| Atheist Links ! Divided by Category: Basic Issues, Organizations, Spirituality, Humor, Products, Downloads, Online Radio, TV, and Other Online Services |
| Atheist Products Darwin Fish and Evolve FISH Sales A treasure trove of books, t-shirts, pins, buttons, etc. The Skeptics Society Online Store A great selection of books, videos, and other products for people with inquiring minds. Poe Specialties They have framed freethought quotations, books, t-shirts, etc. Freethought Products and Music Atheist music and other products from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. The music isn't exactly Metallica, but some people like it. You can listen to music clips at the site. Humanist Greeting Cards From the Council For Secular Humanism Humanist Cards Hereticards Metroplex Atheists They have atheist book covers and other products. The Landover Store They have some hilarious t-shirts and other items. Back to Top |
| Atheist Spirituality These are links to sites and documents I have found inspiring. Perhaps you will too. Secular Spirituality: Celebrating This Life and This World This site has poems and essays to remind us of the simple joys and wonders of being alive and approaching life realistically. Pantheism: Nature, Universe, Science, and Religion Some of us think a telescope or a forest can reveal more wonders and evoke more awe than any holy book. Life Is To Be Lived Now: A Vital, Personal Humanism This powerful essay explores how the teachings of the Stoics can help us find deeper meaning in life and cope with misfortune. Positive Humanism This is an excerpt from Larue's book The Way of Positive Humanism. Flow: Optimal Experience This article looks at Dr. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's psychological research into happiness, and how we can apply it to our daily lives. For more information, read Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement With Everyday Life. Wellness for Dummies For more of Ardell's ideas, read The Book of Wellness: A Secular Approach to Spirituality, Meaning, and Purpose. Back to Top |
| Atheist Humor Wasteland of Wonders Hilarious! A few of my favorites are Fundingo, Bible Harness, and Unwelcome Contact. The site has some great "straight" info on atheism as well. The God Simulator Stunning News! God has decided to resign. Applications are being accepted now to fill the vacancy. Do you have what it takes? Try the simulator and find out. Landover Baptist Church This is something of a guilty pleasure. Some of the material is a bit mean, but it's hilarious. Brings back memories, too... EAC Technology The latest equipment from the Evil Atheist Conspiracy. You wouldn't want to get raptured by mistake, would you? The Other Numbers of the Beast A Collection of Freethought Related Music & Humor The Life In Our Anti-Christian America bit is particularly funny, and makes a good point too. The Secular Humorist A lot of the material at this site seems a little weak to me, but there are a few gems like the Jehovah Sex Scandal. Back to Top |
| Atheist Downloads Screensavers, Wallpapers, Web Graphics, and MP3s The Heartland Humanists Wonderful Atheists of Central Florida The Darwin Screensaver Darwin Fish Background at Sacramento Freethought Back to Top |
| Atheist Radio, TV, and Online Services The Atheist Viewpoint Online TV. The Atheist Network Online radio. Freethought Radio: The Voice of Freethought Atheist On Tap Taped radio programs. Personalized Secular Cards Atheist e-mail greeting cards. The On-Line Books Page Not specifically an atheist resource, but they have thousands of books available for free download. iGive.com: Change Online Shopping for Good Not just for atheists, but through iGive you can have a small percentage of the money you spend for online purchases go to the non-profit organization of your choice. A number of local, national, and international atheist organizations are listed, and you can add more organizations to their database yourself. Back to Top |
| My Essays By Charles Rose These essays aren't complete yet; I'll be linking to them as I get them done. I'll get them done someday. Really. I think. Maybe. The Darwin Fish, Spirituality, and Me In this essay I ramble on about how I came to be an atheist, what spirituality means to me, and why I like the Darwin fish. Godless Morality and the Atheist Heritage Why am I so darned proud to be Godless? Click the link to find out. The Christian Nation Myth and the Secular Humanist Heritage Was the U.S. founded as a Christian nation? Godless Happiness Are religious people really happier? Actually, the scientific evidence indicates otherwise. The Necessity of Skepticism Here are a few reasons why I think it is important that we be selective in the beliefs we adopt and try to stay open to new possibilities. A Reader's Guide to "The Book Your Church Doesn't Want You to Read" This is one of the best and worst books I've read. Here is a guide to what I consider to be the good parts. The Second Coming of Christ What did Jesus have to say about His second coming? The answer may surprise you. Factual Contradictions in the Gospels How reliable are the Gospel accounts? More Contradictions in the Bible A few more resons not to take what is written in the Bible as, well, Gospel. Old Testament Morality The Bible is touted as a wonderful guide to ethical behavior. How well does it live up to the hype? New Testament Morality Some Christians will admit that the Old Testament is lacking as a moral guide, but they maintain that the teachings of Jesus make up for it. But are there serious flaws in the teachings of the New Testament as well? Back to Top |
| What Are Atheism and Agnosticism? One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone criticizes my atheism without even knowing what the word means. Atheism is, by the narrowest valid definition, the absence of belief in a personal God or gods. In other words, an atheist is anyone who is not convinced that a personal God or gods exist. Atheists can of course be divided into different types, but no one subset of the atheist community has any more claim to the word than any other. Atheists have defined the term more or less this same way since the 1700s, though some theists have found it useful to misdefine atheism as the certain belief that there is no God. Actually, many Christian theologians have read atheist literature and tried to set the record straight themselves, so their fellows could have a better understanding of the issue. A good essay on this (with quotes from atheist writers and theologians from the 1700s to the present) can be found at About.Com. There is also information on this at The Atheism Web. Agnosticism, on the other hand, is the belief that supernatural entities such as a God or gods are unknowable. Agnosticism can be a form of atheism or theism, but it must be one or the other. An agnostic theist believes in a God but believes it is impossible to understand God. An agnostic atheist believes it is impossible to resolve the question of a God or gods' existence. There is more info on agnosticism at About.Com, and there is a good article on the history of the term at American Atheists. I should note that some people would argue that my definition of agnosticism is too narrow. They would call it strong agnosticism, and claim that there is also a position called weak agnosticism. Such a weak agnostic would be without knowledge of a God or gods, but would not rule out the possibility that such knowledge might be acheived. Many people use the word this way, but I do not. This interpretation of agnosticism is identical, at least for practical purposes, to the definition of weak atheism (see below.) Since it merely serves to redefine agnostic as a synonym for weak atheist, I consider it to be a questionable use of the word. The word atheism was being used in this sense long before the term agnosticism was coined. Still, you will hear the word used in this sense often. The Major Types of Atheism: Strong or Positive Atheism: The belief that there is no personal God or gods. A strong atheist might say �I think the existence of a personal God can be ruled out beyond a reasonable doubt,� or �I see no more reason to believe in a God than I do to believe in fairies. Until I see some good evidence, I think it�s reasonable to assume neither exist.� Weak or Negative Atheism: Indecision or the lack of an opinion regarding the existence of a personal God or gods. A weak atheist might say �I haven�t made up my mind,� or �I'm not convinced there's a personal God, but I think it�s a realistic possibility.� Agnostic Atheism: This is a subtype of weak atheism. The agnostic atheist believes it is impossible for anyone to determine whether or not there is a personal God or gods. One might say �I don�t know anything about a God, and I don�t think anyone else does either.� Note: A person may be (and many are) a strong atheist with regard to one conception of a God or gods and a weak atheist with regard to another. Back to Top |
| This Sorry Excuse for a Site is Under Construction! And it probably always will be. It has a bunch of dead links and a general reek of incompleteness. You have been warned... |
| Basic Issues Relating to Atheism The Skeptical Theism Website This is an excellent directory of documents relating to atheism and theism, covering arguments for and against the existence of a God or gods, as well as moral and prudential arguments. For more information, read either Atheism: The Case Against God by George Smith or Atheism: A Philosophical Justification by Michael Martin (or, even better, both!) Martin's book goes much deeper into the subject, but Smith's book is shorter and easier to follow. Also worth reading are Forbidden Fruit: The Ethics of Humanism by Paul Kurtz, The Illusion of Immortality by Corliss Lamont and The Case Against Christianity by Michael Martin. Ontario Consultants On Religious Tolerance Agnosticism/Atheism at About The Secular Web These sites are good sources for info on issues relating to atheism and religion. Some of the articles at Ontario Consultants could be better written in my opinion, but their site is objective, well-researched, and covers a tremendous range of topics. It is a great place to begin when researching any subject relating to religion. About and The Secular Web are also useful resources. Walk Away - For Ex-Fundamentalists Envision: Religious Recovery These sites have information on recovering from the negative effects of religious indoctrination, with lists of books, organizations, websites, and other resources that may be helpful. From Jesus To Christ: An Introduction to the Gospels The Skeptic's Annotated Bible Love Thy Neighbor: The Evolution of In-Group Morality These are some great resources for recovering Christians. From Jesus to Christ is a basic introduction to the historical origins of the Gospels. Some comments by the author of The Skeptic's Annotated Bible seem to me to be lacking in objectivity, but in general it is a wonderful introduction to those parts of the Bible that Christians don't like to talk about. Likewise the moral views of the author of Love Thy Neighbor seem to me to be a little cynical, but he brilliantly makes the point that "Biblical morality" is a contradiction in terms. For a deeper understanding read Gospel Fictions by Randel Helms and Bible Prophecy: Failure or Fulfillment by Tim Callahan. Critical Thinking On the Web "Critical thinking is applying the general forms of thought most conducive to sorting the true from the false; more bluntly, it is the art of being right." This is an invaluable directory to critical thinking resources on the net. The Fallacy Files, Critical Thinking: What It Is and Why It Counts, and Statistics Every Writer Should Know are particularly useful. For a deeper understanding, read the fascinating How To Think About Weird Things: Critical Thinking For a New Age by Theodore Schick and Lewis Vaughn. Mind Control: The BITE Model Religion, Hypnosis, and Music: An Evolutionary Perspective These articles shed light on the techniques used by ministers to convert and manipulate people. The first article (Mind Control) focuses on high-control religious groups ("cults") but many of the methods mentioned are used in mainstream denominations as well. Note also that when the author speaks of "mind control," he just means ways of manipulating people, not of somehow turning them into robots. Searching for God in the Machine This Is Your Brain on God These articles look at Dr. Michael Persinger's work on the neurological basis of religious experiences, explaining how they can be caused by a quirk in the functioning of our brains. Humanist Skeptical Issues Index Donald Simanek's Skepticism Links How Did It All Begin? The Self-Assembly of Organic Molecules and the Origin of Cellular Life The first two sites are directories to information on Creationism versus Evolution, faith healing, the Shroud of Turin, and other issues relating to science and/or religion. The last is an interesting article on the origins of life. Introduction to the Principle of Separation of Church and State Religion in the Public Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law These sites will aquaint you with the basic issues relating to religious freedom in the U.S. One aspect of this issue that I find disturbing is the myth that prayer is illegal in public schools. This fiction is being spread by right-wing Christians to justify their campaign against separation of church and state. In reality, of course, it is only coerced or school-sponsored prayer that is prohibited. Students are, and always have been, free to pray alone or in groups at lunch and between classes. They can even preach and hand out religious literature provided they do not harass other students. Freethinking Families: A Guide to Secular Parenting Resources on the Internet There is also a list of children's books at infidels.org. Back to Top |
| Organizations For Atheists The Unitarian Universalist Association This is not specifically an atheist organization, but it is accepting of atheists and avowed atheists and humanists are around half the membership. UUism is a "liberal religion" founded on the principles of "a free and responsible search for truth and meaning" and the belief that ethical living is the deepest expression of one's "faith." UU churches are more common than specifically atheist groups, so it is easier to find one to attend. See the UU FAQ for a quick introduction to the UU tradition. The OCRT site has a good page on UU-ism as well. For a deeper understanding read A Chosen Faith: An Introduction to Unitarian Universalism by John A. Buehrens, F. Forrester Church, Robert Fulghum, and Denise Davidoff. The International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) The American Humanist Association (AHA) The AHA maintains a wonderfully informative website, including a number of great links pages. The Council For Secular Humanism (CSH) American Atheists The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) Campus Freethought Alliance (CFA) Secular Student Alliance (SSA) American Ethical Union Society For Humanistic Judaism The Skeptics Society This is not a specifically atheist organization, though many skeptics are atheists. The philosophy of rational skepticism (skepticism for short) is about developing our critical thinking skills and applying them to all issues. European Council of Skeptical Organisations (ECSO) Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP) Another skeptics group. Back to Top |
| What is Secular Humanism? "Humanism is an approach to life based on reason and our common humanity, recognising that moral values are properly founded on human nature and experience alone." � The Bristol Humanist Group Secular humanism is one of the two major forms of modern humanism, the other being religious humanism. Actually, the distinction between secular and religious humanism is subtle. Secular humanists use the language of philosophy while religious humanists use the language of religion, but for the most part they say the same things. For more on this see What is Humanism? by Fred Edwords. I usually call myself a secular humanist since that term is more readily recognized and causes less confusion, but it might be more accurate to just say I am a modern humanist. I do not see an important distinction between secular and religious humanism, and I take inspiration from the writings of both. Some good definitions of humanism can be found on the American Humanist Association Website. For a deeper understanding, see The Humanist Philosophy In Perspective by Fred Edwords. Finally, in my opinion the best introductory text on humanism is the brief but inspiring Humanism As the Next Step by Lloyd and Mary Morain. The entire book has been posted at the AHA site, and it is available in paperback from Amazon. Two other good introductions are Living Without Religion: Eupraxophy by Paul Kurtz, and The Philosophy of Humanism by Corliss Lamont. What Modern Humanism Means To Me: The following is my own personal interpretation of the humanist philosophy. Modern humanism is a sort of �life philosophy� which is free of supernaturalism. It is founded upon the realizations that reason and science are the most reliable means to search for truth, and that human values arise from human nature and experience. We accept that moral values are human concepts that do not have or need a supernatural foundation. We human beings are social animals who, by our very nature, create and (for the most part) live by rules of behavior that allow us to cooperate with each other to fulfill our individual needs. Modern humanism is by no means a doctrinaire belief system as it has been represented by some critics. There is no distinctively humanist political agenda, for instance, other than a commitment to democracy and civil rights. Reason, compassion, and courage are viewed as the fundamental moral virtues, and a sense of meaning and purpose in life is found in part through the development of integrity and the pursuit of positive goals, and in part by simply cultivating an openness to the wonders, joys, and mysteries of life and the natural world. This view is not based on ideological abstractions or some leap of faith, but on the simple observation of the human animal and contemplation of our own feelings and experiences. Humanism is based on rational principles, and a humanist should try to remain open to new perspectives and be ready to reevaluate his/her beliefs, including even the basic principles of humanism itself. There is nothing dogmatic about humanism; all conclusions are fair game for criticism. There is a sense of heritage in being a humanist. Avowed humanists have included such notable figures as Albert Einstein, Alice Walker, Lester R. Brown, Wole Soyinka, Margaret Sanger, and Isaac Asimov, as well as the Nobel Peace Prize Laureates Linus Pauling, Andrei Sakharov, and Lord John Boyd Orr. (For more information, see the Humanist of the Year List, Celebrity Atheists, and Famous Dead Non-theists.) There are also earlier movements with which modern humanism has much in common, such as the Deist philosophy which was popular among the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. Indeed, humanists can trace their roots back to ancient Greece, China, India, and other parts of the ancient world. In humanism I have found a way of looking at life that harmoniously integrates the reasoning and (for lack of a better word) �spiritual� aspects of my being. As a humanist I am free to doubt notions such as a personal God or the divine authority of the Bible while cultivating an openness to the wonder and mystery of existence and finding an enhanced sense of inner peace. It is now humorous for me to remember that I once believed I had something called a �soul,� and the importance that some Christians and other theists place on the idea of eternal life seems childish to me now. Humanists deal with the loss of loved ones basically the same way everyone does; we mourn, we face our loss, we take inspiration from the memory of the deceased, and we move on. With regard to our own mortality we heed the words of Epicurus, �When we are, death is not; when death is, we are not.� Death seems to be merely nonexistence, and nonexistence can never be experienced at all. It is simply irrelevant. For a humanist a human life is a work of art that is created through the process of living, and the nonexistence before and after life is like a frame around a painting. How we live our brief lives is all that really matters. The only meaningful immortality is in the hearts of those around us, and in the impact we have, however small it may be, on the world. Back to Top |
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| Godless and Proud! "Shout it out loud, I�m Godless and proud!� was the slogan on the original Campus Freethought Alliance t-shirt. When I first read that I thought it was hilarious. When I thought about it some more it reminded me of just how deep the prejudice against atheists is in America. Americans commonly use "Godless" as a synonym for "immoral," "disrespectful," "selfish," or even "criminal." It�s like how someone might say �Don�t do business with them � they�ll Jew you to the cross.� In this case to �Jew� means to be stingy or take advantage of someone. Two other examples that are sometimes heard here in the Bible belt are to admonish children who are being unruly to �behave like white people� (as opposed to blacks) or to refer to profanity as �n****r talk." Most of us consider remarks like these to be inappropriate at best. But it is considered perfectly acceptable to use �Godless� and �atheist� as the worst of pejoratives. The intensity of prejudice against atheists is indicated by the vicious rumors that people invent to try to tie atheism in with violent crime. For instance, recall the stories told in news accounts of how the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine shootings were atheists who were targeting Christians. They supposedly asked a Christian student named Cassie Bernall if she believed in God, then killed her when she said yes. Bernall's mother even wrote a book about the alleged incident called She Said Yes. What was less widely publicized was that the police were later able to determine that the story was false. Cassie Bernall was never asked about her religious views, she never "said yes," and there is no evidence of any religious motive for the shootings at all. Another example is the 1997 Heath High School shootings. News reports stated that the killer, Michael Carneal, was an atheist who targeted Christians. In reality he was, as his own minister admitted, a Christian who was active in his church. The shootings were motivated by years of harassment by his classmates, not atheism. For more about these cases and similar incidents, see the American Atheists and OCRT websites, as well as Anti-Atheist Media Bias. And for a humorous take on prejudice against atheists, see Atheist "Mother." President George Bush even stated publicly on August 27, 1987: �No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.� Of course, the U.S. has only been �under God� since the 1950�s; that was when the religious right succeeded in having that phrase added to our Pledge of Allegiance. Originally, we were simply �one nation, indivisible,� as the Founding Fathers intended. For more information, see again OCRT and AA, as well as the Quartz Hill School of Theology (which is operated by a Southern Baptist church, by the way,) Words of Our American Founding Fathers, and The Religious Beliefs of our Presidents. The popular prejudice against atheists is particularly disturbing when one considers the increasingly well-organized and successful campaign by the Christian right to subvert the Constitutional separation of church and state. Well, I am a Godless atheist. And I am proud to be part of that tradition. I created this website to help people gain a better understanding and appreciation of the atheist tradition. Despite the prejudice we face, many atheists have distinguished themselves as scientists, writers, reformers, and humanitarians. A few famous atheists (in no particular order) are Albert Einstein, Susan B. Anthony, Abraham Lincoln, Linus Pauling, Alice Walker, Kurt Vonnegut, Margaret Sanger, Carl Sagan, Colonel Robert Green Ingersol, Margaret Atwood, Wole Soyinka, and Andrei Sakharov. For more information, see the Humanist of the Year List, Famous Dead Non-Theists, and Celebrity Atheists. (Note: I may be using the term atheist in a sense with which you are unfamiliar. See "What are Atheism and Agnosticism?" below for more information.) I think one of the biggest reasons we are the target of so much bigotry is our own cowardice. So many of us hide in closets that it is easy for theists to demonize and dehumanize us. At least one American in twenty is an atheist, and the average for other developed nations is much higher. If we were all to stand up and be counted, if all the theists of the world were forced to see how many of their friends, family, and coworkers were among our number, I think this would do more to combat their stereotypes than anything else. The rest of the world would be forced to look at us as human beings, not boogiemen. I have made a resolution to be open about my atheism. I freely mention my atheism in conversation, as a person might casually mention their membership in a church. I wear atheist t-shirts now and then, and I keep atheist books and magazines in my living room. I do not try to "convert" people, but I am willing to discuss my tradition with anyone who wants to know more. I feel I have a duty to do this. The atheist position is a very positive one, and I feel the need to share it with others who might benefit from it as I have. I also feel obligated to stand up and be counted, to promote tolerance of atheists in my own small way. If you are an atheist, then I hope one day you will make a similar resolution. For some more thoughts along these lines, see Coming Out - Atheism: The Other Closet, The Promise of Humanism, and Freethought Challenges of the '90s. Back to Top |
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| Introduction Hi! Welcome to my atheism page. On this page I will discuss some of the basic issues relating to atheism and secular humanism, and I have links to some more of my essays. I also have a list of related links divided by category at the bottom of the page. If you are a theist but want to get a better understanding of the atheist perspective, then I think this page will be useful to you. If you are an atheist, then this may help you to deepen your understanding of our tradition. I also hope it will inspire a deeper level of pride in our heritage, and help you to find deeper meaning in life through the atheist path. I have no illusions of being a gifted writer. Some people have an "effortless style," but mine may be more of a "styleless effort." Still, I like to think my approach in presenting these issues is better than most. I have spent many hours reading about these subjects, and I want to help introduce other people to atheist thought. I will also point the way to some other good sources for a deeper understanding. If you have any comments or criticisms, or you find a bad link, etc., then please e-mail me. I'm sure I've made some errors here and there, and I'd appreciate ideas for improving this site. I hope you find the site useful. All the Best, Charles Rose P.S.: This is my first attempt at a website, so it is a little primitive. One of these days I'll get around to fixing it up... Back to Top |
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| This Sorry Excuse for a Site is Under Construction! And it probably always will be. It has a bunch of dead links and a general reek of incompleteness. You have been warned... |
| This Sorry Excuse for a Site is Under Construction! And it probably always will be. It has a bunch of dead links and a general reek of incompleteness. You have been warned... |
| This Sorry Excuse for a Site is Under Construction! And it probably always will be. It has a bunch of dead links and a general reek of incompleteness. You have been warned... |
| This Sorry Excuse for a Site is Under Construction! And it probably always will be. It has a bunch of dead links and a general reek of incompleteness. You have been warned... |
| This Sorry Excuse for a Site is Under Construction! And it probably always will be. It has a bunch of dead links and a general reek of incompleteness. You have been warned... |