Life lessons for my children
Joel, Jake, Jeb and Cass: I’m almost 90, and my future is obvious. The dark at the end of the tunnel is inescapable — simply part of the life-cycle, like birth, puberty and the rest. There’s no point in agonizing over it. All the miracle cures and life-support machines won’t change the outcome. It would […]
The fraud of supernatural beliefs
Think of the amazing number of supernatural beliefs held by people. These magical beliefs are basically alike. There’s no tangible evidence for any of them. You can’t test supernatural claims; you’re expected to swallow them by blind faith. The only “proof” for them is that they were “revealed” by some prophet, guru, astrologer, shaman, mullah, […]
The forest is my church
A marvelous asset surrounds millions of Americans. Part of the public ignores it, but a significant group cherishes it. I’m talking about the lush forest covering vast regions, including almost 80 percent of my state, West Virginia. For woods lovers, the forest is an enticing lure that’s freely available almost everywhere you look. Appalachia is […]
Being a seeker, not a finder
I knew a spunky old doctor who held a philosophy discussion circle in her home. Once a month, members gathered to ponder and debate the baffling riddles of existence. Some sessions employed tape recordings or videos by university scholars. When she finally had to move into a care home, the group met in an assembly […]
Halloween special: the judiciary, Liberty University, Secular Day of the Dead & Ed Asner
As Halloween fast approaches, the Freedom From Religion Foundation is chasing off many unconstitutionally theocratic spectres. This includes shooing away religion from public education. That’s why we’ve filed a U.S. Supreme Court amicus brief siding with the state of Maine in its refusal to use taxpayer money to fund religious education. “The state’s decision is […]
Proofs that don’t prove the existence of God
Throughout history, various religious scholars have devised faulty arguments to prove God’s existence. Possibly the best known is “intelligent design.” It goes like this: Nature has consistent patterns. The sun eternally rises in the east and sets in the west. Tides rise and fall twice daily. Seasons follow seasons. Clouds bring rain and rivers flow. […]
A little-known freethought martyr
Many freethinkers opposed to supernatural religion are also political and social rebels who renounce militarism, capitalist greed, government oppression and cultural taboos. A classic example from history is Francisco Ferrer, an atheist reformer who was executed in what some call a “new Spanish Inquisition.” The anniversary of his execution occurred a few days ago (Oct. […]
Only dumb religion remains
When I was young in the 1950s, Episcopalians — comprising the American wing of the Anglican faith founded by Henry VIII — were the pinnacle of the high-steeple elite. Bankers, business presidents, top lawyers, society doctors, Rotarians and other country-clubbers filled the pews and vestries of ornate churches. They sent their sons to Ivy League […]
Women’s rights, Sept. 11, Richard Dawkins & the Dennetts
Some weeks here at the Freedom From Religion Foundation, we simultaneously look back, reflect on the current moment and gaze into the future. For the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, we have repurposed a column from our Freethought Today newspaper that FFRF Co-President Dan Barker crafted in the immediate aftermath of the horror […]
