Category Archives: Atheism

Simple Logic for Religion and Politics

Syllogisms are not what many people think they are, and the American political landscape is a testament to this fact. Too often I hear people construct logical arguments with sound sounding propositions but, taken together, are deeply flawed. Take this … Continue reading

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A New Religion That’ll Bring You to Your Knees: My Father’s God Has Orange Hair

Being a political scientist is not what many think. We are not politicians drafting legislation. We are not activists trying to make the world a better place, according to our own preferences. And we certainly aren’t trying to get people … Continue reading

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St. Peter and St. Petersburg Paradox: Faith as a Gamble

This post uses the general idea of the St. Petersburg Paradox to explain faith. The paradox can be summed up like this: How much should a person be willing to wager in a lottery with a potential payout of infinity … Continue reading

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Official Non-Secular Songs in the Military

As a veteran of the US Navy, I’ve always respected the secular nature of the branches of the American armed forces. Maintaining a secular position about religious matters is not only compelled by law, it’s also necessary for logistics purposes. … Continue reading

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The Question of Atheist Charity: Less Diffusion of Responsibility?

Checking out the Friendly Atheist’s blog, I’ve come across an absolutely fascinating story. To summarize, an atheist organization wanted to give a charitable donation of $100 to a non-profit with religious ties that helps children. The non-profit refused the money … Continue reading

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No Christianity, Many Hospitals: A response to Catholic News Service article

Today I read an article titled “No Christianity, No Hospitals: Don’t Take Christian Contributions for Granted,” on the Catholic News Service’s website. In the article author John Stonestreet praises the Catholic contribution of hospitals to society. Without the invention of Christianity, … Continue reading

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Moses’ Invisible Pen: How the Pentateuch Destroyed Any Hope of Faith

In the early years of Rayan, I steadfastly rejected religious claims, but for the most part I did so silently. It’s not that I had complaints about the telephone game, extraordinary claims, or even the utter implausibility of the stories … Continue reading

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Should Social Expectations Follow Naturally from Anyone’s Beliefs?

I’m vegan. I chose this lifestyle for personal, moral reasons. Living a life that causes the least amount of harm as possible is the only way I know to live. I gave up animal products on August 1, 2007, and I never … Continue reading

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Hume’s Guillotine: An Instruction in Explanation

Ask any atheist. The reason we object to religion is because of the harm organized religions inflict upon societies. But the source of our disdain goes deeper than that, and believers are often left bewildered because we do not adequately … Continue reading

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Reject Science, Beat Your Wife?

Given a situation where science contradicts religion, who is more likely to fall into the trap of cognitive dissonance and say, “Damn the science! Damn the evidence! My religion is true!”? There are a lot of variables that determine how … Continue reading

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