The Jesus Bus

The Atheist Bus Campaign now has a rival although it is not clear if they are actually raising any significant money.      

Nothing succeeds like success and they should perhaps bear in mind that atheist campaigns enjoy the significant advantage that atheism in the population at large (not speaking personally) tends to follow education, i.e. well-educated people are more likely to be atheist and also tend to have the highest incomes. I think this fact might be contributing significantly to the success of the ABC.

Still in the case of the Jesus Bus perhaps god will provide and make up any shortfall.

Ruth Gledhill's Religious Column in the Times

May I ask fellow atheists to keep an eye on this Times column and comment appropriately. The current  one is full of the usual religious flannel and needs a few more bombs under it.

http://tinyurl.com/b49q4e

In Defense of Geert Wilders Petition

In Defense of Geert Wilders Petition

Please sign this petition. 

Creeping censorship of free valid comment must be defeated.

Godspots

Why do some well-educated, otherwise intelligent people persist in irrational religious beliefs?  Are some brains more  susceptible than others; do some people have 'god centres' or 'godspots' due perhaps to hyperactivity in  particular nodes of the brain?

Richard Dawkins thinks there might be something in this (he calls it the proximate explanation) but considers the Darwinian ultimate explanation to be of greater significance; i.e. what would be the natural selection pressure that favoured development of godcentres or godspots in the first place?

However, for those involved in the campaign to diminish the influence of religion in modern life surely the reverse is true. Proving the proximate explanation would be  of great importance. If it could be shown that religious people preach and act under the influence of  a particular form of neurological activity rather than divine revelation it would strike a powerful blow for atheism and humanism.

The Atheist Bus

I hope the bus is in time. Read Sam Harris; "Letter to a Christian Nation".

BBC Religious Programming

The BBC boasts of its impartiality. But where can one find  the balance to the wearying succession of religious programmes. It certainly  isn't provided by the mass of non-religious broadcasting. The balance should be flagged anti-religious programmes  by humanists,  atheists etc. providing positive messages of life without reliance on ancient superstition.