Image by ruSSeLL hiGGs via Flickr By Astreja Putting to one side for the moment the whole problem of "sin" -- That is, the ludicrous notion that an omnipotent deity can be offended or injured by the very thoughts of its supposed creation -- I think that I have identified a fatal flaw in Christianity. When questioned by skeptics and nonbelievers, a follower of the Dead-Rabbi-On-A-Stick cult will sometimes use the following line of unreasoning: God is 'perfect', whatever that actually means. And apparently we are not . Duh. We're humans. Thanks to our terrifying imperfection, we've succeeded in doing something that has annoyed the Big Guy. That's a capital offense ; therefore, we have to die. Unfortunately, that isn't good enough. This god (whom we somehow offended) requires a perfect sacrifice, and we ain't it. Therefore, something perfect has to die. And the only perfect thing in the whole universe is... You guessed it! ...the very same go...

Image by Al Bar via Flickr By Melvin What if there was a group of people that believed that leprechauns were real. They believed in them so much that they believed that the Leprechaun was the key to eternal happiness. They not only believed in them, but they even built idols and places of worship to praise the magical creatures. The Leprechauns dictated how they should live their lives, and even had a set of moral codes to live by. If any one strays from the code or doesn’t believe in leprechauns all together, then they are source of evil, out to destroy the leprechauns and their faithful. The very reason that there are people who aren’t leprechaunites, and there is evil in the world, is because of Belgabesh the eternal enemy of the leprechauns. To a leprechaun believer anyone who isn’t faithful is under the spell of Belgabesh and must be destroyed. So, eventually, these lovers of rainbows, potatoes, and pots of gold get the word from the leprechauns to kill any one who strays ...

The evolution of religions via descent with imagination. Image by Colin Purrington By Uruk Jesus was not the first character to be born of a virgin, to be adored by wise men, and to heal the sick, to suffer and die on a tree or a cross, to be buried in a tomb, and to rise again on the third day only to ascend into the sky. This had happened before. This is an old story. And Christianity's way of dealing with this problem is to ignore it. -- The God Who Wasn't There -- movie trailer Despite my beliefs concerning god's non-existence , I still think one may not be able to disprove (or prove) god's existence. Also, deconverting from Christianity does not mean one's only option is to become an atheist . One may certainly remain theist while still discarding religious practice -- or choosing some other set of religious beliefs to replace the former. How does an atheist one day turn around and allow faith to take over their reasoning? How does one start ignoring such evi...

By John L. Armstrong Quick follow-up: Would you respect someone's doctorate in astrology ? How about alchemy ? Or geomancy ? Or voodoo ? Why do we have any respect for the field of theology as an academic pursuit?

Illustration by DocMike . Podcast by Exfundie Teaching science in fundamentalist parts of America is a challenge for educators. This podcast was submitted by an educator who is devoted to authentic education, regardless of the religious ramifications.

Image via Wikipedia By Bill Jeffreys If we truly love or care deeply for someone, we don't dismiss them. How could you? I do not fault people for not loving or caring for everyone. I only hold those accountable who claim to love me and don't. To be Christ like should mean more than just words or deeds. It should mean honesty in ones actions and speech. Dishonesty is easily masked with religion. It is much like politics. Once should mean what one says and say what one means. I think it is the one thing I have learned in my relationship....to work at being authentic and assertive. I have friends who I don't relate with as well as others. I still keep in touch. Fundamentally, I believe in keeping relationships going unless they become harmful. I am close with my brother even though we disagree on many subjects like, god, religion, politics, and gay marriage and so on. We have learned to see that these things are secondary to our love for one another and our need for relat...

By Bill Jeffreys Recently I have been looking into a learning theory which is new to me. It's called attribution theory . Attribution theory states that people will interpret their environment in such a way as to maintain a positive self-image . It emphasizes that a learners' current self-perceptions will strongly influence the ways in which they interpret the success or failure of their current efforts. We know that a person's self-perceptions come from both internal and external beliefs. We also know that beliefs come from a number of areas, life experiences; culture and education are but a few. This got me thinking about the apparent need people have to maintain a positive view of their beliefs. I'm writing about this based on my conversations with some people. No matter how succinct, factual or rational your explanation, or argument, some people hear only what supports their believe. Our beliefs are often not as rational as we'd like to believe. Ever have an ar...

By Pat Condell Cheers, and merry Christmas to everyone. Especially this idiot: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknew... You can download an audio version of this video at http://patcondell.libsyn.com

Image by ViaMoi via Flickr By Neal Stone When I did my last post on this subject, I was informed I had started off on the wrong foot. Indeed I did as I approached Christians ministers only and forgot to ask those that post here for sources on whether Jesus existed or not, I apologize. In the process I was given many sources including one that suggests the historian Josephus may not have existed and was nothing more than a forgery. The more I researched Jesus, the more I realized just how complicated and and hard this was going to be. I have evidence on both sides and there is a lot of it to go through to the point it is almost too much for me to handle. Then it hit me! Jesus is the most influential and famous person in history. Proving Jesus existed and who he was and his miracles were real is extremely difficult. Why is this? How can the most powerful, influential person in the history of mankind be so hard to prove? Why can't someone come up with solid non-disputable e...

By Tim Whistorn Image by _escalade328s_ via Flickr I admit it: Sometimes I just like to make fun of Christianity and those who keep the faith. On one hand I honestly do respect a person's right to believe anything they want, and to live/practice whatever pleases them. I just don't respect the way Christianity has been used to rob the masses of their personal sense of freedom and power for centuries; nor do I respect the very real threat to human advancement this dark age religion poses through many aggressive organizations, lobbying groups, and advocacies. And maybe I'm a little irked by the fact that most of my family and many of my friends are brainwashed to the extent that a really open conversation about the nature of life is an impossibility. Note To Reader : If Christianity allowed it's members to use their brains in debate this content would be great for dispelling the illusion. Sadly, as we know, Christians have at least two primary fall back arguments they ...

Image via Wikipedia Valerie Tarico interviews Dr. Tony Nugent, scholar of world religions. Dr. Nugent is a symbologist, an expert in ancient symbols. He taught at Seattle University for fifteen years in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies and is an ordained Presbyterian minister . Most Americans know how Christmas came to be celebrated on December 25 : The Emperor Constantine chose the date because it was winter solstice in the Julian Calendar , the birthday of dying and rising gods like Mithra and Sol. Some people also know that our delightful melange of Christmas festivities originated in ancient Norse, Sumerian, Roman and Druid traditions - or, in the case of Rudolph, on Madison Avenue. But where does the Christmas story itself come from: Jesus in the manger, the angels and wise men? The familiar Christmas story, including the virgin conception and birth of Jesus , is found in the gospels of Matthew and Luke. Scholars have pointed out that these stories are somewhat ...

By Neal Stone Image via Wikipedia WARNING: This article contains elements of logic, reason and free thinking and may prove harmful or fatal to ones religious beliefs. Read with extreme caution. Earlier in one of my posts I mentioned doing research on the Historical Jesus. In fact there are a few things I want to post about, I've just fallen behind. Kind of lost the writing bug for a bit. Guess the brain needs a break. All this thinking wears a guy out. (LOL) Since this project has gotten bigger than I expected, it will be broken down into smaller blogs. It will also take a while to do the research. The first step to researching and proving/disproving the Historical Jesus was to contact various ministers I know. This got a little interesting. Seems people get a bit concerned when you try and prove the Historical Jesus without the Bible. It's amazing how defensive religious people get when you challenge their beliefs or seek to prove/disprove what they believe. If what...

By Lance Image by Vermin Inc via Flickr "Of course the world is messed up. We live in a fallen world" Or so my Christian friend says. I used to believe this, and it was a good method for me to explain all the pain and suffering I saw in the world. Of course God had created a perfect world, and then we messed it up. It was all our fault. Even the fact that there is so much death and killing in the natural world of animals can be explained by the sin of disobeying God in the Garden of Eden . Apparently this act poisoned the entire world, magically transforming the world from God's perfect plan into the pain and death we see today. Before Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree, all animals got along just fine, and only plants were asked to sacrifice their lives. Adam and Eve and their kids would have had a perfect existence had they not fucked it all up for themselves and the rest of us. Yeah, right. My friend, who made the first statement, also believes in a lite...

Image via Wikipedia By Marlene Winell We can probably agree we don’t like the commercialism of Christmas, the stress, or the holiday angst. Yet at the center of it all there is a powerful image that speaks to all of us –- the Child. It’s fascinating to me that once a year so many people stop everything, or at least pause, to acknowledge a Child. But who is this Child of Christmas and why does the image have such power? We have religious and secular interpretations, and I would like to suggest a third -– a soulful interpretation. For Christians, this is a specific Child, the baby Jesus, entering the world to be its savior. This is why the angels sing and the wise men visit. God has at last fulfilled his promise, and there is rejoicing. For other people, not Christian, the Christ Child still represents hope and renewal. As with the solstice and the new year, the Child symbolizes the promise of new life and light. Our world is so weary with struggles, we all need the healing for...

... Your Brain Will Fall Out (Take My Wife) This is from Tim Minchin 's DVD, So Live .

By DocMike In 2005, Bill O'Reilly declared there was a " War On Christmas " because retailers were posting signs that said, "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings" instead of " Merry Christmas ." Of course, the stores were simply trying to appeal to all Americans instead of a single group, in hopes that everyone would buy more stuff during the holiday shopping season. But Uncle Bill and his followers proceeded to blacklist retailers and anyone else who didn't cave in to the media pressure. Now, three years later, Bill is pushing, "We Say Merry Christmas" bumper stickers (free with a purchase of $19.95 or more from his website), The Liberty Council and Focus on the Family have posted "Naughty or Nice" lists, identifying retailers who mention (or don't mention) the word "Christmas" in their ads, and there has been a major backlash by religious groups (and individuals) about recent billboards and si...

By HellboundAlleee What does Christmas have to do with Jesus? Less than you think. Sift through world history in about five minutes, because I know you can't sit through more than that. If you want me to know I'm going to burn in hell, thanks, but I've been informed! -- HellboundAlleee

Image by Daniel Y. Go via Flickr By Valerie Tarico I just love Christmas!” my friend Hannah confessed recently, “even though I’m appalled by Christianity.” She sounded sheepish, as if loving Christmas somehow made her bad. Poor Hannah. I understand her tone of apology. What Hannah is appalled by isn’t the broad range of kind, thoughtful Christians in her community, but rather the thin cruel theologies that drive the Evangelical Right. People like Bill O’Reilly have claimed Christmas for their own--deriding broader holiday traditions. “It’s about Jesus!” They cry loudly. “Jesus is the reason for the season!” “It’s a Christian holiday (and this is a Christian country)!” Who wants to be associated with O’Reilly and his minions?! Hannah’s Christmas isn’t about Jesus, and she doesn’t want to lend power to fundamentalists by joining in something they have defined as their celebration. But she needn’t fear. Jesus isn’t the reason for the season. Puritan leader Oliver Cromwell...