Huffington Post Interview – Extended and Unedited

The interview I did with Bert Montgomery earlier in the year ended up appearing in The Huffington Post, the Burnside Writers Collective, Faithlab, and on Bert’s own blog. He’s resourceful!  The version that appeared in all these publications was about half the length of the whole interview.  The unedited full version, done initially in two parts, appears below and includes a whole bunch of other important stuff on religion and faith, CCM, Undercover and even a bit on The Fugs!  Now what interview would be complete without that?

Science, Religion, And Knowing What Is True

We’ve heard them all.  Science is a religion.  It takes more faith to believe in science (or the big bang, or evolution, or an old earth, or climate change, or…) than it does to believe in God.  Today brought another set of comparisons of science to religion and religion to science in a Facebook discussion but from a different angle.

Tornadoes and Prayer

Well, Pat Robertson’s at it again, apparently. With regard to the killer tornadoes that ravaged the midwest this last week, Pat said on his show;

Spiritual But Not Religious

Those who have ever made use of an online dating website know that part of signing up involves filling out a questionnaire that often includes stating one’s religious preferences.  Besides the usual denominational and sectarian choices there is probably also an option for “Spiritual But Not Religious.”

On Your Deathbed…

© KIK-IRPA, Brussels

I suppose the deathbed question was inevitable and it finally came my way.  I will be as painfully honest and thorough as I can in answering it, but I also have plenty to say about the nature of the question itself because I see it often.

A Theology Sandwich

Another week of go-rounds with Christians of various persuasion and world views has left me as it often does, with a question or so, a theme for the week, as it were. This one was about theology and science, no trivial discussion.  It began harmlessly enough, with me reading the article, Richard Dawkins Celebrates a Victory Over Creationists, from The Guardian.

Reason in Iraq – An Interview with Faisal Saeed Al Mutar

It would be an understatement to suggest that we take some things for granted here in the United States.  The freedom to practice our diverse religions is one example, as is the freedom to reject faith altogether. We discuss and debate these matters regularly. There is the alleged war on Christmas, claims of attacks on religion institutional and otherwise, that Christians are being oppressed and victimized, whether or not Shariah law is a national threat, and questions of the role of religion in government and government in religion. 

Yes, I Believe!

Oh yes, my brothers and sisters, I believe these things. Truly and without guile I bear witness, I testify, I can give you a hearty “Amen!”  I want to be the purple stripe. “Don’t tell me then ‘be like the rest.’” 

Passing the Hitchens Meme To A New Generation

Those of us who have followed Christopher Hitchens for any length of time knew the time of his death was coming sooner than we would like.  ”Followed” is not the right word.  We did not “follow” him.  Many of us hung on his words; his books, essays, lectures, debates, videos, television appearances, the many works he edited, everything.  A new anything by Christopher Hitchens was  like waking up on Christmas morning all over again.  He has had a profound impact on me and on my thinking.

Audio & Photos – Freedom From Religion Foundation Convention

Audio of my presentation at the Freedom From Religion Foundation Convention in Hartford, CT, on October 8 has been posted on their website here. Scroll down a bit and you will see a media player.  Scroll down within that player and you will see my name.  The talk is about 40 minutes long. There are more photos here, beginning with FFRF President Dan Barker’s introduction.