Daily Archives: June 15, 2021

Many people are interested in distinguishing between the words agnostic and atheist. The difference is quite simple: atheist refers to someone who does not believe in the existence of a god or any gods, and agnostic refers to someone who doesnt know whether there is a god, or even if such a thing is knowable. This distinction can be troublesome to remember, but examining the origins of the two words can help.

Agnostic first appeared in 1869, (possibly coined by the English biologist Thomas Henry Huxley), and was formed from the Greek agnstos (meaning "unknown, unknowable"). Atheist came to English from the French athisme. Although both words share a prefix (which is probably the source of much of the confusion) the main body of each word is quite different. Agnostic shares part of its history with words such as prognosticate and prognosis, words which have something to do with knowledge or knowing something. Atheist shares roots with words such as theology and theism, which generally have something to do with God.

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Atheist | Definition of Atheist by Merriam-Webster

Celebrity atheistsinclude some of the biggest names in entertainment and pop culture who do not believe in a higher power. This is a list of famous people who are atheists, with photos, that is regularly updated as new celebrities choose atheism.

Who are the most famous celebrity atheists? There are hundreds of famous Hollywood atheists from TV, film, radio, and the theater. Some notable atheists on this list have either come out with or mentioned their atheism in public, likeatheist comedian Ricky Gervais,and others are just known for a lack of a belief in God.

Celebrity atheism seems to be more prominent with the show-business set than in middle America. Academy Award winner Joaquin Phoenix is also an atheist. He and late brother River Phoenix were actually born into a cult, which likely led toThe Jokerstar's current decision to refrain from organized religion.

Keira Knightley is one of the atheist actresses on the list, while Keanu Reeves is another of the well-known atheist celebs. Did any of these atheist stars surprise you?

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175+ Celebrity Atheists | List of Atheist Actors

Atheist is a death metal band from Florida, founded in 1984 by the vocalist and guitarist Kelly Shaefer, guitarist Rand Burkey, bassist Roger Patterson and drummer Steve Flynn. The band is known for its highly technical playing style and its 1991 album, Unquestionable Presence, is regarded as an important landmark of the technical death metal genre.[3] After disbanding in 1994, the band reformed in 2006 and has since released one studio album and a live DVD.[citation needed]

The band was originally formed in 1984 in Sarasota, firstly under the name Oblivion and later as R.A.V.A.G.E. (which stands for "Raging Atheists Vowing A Gory End").[4] They recorded their first album, Piece of Time, in 1988, though the album was not released until 1990 due to record company issues. In 1991, Patterson died in a car accident and Atheist recruited Tony Choy (previously a member of Cynic) to record their second album, Unquestionable Presence. Atheist disbanded for the first time in 1992, reuniting in 1993 and recording a third album, Elements, fulfilling their contractual requirements, before disbanding for a second time.

Seven years after their second break up, Shaefer decided to re-release and remaster their three albums with different bonus tracks.

Relapse Records re-issued the band's three albums in late 2005, as well as a vinyl box set containing the three albums plus the R.A.V.A.G.E. demo "On They Slay". Flynn formed the band Gnostic in the same year. In January 2006, Atheist announced they were regrouping to perform live during the summer and autumn. The line-up was Shaefer, Burkey, Choy and Flynn. Shaefer only provided vocals due to long battles with tendinitis and carpal tunnel syndrome.[5] The Gnostic guitarist Sonny Carson played all of Shaefer's guitar parts, while Burkey was later replaced by Chris Baker of Gnostic.

On July 12, 2008, Shaefer issued a statement indicating that he and Flynn were working on new material.[6] A month later, Shaefer announced that they had commenced the recording of a new studio album, which would be their first in over 15 years. The band toured Europe and the US in 2009 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of Piece of Time. A live DVD filmed at the Wacken Open Air Festival appeared towards the end of the year.[7]

On July 11, 2010, Atheist revealed that their fourth studio album would be called Jupiter and was set for a November release.[8] They inked a deal with Season of Mist and Jupiter was released on November 8, 2010.[9]

On August 3, 2010, Shaefer and Flynn announced on behalf of the band that Tony Choy would not be appearing on Jupiter but was still likely to appear in live performances with the band due to his own musical aspirations.[10] The band announced in 2014 that it was working on a fifth studio album, which was planned to be released in 2015;[11] however, the album would be left unreleased for over half a decade.

In February 2018, Atheist signed with Agonia Records.[12] The band expects to release their fifth studio album sometime in 2021 or 2022, and in order to support it, they will embark on their first European tour in over ten years in February 2022.[13]

Current

Current Live

Former

Guitarists

Bass guitarists

Drummers

Timeline

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Atheist (band) - Wikipedia

June 13, 2021

Tennessee's Constitution includes a provision that bars three groups from holding office: atheists, ministers and those engaging in duels. Efforts are under way in the state legislature to remove this exclusion for ministers, but not for duelists or atheists.

In January 2021, Republican Tennessee State Senator Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, proposed Senate Joint Resolution 55 to amend Article IX of the Constitution of Tennessee to rid it of a clause that states "no minister of the Gospel, or priest of any denomination whatever, shall be eligible to a seat in either House of the Legislature." No mention is made in Pody's resolution about Section 2 of the same article: "No person who denies the being of God shall hold any office in the civil department of this state." Nor for that matter does the current bill mention Section 3's objection to those who participate, aid or abet a duel.

When Pody was asked why his resolution removes only the ban on ministers, his response was that it is best to clean up the constitution "one simple step at a time."

Tennessee is one of seven states that has an unconstitutional ban on atheists holding public office. Although superseded by Supreme Court rulings, such bans are important. As a scholar of religious and political rhetoric who focuses on the marginalization of U.S. atheists, I believe they reflect the normalization of anti-atheism that has yet to be truly dealt with, or rarely acknowledged, in the United States.

Atheists 'not to be tolerated'

Numerous state constitutions established laws banning both ministers and atheists when they were ratified.

The bans on ministers were framed as necessary to protect their "sacred calling." The prohibitions on atheists were installed for a different reason. Atheists, it was claimed, could not be trusted to be good citizens in a democracy.

This sentiment was expressed by early enlightenment thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Locke both of whom influenced early American politicians. Locke argued in his 1689 "Letter Concerning Toleration" that "those are not at all to be tolerated who deny the being of a God. Promises, covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human society, can have no hold upon an atheist."

Bans on atheists and ministers are now unconstitutional due to Supreme Court rulings in 1961 and 1978. Tennessee is the last state to maintain an unenforceable ban on ministers in their Constitutions, while seven states still have their unconstitutional bans on atheists.

Although unenforceable, the bans periodically impede atheists wanting to hold public office. In 1992, Herb Silverman, an atheist activist and math professor, was denied a position as a notary public because of a ban in South Carolina. He had to sue the state before he could hold the position.Meanwhile in 2009, Cecil Bothwell, a local Democratic candidate, won his city counsel race in Asheville, North Carolina but had to fight critics who claimed he was ineligible on account of his atheism.

These attacks continued for years after Bothwell was elected. H.K. Edgerton, a Black Confederate activist and one of Bothwell's staunchest critics, complained in 2014 that the council had "placed itself above the law for two terms with Cecil Bothwell sitting there passing rules and regulations and dictating law unlawfully."

David Morgan, editor of the Asheville Tribune, claimed his criticism of Bothwell was about upholding the state constitution, arguing "If you don't like it, amend it and take out that clause."

Atheists have tried to do just that. But politicians show little interest in removing the bans on atheists that exist in state constitutions. As Todd Stiefel, an atheist activist, notes: "If it was on the books that Jews couldn't hold public office, or that African Americans or women couldn't vote, that would be a no-brainer. You'd have politicians falling all over themselves to try to get it repealed. Even if it was still unenforceable, it would still be disgraceful and be removed. So why are we different?"

These anti-atheist clauses and the failure to remove them reflect a phenomenon I call "theistnormativity," which is the normalization of the belief in God as being tied to good and moral citizenship.

To many Americans, beliefs in God and Americanism has become synonymous. A 2015 survey found that 69% of respondents thought it was important to believe in God to be "truly American." And Americans are expected to embrace national slogans such as "In God We Trust" and "one nation, under God." Politicians are regularly asked to participate in public prayers to God before official meetings. And while they can request otherwise, the default assumption is that Americans will make an oath to God when taking public office or testifying in court.

While there is no ban on being an atheist in the United States, atheists have long been framed as un-American. When Democratic Representative Louis Rabaut proposed adding "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, he argued that an "atheistic American" is a "contradiction in terms."

Even President Barack Obama simply acknowledging the existence of "nonbelievers" in his 2009 inaugural address led critics to question whether the acknowledgment was "offensive" and could lead to dangerous misunderstandings about "our true nature as a nation."

And it isn't just the political right. When Bernie Sanders was running for president in 2016, leaked emails from Democratic National Committee leadership revealed a plot to try to out him as an atheist to negatively influence perceptions of him.Impediment to power

This political environment makes it difficult for open atheists to gain much political power. In a 2021 survey of Congress' religious identity, only one person, Senator Kyrsten Sinema, identified as "religiously unaffiliated." Eighteen members replied "don't know" or refused to answer the question.

Polling shows 4% of Americans identify as atheists, and about 23% identify more broadly as nonreligious. While identifying as "nonreligious" does not necessarily mean not believing in God, research suggests that as many as 1 in 4 Americans is atheist, but that most are unwilling to reveal this, even in anonymous polls.

As such, there are likely more atheists in Congress they're just not open about their beliefs. In fact, in 2014, the American Humanist Association claimed that 24 members of Congress privately stated they did not believe in God but would deny it if outed.

Political analysts have long wondered if an atheist could become president. It would take a brave one to try, given that polls indicate that only 60% of Americans would be willing to contemplate voting for one.

Click here to read the complete story.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit network of state government news sites supported by grants and a coalition of donors.

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Seven States Still Have Bans On Atheists Holding Office - Patch.com

In our latest podcast, Jessica and I discussed the past week in politics and atheism.

We talked about:

A number of well-known New Atheists have drifted to the right but to varying degrees. Heres a great episode of Serious Inquiries Only with more nuance! (2:45)

Conservatives are very upset that a graduation speaker said the Pledge of Allegiance Under Allah. (21:08)

Does it matter that Christian denominations are fading away? (28:02)

Even a majority of Republicans support marriage equality now. (36:45)

The GOP chairwoman wished people a Happy Pride Month. It didnt end well. (45:04)

How much credit does Burger King deserve for this Chick-fil-A shade? (53:40)

A Christian group wants body cams on teachers to make sure theyre not teaching about race. (1:02:36)

A(nother) Noahs Ark replica is creating all kinds of chaos. (1:10:30)

Wed love to hear your thoughts on the podcast. If you have any suggestions for people we should chat with, please leave them in the comments, too.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Google Play, stream all the episodes on SoundCloud or Stitcher, or just listen to the whole thing below. Our RSS feed is here. And if you like what youre hearing, please consider supporting this site on Patreon and leaving us a positive rating!

(Image via Shutterstock)

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Podcast Ep. 378: Have the New Atheists Drifted to the Right? - Friendly Atheist - Patheos

Published: 6/13/2021 6:55:18 AM

In 1897, Dr. Philip OHanlon, a coroners assistant on Manhattans Upper West Side, was asked by his then 8-year-old daughter, Virginia, whether Santa Claus really existed. OHanlon suggested she write to The Sun, a then prominent New York City newspaper.

Heres what Virginia wrote: Dear Editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, If you see it in The Sun its so. Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

Francis Church, one of The Suns editors, was a war correspondent during the American Civil War, a time that saw great suffering and a lack of hope and faith in much of society. Not unlike how we feel in todays uncivil war of words. Although The Sun buried Churchs editorial below one about the newly invented chainless bicycle, it was noticed and well received by readers. According to an anecdote on the radio program The Rest of the Story, Church was a hardened cynic and an atheist who had little patience for superstitious beliefs, did not want to write the editorial, and refused to allow his name to be attached to the piece. More than a century later it is the most reprinted editorial in any newspaper in the English language.

Virginia, Churchs editorial began, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe anything except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be mens or childrens, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Was the Santa story simply a well-meaning myth? Or was it a charming folk tale with variations in different cultures such as in my Dutch parents home country tradition where Sinterklaas has a helper named Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). Piet usually appears as a blackface character with large gold earrings and exaggerated lips. In the weeks leading up to Kerstmis, cities and towns host parades featuring hundreds of white people dressed as Piet who is tasked with handing out presents to the good children and punishing the naughty.

Today, as the anti-racist movement against the Zwarte Piet has grown, so too has organized white supremacy in favor of him. Journalists have received death threats for writing about Piet and anti-blackface activists have survived violent attacks.

We are living in a tsunami of conspiracy theories in todays America. Though there are no known dates for the earliest recorded conspiracy theories according to Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia, evidence suggests that they have been around since as early as the Roman Empire. conspiracy theories are almost always present in the fabric of society, societal upheaval and traumatic events that call into question established power structures, norms of conduct, or even the existence of specific people or groups, tend to stimulate belief in conspiracy theories.

Enter the Internet that has made it possible for an exponentially exacerbated spread of conspiracy theories at a pace we have never before known. Internet-based media outlets such as the late Rush Limbaughs radio program, the Alec Jones Show on InfoWars, news programs on Fox News, One America News Network, Newsmax TV, the large Sinclair Broadcasting Group of radio stations, and many other conservative media, attract audiences which already have a predisposition to believe in such theories before they begin to believe in them.

How, otherwise, could one possibly believe that the first moon landing was a hoax staged by NASA? Or that the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center were not (exclusively) conducted by al-Qaeda, but a U.S. government conspiracy to let these attacks succeed? Or that the 2020 election was stolen? Or that Jan. 6 was a typical tourist day at the capital? And that Donald Trump will be reinstated as president come August?

No Santa Claus!, Frances Church ended his 1897 editorial with; Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

If planet Earth is still supporting human life a thousand years from now, nay, 10,000 years from now, I wonder what the history of the 21st century will look like?

John Bos wrote a bi-weekly column entitled Connecting the Dots for seven years in the West County Independent. Having moved to Greenfield last year he is more than pleased to continue his column in the Recorder. Questions and comments are always invited. Readers who would like a copy of the original Sun editorial or Tips on Countering Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation may request a PDF copy at john01370@gmail.com.

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Columnist John Bos: Living in a tsunami of conspiracy theories - The Recorder

Everything Wrong With Exodus 6 in the Bible | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | PatheosEverything Wrong With Exodus 6 in the BibleJune 13, 2021Hemant Mehta

The video below, from my YouTube channel (please subscribe!), discusses all the problems with Exodus 6.

The Bible needs to rehash a story weve heard before and throw in a family tree just to annoy us.

If you like what youre seeing, please consider supporting my work on Patreon.

(Original image via Shutterstock)

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Everything Wrong With Exodus 6 in the Bible | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | Patheos - Friendly Atheist - Patheos

On the outside of a parking structure at the University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, theres this giant religious banner:

Gracious Lord, for all of UMC I pray Your divine protection over them, guidance within them & provision for them, daily. Reverend Wendell Davis.

Firm, not fearful.

Why is a public university promoting religion? Why is a hospital full of medical professionals who spent years getting trained in precise surgical methods suggesting that prayer will make the difference? While doctors and patients are free to pray if theyd like, this banner is out of place at a public hospital just like it would be at a public school.

Thats why the Freedom From Religion Foundation called for it to be taken down last month.

The University Medical Center serves all citizens regardless of belief or nonbelief. This message alienates the 24% of Americans who are non-religious. We urge UMC to recognize its obligation to provide all citizens with an environment free from religious endorsement by removing this exclusionary display

FFRF also noted that the medical center created religious videos endorsing Christianity, like one that featured a chaplain urging people to trust Jesus with the UMC logo at the end:

While patients are trying to receive care and employees are trying to work, many are forced to listen to preaching by someone who does not share their deeply held religious or nonreligious views. You can imagine how people would react if they were forced to listen to an Imam deliver a prayer to Allah. It is also bad medicine subjecting an ill, captive audience to unwanted proselytizing, adding to stress.

We ask that you discontinue UMCs chaplaincy and cease creating and promoting religious videos. UMC should focus on providing secular care and support services to its patients and employees and leave determinations on religious support to individuals. UMC must also remove the religious banner from its parking structure. Please reply in writing outlining the steps that you are taking to address these constitutional concerns so that we may inform our complainants.

It worked. Kind of. The hospital now says the banner is coming down but theyre not quite ready to eliminate the chaplains videos.

The hospital says it plans to remove the banner as part of its original plan, saying it was only supposed to be displayed temporarily during the pandemic.

Regarding the chaplain program and its practices, [UMC President and CEO Mark] Funderburk stated that before and since the first COVID-19 patient was admitted to UMC, no patient, employee or visitor has been compelled to participate in any expression or practice of faith.

Like many hospitals, University Medical Center has a chaplain program designed to improve patients health and well-being, he continued.

These professionals skillfully and compassionately attend the spiritual and emotional needs, and support the health and welfare of UMCs patients, staff, and visitors.

Funderburk is missing the point. Theres nothing wrong with having a chaplaincy program as long as those chaplains can help all patients and, in effect, speak their language. Thats a far cry from making videos with the hospitals stamp of approval promoting a Christian-specific message. (Wheres the Islamic version of that video? The Humanist version?)

Its not clear yet how FFRF will respond.

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Texas Public Hospital Will Take Down Pro-Religion Banner at Urging of Atheists - Friendly Atheist - Patheos

Adrianne Curry, a former contestant on Americas Next Top Model and an actor, took to Facebook this week to admit she was taught by godless people in Hollywood to judge Kirk Cameron simply because he found God.

I sneered at the mention of his name,she wrote, because my agnostic beliefs set me above all others in my infinite godless greatness. When I really ask myself why I did so, my only truthful answer is that I was surrounded by godless people who fancied themselves better than anyone and everyone who had faith in anything besides their own selfish selves.

She went on to write that Tinseltown told me that anyone who was anything besides Muslim, atheist, agnostic, gay, etc., was very bad and stupid.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up forFaithwires daily newsletterand download theCBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

She coasted for quite a while on the assumptions about Cameron put in place for her. But then she watched an interview with the Growing Pains star, and her perspective changed.

Recently, Curry wrote, I watched an interview with the guy. He came off as very humble and incredibly likable. I watched a few more. Loyal to his wife, a family man, a former atheist who found some meaning in life. He just comes off as a good dude.

The retired actor said she immediately felt like a jerk for holding such unfair opinions about Cameron, admitting she used to be intolerable of those who held different worldviews and beliefs.

Sorry, dude, she wrote in her apology to Cameron. I walked with the flock of sheep who told me what to hate and what to like without question.

Cameron, for his part, actually responded in the comments section of Currys Facebook post, telling the fellow actor a friend of his texted him about her apology.

The 50-year-old Christian celebrity said he is genuinely grateful for her kind words.

He went on to share a bit of his testimony with her.

After losing my faith in atheism at 18, Cameron wrote, I asked the maker of all the beautiful and purposeful things I saw in the world (stars, galaxies, sunrises, purple hydrangeas, children, laughter, deep grief, good food, love, loyalty, courage, honor) to help me understand the truth about it all. And I started to say, Thank you.

I too, as a young man on top of all the Teen-Beat world in Hollywood, thought I was bigger and better than a made-up god-crutch, he continued. But I too was just following the herd of sheep, running with those who wanted to see themselves as too smart to believe or trust in God. I kept denying Gods existence But then, thankfully, I ran out of excuses. I didnt find God in Babylon; He wasnt lost. I was lost, and He found me. Blessing to you on your journey.

In 2017, Camerondefended the rights of atheiststo disbelieve in God, arguing religious liberty is just as critical to agnostics as it is to believers.

He said at the time a person wouldnt want to be an atheist in a certain kind of country that insists on only one religion.

If you have religious liberty, which allows you to be here in the U.S. and practice your faith according to the dictates of your conscience under law, you can be an atheist without worrying that youre going to be thrown in prison for that.

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Actress Admits She Used to Judge Kirk Cameron 'Simply Because He Found God,' Offers Apology - CBN News