Check this out: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/pastor-sean-harris-beat-gay-children-sermon_n_1474510?ref=gay-voices Typical. Whenever an extremist is called out for making violent and hateful remarks, the response is always the same: “Just kidding. Hah hah. I was only using hyperbole to make a point.” OK, well, I guess sauce for the goose… I think a 320 pound, heavily tattooed, leather-clad gay biker should … THE HYPERBOLE EXCUSE

You have to wonder about American liberals, as represented by the Democratic party. Their foreign policy difference from Republicans is that they claim to be even better at slaughtering Muslims and erasing civil liberties. Their economic difference is that their version of neoliberalism tilts more toward certain Wall Street factions and Silicon Valley, rather than … Liberal pseudoscience

These days I often run into the notion that in the US, demographics is on the side of nonbelief. The excessive politicization of the Religious Right has turned off the poor, minorities, and the young. The new generation of “millennials” or whatever is less identified with organized religion. So if we just ride out this … Demographics on our side?

Since earlier I mentioned the trouble Fazıl Say, a famous Turkish pianist, has run into due to his open atheism, here’s an update. Apparently he has decided Turkey has become too intolerant of religious dissent, and that he would live in exile in Japan. (Where, let’s face it, a classical pianist will be much better … Fazıl Say to exile himself; Turkish “secularism”

My interview with Nelson Brooke for ThinkAtheist is now available: The talk ranged over a number of issues–really more on philosophy of science than anything else.

By and large, I’d prefer it if more people did not hold supernatural beliefs—or at least, if they did not hold politically potent supernatural beliefs. (While I’m at it, I’d also like world peace, for my knees to suddenly not show the effects of my age on the basketball court, and so on and so … Does it matter how people reject religion?

Fazıl Say, a Turkish pianist of international renown, apparently has a twitter habit and a tendency to say what he thinks. And since in a couple of tweets he has expressed atheism and engaged in some light mockery of Islam, he is now under investigation by the office of the Public Prosecutor, under suspicion of … Turkish pianist under investigation for atheism

Here’s a religious rationale for some degree of secularism, as expressed by famous creationist Harun Yahya: “Muslim writer and intellectual, Harun Yahya, believes that “secularism is the safeguard of Islam.” Instead, he says, of the hypocrisy of women with very little religion, dressed in long black robes, or men in white robes and long beards, … Religious reason for secularism

I don’t know if secularism was ever as much a consensus position as we sometimes think. But I do think it’s weaker today. Consider some recent examples of conservative religious pushback against even rather mild secularist political positions. First, the United States. Take a look, if you can, at “In Defense of Religious Freedom A … Pressure on secularism

On my own blog, I have begun examining eight alleged Messianic prophecies, presented by Peter Stoner in his book Science Speaks. I have reached a conclusion about the first of the prophecies and will share that here. For supporting arguments and details, you can read the posts at my blog.http://crossexamination.blogspot.com/ According to Peter Stoner, Micah … Messianic Prophecy – Update