Nope.

Yes. This is A Thing. It's why I largely ignore "movement" atheism these days, even online. Militant online atheist has a strong correlation with sophomoric, resentful libertarian MRAs.

Religious belief correlates with poverty. Helllllllo.

Dawkins doesn't assume that just because people are non-white, they *must* believe in superstitious mumbo-jumbo. That, in fact, they are quite intelligent and curious enough to see through religious bullshit just as much as any European. Assuming "those people" "NEED" their religion is also a form of smug paternalism.

I think it's time for this again

I had the OPer's epiphany at 19, sitting at a bus stop in the sun about this time of year, having just finished and closed Thomas Paine's "The Age of Reason." I just... knew I didn't believe any of it. And that I could no longer go on pretending that I did. I no longer wanted to pretend, including to other people. And…

MAN, I hope Athelstan rejoins Team Ragnar next week!

Hear, hear!

I fucking hate Steve Harvey and think he's a misogynist shitshow, but saying a black man "needs to be corrected with barbed-wire whips" is probably... inadvisable.

Uh, I think you are misunderstanding terms here. Catholics are most definitely Christians. Catholics generally think of themselves as The Original Christians. Everything else you said applies to Protestant Christians.

But how does "God did it" (or, "God allowed it") make really fucked-up things easier to explain or deal with? Surely, believing there's a powerful creator/controller who *could* do something different, but *doesn't*, and instead causes or allowed untold suffering and pain, is a bit... masochistic? I don't understand…

I don't understand this thought process. Surely the lack of an afterlife makes this life infinitely precious, not meaningless? It's afterlife-based religions like Christianity and Islam that devalue human life. After all, according to their philosophy, this life is only a "test" and we are supposed to eschew all that…

Why is that admirable? It seems ignorant and delusional, at best.

1. "You might be surprised to learn that most have them arose from religion, not lack of it." Yikes.

We should hang out.

Me, too, Kat. I joined the Episcopal Church during Advent, and I couldn't be happier!

I agree 100%, BUT I find it extremely problematic that Jay-Z never dresses like this. Even in Beyoncé's own videos and performances. He's sitting there, in a tux, smoking cigars, male gazing. It's kind of... gross. Insofar as it's one-dimensional, patriarchal, gendered, heteronormative, sub-dom, etc., etc., etc. ad…

1. I feel sorry for Donnie.