Voltaire's take on Islam

"But that a camel-merchant should stir up insurrection in his village; that in league with some miserable followers he persuades them that he talks with the angel Gabriel; that he boasts of having been carried to heaven, where he received in part this unintelligible book, each page of which makes common sense shudder; that, to pay homage to this book, he delivers his country to iron and flame; that he cuts the throats of fathers and kidnaps daughters; that he gives to the defeated the choice of his religion or death: this is assuredly nothing any man can excuse, at least if he was not born a Turk, or if superstition has not extinguished all natural light in him."  

(Referring to Muhammad, in a letter to Frederick II of Prussia (December 1740), published in Oeuvres complètes de Voltaire, Vol. 7 (1869))

How to speak Christianese

A Quick Guide to Christian Theology

Jesus Christ was crucified as a sacrifice to the Invisible Magic Friend who is composed of three parts and one of these parts is Jesus. So Jesus sacrificed himself to himself. Eh??? . . This sacrifice was to atone for all our sins which the Invisible Magic Friend knew we were going to commit before he created us. Oh! My head is beginning to  hurt . . 

Religion & Santa Claus

It is often argued that religion is valuable because it makes men good, but even if this were true it would not be a proof that religion is true. That would be an extension of pragmatism beyond endurance. Santa Claus makes children good in precisely the same way, and yet no one would argue seriously that the fact proves his existence. The defense of religion is full of such logical imbecilities. - H. L. Mencken

The Census Campaign update

It is claimed that, because of the way the question was worded, the 2001 census underestimated the number of non-religious people in the UK by approximately half. Yet the question remains substantially the same in next year's census.  This has all kinds of ramifications in the way our society is organised and our taxes are disbursed. 

The Census Campaign simply wants want people to know why the question on religion is flawed and why so many non-religious people didn't tick "None" in the 2001 Census. It wants people who are genuinely non-religious to have no hesitation in ticking the "No religion" box in the 2011 Census.

It is appealing for £12,000 to support an advertising campaign in the run-up to next year's census and has already reached nearly 80% of target.