Comments on: Newsweek Reports on Atheist “Controversy”

By: Friendly Atheist » Harvard’s Humanist Chaplain to Pen Book

Friendly Atheist » Harvard’s Humanist Chaplain to Pen Book — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 04:06:14 +0000

[...] Epstein, Harvard’s Humanist Chaplain and the center of many an “atheist controversy,” has finalized a deal to write a book about Humanism. It is tentatively titled Good Without [...]

By: Friendly Atheist » Keep Your Eye on The Boston Globe This Sunday

Friendly Atheist » Keep Your Eye on The Boston Globe This Sunday — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 00:28:47 +0000

[...] like a major story on atheism (focusing on Harvard’s Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein) will be published on Sunday in The Boston [...]

By: 20 gram Soul : Religion vs Christianity

20 gram Soul : Religion vs Christianity — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 04:34:02 +0000

[...] While “Thinking Ape” claims this person is being dishonest about their religion, I think it is (at least in principle) possible to distinguish between the two. Religion, according to one definition is “an institution to express belief in a divine power”1. By this definition, perhaps “the church” and “religion” would be synonymous. My major gripe with religion has always been the institution associated along with it – sure, the beliefs are almost certainly delusional as well, but the beliefs alone (in my view) don’t cause any harm. It’s for this same reason that I disagree with organised atheist evangelism. [...]

By: Mike C

Mike C — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:34:30 +0000

sorry, posted too soon…

the media pays the most attention to controversy and extremism. Nice guys rarely get their day in the sun.

This is very true.

By: Mike C

Mike C — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:31:29 +0000

When did The End of Faith come out? It was quite a quite a while before The God Delusion. Just curious, I don’t remember the exact date.

October 2005, so yes, a little bit before Hemant. However, I don’t seem to remember that book getting as much press as the more recent slew. With the exception of Hemant’s story, I didn’t start seeing front page articles on atheism on the news racks until The God Delusion came out.

By: writerdd

writerdd — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:16:42 +0000

March 9, 2006 – Wall Street Journal article about the eBay Atheist

When did The End of Faith come out? It was quite a quite a while before The God Delusion. Just curious, I don’t remember the exact date.

I didn’t mean to insinuate that Hemant was riding anyone’s coat tails. Just that the media pays the most attention to controversy and extremism. Nice guys rarely get their day in the sun.

By: writerdd

writerdd — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 14:15:29 +0000

March 9, 2006 – Wall Street Journal article about the eBay Atheist

When did The End of Faith come out? It was quite a quite a while before The God Delusion. Just curious, I don’t remember the exact date.

By: olvlzl, no ism, no ist

olvlzl, no ism, no ist — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 11:46:16 +0000

I assumed that olvlzl was some abbreviation of your name,

“olvlzl” came up in the random charecter generator at Mercury Rising blog back when they were on Blogger. It means nothing.

I wasn’t offended, just curious. If anyone else was confused I just didnt’ want them to think I was trying to hide my pseudonym.

By: Darryl

Darryl — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 04:49:36 +0000

olvlzl, no ism, no ist, I was struck by your handle when I noticed your first posting. I assumed that olvlzl was some abbreviation of your name, but the “no ism, no ist” is what caught my attention. Excuse my boldness for dubbing you with the nickname Izzy–it’s from “ism”–I supposed that since we’ve been doing the back and forth for a while now that I could be a little looser with address. I meant no disrespect, and certainly no other reference.

By: Miko

Miko — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 03:40:13 +0000

But from what I understand of Christianity, to be a Christian, all you have to do is believe that Jesus is the son of God, and that he died for your sins – you don’t have to “worship” to get into the Christian heaven (again, that’s what I understand, at least).

So God prefers our thinking he’s a jerk over thinking that he doesn’t exist?

Seriously though, from what I understand of Christianity, I somewhat doubt that there are half a dozen Christians on the planet that agree completely on what you have to do to be a Christian and get into heaven.