Author: Adam Lee

Have you ever spent a long time debating someone and trying to persuade them, before ultimately realizing that it was all wasted breath and that they weren’t really listening to you at all? This has happened to me more than once. I’ve had e-mail conversations with theists, some of which went on for weeks and…

“We have heard talk enough. We have listened to all the drowsy, idealess, vapid sermons that we wish to hear. We have read your Bible and the works of your best minds. We have heard your prayers, your solemn groans and your reverential amens. All these amount to less than nothing. We want one fact.…

A few days ago, I criticized Matt Nisbet and D.J. Grothe for asserting that “there is no such thing” as discrimination against atheists, in the post “Atheism Is a Civil Rights Issue“. I also wrote to Grothe to raise some of the points made in that post, asking him if he stood by his claim…

The campaign of Mitt Romney, a Mormon, for the Republican presidential nomination has caused rifts within the party’s base, as evangelical Christians agonize over whether they could support a candidate who believes slightly different things about God than they do. The latest spat in this conflict comes in a post by Albert Mohler, president of…

I’ve finished the fourth chapter of my book, which deals with the argument from reasonable nonbelief and draws on the Ebon Musings essay “One More Burning Bush“, plus its subsidiaries. As before, any regular commenter who’s interested in reading the chapter and offering feedback is welcome to do so. E-mail me or leave a comment…

On this Fourth of July, I’ve been giving careful thought to what this day signifies. For Americans, this is a date that means more than barbecue grills in the backyard or colorful stars blossoming in the night sky, more even than patriotic music and red-white-and-blue flags rippling in the breeze. These are time-tested symbols, but…

Back in April, I noted with dismay when science writer Chris Mooney urged atheists to be silent and not voice their views, lest they provoke negative reactions from religious people. Now his partner in that effort, Matthew Nisbet, has written a far worse post along the same lines which has stirred up a hornet’s nest…

Before the advent of evidence-based medicine, a huge variety of quack nostrums and dubious cures flourished. Many of these have faded away with time – and in cases like radioactive water, this was almost certainly for the best. However, some superstitious treatments that predate scientific medicine are still being used today. One of the most…

In the World in Shadow series, I have written about some of the terrible natural evils that afflict humans. My primary purpose in writing this series is to illustrate the strength of the atheist’s argument from evil, that the existence of vast amounts of undeserved and random suffering disproves the existence of a powerful, benevolent…

I’m sorry to report some bad news for allies of church-state separation everywhere. Back in February, I wrote about a momentous case before the U.S. Supreme Court, in which the Freedom from Religion Foundation argued that George W. Bush should not have the right to unilaterally use money appropriated by Congress to fund religious organizations.…