Power of Prayer?

Millions, if not billions of people worldwide pray for health, good fortune, and spiritual guidance every day. There’s a good reason why so many people regularly spend time praying, and that’s because prayer is powerful.

Atheist Argument Suicide

One thing that annoys me even more than hearing stupidity from theists is hearing it from an atheist. There are some new atheists who are as blind followers as they were when they were sitting in the pews and there are some old atheists who were never firing on all cylinders to begin with. Here are some of the silliest things I’ve hears from atheists.

Atheism and Secularism

I’m not interested in making a claim about which is the “better” atheism but I am interested in the type of “unbelief” that we present and promote within our communities. Secularism shouldn’t be interested in competing because it doesn’t stand as an alternative to religion but rather a political philosophy that stands alongside belief and nonbelief. I think atheists should be championing secularism in the public/political realm.

Atheists and the Sacred

What does “sacred” mean? Does the concept have a place in atheist living? There is a common sentiment in atheist circles that no one and nothing deserves our devotion, but I think there’s some truth in the assertion that “we all worship something”. Is awe important and do rituals have a role in atheist life?

Prayer

Basically, prayer is talking to God/gods/nature or making appeals/requests. There are almost an infinite number of ways to pray. Prayer can be spontaneous or use the prayers others have written. It can be modern or ancient. But ultimately, the idea behind prayer is that a person is communicating with a divine entity or entities in some way to express something or ask for something. Sounds simple enough right? WRONG!

Lessons from Questions

Kids have a lot to teach us if we’re willing to learn. Their questions reveal much about the lessons they are learning from the adults around them. We need to take the time to hear them and adjust our conversations.

Atheism and Tragedy

Atheists face tragedy without the protective mechanisms of prayer and a belief in an afterlife. I think, in many ways, this is a gift we can give to our communities in times of grief – offering it gently and with sensitivity, mostly by example. Atheists are just as sensitive, compassionate and empathetic as theists. We are just as capable of holding space for the grieving. In addition, we are able to model practical things that can be done to help, taking action side by side with people of faith.

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

Evolution is a theory that Darwin famously proposed in the 19th century. Today, it is widely accepted among scientists and biologists as fact - no major scientific institute disputes it. However, some religious followers such as Creationists still dispute it. An argument often heard is that "there are gaps in the fossil record", but does this argument hold up?

The Greatest Lie Ever Told

It doesn’t matter which God, so for argument’s sake let’s say he is Jehovah, Yahweh, the Holy Father - the God of the Bible and of the Christian faith. Of the hundreds of religions followed around the world, it just so happens that the Christians were right after all. God exists, and he is all-powerful and all-knowing. Therefore, he should be praised and worshipped and prayed to, for he made the Earth and everyone on it, so on and so forth.

Why I Don’t Argue with Creationists

There are several reasons why I simply don’t argue with creationists anymore. The first among them being time. There was a time when evolution was unconfirmed. There was a time when we didn’t have thousands of fossils. There was a time when we had no genetic evidence of evolution whatsoever. There was a time when the evidence for evolution was not readily available to the general public. That time has long since passed.