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Category Archives: Atheism
Aphorism: On Christian Charity
By Madison S. Hughes (05.01.2012)
Churches in general and the Catholic Church in particular, are nothing more than organized tribal cults. They give to their respective tribes, as would any primal tribe; however, these modern-day mendicants mooch off of their secular brethren through tax-exemptions and other Christian privileges purposefully to give back to their primal tribes. They give not out of a sense of compassion to their fellow human beings, but out of a sense of community to their fellow limited and literal-minded tribe members.
Highly Religious People Are Less Motivated by Compassion Than Are Non-Believers
“Love thy neighbor” is preached from many a pulpit. But new research from the University of California, Berkeley, suggests that the highly religious are less motivated by compassion when helping a stranger than are atheists, agnostics and less religious people.
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In the study, the link between compassion and generosity was found to be stronger for those who identified as being non-religious or less religious.
“Overall, we find that for less religious people, the strength of their emotional connection to another person is critical to whether they will help that person or not,” said UC Berkeley social psychologist Robb Willer, a co-author of the study. “The more religious, on the other hand, may ground their generosity less in emotion, and more in other factors such as doctrine, a communal identity, or reputational concerns.”
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“Overall, this research suggests that although less religious people tend to be less trusted in the U.S., when feeling compassionate, they may actually be more inclined to help their fellow citizens than more religious people,” Willer said.
The Six Moral Dealbreakers of Christianity
The Book of Job
Beautiful Minds: Professor Richard Dawkins
The Burden of Proof
Makers of Supernatural claims have an inescapable burden of proof.
Losing Your Religion: Analytic Thinking Can Undermine Belief
People who are intuitive thinkers are more likely to be religious, but getting them to think analytically even in subtle ways decreases the strength of their belief, according to a new study in Science.
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Analytic thinking undermines belief because, as cognitive psychologists have shown, it can override intuition. And we know from past research that religious beliefs—such as the idea that objects and events don’t simply exist but have a purpose—are rooted in intuition. “Analytic processing inhibits these intuitions, which in turn discourages religious belief,” [British Columbia psychologist, Ara] Norenzayan explains.
Christopher Hitchens: Memorial Service for Vanity Fair Videos
In Part One of the April 20th memorial service for Vanity Fair contributing editor Christopher Hitchens, Graydon Carter welcomed attendees and speakers James Fenton, Lawrence Krauss, Edwin Blue, Patrick Cockburn, Max McGuinness, Aimée Bell, Michael Zilkha, Victor Navasky, and Tom Stoppard.
In Part Two of the April 20th memorial service for Vanity Fair contributing editor Christopher Hitchens, Christopher Buckley read from Hitch-22, followed by speeches from Peter Schneider, Thomas Mallon, James Wood, Leslie Cockburn, and Patrick Cockburn.
In Part Three of the April 20th memorial service for Vanity Fair contributing editor Christopher Hitchens, Sean Penn, Salman Rushdie, Olivia Wilde, Douglas Brinkley, Cary Goldstein spoke.
In Part Four of the April 20th memorial service for Vanity Fair contributing editor Christopher Hitchens, John Auchard, Steve Wasserman, Stephen Fry, Ian McEwen, and Francis Collins spoke.
In Part Five of the April 20th memorial service for Vanity Fair contributing editor Christopher Hitchens, members of his family spoke including Edwin Blue, Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens, Peter Hitchens, and Carol Blue.
Christopher Hitchens: Remembered by Vanity Fair (VIDEO)
In a short film presented to attendees of the April 20, 2012, memorial for Christopher Hitchens, documentarian Alex Gibney showcased the wit and spectacular accomplishments of the late Vanity Fair contributing editor.
Always Question Authority 