Secular America: Paine, Jefferson, and Madison

Thomas Paine (1737-1809) was born in England but later migrated to America. His two pamphlets Common Sense (1776) and The American Crisis (1776-83) would be highly influential at the beginning of the American Revolution. Common Sense supported America’s independence from England, while The American Crisis inspired the Army which was to fight for that independence. But Paine also…

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The Most Bizarre and Disturbing Verses in the Bible

Some believe that the Book of Ezekiel contains passages about a UFO sighting. The Book of Ezekiel is full of ‘visions’ and this particular one is called ‘Ezekiel’s Wheel’: In Ezekiel 1:4, “I looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north–an immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by brilliant light. The…

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What is Secular Buddhism?

Can you be an atheist and a Buddhist? At first glance, it seems like it would be inconsistent to be both, to be someone who does not believe in God but belongs to a religion. But there is now a growing form of Buddhism, in the Western world at least, which is based on humanism…

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A Short Explanation of Theism, Atheism, and Agnosticism

Atheists often accuse theists of arrogance, since they claim to know, for certain, that God does not exist. Likewise, atheists are often accused of arrogance, since they claim with absolute certainty that God does not exist. Someone who does not want to get accused of arrogance might say that they are an agnostic – instead…

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Losing Faith in Faith Schools

According to the British Humanist Association (BHA), there are currently 7000 state-funded faith schools in the UK, mostly Christian, but all are legally allowed to discriminate on the basis of religion. Furthermore, all are exempt from the normal classroom inspections that other schools are subject to. This discrimination is unfair to children or teachers who…

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