthy of death and eternal damnation. I get so tired of hearing Christians -- who are supposedly filled the the Holy Spirit and the Love of Jesus -- continually spout hatred and bigotry against homosexuals. I get so tired of their willful ignorance in this area. I have news for Christians -- you have no idea what you are talking about, the opinions of the authors of your Bronze Age Book of Myths be damned. If you actually, truly knew anything at all about homose...

From the EAC : An Eight-Step Guide to Bible Literalism through Christian Apologetics Step One Accept the divine, absolute, and literal truth of the Bible. This is by far the most important step: If the Bible isn't the literal and absolute truth, we might as well just give up the whole game right now. Step Two Redefine "literal" when needed. Yes, the Bible is a the literal word of God. We all know that from step one. But does this mean that every word is supposed to be taken literally? The answer is yes, except in those cases where it isn't. For example, the Bible clearly says that God hates homosexuality. That part is literal. The bible also says that God hates mixing different fibers in clothing. That part is not literal. Now, critics will ask "Ok, but how did you decide?" If this happens, do not panic. A few simple rules of thumb will help: Shortcut: Before applying these rules, ask the questioner if he or she is an atheist. If so, mention that some famous...

By Tom C I really love this website! - many thanks to everyone here for not suffering in silence and reminding me how un-alone I am as an ex-Xtian. Having eagerly digested lots of the juicy philosophical debate on exchristian.net, I feel compelled to contribute some thoughts that may be relevant for some to a couple of the more popular topics here on site. Disclaimer: I have to admit that personally I feel quite strongly about some of these things, and my enthusiasm may come through in a slightly assertive writing style at times, but let me assure you I'm not trying to convert anyone (and if I do convert someone they've seriously missed the point!) These are just thoughts, intended to inspire thoughts, and any implications of value judgments are for the most part unintentional, but left in to keep things interesting and to preserve the original flow of said thoughts. Just see what -you- think... *** I II III I. Having only just left the relative comforts of blind faith in one...