ScienceDaily -- Humans have evolved to become the most flexible of the primates and being able to live in lots of different social settings sets us apart from non-human primates, suggests research by University of Oxford and the University of Auckland.
--snip--
The researchers conclude that only humans have had the flexibility to live in a range of different, complicated social settings. Throughout history, humans have lived in monogamous and polygamous societies; in nuclear family and extended family groups. Beyond the home, they have socialised in different work settings, as well as being part of the complicated social structure of wider human society.
Lead author Dr Susanne Shultz, from the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Oxford, said: 'There is an amazing flexibility in the way humans have managed to socialise, network and live together, both in groups and wider society. We have a huge variety of social settings to cope with, according to the different cultural practices and customs. This flexibility in the human lineage has not evolved to anything like this level in other primates. Our findings support previous studies that suggest that more brain power is needed for groups that have a more complicated social life.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220205212.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
First Earth-Size Planets Beyond Our Solar System: Smallest Exoplanets Ever Confirmed Around a Star Like Our Sun
ScienceDaily -- NASA's Kepler mission has discovered the first Earth-size planets orbiting a sun-like star outside our solar system. The planets, called Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f, are too close to their star to be in the so-called habitable zone where liquid water could exist on a planet's surface, but they are the smallest exoplanets ever confirmed around a star like our sun.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220134044.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111220134044.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29
Chinese Atheists Lured to Find Jesus at U.S. Christian Schools
(Bloomberg) -- Haiying Wu’s family in Shandong Province wasn’t religious. After a born-again Texan teaching English in China advised her that Christian schools in the U.S. are safe and academically strong, she enrolled at Ben Lippen High School in Columbia, South Carolina.
Ben Lippen required her to attend church and chapel, take Bible class, and join a Bible study group. At first, she didn’t understand “why you need to believe in something you can’t view or touch,” she said. Gradually, it began to make sense. When the house parents in her dorm showed the 2004 film, “The Passion of the Christ,” she wept. Shortly before her 2009 graduation, she was baptized.
MORE: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-20/chinese-atheists-lured-to-find-jesus-at-u-s-christian-schools.html
Ben Lippen required her to attend church and chapel, take Bible class, and join a Bible study group. At first, she didn’t understand “why you need to believe in something you can’t view or touch,” she said. Gradually, it began to make sense. When the house parents in her dorm showed the 2004 film, “The Passion of the Christ,” she wept. Shortly before her 2009 graduation, she was baptized.
MORE: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-12-20/chinese-atheists-lured-to-find-jesus-at-u-s-christian-schools.html
Atheists disappointed by rejected billboards
MANSFIELD -- An atheist civil rights group is disappointed in the Mansfield-based Lind Media Company's decision to refuse a billboard depicting Poseidon, Jesus, Satan and Santa Claus as myths.
The downtown company waited until one business day before the billboards were scheduled to go up to inform the Mid Ohio Atheists, an affiliate of American Atheists, that the billboards were denied, the group said.
MORE: http://www.marionstar.com/article/20111220/NEWS01/112200317/Atheists-disappointed-by-rejected-billboards
See also:
Atheist Group Wants to Place a Sign Next to a Nativity Scene in Warren
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/taryn_asher/atheist-group-wants-to-place-a-sign-next-to-a-nativity-scene-in-warren-20111218-dk
Warren atheist wants to place controversial sign next to nativity scene
http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/macomb_county/warren-atheist-wants-to-place-controversial-sign-next-to-nativity-scene
The downtown company waited until one business day before the billboards were scheduled to go up to inform the Mid Ohio Atheists, an affiliate of American Atheists, that the billboards were denied, the group said.
MORE: http://www.marionstar.com/article/20111220/NEWS01/112200317/Atheists-disappointed-by-rejected-billboards
See also:
Atheist Group Wants to Place a Sign Next to a Nativity Scene in Warren
http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news/taryn_asher/atheist-group-wants-to-place-a-sign-next-to-a-nativity-scene-in-warren-20111218-dk
Warren atheist wants to place controversial sign next to nativity scene
http://www.wxyz.com/dpp/news/region/macomb_county/warren-atheist-wants-to-place-controversial-sign-next-to-nativity-scene
North Koreans grief-stricken over Kim's death
(CNN) -- When the tearful broadcaster broke the news to North Koreans that their leader, Kim Jong Il, had died, the audience in the hall gasped.
Then the hysterics began, along with the bawling and sobbing.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/19/health/north-korea-mass-grieving/index.html?hpt=hp_bn10
See also:
Kim Jong-il was a Lefty atheist in the same way that Hitler was a conservative Catholic
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tomchiversscience/100125016/kim-jong-il-was-a-lefty-atheist-in-the-same-way-that-hitler-was-a-conservative-catholic/
Then the hysterics began, along with the bawling and sobbing.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/19/health/north-korea-mass-grieving/index.html?hpt=hp_bn10
See also:
Kim Jong-il was a Lefty atheist in the same way that Hitler was a conservative Catholic
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/tomchiversscience/100125016/kim-jong-il-was-a-lefty-atheist-in-the-same-way-that-hitler-was-a-conservative-catholic/
Why young evangelicals are leaving church
(CNN) -- Republican conservatives should be worried.
Evangelical churches that frequently support conservative candidates are
finally admitting something the rest of us have known for some time:
Their young adult members are abandoning church in significant numbers
and taking their voting power with them.
--snip--
Consider the following facts about millennials in general:
• Seven in 10 millennials say sex between an unmarried man and woman is morally acceptable (PDF). (According to Kinnaman, young Christians are as sexually active as non-Christians.)
• Most women in their early 20s who give birth are unmarried.
• More than six in 10 millennials (including 49% of Republican millennials) support same-sex marriages.
• Six in 10 millennials say abortion should be legal (PDF), a higher proportion than found in the general population. A higher percentage say abortion services should be available in local communities.
Millennials also part ways with conservative orthodoxy on wealth distribution and caring for the environment. According to a report in The Christian Science Monitor, three out of four say that wealthy corporations and financiers have too much power and that taxes should be raised on the very wealthy, and two out of three say financial institutions should be regulated more closely. In addition, most say that creationists' view on evolution is outdated.
• Seven in 10 millennials say sex between an unmarried man and woman is morally acceptable (PDF). (According to Kinnaman, young Christians are as sexually active as non-Christians.)
• Most women in their early 20s who give birth are unmarried.
• More than six in 10 millennials (including 49% of Republican millennials) support same-sex marriages.
• Six in 10 millennials say abortion should be legal (PDF), a higher proportion than found in the general population. A higher percentage say abortion services should be available in local communities.
Millennials also part ways with conservative orthodoxy on wealth distribution and caring for the environment. According to a report in The Christian Science Monitor, three out of four say that wealthy corporations and financiers have too much power and that taxes should be raised on the very wealthy, and two out of three say financial institutions should be regulated more closely. In addition, most say that creationists' view on evolution is outdated.
Monday, December 19, 2011
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Reddit atheists raise over $200k for Doctors Without Borders
Good without God: Reddit atheists raise over $200,000 for Doctors Without Borders.
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Jon Stewart declares War on Christmas....
This is a link to the full episode, but he declares the war right at the top of the show:
http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/tue-december-6-2011-jonah-hill
http://www.thedailyshow.com/full-episodes/tue-december-6-2011-jonah-hill
Atheists Trade in Traditional Christian Symbols, Create Meaningful Icons of their Own
It’s that time of year again. The Holiday season is upon us, and with it comes classic Yuletide traditions such as eggnog, carols, the lighting of menorahs and decorating a Christmas tree. Ah yes, the Christmas tree, bedecked in lights, garnished with care and topped with…a flying spaghetti monster?
Instead of a star or an angel on top of ye ole Christmas tree this year, many atheists might surprise their family and friends with a proudly placed personified representation of a mound of spaghetti and meatballs atop their tree.
Why you might ask?
Katie Aston, a PhD candidate at Goldsmiths University in London researching atheist aesthetics and material cultures, suggests that such non-religious symbols, taken at face value as a joke, may serve similar purposes to explicitly religious images.
“The visual in a non-religious worldview, is of great importance,” Aston said, “it forms a vehicle for a number of ideas which either express or support the practice of a non-religious life and on occasion outwardly reject the religious images offered.”
The latter might very well be the case with the Flying Spaghetti Monster tree decoration or a number of other well-known atheist symbols and visual aids.
Take for example the “Darwin Fish.” Often found on the back of cars in mock comparison to the ICTHYS fish found on the bumpers of Christians, the Darwinian alternative is intended to promote evolution and to show unequivocally that the owner of the vehicle is not Christian, not a creationist and most definitely does not believe in a deity.
It might be said that the symbol’s strength is found in its resemblance to a common Christian sign.
Similarly, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a parodic deity meant to challenge Christian beliefs in God, is placed on top of the tree instead of an angel or a “Bethlehem star” pointing to Jesus’ nativity.
These atheist symbols use Christian images or icons and replace them with their own to establish a contra-identity. At times this re-branding, as it were, can prove provocative.
MORE: http://blog.chron.com/sacredduty/2011/11/atheist-aesthetics/
Instead of a star or an angel on top of ye ole Christmas tree this year, many atheists might surprise their family and friends with a proudly placed personified representation of a mound of spaghetti and meatballs atop their tree.
Why you might ask?
Katie Aston, a PhD candidate at Goldsmiths University in London researching atheist aesthetics and material cultures, suggests that such non-religious symbols, taken at face value as a joke, may serve similar purposes to explicitly religious images.
“The visual in a non-religious worldview, is of great importance,” Aston said, “it forms a vehicle for a number of ideas which either express or support the practice of a non-religious life and on occasion outwardly reject the religious images offered.”
The latter might very well be the case with the Flying Spaghetti Monster tree decoration or a number of other well-known atheist symbols and visual aids.
Take for example the “Darwin Fish.” Often found on the back of cars in mock comparison to the ICTHYS fish found on the bumpers of Christians, the Darwinian alternative is intended to promote evolution and to show unequivocally that the owner of the vehicle is not Christian, not a creationist and most definitely does not believe in a deity.
It might be said that the symbol’s strength is found in its resemblance to a common Christian sign.
Similarly, the Flying Spaghetti Monster, a parodic deity meant to challenge Christian beliefs in God, is placed on top of the tree instead of an angel or a “Bethlehem star” pointing to Jesus’ nativity.
These atheist symbols use Christian images or icons and replace them with their own to establish a contra-identity. At times this re-branding, as it were, can prove provocative.
MORE: http://blog.chron.com/sacredduty/2011/11/atheist-aesthetics/
Holiday displays fire up debate in Loudoun County
Baby Jesus is keeping strange company.
For the better part of 50 years, a creche and a Christmas tree were the only holiday displays on the Loudoun County Courthouse grounds.
Then came the atheists. And the Jedis. And the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster - each with its own decorations. A skeleton Santa Claus was mounted on a cross, intended by its creator to portray society's obsession with consumerism. Nearby, a pine tree stood adorned with atheist testimonials. ("I can be moral without religion," declared one laminated ornament.)
Flying Spaghetti Monster devotees are scheduled to put up their contribution this weekend. It's a banner portraying a Nativity-style scene, but Jesus is nowhere to be found. Instead, the Virgin Mary cradles a stalk-eyed noodle-and-meatball creature, its manger surrounded by an army of pirates, a solemn gnome and barnyard animals. The message proclaims: "Touched by an Angelhair."
With the new displays, a new tradition was born: a charged seasonal debate.
This year, the dispute struck a particularly raw nerve. Skeleton Santa was ripped down - twice. Kenneth Reid, Loudoun County supervisor-elect for the Leesburg district, sent a news release opposing "outrageous anti religious displays." In a letter to a local newspaper, one resident decried the "mean-spirited attack by the faithless on the faithful."
See Also...
Air Force Base denies atheist display, allows Menorah and Nativity Scene
Mayor refuses to include atheist banner in holiday display
Atheists Demand Texas Town Take Christmas from Square
Atheist Group Targets Holiday Displays
Pennsylvania town won't include atheist banner in holiday display
Atheist Display Space Puts Squeeze on Santa Monica Nativity Scenes
Atheists Seek OK For Banner For Christmas Display
Atheist group criticizes Nativity scene on East Texas courthouse square, plans its own display
Nativity's potential removal sparks outcry
Friday, December 16, 2011
In Memoriam: Christopher Hitchens, 1949–2011
In Memoriam: Christopher Hitchens, 1949–2011
http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/12/In-Memoriam-Christopher-Hitchens-19492011
Christopher Hitchens obituaries
Humanists Mourn Christopher Hitchens: Stalwart for Atheism
http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/12/16/charles-lewis-christopher-hitchens-an-enemy-of-religion-a-true-inspiration-to-atheists/
Unarguably the end of the line for Hitchens, atheist, intellectual and 'charmer'
http://theland.farmonline.com.au/news/metro/national/general/unarguably-the-end-of-the-line-for-hitchens-atheist-intellectual-and-charmer/2396283.aspx
Polemical journalist and atheist Christopher Hitchens dead at 62
http://www.vancouversun.com/entertainment/Polemical+journalist+atheist+Christopher+Hitchens+dead/5868708/story.html
Atheist intellectual Christopher Hitchens dead at 62
http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/americas/6155679/Atheist-intellectual-Christopher-Hitchens-dead-at-62
A Conversation With the Late Christopher Hitchens
http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/169432/a-conversation-with-the-late-christopher-hitchens/
When an Atheist Dies: Religious Reflections on Christopher Hitchens' Death
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/paul-raushenbush/christopher-hitchens-atheist-dies_b_1153271.html?ref=books&ir=Books
Controversial author, atheist, Christopher Hitchens dies at 62
http://www.vancouversun.com/health/Controversial+author+atheist+Christopher+Hitchens+dies/5871530/story.html
Christopher Hitchens against God
http://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/christopher-hitchens-god-article-1.992536
God is not great: Remembering Christopher Hitchens, Atheist hero
http://www.examiner.com/humanist-in-national/god-is-not-great-remembering-christopher-hitchens-atheist-hero
Famed atheist Christopher Hitchens dead at 62
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/16/famed-atheist-christopher-hitchens-dead-at-62/comment-page-2/
Christopher Hitchens: 'Atheist Intellectual,' 'Noble Contrarian'
http://www.vancouversun.com/Outspoken+atheist+felt+duty+attack+sacred+cows/5876876/story.html
Atheist intellectual Christopher Hitchens dead at 62
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/12/16/us-christopherhitchens-idUSTRE7BF0FI20111216Christopher Hitchens, atheist to the very end
http://www.thespec.com/whatson/artsentertainment/article/641522--christopher-hitchens-atheist-to-the-very-end
Remembering Christopher Hitchens
http://richarddawkins.net/articles/644326-remembering-christopher-hitchens
Secular Guidelines to Moral Living: A Tribute to Christopher Hitchens
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jeff-schweitzer/christopher-hitchens-morality_b_1155055.html
God Sent Christopher Hitchens to Hell Because He Loved Him
http://richarddawkins.net/videos/644277-god-sent-christopher-hitchens-to-hell-because-he-loved-him
Close Family Ties Keep Microbial Cheaters in Check, Study Finds
ScienceDaily -- Any multicellular animal, from a blue whale to a human being, poses a special challenge for evolution.
Most of the cells in its body will die without reproducing; only a privileged few will pass their genes to the next generation.
How could the extreme degree of cooperation required by multicellular existence actually evolve? Why aren't all creatures unicellular individualists determined to pass on their own genes?
Joan Strassmann and David Queller, evolutionary biologists at Washington University in St. Louis, provide an answer in this week's issue of the journal Science.
Experiments with amoebae that usually live as individuals, but must also join with others to form multicellular bodies to complete their life cycles, show that cooperation depends on kinship.
If amoebae occur in well-mixed cosmopolitan groups, cheaters will always be able to thrive by free-loading on their cooperative neighbors.
But if groups derive from a single cell, cheaters will usually occur in all-cheater groups and will have no cooperators to exploit.
The only exceptions are brand new cheater mutants in all-cooperator groups, and these could pose a problem if the mutation rate is high enough and there are many cells in the group to mutate.
The scientists calculated just how many times amoebae that arose from a single cell can safely divide before cooperation degenerates into a free-for-all.
The answer turns out to be 100 generations or more.
Population bottlenecks that kill off diversity and restart the population from a single cell are powerful stabilizers of cellular cooperation, the scientists conclude.
"The leap from single-celled organisms to multicelled ones was a critical step in the history of life that paved the way for the world's plants and animals, including humans," says Sam Scheiner, program director in the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Division of Environmental Biology, which funded the research. "This study provides important clues that about the conditions necessary for that leap."
Rats to the Rescue in Cage Experiment
NYT -- A new study in the journal Science has found that rats can be helpful -- the first instance that such behavior has been documented in rodents.
The researchers placed a free-roaming rat in an arena with a caged rat. Over the course of several days, the free rats realized they could nudge open a door and release the caged rat.
After figuring this out, they did so repeatedly, day after day.
The researchers placed a free-roaming rat in an arena with a caged rat. Over the course of several days, the free rats realized they could nudge open a door and release the caged rat.
After figuring this out, they did so repeatedly, day after day.
"They then did what we refer to as a celebration," said an author of the study, Peggy Mason, a neuroscientist at the University of Chicago. "The trapped rat runs around the arena, and the free rat appears excited and runs after the trapped rat."
That behavior alone is not enough to show that rats are empathetic, she said. The rats could be releasing their caged cohorts simply for companionship.
So the researchers changed the setup: when the free rat released the caged rat, the caged rat went into a second arena, and the two were unable to interact.
Still, the free rats released the caged rats, day after day.
Then the researchers placed a free rat in an arena with a caged rat and locked-away chocolate.
The free rats were just as likely to free the caged rat as they were to liberate the chocolate and eat it. Moreover, when they got the chocolate they almost always shared it; on average, they would leave about one and a half out of five pieces for the caged rats, Dr. Mason said.
There was also a difference in the behavior of male rats and female rats.
That behavior alone is not enough to show that rats are empathetic, she said. The rats could be releasing their caged cohorts simply for companionship.
So the researchers changed the setup: when the free rat released the caged rat, the caged rat went into a second arena, and the two were unable to interact.
Still, the free rats released the caged rats, day after day.
Then the researchers placed a free rat in an arena with a caged rat and locked-away chocolate.
The free rats were just as likely to free the caged rat as they were to liberate the chocolate and eat it. Moreover, when they got the chocolate they almost always shared it; on average, they would leave about one and a half out of five pieces for the caged rats, Dr. Mason said.
There was also a difference in the behavior of male rats and female rats.
"The females, once they open the door, they open the door every day, and within a few minutes," Dr. Mason said. "But the male rats would occasionally take off a day."
Babies Picky About Who They Imitate
Live Science -- Babies are famous for copying adults, but a new study shows that little ones carefully choose whether to imitate an adult's actions based on how credible they think the adult is.
For example, if an adult has previously displayed unreliable or dishonest behavior, the baby is less likely to mimic them, according to the study.
--snip--
The findings are consistent with previous studies from the same laboratory that suggest babies are adept at detecting an adult's reliability based on their previous behavior. In 2007 Yale University researchers found that 10-month-olds and 6-month-olds are capable of judging a person's character and using that information to decide whom they'd prefer to hang out with.
"Like older children, infants keep track of an individual's history of being accurate or inaccurate and use this information to guide their subsequent learning," said study researcher Diane Poulin-Dubois, a professor in the Concordia Department of Psychology and member of the university's Centre for Research in Human Development. "Specifically, infants choose not to learn from someone who they perceive as unreliable."
For example, if an adult has previously displayed unreliable or dishonest behavior, the baby is less likely to mimic them, according to the study.
--snip--
The findings are consistent with previous studies from the same laboratory that suggest babies are adept at detecting an adult's reliability based on their previous behavior. In 2007 Yale University researchers found that 10-month-olds and 6-month-olds are capable of judging a person's character and using that information to decide whom they'd prefer to hang out with.
"Like older children, infants keep track of an individual's history of being accurate or inaccurate and use this information to guide their subsequent learning," said study researcher Diane Poulin-Dubois, a professor in the Concordia Department of Psychology and member of the university's Centre for Research in Human Development. "Specifically, infants choose not to learn from someone who they perceive as unreliable."
Woman convicted of 'sorcery' is beheaded in Saudi Arabia
Daily Mail -- A woman convicted of practising magic and sorcery has been executed by Saudi authorities.
MORE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073181/Saudi-Arabia-authorities-behead-woman-sorcery.html
MORE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2073181/Saudi-Arabia-authorities-behead-woman-sorcery.html
Let's Talk About Evolution
Ask the average person what the word evolution means, and few will say something like "the change in the genetic frequency of a population over time". This lack of understanding is underscored by figures showing that fewer than half of Americans accept that human beings developed from earlier species of animals.
A study published in Science found that public acceptance of evolution was highest in Iceland, Denmark and Sweden (over 80% of the population). But astonishingly, this study also found that acceptance of evolution is lower in the United States than in Japan or in any of the 32 European countries included in the study except Turkey (25%). Even though this study was published in 2006 (doi:10.1126/science.1126746), subsequent surveys and polls indicate that little has changed since then.
Americans' peculiarly stubborn refusal to recognise the validity of evolution almost seems de rigueur these days. But after watching the 2011 Miss USA contestants' pathetic and (mostly) poorly-(in)formed comments about evolution, something clicked into place amongst a few of my science blog colleagues. After the giggles and guffaws died down on twitter and other social media, they decided to create a video about evolution for the general public.
The goals of this video project were to provide a platform for scientists to explain, in their own words, the importance of evolution to science, medicine and society -- and to address the importance of teaching evolution in schools. Prominent female scientists and science communicators were specifically invited to participate because the video was a response, in part, to the Miss USA fiasco.
LINK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/dec/01/1
A study published in Science found that public acceptance of evolution was highest in Iceland, Denmark and Sweden (over 80% of the population). But astonishingly, this study also found that acceptance of evolution is lower in the United States than in Japan or in any of the 32 European countries included in the study except Turkey (25%). Even though this study was published in 2006 (doi:10.1126/science.1126746), subsequent surveys and polls indicate that little has changed since then.
Americans' peculiarly stubborn refusal to recognise the validity of evolution almost seems de rigueur these days. But after watching the 2011 Miss USA contestants' pathetic and (mostly) poorly-(in)formed comments about evolution, something clicked into place amongst a few of my science blog colleagues. After the giggles and guffaws died down on twitter and other social media, they decided to create a video about evolution for the general public.
The goals of this video project were to provide a platform for scientists to explain, in their own words, the importance of evolution to science, medicine and society -- and to address the importance of teaching evolution in schools. Prominent female scientists and science communicators were specifically invited to participate because the video was a response, in part, to the Miss USA fiasco.
LINK: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/punctuated-equilibrium/2011/dec/01/1
Believers deem atheists as untrustworthy as rapists
VANCOUVER -- Religious believers distrust atheists more than members of other religious groups, gays and feminists, according to a new study by University of B.C. researchers.
The only group the study's participants distrusted as much as atheists was rapists, said doctoral student Will Gervais, lead author of the study published online in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
That prejudice had a significant impact on what kinds of jobs people said they would hire atheists to do.
"People are willing to hire an atheist for a job that is perceived as low-trust, for instance as a waitress," said Gervais. "But when hiring for a high-trust job like daycare worker, they were like, nope, not going to hire an atheist for that job."
The antipathy does not seem to run both ways, though. Atheists are indifferent to religious belief when it comes to deciding who is trustworthy.
"Atheists don't necessarily favour other atheists over Christians or anyone else," he said. "They seem to think that religion is not an important signal for who you can trust."
The researchers found that religious believers thought that descriptions of untrustworthy people — people who steal or cheat -- were more likely to be atheists than Christians, Muslims, Jews, gays or feminists.
The only group the study's participants distrusted as much as atheists was rapists, said doctoral student Will Gervais, lead author of the study published online in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology.
That prejudice had a significant impact on what kinds of jobs people said they would hire atheists to do.
"People are willing to hire an atheist for a job that is perceived as low-trust, for instance as a waitress," said Gervais. "But when hiring for a high-trust job like daycare worker, they were like, nope, not going to hire an atheist for that job."
The antipathy does not seem to run both ways, though. Atheists are indifferent to religious belief when it comes to deciding who is trustworthy.
"Atheists don't necessarily favour other atheists over Christians or anyone else," he said. "They seem to think that religion is not an important signal for who you can trust."
The researchers found that religious believers thought that descriptions of untrustworthy people — people who steal or cheat -- were more likely to be atheists than Christians, Muslims, Jews, gays or feminists.
MORE: http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Believers+deem+atheists+untrustworthy+rapists+study/5792265/story.html
See Also...
Study finds wide distrust of atheists
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/12/10/Study-finds-wide-distrust-of-atheists/UPI-95381323548249/?spt=hs&or=sn
Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-12-10/religion-atheism/51777612/1
Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-atheists-distrusted-as-much-as-rapists/2011/12/09/gIQAfYUiiO_story.html
http://www.upi.com/Science_News/2011/12/10/Study-finds-wide-distrust-of-atheists/UPI-95381323548249/?spt=hs&or=sn
Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists
http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2011-12-10/religion-atheism/51777612/1
Study: Atheists distrusted as much as rapists
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/study-atheists-distrusted-as-much-as-rapists/2011/12/09/gIQAfYUiiO_story.html
Air Force Academy adapts to pagans, druids, witches & Wiccan
LA Times -- In the still of a cold November evening, a small gathering of pagans, led by two witches, begins preparations for the coming winter solstice. But these are not just any pagans, and this is not just any setting. They are future officers of the United States Air Force practicing their faith in the basement of the Air Force Academy's cadet chapel.
Their ranks are slim. According to the academy's enrollment records, only three of 4,300 cadets identified themselves as pagans, followers of an ancient religion that generally does not worship a single god and considers all things in nature interconnected.
Still, the academy this year dedicated an $80,000 outdoor worship center — a small Stonehenge-like circle of boulders with propane fire pit — high on a hill for the handful of current or future cadets whose religions fall under the broad category of "Earth-based." Those include pagans, Wiccans, druids, witches and followers of Native American faiths.
Witches in the Air Force? Chaplain Maj. Darren Duncan, branch chief of cadet faith communities at the academy, sighs. A punch line waiting to happen, and he's heard all the broom jokes.
Their ranks are slim. According to the academy's enrollment records, only three of 4,300 cadets identified themselves as pagans, followers of an ancient religion that generally does not worship a single god and considers all things in nature interconnected.
Still, the academy this year dedicated an $80,000 outdoor worship center — a small Stonehenge-like circle of boulders with propane fire pit — high on a hill for the handful of current or future cadets whose religions fall under the broad category of "Earth-based." Those include pagans, Wiccans, druids, witches and followers of Native American faiths.
Witches in the Air Force? Chaplain Maj. Darren Duncan, branch chief of cadet faith communities at the academy, sighs. A punch line waiting to happen, and he's heard all the broom jokes.
Abstinence-Only Education Does Not Lead to Abstinent Behavior, Researchers Find
ScienceDaily -- States that prescribe abstinence-only sex education programs in public schools have significantly higher teenage pregnancy and birth rates than states with more comprehensive sex education programs, researchers from the University of Georgia have determined.
The researchers looked at teen pregnancy and birth data from 48 U.S. states to evaluate the effectiveness of those states' approaches to sex education, as prescribed by local laws and policies.
--snip--
"This clearly shows that prescribed abstinence-only education in public schools does not lead to abstinent behavior," said David Hall, second author and assistant professor of genetics in the Franklin College. "It may even contribute to the high teen pregnancy rates in the U.S. compared to other industrialized countries."
The researchers looked at teen pregnancy and birth data from 48 U.S. states to evaluate the effectiveness of those states' approaches to sex education, as prescribed by local laws and policies.
--snip--
"This clearly shows that prescribed abstinence-only education in public schools does not lead to abstinent behavior," said David Hall, second author and assistant professor of genetics in the Franklin College. "It may even contribute to the high teen pregnancy rates in the U.S. compared to other industrialized countries."
The Unbelievers
NYT -- RONNELLE ADAMS came out to his mother twice, first about his homosexuality, then about his atheism.
--snip--
--snip--
This was in 2000, and Mr. Adams did not meet another black atheist in
Washington until 2009, when he found the Facebook group called Black
Atheists, which immediately struck a chord. “I felt like, ‘100 black
atheists? Wow!’” he said.
In the two years since, Black Atheists has grown to 879 members from
that initial 100, YouTube confessionals have attracted thousands, blogs
like “Godless and Black”
have gained followings, and hundreds more have joined Facebook groups
like Black Atheist Alliance (524 members) to share their struggles with
“coming out” about their atheism.
Feeling isolated from religious friends and families and excluded from
what it means to be African-American, people turn to these sites to seek
out advice and understanding, with some of them even finding a date.
And having benefited from the momentum online, organizations like African Americans for Humanism and Center for Inquiry-Harlem have well-attended meet-up groups, and others like Black Atheists of America and Black Nonbelievers have been founded.
African-Americans are remarkably religious even for a country known for
its faithfulness, as the United States is. According to the Pew Forum
2008 United States Religious Landscape Survey, 88 percent of
African-Americans believe in God with absolute certainty, compared with
71 percent of the total population, with more than half attending
religious services at least once a week.
MORE: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/27/fashion/african-american-atheists.html?_r=3&pagewanted=all
See Also...
See Also...
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/12/08/black-atheist-and-living-in-the-south/comment-page-1/
The Root's series on Black Atheism
http://richarddawkins.net/articles/644168-the-root-s-series-on-black-atheism
Report tracks explosion of religious lobbying in Washington
(CNN) - Lobbying and advocacy by religious groups in Washington have exploded in recent decades, increasing fivefold since 1970 to become a nearly $400 million industry, a new Pew report finds.
More than 200 groups are doing faith-related lobbying and advocacy in the nation’s capital, compared to fewer than 40 in 1970, according to the report. Put together, the groups employ at least 1,000 people.
More than 200 groups are doing faith-related lobbying and advocacy in the nation’s capital, compared to fewer than 40 in 1970, according to the report. Put together, the groups employ at least 1,000 people.
'We Are Atheism'
Atheists Launch Campaign To Get Unbelievers To 'Come Out'
(RNS) The young man in the video pulls in close to his computer camera with the trappings of a typical college dorm room -- a loft bed and the clutter of cast-off clothes -- piled behind him.
Alex Fiorentini isn't talking about girls, beer or football. Instead, it's a coming-out moment of sorts.
"Is it acceptable to the majority of the population to be an atheist?" he asks the camera. "Nope. Are all of your friends going to accept you as an atheist? Probably not all of them. And yeah, those things are gonna suck. But the real question is, 'Is it OK to be me?' That is the real question if you are an atheist."
For Fiorentini, a student at the University of Illinois, the answer is yes. He and scores of other atheists, young and old, have made similar videos for a new campaign designed to build community and support among nontheists around the world.
Dubbed "We Are Atheism," the campaign was launched this fall by three students at the University of Kansas.
"It's time for us to all stand up, speak out and be counted," said Amanda Brown, 25, one of the co-founders. "It is time for us to put up our videos and change the face of atheism. We want people to see we are normal people who have children and lives and do good in the community."
LINK TO "We Are Atheism": http://www.weareatheism.com/
The Gods Themselves
There are thousands upon thousands of supernatural beings that people have believed in over time.
Here are some of the ones that start with the letter "A" (feel free to skim):
A, A'as, A'ra, A-a, Aa Maakhuer, Aabit, Aaghu Gugu, Aah, Aahmes Nefertari, Aakuluujjusi, Aasith, Aataentsic, Aatxe, Ab Kin Xoc, Aba khatun Baikal, Abaangui, Abaasy, Abaddon, Abandinus, Abarta, Abassi, Abat[t]ur, Abeguwo, Abello (Abellio), Abeona, Abere, Abgal (Apkallu), Abhijit, Abhijnaraja, Abhiyoga, Abira, Abnona, Abora, Abowie, Abraxas (Abraxis, Abrsax), Abu, Abuk, Abunciada (Abondia, Habondia), Abundantia (Abundita), Abziu, Acala, Acat, Acatl (Omacatl) , Acaum (Ah Can Cum), Acaviser, Acca, Acca Larentia, Accasbel, Acchupta, Acco, Achelois, Achiyalatopa, Achlae (Achelous, Acleloos, Aclelous), Achtland, Aclla, Acna (Akna), Acolmiztli, Acolnahuacatl, Acoran Gran Canary, Adad, Adamanthea, Adamisil Wedo, Adam[m]as, Adaro, Addanc, Adekagagwaa, Adeona, Adeos, Adhimukticarya, Adibuddha, Adidharma, Adimurti, Aditi, Adityas, Adonis, Adrammelech, Adrastea, Adrasteia, Adro, Adroa, Adsullata, Aea, Aeacoc, Aebhel (Aeval), Aebhel Afekan, Aed, Aedos, Aegeria, Aegir, Aelus (Aiolos) , Aengus, Aeolos, Aequitas, Aericura, Aerten (Aerfen, Aeron), Aesculapius (Ascelpius), Aesir, Aesma Daeva, Aestas, Aesun, Aether, Aetna, Aeval, Afekan, Afi, Afreet, Ag'o, Agaman Nibo, Agamede, Agas, Agasaya, Agathos Daimon, Age Fon, Agischanak, Aglaia, Aglibol, Agni, Agni Hindu, Agnikumara, Agnostos Theos, Agrona, Agrotera, Agu'gux, Aguara, Agwe, Agweta, Ah Bolom Tzacab, Ah Bolon Dz'acab, Ah Chun Caan, Ah Ciliz, Ah Cun Can, Ah Hulneb, Ah Kin, Ah Kin Xoc, Ah Kinchil, Ah Kumix Unicob, Ah Mun, Ah Muzecab, Ah Patnar Uinicob, Ah Peku, Ah Puch, Ah Tabai, Ah Uaynih, Ah Unicir Dz'acab, Ah Uuc Ticab, Ah Wink ir Masa, Aha, Ahat, Ahau Chamahez, Ahau Kin, Ahemait, Aheramenmthoou, Ahladini-Sadini (Parvati), Ahmakiq, Ahnt Alis Pok', Ahnt kai, Ahone, Ahriman, Ahsonnutli, Ahti, Ahuic, Ahulane, Ahura Mazda, Ahurani, Ai Ada, Ai Apec Mochica, Ai Tojon, Ai Tupua'i, Aiakos, Aialila'axa, Aiaru, Aibell, Aibheaeg, Aida Wedo, Aidin, Aido Wedo, Aife (Aoife), Aige, Aijo, Ailsie, Aimend, Ain, Aine of Knockaine, Aino, Airmid, Airsekui, Airyaman, Aisha, Aisha Qandisha, Aittsamka Bella, Aitu, Aitvaras, Aius Locutius, Aizen-Myoo, Aizen-Myoo, Aja, Ajalamo Yoruba, Ajatar, Ajaya, Ajbit, Aje, Aji Suki Taka Hi Kone, Ajok, Ajtzak, Ajysyt Yakut, Aka, Akasagarbha, Akelos, Aken, Aker, Akerbeltz, Akert khentet auset[s], Akeru, Akewa, Akhushtal, Akkadia (Isara), Akkadia (Sulman[u] Mesopotamia), Akonadi, Akongo, Akras Karelian (Egres) , Aksayajnana-Karmanda, Aksobhya, Aktunowihio, Akuj Akuj, Akusaa, Akycha, Al Kahdir N. (Kahdir), Al Lat, Al Shua, Al Uzza, Ala, Ala Ibo, Ala Muki, Alaaye (Olodumare), Alaghom Naom Tzentel, Alaisiagae, Alako, Alalahe, Alalu Ossetian, Alalus, Alastor, Alatangana Kono, Alaunus, Alauwaimis, Albasta, Albina, Alcis, Alecto, Alecto of Eumenides, Alectrona, Alemona, Alephus, Alfhild, Alfs, Alignak, Alii Menehune, Alisanos, Alk'unta'm Bella, Alkonost, Allah, Allatu[m], Almaqah, Almha, Almoshi, Aloadae (Aloidae), Alom, Alopurbi, Alpanu, Alpheus, Alphito, Altan Telgey, Altria, Aluelp, Aluluei, Am-Heh, Ama, Ama No Uzume, Ama Terasu, Ama-arhus (Amat-Ama-arhus, Arad-Ama-arhus), Ama-Tsu-Mara, Amaethon, Amagandar, Amakandu (Sakka[n]) , Amalthea, Amasagnul, Amaterasu O-Mi-Kami (Amaterasu), Amatsu Mikaboshi, Amaunet, Amayicoyondi, Amba Dravidian, Amberella, Ambikas (Mataras), Ambisagrus, Ame No Uzume, Ame-No-Kagase-Wo, Ame-No-Mi-Kumari-No-Kami, Ame-No-Minaka-Nushi-No-Kami, Ame-No-Tanabata-Hime-No-Mikoto, Ame-No-Toko-Tachi-No-Kami, Ame-Waka-Hiko, Amelenwa, Amelia, Amen, Ament, Amesha, Ami, Amida, Amimitl, Amitabha, Amitolane, Amm, Amma, Ammavaru, Ammit, Ammon (Amen), Amn, Amogahasiddhi, Amoghapasa, Amon (Amun), Amor, Amphion, Amphitrite, Amponyinamoa, Amset (Imset), Amsu, Amun, Amunet, Amurru, Amymone, An, An Zu, Anael, Anahita, Anahita, Anaitis, Anala, Ananke, Ananse, Ananta, Anantamukhi, Anantesa, Anapel, Anasuya, Anat (Anath), Anath, Anatis, Anatu, Anaulikutsai'x Bella, Anbay S., Ancasta, Anceta, Andarta, Andjety, Andrasta Icene, Andriaahoabu, Andriam Vabi Rano, Androgyne, Andromeda, Andvari, Anextiomarus, Angels, Angerona, Angina, Angitia, Angitia, Angpetu Wi, Angru Mainya, Angus, Angus Mac Og, Angus Og, Anguta, Anhouri, Anhur, Ani, Anieros, Anila, Aningan, Anjea, Ankalamman, Anna Kuari, Anna Perenna, Annalia, Annallja Tu Bari, Annapatni, Annapurna, Annis, Anpao, Anqet, Ansa, Ansar, Anshur (Ashur, Asshur), Antaboga, Antai, Anteros, Antevorta, Antheia, Anti, Antu, Anuanaitu, Anubis, Anuket, Anukis, Anulap, Anumati, Anunit, Anunitu, Anunnaki, Anuradha, Anus (Anann, Anu), Anwho, Anyigba, Anzety, Aondo Tiv, Apa, Apacita, Apam Napat, Apap Teso, Apate, Apaturia, Apedmak, Apep, Apesh, Apet, Aphaea, Aphrodisias, Aphrodite, Aphrodite Pandemos, Apis, Apiu, Apo, Apollo, Apolonia, Aponibolinayen, Apophis, Apozanoltl, Appias, Apsaras, Apsu, Apuat, Aquilo, Aquit, Arachne, Aralo (Aparajita, Aray), Aramazd, Aranyani, Aranzahas, Arapacana, Ararat, Araua, Arawa Suk, Arawn (Arawen, Arawyn, Arrawn), Arazu, Archons, Ard Greimme, Ardhanarit savara, Ardra, Arduinna, Ardvi Sura Anahita, Ardwinna, Arebati, Areimanios, Ares, Arete, Argante, Arge, Ari Au Tchesf, Ariadne, Arianrhod, Arianrod, Aricia, Arimanius (Areimaios), Arinna, Aristaeus, Aristatos, Arito, Arjuna, Arma, Armaz, Arna'kuagsak (Nuli'rahak), Arnakua'gak, Arnamentia, Arnemetia, Arom Kafir, Arsan Duolai Yakut, Arsay, Arsu, Artaius, Artemis, Arthapratisamvit, Artio of Muti, Aruna, Arundhati, Aruru, Arvenus, Arya-Tara, Aryaman, Aryong Jong, As, As ava, As-im-babbar (Nanna), Asa Poorna, Asalluha, Asar, Asase Afua, Asase Ya, Asbit, Ascelpius, Asertu, Asgaya Gigagei, Ashera, Asherah, Asherali, Ashi, Ashiakle, Ashima, Ashimbabbar, Ashirat, Ashis, Ashkit, Ashnan (Asnan), Ashtaroth, Ashur, Ashvins, Asi, Asiaq, Asima Si, Asintmah Athabasca, Asira, Asis Suk, Askelpios, Aslea[s], Aso, Asokottamasri, Asopos, Aspalis W., Asrael, Asratum, Assur, Astabis, Astamastara, Astapaios, Astar, Astaroth, Astarte, Asterodeia, Asthertet, Astlik Georgia, Astoreth, Astraea, Astraeos, Astrik, Asuha-No-Kami, Asuras, Asurkumara, Asvayujau, Asvins, At Em, Ataa Naa Nyongmo Gan, Atabei (Attabeira), Ataecina, Atahensic, Atai, Atalacamani, Atanea, Atar, Atargatis, Atasamain, Ate, Atea, Aten, Atete, Athena (Athene), Athirat, Athor, Athtart, Atida, Atira, Atius (Tirawa), Atl, Atlacoya, Atlahua, Atlaonin, Atlas, Atma, Atoja, Atropos, Attabeira Atahensic, Attar, Attis, Atua Fafine Tikopia, Atua I Kafika Tikopia, Atua I Raropuka Tikpoa, Atugan, Atum, Atunis, Au, Au Co, Auchimalgen, Audjal, Aufaniae, Augeus, Augralids, Auilix, Aura, Aurita, Aurora, Ausaitis, Auseklis, Auset, Austeja, Auster (Notus), Austrine, Autyeb, Auxesia, Avalokitesvara, Avatar, Avatea, Averruncus, Aversa, Aveta, Avfruvva, Avrikiti Fon, Awitelin Tsita, Awonawilona, Axiocersa, Axo Mama, Aya, Ayaba, Ayas, Ayauhteot, Ayauhteotl, Ayi' Uru'n Toyoy'n Yakut (Uru'n Ajy Toyo'n), Ayida, Ayiyanayaka, Ayizan, Aylekete (Agbe), Ayt'ar, Ayurvasita, Ayyapan, Azacca, Azapane (Bele), Azele Yaba, Azer Ava, Azi, Aziri, and Azizos.
The list above was complied from various sources. An example of one fairly comprehensive list is the Dictionary of Ancient Deities by Patricia Turner and Charles Russell Coulter, which includes over 10,000 entries.
Here are some of the ones that start with the letter "A" (feel free to skim):
A, A'as, A'ra, A-a, Aa Maakhuer, Aabit, Aaghu Gugu, Aah, Aahmes Nefertari, Aakuluujjusi, Aasith, Aataentsic, Aatxe, Ab Kin Xoc, Aba khatun Baikal, Abaangui, Abaasy, Abaddon, Abandinus, Abarta, Abassi, Abat[t]ur, Abeguwo, Abello (Abellio), Abeona, Abere, Abgal (Apkallu), Abhijit, Abhijnaraja, Abhiyoga, Abira, Abnona, Abora, Abowie, Abraxas (Abraxis, Abrsax), Abu, Abuk, Abunciada (Abondia, Habondia), Abundantia (Abundita), Abziu, Acala, Acat, Acatl (Omacatl) , Acaum (Ah Can Cum), Acaviser, Acca, Acca Larentia, Accasbel, Acchupta, Acco, Achelois, Achiyalatopa, Achlae (Achelous, Acleloos, Aclelous), Achtland, Aclla, Acna (Akna), Acolmiztli, Acolnahuacatl, Acoran Gran Canary, Adad, Adamanthea, Adamisil Wedo, Adam[m]as, Adaro, Addanc, Adekagagwaa, Adeona, Adeos, Adhimukticarya, Adibuddha, Adidharma, Adimurti, Aditi, Adityas, Adonis, Adrammelech, Adrastea, Adrasteia, Adro, Adroa, Adsullata, Aea, Aeacoc, Aebhel (Aeval), Aebhel Afekan, Aed, Aedos, Aegeria, Aegir, Aelus (Aiolos) , Aengus, Aeolos, Aequitas, Aericura, Aerten (Aerfen, Aeron), Aesculapius (Ascelpius), Aesir, Aesma Daeva, Aestas, Aesun, Aether, Aetna, Aeval, Afekan, Afi, Afreet, Ag'o, Agaman Nibo, Agamede, Agas, Agasaya, Agathos Daimon, Age Fon, Agischanak, Aglaia, Aglibol, Agni, Agni Hindu, Agnikumara, Agnostos Theos, Agrona, Agrotera, Agu'gux, Aguara, Agwe, Agweta, Ah Bolom Tzacab, Ah Bolon Dz'acab, Ah Chun Caan, Ah Ciliz, Ah Cun Can, Ah Hulneb, Ah Kin, Ah Kin Xoc, Ah Kinchil, Ah Kumix Unicob, Ah Mun, Ah Muzecab, Ah Patnar Uinicob, Ah Peku, Ah Puch, Ah Tabai, Ah Uaynih, Ah Unicir Dz'acab, Ah Uuc Ticab, Ah Wink ir Masa, Aha, Ahat, Ahau Chamahez, Ahau Kin, Ahemait, Aheramenmthoou, Ahladini-Sadini (Parvati), Ahmakiq, Ahnt Alis Pok', Ahnt kai, Ahone, Ahriman, Ahsonnutli, Ahti, Ahuic, Ahulane, Ahura Mazda, Ahurani, Ai Ada, Ai Apec Mochica, Ai Tojon, Ai Tupua'i, Aiakos, Aialila'axa, Aiaru, Aibell, Aibheaeg, Aida Wedo, Aidin, Aido Wedo, Aife (Aoife), Aige, Aijo, Ailsie, Aimend, Ain, Aine of Knockaine, Aino, Airmid, Airsekui, Airyaman, Aisha, Aisha Qandisha, Aittsamka Bella, Aitu, Aitvaras, Aius Locutius, Aizen-Myoo, Aizen-Myoo, Aja, Ajalamo Yoruba, Ajatar, Ajaya, Ajbit, Aje, Aji Suki Taka Hi Kone, Ajok, Ajtzak, Ajysyt Yakut, Aka, Akasagarbha, Akelos, Aken, Aker, Akerbeltz, Akert khentet auset[s], Akeru, Akewa, Akhushtal, Akkadia (Isara), Akkadia (Sulman[u] Mesopotamia), Akonadi, Akongo, Akras Karelian (Egres) , Aksayajnana-Karmanda, Aksobhya, Aktunowihio, Akuj Akuj, Akusaa, Akycha, Al Kahdir N. (Kahdir), Al Lat, Al Shua, Al Uzza, Ala, Ala Ibo, Ala Muki, Alaaye (Olodumare), Alaghom Naom Tzentel, Alaisiagae, Alako, Alalahe, Alalu Ossetian, Alalus, Alastor, Alatangana Kono, Alaunus, Alauwaimis, Albasta, Albina, Alcis, Alecto, Alecto of Eumenides, Alectrona, Alemona, Alephus, Alfhild, Alfs, Alignak, Alii Menehune, Alisanos, Alk'unta'm Bella, Alkonost, Allah, Allatu[m], Almaqah, Almha, Almoshi, Aloadae (Aloidae), Alom, Alopurbi, Alpanu, Alpheus, Alphito, Altan Telgey, Altria, Aluelp, Aluluei, Am-Heh, Ama, Ama No Uzume, Ama Terasu, Ama-arhus (Amat-Ama-arhus, Arad-Ama-arhus), Ama-Tsu-Mara, Amaethon, Amagandar, Amakandu (Sakka[n]) , Amalthea, Amasagnul, Amaterasu O-Mi-Kami (Amaterasu), Amatsu Mikaboshi, Amaunet, Amayicoyondi, Amba Dravidian, Amberella, Ambikas (Mataras), Ambisagrus, Ame No Uzume, Ame-No-Kagase-Wo, Ame-No-Mi-Kumari-No-Kami, Ame-No-Minaka-Nushi-No-Kami, Ame-No-Tanabata-Hime-No-Mikoto, Ame-No-Toko-Tachi-No-Kami, Ame-Waka-Hiko, Amelenwa, Amelia, Amen, Ament, Amesha, Ami, Amida, Amimitl, Amitabha, Amitolane, Amm, Amma, Ammavaru, Ammit, Ammon (Amen), Amn, Amogahasiddhi, Amoghapasa, Amon (Amun), Amor, Amphion, Amphitrite, Amponyinamoa, Amset (Imset), Amsu, Amun, Amunet, Amurru, Amymone, An, An Zu, Anael, Anahita, Anahita, Anaitis, Anala, Ananke, Ananse, Ananta, Anantamukhi, Anantesa, Anapel, Anasuya, Anat (Anath), Anath, Anatis, Anatu, Anaulikutsai'x Bella, Anbay S., Ancasta, Anceta, Andarta, Andjety, Andrasta Icene, Andriaahoabu, Andriam Vabi Rano, Androgyne, Andromeda, Andvari, Anextiomarus, Angels, Angerona, Angina, Angitia, Angitia, Angpetu Wi, Angru Mainya, Angus, Angus Mac Og, Angus Og, Anguta, Anhouri, Anhur, Ani, Anieros, Anila, Aningan, Anjea, Ankalamman, Anna Kuari, Anna Perenna, Annalia, Annallja Tu Bari, Annapatni, Annapurna, Annis, Anpao, Anqet, Ansa, Ansar, Anshur (Ashur, Asshur), Antaboga, Antai, Anteros, Antevorta, Antheia, Anti, Antu, Anuanaitu, Anubis, Anuket, Anukis, Anulap, Anumati, Anunit, Anunitu, Anunnaki, Anuradha, Anus (Anann, Anu), Anwho, Anyigba, Anzety, Aondo Tiv, Apa, Apacita, Apam Napat, Apap Teso, Apate, Apaturia, Apedmak, Apep, Apesh, Apet, Aphaea, Aphrodisias, Aphrodite, Aphrodite Pandemos, Apis, Apiu, Apo, Apollo, Apolonia, Aponibolinayen, Apophis, Apozanoltl, Appias, Apsaras, Apsu, Apuat, Aquilo, Aquit, Arachne, Aralo (Aparajita, Aray), Aramazd, Aranyani, Aranzahas, Arapacana, Ararat, Araua, Arawa Suk, Arawn (Arawen, Arawyn, Arrawn), Arazu, Archons, Ard Greimme, Ardhanarit savara, Ardra, Arduinna, Ardvi Sura Anahita, Ardwinna, Arebati, Areimanios, Ares, Arete, Argante, Arge, Ari Au Tchesf, Ariadne, Arianrhod, Arianrod, Aricia, Arimanius (Areimaios), Arinna, Aristaeus, Aristatos, Arito, Arjuna, Arma, Armaz, Arna'kuagsak (Nuli'rahak), Arnakua'gak, Arnamentia, Arnemetia, Arom Kafir, Arsan Duolai Yakut, Arsay, Arsu, Artaius, Artemis, Arthapratisamvit, Artio of Muti, Aruna, Arundhati, Aruru, Arvenus, Arya-Tara, Aryaman, Aryong Jong, As, As ava, As-im-babbar (Nanna), Asa Poorna, Asalluha, Asar, Asase Afua, Asase Ya, Asbit, Ascelpius, Asertu, Asgaya Gigagei, Ashera, Asherah, Asherali, Ashi, Ashiakle, Ashima, Ashimbabbar, Ashirat, Ashis, Ashkit, Ashnan (Asnan), Ashtaroth, Ashur, Ashvins, Asi, Asiaq, Asima Si, Asintmah Athabasca, Asira, Asis Suk, Askelpios, Aslea[s], Aso, Asokottamasri, Asopos, Aspalis W., Asrael, Asratum, Assur, Astabis, Astamastara, Astapaios, Astar, Astaroth, Astarte, Asterodeia, Asthertet, Astlik Georgia, Astoreth, Astraea, Astraeos, Astrik, Asuha-No-Kami, Asuras, Asurkumara, Asvayujau, Asvins, At Em, Ataa Naa Nyongmo Gan, Atabei (Attabeira), Ataecina, Atahensic, Atai, Atalacamani, Atanea, Atar, Atargatis, Atasamain, Ate, Atea, Aten, Atete, Athena (Athene), Athirat, Athor, Athtart, Atida, Atira, Atius (Tirawa), Atl, Atlacoya, Atlahua, Atlaonin, Atlas, Atma, Atoja, Atropos, Attabeira Atahensic, Attar, Attis, Atua Fafine Tikopia, Atua I Kafika Tikopia, Atua I Raropuka Tikpoa, Atugan, Atum, Atunis, Au, Au Co, Auchimalgen, Audjal, Aufaniae, Augeus, Augralids, Auilix, Aura, Aurita, Aurora, Ausaitis, Auseklis, Auset, Austeja, Auster (Notus), Austrine, Autyeb, Auxesia, Avalokitesvara, Avatar, Avatea, Averruncus, Aversa, Aveta, Avfruvva, Avrikiti Fon, Awitelin Tsita, Awonawilona, Axiocersa, Axo Mama, Aya, Ayaba, Ayas, Ayauhteot, Ayauhteotl, Ayi' Uru'n Toyoy'n Yakut (Uru'n Ajy Toyo'n), Ayida, Ayiyanayaka, Ayizan, Aylekete (Agbe), Ayt'ar, Ayurvasita, Ayyapan, Azacca, Azapane (Bele), Azele Yaba, Azer Ava, Azi, Aziri, and Azizos.
The list above was complied from various sources. An example of one fairly comprehensive list is the Dictionary of Ancient Deities by Patricia Turner and Charles Russell Coulter, which includes over 10,000 entries.
It's an alphabet soup of supernatural beings up there (aren't you glad I didn't go through the whole alphabet?). You could just about stir up some random combination of letters and come up with a god. There are even some different gods with the same name.
Some of these are creator gods; some are chief gods; some are gods of the sun or moon; some are gods of fire, water, rain and war; some are demons or gods of the underworld; some are gods of storms and other natural catastrophes; some are gods of various human passions or sex; some are gods of the fetus; some are gods of women and children; some are gods for construction workers, sailors or other trades; some are local gods; some are gods for potato crops, wine, salmon, etc.; some gods are for toothaches or other pains and illnesses; there are even a couple of gods for bees in this list--and this is an incomplete list of just the ones that begin with "A."
I didn't notice a god of incontinence, but I'm pretty sure I could find one if I looked hard enough.
It's funny how you can find gods of water; gods of oceans or seas; gods of rivers, springs and mists; gods of rain; gods of running or fresh water, etc.--all from the same group of people. There seems to have been a lot of gods who were specialists in their fields...or should I say field? In many cases, while there might have been a god of the crops (who must have been like an overseer), you could still dig up a god of the potato crop (for example), who was just in charge of that specifically. Of course, he might have to deal with the god of the soil or earth, the god of the sun, and the god of the water or the rain (while appeasing the god of the storm or the god of droughts).
In other words, people seemed to have some very specific information about these beings. It wasn't like some vague notion that there is this god that has been hanging around, or there is this god that has something to do with liquid or growing things. Rather, they knew their names and specifically what their areas of responsibility were. They even seemed to know stories about them, their history, their personality types, events in their lives, other supernatural beings with which they interacted, what would make them pleased or angry, and so on. They seemed to know their gods fairly intimately, almost as if they lived around the corner and popped by on occasion to gossip over tea and crumpets.
I don't guess most of the people reading through that list truly believe that most of these supernatural beings really exist, so where did all this information come from? If they aren't real, if the stories aren't true, then they must have been made-up.
Who made up all these stories?
Some of these are creator gods; some are chief gods; some are gods of the sun or moon; some are gods of fire, water, rain and war; some are demons or gods of the underworld; some are gods of storms and other natural catastrophes; some are gods of various human passions or sex; some are gods of the fetus; some are gods of women and children; some are gods for construction workers, sailors or other trades; some are local gods; some are gods for potato crops, wine, salmon, etc.; some gods are for toothaches or other pains and illnesses; there are even a couple of gods for bees in this list--and this is an incomplete list of just the ones that begin with "A."
I didn't notice a god of incontinence, but I'm pretty sure I could find one if I looked hard enough.
It's funny how you can find gods of water; gods of oceans or seas; gods of rivers, springs and mists; gods of rain; gods of running or fresh water, etc.--all from the same group of people. There seems to have been a lot of gods who were specialists in their fields...or should I say field? In many cases, while there might have been a god of the crops (who must have been like an overseer), you could still dig up a god of the potato crop (for example), who was just in charge of that specifically. Of course, he might have to deal with the god of the soil or earth, the god of the sun, and the god of the water or the rain (while appeasing the god of the storm or the god of droughts).
In other words, people seemed to have some very specific information about these beings. It wasn't like some vague notion that there is this god that has been hanging around, or there is this god that has something to do with liquid or growing things. Rather, they knew their names and specifically what their areas of responsibility were. They even seemed to know stories about them, their history, their personality types, events in their lives, other supernatural beings with which they interacted, what would make them pleased or angry, and so on. They seemed to know their gods fairly intimately, almost as if they lived around the corner and popped by on occasion to gossip over tea and crumpets.
I don't guess most of the people reading through that list truly believe that most of these supernatural beings really exist, so where did all this information come from? If they aren't real, if the stories aren't true, then they must have been made-up.
Who made up all these stories?
It seems fairly evident to me (although I expect there will be some who differ) that it was human beings that made this stuff up.
But why did they make it up?
Well, there might be a number of reasons for that, but I would venture to guess the main reason was to explain what they didn't understand.
Where did all these gods go? Why don't most people believe in most of them now?
Could it be that as people begin to understand more and more about how nature really worked more rational explanations replaced them?
I can hear some believers making the claim (on one level or another): "But my god is different! He is much more sophisticated than these other gods."
Yeah? In what way? Wasn't he originally made of the same stuff as these others were, out of the imagination of the human mind? Old Jehovah, for example, started out as a tribal war god who lived on a mountaintop before he "evolved" into the omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, supreme creator God who we are presented with today. This conception is more sophisticated only in that he has made himself less available for examination and detection than he supposedly was when people were much more ignorant about the world than they are today. Although he is supposedly more powerful than he was formerly, he uses his power with such subtlety that even the best scientists can't tell the difference between his actions and events unfolding as they would have if he wasn't even there at all.
If all these other "lesser" gods had been exposed for the shams they really were when the light of knowledge was pointed in their direction, how are the gods people still believe in today any different than these others, except that they have managed to retreat into the last refuges of darkness where the light has yet to shine? They have removed themselves not only beyond human detection, but beyond all human reason as well. They have become increasingly irrelevant and nonsensical. Yet despite all this, believers claim to know some fairly intimate details about their histories, their natures, their personalities, their desires, what makes them pleased or angry, their plans, how they want us to act, what they have in store for us, etc., etc., but they don't want to define their god, no sir. It is "beyond human understanding and reason," they will say.
I see no good reason to take these claims any more seriously than the claims made before about all other gods.
But why did they make it up?
Well, there might be a number of reasons for that, but I would venture to guess the main reason was to explain what they didn't understand.
Where did all these gods go? Why don't most people believe in most of them now?
Could it be that as people begin to understand more and more about how nature really worked more rational explanations replaced them?
I can hear some believers making the claim (on one level or another): "But my god is different! He is much more sophisticated than these other gods."
Yeah? In what way? Wasn't he originally made of the same stuff as these others were, out of the imagination of the human mind? Old Jehovah, for example, started out as a tribal war god who lived on a mountaintop before he "evolved" into the omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, supreme creator God who we are presented with today. This conception is more sophisticated only in that he has made himself less available for examination and detection than he supposedly was when people were much more ignorant about the world than they are today. Although he is supposedly more powerful than he was formerly, he uses his power with such subtlety that even the best scientists can't tell the difference between his actions and events unfolding as they would have if he wasn't even there at all.
If all these other "lesser" gods had been exposed for the shams they really were when the light of knowledge was pointed in their direction, how are the gods people still believe in today any different than these others, except that they have managed to retreat into the last refuges of darkness where the light has yet to shine? They have removed themselves not only beyond human detection, but beyond all human reason as well. They have become increasingly irrelevant and nonsensical. Yet despite all this, believers claim to know some fairly intimate details about their histories, their natures, their personalities, their desires, what makes them pleased or angry, their plans, how they want us to act, what they have in store for us, etc., etc., but they don't want to define their god, no sir. It is "beyond human understanding and reason," they will say.
I see no good reason to take these claims any more seriously than the claims made before about all other gods.
We haven't found proof of one supernatural being yet out of all the ones that now seem to have been demoted to the mythological realm. If we had run across at least one or two of the lesser gods when we were learning about our universe, it might make sense to think we might run across some more powerful ones later. We've never captured a demon to study, or an angel that has fallen from the sky. We haven't turned up even an elf or a fairy or any other supernatural thing ever. It seems that in all this time we might have found one scrap of irrefutable evidence of something or anything that was supernatural: a magic wand, a genie in a bottle, a magic hat with an unlimited supply of rabbits....
Finding something like that wouldn't necessarily prove or disprove a god, but it might demonstrate that supernatural things were at least possible.
Not only is it the case that there is no empirical evidence for whatever god you might believe in, there is no evidence for any god, or gods, or supernatural beings, or supernatural things, or any evidence whatsoever that the word "supernatural" might mean anything more than the word "imaginary."
If we can't tell the difference between something that is supernatural and something that is imaginary, then why should we give any more respect for people's claims of knowledge about a supernatural god than we have for other people's claims about an imaginary friend?
In the Beginning....
...there was void, or chaos, or nothing, or everything and nothing, or water, or darkness, or wind, or mist, or a mist of lights, or air and water, or a tree, or a shell, or a blue lotus, or an egg, or many eggs, or many regions, or different planes, or a sky world, or heaven, or heaven and earth together, or heaven and water together, or six heavens and six hells, or ice and fire, or a supreme formless Entity, or several Entities, or Tao, or some combination thereof with various modifications.
In this primordial Initial State, either Kamui, Udan, Hadau, Pangu, Mbombo, Mangala, Damballah, Olurun, Unkulunkulu, Hiranyagarbha, Purusha, Brahma, Vahiguru, Ptah, Dayuni'si, Allah, Jehovah, Tu-chai-pai, Maasaw, Jamahara, Marduk (or Assur), Atum, JoMulJu, Gitche Manitou, Ahura Mazda, Con Tiqui Viracocha, Esaugetuh Emissee, Inktomi, Coatlique, Chaos, a Spirit, the "King Above the Sky," the "Grandfather of All Things," the "Holy Supreme Wind," the Dreamtime gods, a supreme formless Entity and the Archetypal Man, Izanagi and Izanami, Ranginui and Papatuanuku, Langit and Linaw, Tepeu and Gucamatz, Jehovah and Elohim, Olodumare and Obatala, Niflheim and Muspelheim and Ginnungagap, Nu/Naunet and Amun/Amunet and Kuk/Kauket and Huh/Hauhet, the Earth-Initiate and Turtle and Father-of-the-Secret-Society, men and women living in the Sky World, the ground of being, the trickster in the form of Raven, the Goddess, a small bearded man inside a white and yellow disc, a water beetle, a bird, two loons, or some other divine, or supernatural, or superhuman, or extra-human being (or beings) or elemental essence or concept that I might have overlooked...
...either dreamed, spoke, vomited, stole, shed, caused, separated, gathered, blew, churned, collected, stabbed, split, made, impregnated, masturbated, laid eggs, planted seeds, gave birth, brought forth, arranged, formed, melted, sacrificed itself, was sacrificed by others, or some other such action or series of events that eventually resulted in the creation of the universe as we know it.
Whew!
Later, in some cases, either Alcmene, Athena, Chimalman, Coatlicue, Cybele, Devaki, Hera, Hertha, Isis, Juno, Mary, Maya, Nana, Neith, Nutria, Ostara, Rohini, Semele, Shin-Moo, Sochiquetzal, or some other virgin mother whose name is lost to us (or who I may have overlooked), may, or may not have, given birth to other gods or god-men like....
Kukulcan, Huitzilopochtli, Krishna, Horus, Osiris, Serapis, Mars/Ares, Buddha, Lao-kiun, Attis, Dionysus/Bacchus, Quetzalcoatl, Jesus, Adad, Adonis, Apollo, Heracles ("Hercules"), Alcides, Baal, Bali, Beddru, Crite, Deva Tat, Hesus, Indra, Jao, Krishna, Mikado, Mithra, Odin, Prometheus, Quetzalcoatl, Salivahana, Tammuz, Thor, Wittoba, Xamolxis, Zeus's children, Zarathustra/Zoroaster, Zoar, or a dozen or more others I missed, many of whom were either crucified or executed in sacrifice for mankind.
From there it gets more complicated. In fact, if I were to continue, it may become entirely incomprehensible.
What I attempted to do is combine stories from many of the various beliefs of the past and present. The point is to show how many there are (and these aren't all of them by a long shot).
They can't all be true, so how do I determine which one to believe in? I've been told my "eternal soul" might be at stake and I don't want to bet on the wrong horse, after all.
Should I pick whichever one is the oldest? I don't know which one that might be because many were passed down orally for many years before they were written down. The oldest ones might have been lost by now anyway.
Should I pick whichever one has the largest number of adherents? I'm not sure that would be right. There have been times in the past when more people believed something different from what they believe today. Christianity has the largest number of adherents now, but that wasn't always the case. Did the truth change at the moment the believers in Christianity exceeded the believers in whatever religion was more popular before it? At some point in the future, if Islam overtakes Christianity in the number of adherents (considering it's growing faster), would that make a difference in whether or not it's true? Also, since the majority of the world's population doesn't believe in Christianity, would that outweigh the fact that it had the largest number of adherents? And what if people stopped believing in it entirely?
Okay, I just sent my Southern Baptist brother an email. I asked him, hypothetically, if in 5,000 years (more or less) no one believed in Christianity anymore, would that mean it was wrong?
He said no.
Kukulcan, Huitzilopochtli, Krishna, Horus, Osiris, Serapis, Mars/Ares, Buddha, Lao-kiun, Attis, Dionysus/Bacchus, Quetzalcoatl, Jesus, Adad, Adonis, Apollo, Heracles ("Hercules"), Alcides, Baal, Bali, Beddru, Crite, Deva Tat, Hesus, Indra, Jao, Krishna, Mikado, Mithra, Odin, Prometheus, Quetzalcoatl, Salivahana, Tammuz, Thor, Wittoba, Xamolxis, Zeus's children, Zarathustra/Zoroaster, Zoar, or a dozen or more others I missed, many of whom were either crucified or executed in sacrifice for mankind.
From there it gets more complicated. In fact, if I were to continue, it may become entirely incomprehensible.
What I attempted to do is combine stories from many of the various beliefs of the past and present. The point is to show how many there are (and these aren't all of them by a long shot).
They can't all be true, so how do I determine which one to believe in? I've been told my "eternal soul" might be at stake and I don't want to bet on the wrong horse, after all.
Should I pick whichever one is the oldest? I don't know which one that might be because many were passed down orally for many years before they were written down. The oldest ones might have been lost by now anyway.
Should I pick whichever one has the largest number of adherents? I'm not sure that would be right. There have been times in the past when more people believed something different from what they believe today. Christianity has the largest number of adherents now, but that wasn't always the case. Did the truth change at the moment the believers in Christianity exceeded the believers in whatever religion was more popular before it? At some point in the future, if Islam overtakes Christianity in the number of adherents (considering it's growing faster), would that make a difference in whether or not it's true? Also, since the majority of the world's population doesn't believe in Christianity, would that outweigh the fact that it had the largest number of adherents? And what if people stopped believing in it entirely?
Okay, I just sent my Southern Baptist brother an email. I asked him, hypothetically, if in 5,000 years (more or less) no one believed in Christianity anymore, would that mean it was wrong?
He said no.
Although this in no way constitutes a scientific survey by any stretch of the imagination, I suspect this would be the opinion of most believers. But, obviously, there have been many things in the past most people believed that turned out to be wrong, so I can't decide which religion is correct based on its number of adherents.
(I guess that rules out two of my other questions: can I dismiss all the religions no one believes in anymore simply because no one believes them? And, should I choose a religion by picking whichever one was oldest and still has adherents?)
Should I believe in whichever religion is the most recent? Since new religions keep popping up, I would expect to have to change my beliefs every so often. That doesn't seem to be very smart.
What if I picked based on what my parents' believed? Would that make sense? I guess that's no way to tell which one is true for sure. It appears that believing what your parents' believed has resulted in people coming to many different conclusions.
I think Einstein was a pretty smart guy...should I choose based on what he believed? I know there have been other very intelligent people that had other beliefs, so I can't go by that.
What if I picked based on what most people around me believed so that I won't be shunned or ridiculed? I don't think that would be very courageous or any more likely to result in me choosing correctly.
Should I pick based on which one I like best? Would that be the best way to decide which one is true? I know from experience that the truth about something is not always the most appealing thing I might want to believe. What if I pick one I really like and it turns out to be wrong? I might spend eternity in hell-fire or something.
Maybe I should believe the one that makes the most terrible threats against not believing in it? If I do that at least I'll know I won't suffer the worst fate among all the options... The problem with that is that there are several of them that seem equally bad. Also, what if a new one comes along that threatens nonbelievers with something worse?
What if I just come up with my own? Evidently some people have done it, why not me? But I suppose coming up with my own wouldn't necessarily make it true (no matter how fun it might be).
What if I put a list of all the gods I know down on paper, close my eyes, and ask for guidance before I put my finger down somewhere on the page without looking?
Hold on...
(I guess that rules out two of my other questions: can I dismiss all the religions no one believes in anymore simply because no one believes them? And, should I choose a religion by picking whichever one was oldest and still has adherents?)
Should I believe in whichever religion is the most recent? Since new religions keep popping up, I would expect to have to change my beliefs every so often. That doesn't seem to be very smart.
What if I picked based on what my parents' believed? Would that make sense? I guess that's no way to tell which one is true for sure. It appears that believing what your parents' believed has resulted in people coming to many different conclusions.
I think Einstein was a pretty smart guy...should I choose based on what he believed? I know there have been other very intelligent people that had other beliefs, so I can't go by that.
What if I picked based on what most people around me believed so that I won't be shunned or ridiculed? I don't think that would be very courageous or any more likely to result in me choosing correctly.
Should I pick based on which one I like best? Would that be the best way to decide which one is true? I know from experience that the truth about something is not always the most appealing thing I might want to believe. What if I pick one I really like and it turns out to be wrong? I might spend eternity in hell-fire or something.
Maybe I should believe the one that makes the most terrible threats against not believing in it? If I do that at least I'll know I won't suffer the worst fate among all the options... The problem with that is that there are several of them that seem equally bad. Also, what if a new one comes along that threatens nonbelievers with something worse?
What if I just come up with my own? Evidently some people have done it, why not me? But I suppose coming up with my own wouldn't necessarily make it true (no matter how fun it might be).
What if I put a list of all the gods I know down on paper, close my eyes, and ask for guidance before I put my finger down somewhere on the page without looking?
Hold on...
It looks like the old Korean god JoMulJu wins! Believers have always told me to ask for guidance and put my faith in something and I would get an answer. If that is true, JoMulJu is the One True God!
Hmmm...The problem with that is it seems when other people do it they get other responses. Maybe that isn't the best way to do it either.
Are there any of them that seem to have anything special about them, something to recommend them above the others? Hmmm...
Let's see... Several claim that their prophecies have been fulfilled, so I can't go by that. There are many that claim a Son of God figure, death and resurrection, healings, revelations, miracles and such things, so I can't go by that. We have already ruled out judging by whichever one is the oldest, has most adherents, is oldest that still has adherents, is most recent, is most threatening, is most appealing...
What else?
Can I judge based on the effects various religions have on adherents? Maybe that is the something special I could look for? Buddhism might be the least violent, but then there are the Quakers and Jehovah's Witnesses. Christians might have the most material wealth overall, but that seems like it might be contrary to their own scriptures. Jews seem to have survived as a people for a long time despite facing some really harsh attacks over the years. Islam seems to be more dynamic lately....
It seems there are unique things about each one, but how do I pick which unique thing is more important (or relevant)? And is being unique in some way any more likely to make something true?
Can I eliminate some religions based on how silly or absurd they seem? Some of them seem pretty strange: a god vomiting the sun, a god being impregnated by an obsidian knife, a god placing land on the back of a golden frog, a god making a woman out of a bear, a god making a man out of clay, a god making a woman out of a man's rib. You can find everything from winged horses and virgin births to "stopping" the sun and parting the seas. Actually, most of them are filled with hard-to-believe, miraculous or supernatural claims.
I guess if I had to pick one that seemed the least absurd, Buddhism might come out on top (or maybe some of the ones I didn't cover, like Jainism or the Baha'i Faith). But some may make the argument of fideism: credo quia absurdum, or I believe it because it is absurd. So I might not be able to rule out something just because it seems absurd.
Hmmm...The problem with that is it seems when other people do it they get other responses. Maybe that isn't the best way to do it either.
Are there any of them that seem to have anything special about them, something to recommend them above the others? Hmmm...
Let's see... Several claim that their prophecies have been fulfilled, so I can't go by that. There are many that claim a Son of God figure, death and resurrection, healings, revelations, miracles and such things, so I can't go by that. We have already ruled out judging by whichever one is the oldest, has most adherents, is oldest that still has adherents, is most recent, is most threatening, is most appealing...
What else?
Can I judge based on the effects various religions have on adherents? Maybe that is the something special I could look for? Buddhism might be the least violent, but then there are the Quakers and Jehovah's Witnesses. Christians might have the most material wealth overall, but that seems like it might be contrary to their own scriptures. Jews seem to have survived as a people for a long time despite facing some really harsh attacks over the years. Islam seems to be more dynamic lately....
It seems there are unique things about each one, but how do I pick which unique thing is more important (or relevant)? And is being unique in some way any more likely to make something true?
Can I eliminate some religions based on how silly or absurd they seem? Some of them seem pretty strange: a god vomiting the sun, a god being impregnated by an obsidian knife, a god placing land on the back of a golden frog, a god making a woman out of a bear, a god making a man out of clay, a god making a woman out of a man's rib. You can find everything from winged horses and virgin births to "stopping" the sun and parting the seas. Actually, most of them are filled with hard-to-believe, miraculous or supernatural claims.
I guess if I had to pick one that seemed the least absurd, Buddhism might come out on top (or maybe some of the ones I didn't cover, like Jainism or the Baha'i Faith). But some may make the argument of fideism: credo quia absurdum, or I believe it because it is absurd. So I might not be able to rule out something just because it seems absurd.
Can I judge by their holy books? I've read most all of the holy books of the major religions. They all seem to have internal problems for which their adherents have to do tortured and convoluted back-flips to explain. Another problem is that if I pick any one of them, I will find their adherents interpreting the same holy book differently, which leads to different sects within each of the various beliefs.
That compounds my dilemma. Even if I pick one religion out of so many, I'll then need to pick among the different sects. To use just one example, there might be just enough difference between the Baptists' and the Catholics' requirements for salvation that it would significantly affect my fate. And then there are all the different Baptists, and the different individual interpretations even within the same congregation... But I'll not worry about that right now.
Some people claim to have had personal revelations from their god, but you can find people claiming personal revelations in every religion that has adherents. I've had my own epiphany moments, but I've never had some supernatural being bestowing revelations upon me even when I was open to receiving them. The only person I found I was talking to when I prayed as a kid was myself. Even if I did have some god come down and talk to me, how could I distinguish it from some mental delusion (or some powerful demon, posing to lead me astray)?
So how do I pick? If I want to bet that one of these is correct, if I want to bet that there is some supernatural explanation (rather than a natural one that we don't yet understand), how do I decide?
See, it isn't a 50/50 chance here. It isn't like I can just bet there is a God rather than bet there isn't in order to cover my ass (Pascal's Wager); I've got to decide which supernatural explanation of the various religions is the correct one, and I've got to consider the possibility that there is a correct supernatural explanation that no one has conceived of yet--or that there could be some correct supernatural explanations that might never be conceived.
I know there will be some believers that read this and think they have some convincing reason for their belief that I didn't cover. I've been studying this most of my life and I haven't seen or heard a convincing one yet. There is nothing they can say about which I haven't heard something similar regarding another religion. If there is something they think is unique about their religion, then believers of other religions have some other unique thing they can say about their religion as well.
"True" believers of any of these religions should try to talk to the "true" believers of some of the other religions. If they spend some time listening to the other believer's argument, I'm sure they will find things that will seem absurd to them, things that don't make sense, and things that appear outrageous. That is how they all sound to me. If they can understand why it is they don't buy what a "true" believer of another religion is saying, they will begin to understand why I'm not buying what they are saying.That compounds my dilemma. Even if I pick one religion out of so many, I'll then need to pick among the different sects. To use just one example, there might be just enough difference between the Baptists' and the Catholics' requirements for salvation that it would significantly affect my fate. And then there are all the different Baptists, and the different individual interpretations even within the same congregation... But I'll not worry about that right now.
Some people claim to have had personal revelations from their god, but you can find people claiming personal revelations in every religion that has adherents. I've had my own epiphany moments, but I've never had some supernatural being bestowing revelations upon me even when I was open to receiving them. The only person I found I was talking to when I prayed as a kid was myself. Even if I did have some god come down and talk to me, how could I distinguish it from some mental delusion (or some powerful demon, posing to lead me astray)?
So how do I pick? If I want to bet that one of these is correct, if I want to bet that there is some supernatural explanation (rather than a natural one that we don't yet understand), how do I decide?
See, it isn't a 50/50 chance here. It isn't like I can just bet there is a God rather than bet there isn't in order to cover my ass (Pascal's Wager); I've got to decide which supernatural explanation of the various religions is the correct one, and I've got to consider the possibility that there is a correct supernatural explanation that no one has conceived of yet--or that there could be some correct supernatural explanations that might never be conceived.
I know there will be some believers that read this and think they have some convincing reason for their belief that I didn't cover. I've been studying this most of my life and I haven't seen or heard a convincing one yet. There is nothing they can say about which I haven't heard something similar regarding another religion. If there is something they think is unique about their religion, then believers of other religions have some other unique thing they can say about their religion as well.
I'm sitting here in a kind of default position, not actively believing in any of these religions--just like a newborn baby. I've been told I should take a "leap of faith" in one direction or another into belief, but how do I decide which way to leap? It seems to me that leaping in the wrong direction might be worse than not leaping at all.
I don't actively have to do anything not to believe something, I don't have to believe one thing to not to have a belief in something else, and I don't even have to know with absolute metaphysical certainty if something is true (or not true) not to believe it.
What would cause me to take such a leap into belief?
I would have to be provided some compelling reason, and, as Carl Sagan said, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." Until and unless someone or something provides me with that evidence, I see no reason to move from my default position.
I don't have to prove that all these beliefs (and the gods that go with them) aren't true. If people ask me why I don't believe in God, I have a right to ask them which one they are talking about. Since some people have a different idea about what they mean by "God" (eg: Nature, a "force" as opposed to a being, "All That Is," etc.), I think I have a right to ask them to define what they mean so I will know what they are asking me. If they don't want to define what they mean, then how can I know what they are talking about? I don't possess any mind-reading abilities.
If they can describe what they mean, then I might be able to answer them. If they can't, then the best answer I can give is that I've not seen any compelling reason or evidence that would motivate me to take that "leap of faith" into belief in any one of these many supernatural options.
On the most basic level, theism is "a belief in a God or gods;" a-theism is "without a belief in a God or gods."
I guess that makes me an atheist.
Tuesday, February 09, 2010
Morality Research Sheds Light On The Origins Of Religion
ScienceDaily -- The details surrounding the emergence and evolution of religion have not been clearly established and remain a source of much debate among scholars. Now, an article published by Cell Press in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences on February 8 brings a new understanding to this long-standing discussion by exploring the fascinating link between morality and religion.
--snip--
Citing several studies in moral psychology, the authors highlight the finding that despite differences in, or even an absence of, religious backgrounds, individuals show no difference in moral judgments for unfamiliar moral dilemmas. The research suggests that intuitive judgments of right and wrong seem to operate independently of explicit religious commitments.
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--snip--
Citing several studies in moral psychology, the authors highlight the finding that despite differences in, or even an absence of, religious backgrounds, individuals show no difference in moral judgments for unfamiliar moral dilemmas. The research suggests that intuitive judgments of right and wrong seem to operate independently of explicit religious commitments.
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Godless Billboards Spring Up Across Sacramento
"Are you good without God? Millions are."
These words are part of ten billboards (10 ft. 5 in. by 22 ft. 8 in.) that have just gone up around Sacramento. Sponsored by the Sacramento Area Coalition of Reason (Sacramento CoR) with $6,450 in funding from the United Coalition of Reason, the billboards each carry their message superimposed over an image of blue sky and puffy white clouds. Their appearance marks the launch of the Sacramento coalition, which is made up of nine area nontheistic (atheist and agnostic) groups.
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These words are part of ten billboards (10 ft. 5 in. by 22 ft. 8 in.) that have just gone up around Sacramento. Sponsored by the Sacramento Area Coalition of Reason (Sacramento CoR) with $6,450 in funding from the United Coalition of Reason, the billboards each carry their message superimposed over an image of blue sky and puffy white clouds. Their appearance marks the launch of the Sacramento coalition, which is made up of nine area nontheistic (atheist and agnostic) groups.
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Billboards On Tampa Bay Roads Duel Over Existence Of God
A group representing people who do not believe in God or any gods has revved up an awareness campaign in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
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Obama Draws Fire For Remarks On 'Faith-Based Initiative'
President Obama praised the work of religious charities in a speech today and said he has tried to improve how the government supports their charitable efforts.
But civil-liberties groups criticized his administration's "faith-based initiative," saying Mr. Obama has yet to fulfill his promise to place better safeguards against proselytization and religious discrimination.
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See also:
On One Year Anniversary, Humanists Join with Broad Coalition Urging President Obama to Fix the Faith-Based Initiative
Americans United Joins Broad Coalition Of Groups Asking Obama To Reform 'Faith-Based' Initiative
ADL Urges President Obama to Ensure Faith-Based Initiative Does Not Lead to Proselytizing Or Discrimination
Tensions Over Faith-Based Office Erupt in Public Spat
Keeping Faith, Courting Conservatives
Obama's faith-based inertia
More Faith-Based Follies: One Year Later, Initiative Remains Plagued With Problems
Action Alert: Tell Obama to Reform the Faith Based Initiative Program
But civil-liberties groups criticized his administration's "faith-based initiative," saying Mr. Obama has yet to fulfill his promise to place better safeguards against proselytization and religious discrimination.
More...
See also:
On One Year Anniversary, Humanists Join with Broad Coalition Urging President Obama to Fix the Faith-Based Initiative
Americans United Joins Broad Coalition Of Groups Asking Obama To Reform 'Faith-Based' Initiative
ADL Urges President Obama to Ensure Faith-Based Initiative Does Not Lead to Proselytizing Or Discrimination
Tensions Over Faith-Based Office Erupt in Public Spat
Keeping Faith, Courting Conservatives
Obama's faith-based inertia
More Faith-Based Follies: One Year Later, Initiative Remains Plagued With Problems
Action Alert: Tell Obama to Reform the Faith Based Initiative Program
Political Prayer Breakfasts Are Bad Religion
Washington is the Vatican of a larger cult. In municipalities across the country, and on US military bases worldwide, government officials gather to bow their heads and invoke God's blessing - an exercise that should seem benign. But these official liturgies are fraught with dangerous implications.
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Cross Found At Air Force Academy's Wicca Center
Denver - The Air Force Academy, stung several years ago by accusations of Christian bias, has built a new outdoor worship area for pagans and other practitioners of Earth-based religions.
But its opening, heralded as a sign of a more tolerant religious climate at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., was marred by the discovery two weeks ago of a large wooden cross placed there.
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But its opening, heralded as a sign of a more tolerant religious climate at the academy in Colorado Springs, Colo., was marred by the discovery two weeks ago of a large wooden cross placed there.
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Wallbuilders' Narrow Notion: Religious Liberty For Me, But Not For Thee
Wallbuilders.... asserts that the Founders only wanted the word "religion" to incorporate monotheistic beliefs and should not protect the beliefs of others.
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Orwellian Call To Criminalize Homosexuality -- In America! -- Denounced By Atheists
An Atheist civil rights group today denounced a statement by a representative of the American Family Association that gay and lesbian Americans should be forced to receive "Reparative Therapy" and compared homosexuals to intravenous drug users.
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Voucher Volley: D.C. Newspaper Continues To Push Failed School-Aid Plan
The Washington Post yesterday added to its long list of editorials and columns in support of Washington, D.C.'s controversial school voucher plan.
The newspaper seems to have an obsession with keeping the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program alive, despite knowing that the program has shown no improvement in student performance, lacks accountability, hurts public schools and subsidizes religious education with taxpayer funds.
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The newspaper seems to have an obsession with keeping the D.C. Opportunity Scholarship Program alive, despite knowing that the program has shown no improvement in student performance, lacks accountability, hurts public schools and subsidizes religious education with taxpayer funds.
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Bumper Battle: Abortion-Rights Activists Fight 'Choose Life' License Plates With Their Own
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Abortion-rights advocates have been unable to halt the "Choose Life" license plate variations in nearly two-dozen states, so now they're working to balance the bumper debate.
Activists are pushing a "Trust Women/Respect Choice" license plate in Virginia, which would become only the fourth state to offer a pro-choice plate and the first to require legislative approval for it. Supporters have threatened to sue if lawmakers don't give drivers the option.
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Activists are pushing a "Trust Women/Respect Choice" license plate in Virginia, which would become only the fourth state to offer a pro-choice plate and the first to require legislative approval for it. Supporters have threatened to sue if lawmakers don't give drivers the option.
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School's Sacking Of Christian Science Teacher Divides Town In Bible Belt
Freshwater denied responsibility for writing references to God and religion on class notes even though the hearings were told that they matched his handwriting.
But he did acknowledge that in 2003 he was ordered by school officials to cease a part of his teaching in which he scattered Lego blocks on a table and said that however long you left them there they would not build themselves, and so something as complex as the eye could not be the result of evolution but had to have been created by someone.
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But he did acknowledge that in 2003 he was ordered by school officials to cease a part of his teaching in which he scattered Lego blocks on a table and said that however long you left them there they would not build themselves, and so something as complex as the eye could not be the result of evolution but had to have been created by someone.
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Windsor, Conn., School Board Votes To Stop Holding Graduations At Church
The Windsor (Conn.) Board of Education voted late Monday to stop holding public high school graduation ceremonies at a local Christian church. With this decision, all five area school districts that had been holding graduations at the church have voted to halt the practice.
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Residents Urge Lake Local To Keep "Belief In God"
LAKE TWP. -- More residents are telling the Lake Local Schools Board of Education that they believe in God and don't want the district's values statement to change.
School board members are wrestling with whether they should drop the phrase "belief in God" from the district's values statement.
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School board members are wrestling with whether they should drop the phrase "belief in God" from the district's values statement.
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Tampa City Councilwoman Mary Mulhern Sounds Off On Atheist Debate
Back in 2004, three members of the council at that time -- Kevin White, Rose Ferlita and Mary Alvarez -- walked out of the chamber in a vivid display of disdain when an atheist whom Councilman John Dingfelder had invited to give the invocation began to speak.
Mulhern correctly said that nobody on the current council had done so. Continuing her monologue, she then seemed to raise some eyebrows by recounting a story about a parent in the chamber who told her when his toddler asked him about religion, "'The only thing you need to know about religion is never criticize anyone's religion, because if you do they might kill you.'"
She then took on both the atheists and their critics, saying that those who mocked other's beliefs "are not going to help your cause. And to come as a religious person and condemn people who don't have belief is not going to help you either."
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See also:
Atheist group wants prayer out at City Council
Mulhern correctly said that nobody on the current council had done so. Continuing her monologue, she then seemed to raise some eyebrows by recounting a story about a parent in the chamber who told her when his toddler asked him about religion, "'The only thing you need to know about religion is never criticize anyone's religion, because if you do they might kill you.'"
She then took on both the atheists and their critics, saying that those who mocked other's beliefs "are not going to help your cause. And to come as a religious person and condemn people who don't have belief is not going to help you either."
More...
See also:
Atheist group wants prayer out at City Council
Board Won't Resist Court
Judge James A. Beaty Jr. of U.S. District Court recently ruled that the county cannot allow prayers with sectarian content before meetings. Beaty said that the county could choose to have no prayer or a nonsectarian prayer instead.
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SC School District Ends Prayer Meetings
GEORGETOWN, S.C. -- For more than a decade, Violet Infinger had been praying with students in Georgetown High School's auditorium, but the South Carolina school district officials have ended that.
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FFRF Objects To Prayer Proposal In Albany, New York
The Freedom From Religion Foundation wrote a letter yesterday objecting to a proposal introduced Monday by Common Council member Anton Konev, of Albany, N.Y., to replace a moment of silence at Council meetings with prayer.
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FFRF Urges Elmhurst, Illinois City Council Not to Pray
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FFRF Urges Elmhurst, Illinois City Council Not to Pray
How Alaska Court Dealt With Sincerity Of Religious Belief
Courts rarely pass judgment on whether individuals' religious beliefs are sincere, but that's exactly what the Alaska Court of Appeals did in Lineker v. State of Alaska Jan. 20 when it denied the religious-freedom claims of a couple who douse themselves in extracted marijuana liquid as part of a purported religious ritual.
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Secular Club Asks Concordia College Officials To Reconsider Rejection
Students trying to start a secular club at Concordia College are gathering signatures of support after the college declined to recognize the group. Concordia leaders determined the mission of the proposed group Secular Students of Concordia is not consistent with the college's mission.
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Baptists To Flood Texas With Bible CDs By Easter
DALLAS -- The largest state Baptist group in the nation wants Christ's message of hope heard in every home in Texas - about 9 million of them - by Easter.
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Baptists' Descent From Idaho To The Hell Of A Haitian Prison
The Idaho Baptists who are in a Haitian prison facing child kidnapping charges were led by a woman with financial and personal problems.
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American Charged in Haiti Had Some Troubles in Idaho
Americans jailed in Haiti tried taking other kids, officer says
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See also:
American Charged in Haiti Had Some Troubles in Idaho
Americans jailed in Haiti tried taking other kids, officer says
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