new atheism

A science writer and a science fiction writer walk into a bar and debate science and human origins.

Is militant atheism, like religious fundamentalism, the last gasp of a dying worldview?

If atheist Richard Dawkins believes he is right, as a recent Times profile once again suggests, why is he so afraid of passing it on to our kids?

By the time The Amazing Meeting rolled into Vegas, nerves were raw. It seemed like everyone was both sick of hearing about Elevatorgate and still nursing at least a little irritation toward what they perceived as either the sexism and insensitivity, or the political correctness, of their fellow atheists. Those of us in attendance dealt with it the best way we knew how—by joking about it. When that got old, we resorted to jokes about how bad our jokes were. Underneath the layers of meta-humor, however, it was clear that the heated argument had taken a toll on the atheist and skeptic community.

After three years of waiting, an Austrian atheist has won the right to wear a colander on his head for a driver’s license photo. But are Flying Spaghetti Monster communities themselves religious?

When he’s not writing bestselling books, Vincent Bugliosi is a legendary prosecuting attorney. As such, he is certainly well acquainted with the legal policy of presumption of innocence. His newest book, Divinity of Doubt, a treatise on agnosticism, would have been much better if Bugliosi had taken this principle into account in the context of his arguments for, and against, God.

The University of Notre Dame had cause for its anxiety leading up to last week’s big debate between the New Atheist polemicist Sam Harris and the evangelical philosopher William Lane Craig. It’s said that all publicity is good publicity, but one needn’t strain too hard to find an exception—least of all in the history of God debates.

Mark Salzman’s latest work tells the story of an optimistic, but highly anxious, seeker whose sense of enthusiasm and adventure dried up when the chaotic monotony of domestic life intervened with a vengeance.

A reviewer misses the point. To be an atheist is to deny God’s existence, not to become enraged about God’s acts (or lack thereof).

Sadly, there is still a fair amount of ignorance and bigotry toward black non-believers in African American communities due to the stereotype that atheists are immoral, rudderless, and not authentically black. This belief is especially insidious for black women. Mainstream African American culture places a high premium on black female caregiving, piety, and sacrifice. The patriarchal traditions of the Black Church, with their emphasis on charismatic black male leadership and biblical literalism, play a key role in socializing black women to be subservient and self-sacrificing.