Promoting Science and Critical Thinking
Jake Simons writes in today’s Telegraph about a truly obnoxious Dutch tradition – it surprised me, I’d not previously known about this. The current tradition is in fact not all that old and dates back to Jan Schenkman’s popular 1850 book “Saint Nicholas and His Servant“. So basically what happens is that on 5th December … Read more
A devastating Ash Dieback disease that has already affected millions of trees on the continent and has led to a ban on imports coming into force is rippling into the UK. You can help. Ash dieback, is caused by the fungus Chalara fraxinea, and was last week found in the UK for the first time … Read more
There are two specific Facebook groups I’m in that have rather similar names, but are dominated by very different views. One, entitled ATHEISM DEBUNKED BY MUSLIMEEN (their caps not mine) is dominated by various strands of Islamic thought, and rather bizarrely has a rule against logic and reason. No really, it reads, “Members are requested not to involve in … Read more
Some folks really know how to write a great letter, and one such example concerns a response to an open letter by US Maryland politician and minister Emmett C. Burns Jr. This clueless troglodyte who somehow got voted into office, wrote a letter demanding that the Baltimore Ravens prevent their linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo (pictured left) … Read more
Alexander Aan has been imprisoned for 30 months for posting “God doesn’t exist” on Facebook. This is described by Amnesty International as “a serious setback for freedom of expression in Indonesia,”. Tempted to think, “Oh, that is just about non-belief, but I’m a believer, so I’ll be OK”. Well, you might like to think again. There is … Read more
Chris, a New York-based photographer and filmmaker, has a fantastic idea that I truly love. He is putting together a book of photographic portraits of atheists as a direct challenge to the persistent myth that without some mythological supernatural entity, life is apparently pointless and that our lives are devoid of joy and happiness. Chris explains … I … Read more