Carnival of the Godless #76

 

Welcome to A Load of Bright and Carnival of the Godless 76. I am your host and humble author Tobe38, and I hope that you have arrived here well. Let me tell you, there’s nothing that annoys me more than a carnival host who, instead of just introducing the articles like he should, shamelessly exploits the opportunity to promote his own site. So, if you’re not a regular reader of mine, I’m sure you’ll be relieved to hear that I won’t be asking you to add A Load of Bright to your Favourites Folders and Blog Aggregators. Nor will I be crudely inviting you to peruse the archives to view my many articles, book reviews, critiques and analyses on religious news stories in the UK, US and all over the world. Most of all, rest assured that I will not be plugging my recently introduced “Must Read Posts” section (at the top of the sidebar on the right of the homepage screen) which marked my recent six month blogging anniversary.

So, with that self publicity prostitution safely avoided, on to the carnival. The quality of work submitted has been outstanding, and a true pleasure to read. I hope you enjoy the collection as much as I have.

At the top of the bill is an absolute tour de force from Martin Wagner at The Atheist Experience. In Why do Atheists speak out? This is why Wagner publishes a letter that he sent to the editor of a news website in response to an anti-atheist article. From a merciless demolition job, I have to draw your attention to this quote in particular: “Maybe the fool does say in his heart there is no God….but the wise man says it out loud.”

Next, we have Evanescent with his excellent Religion’s Old Clothes. I’ll borrow his opening sentence to introduce it: “Religion has nothing worthwhile to say on anything.”

The inimitable Ebonmuse of Daylight Atheism discusses the fallacy of believing “that the truth always lies in the middle, as if the correct position on any issue could be found by taking the average of the two most extreme positions”, with his contribution Clearing the Ground.

Inspired by Richard Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene, Dr Martin W. Russell of Self Help Blog ponders the significance of our place in a godless universe, in A Foundation for Self Help.

Prompted by the reaction to Kathy Griffin, Cheerful Iconoclast examines the consequences of appeasing Christianity’s fondness for being offended, in the provocatively named Suck it, Jesus. You too, Mohammad..

With his article Religion and Freedom, (The Tortured Mind of) Buford Twain insightfully shows that strong religious belief within a geographical area is an indication of a lack of freedom, not an abundance.

The Atheist Ethicist Alonso Fyfe launches an acerbic pre-emptive strike on an imminent pro-Christian film, in the form of an open letter, Ben Stein’s “Expelled”.

(Life according to) Mike White discusses the dangers of belief without evidence and its encouragement within society, in The Virus of Faith.

Greg Laden of Evolution … not just a theory any more parodies the Christian Ministry It Is Written and their Creationist blunders in It Is Stupid..

In Gods “R” Us, Andrew Bernardin of An Almighty Alpha clinically deconstructs the hierarchical systems religions entail, and exposes the dangers that lie therein.

My good friend John P, A.K.A. Spanish Inquisitor helpfully plugs some of the gaps in Creationists understanding of evolution, in God of the Gaps.

Mike Haubrich, author of Tangled Up In Blue busts some creationist myths and shows that religion is not necessary for a peaceful society to maintain, in his article The Noble Lie.

Using the gay movements of the 80s and 90s for comparison, Greta Christina gives us a compelling, intelligent argument that moderate and extremist approaches to atheist activism can complement each other, rather than impede each other, in Good Cop, Bad Cop: Atheist Activism.

Francois Tremblay of Check Your Premises dispatches a fundamentalist Christian quiz for atheists in a ruthless, but humorous fashion in Christians Arrogantly Ask: How Can You Possibly Live Without God?

Over at Staring At Empty Pages, Barry Leiba highlights the shortfalls in claims that morality can only be accessed through religion in Religion, atheism, and morality.

Nelson Khan, writer of The Clear Path criticises the hypocrisy of Christianity and suggests that religion is an impediment to happiness in Quit Religion = Gain Freedom.

Adam H, at his blog …And That’s How You Live With A Curse, confronts head on the tiresome accusation made against atheists from the religious, you’re just angry.

I have on many occasions on this blog bemoaned the many critics of Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion who have clearly not read the book. No More Mr. Nice Guy agrees with me in his Deluded about Dawkins (Part I), in which he defends TGD. “It’s clear to me that many of Dawkins’ critics haven’t even read the book. Or perhaps they read it like too many people read the bible: with their eyes closed.”

Phil (for Humanity) offers a cogent argument that Faith is a Mental Disease

Sieow Yeong Huah of Skeptical Personal Development demonstrates that religion can be harmful in Divisive Dogma and Christianity in Singapore.

Vjack at Atheist Revolution uses a thought experiment to argue that Atheism Does Not Require Faith.

Bad, of The Bad Idea Blog tackles the religious challenge to atheists to justify the meaning in our lives, in The Meaning of Meaning & Why Theism Can’t Make Life Matter.

And that, as they say, is all folks. Thank you to everyone who submitted articles and all of you, kind readers, for stopping by to enjoy them.

The next Carnival of the Godless is on October 14^th at The Skeptical Alchemist.