Sam Harris

The New Atheism and Evolutionary Religious Studies: Clarifying Their Relationship

David Sloan Wilson | Posted 05.17.2012

David Sloan Wilson

What is the relationship between the New Atheism and Evolutionary Religious Studies? This question is surprisingly complex and needs to be answered in at least three steps.

Sam Harris, Will You Visit A Mosque With Me?

Chris Stedman | Posted 05.03.2012

Chris Stedman

What could happen if two atheists were to walk into a mosque? What could we learn from one another? In what ways could we work alongside Muslims to build a world that values pluralism and compassion?

End Of Profiling: Letter To Sam Harris

Michael Mungai | Posted 05.01.2012

Michael Mungai

It is utterly insensitive that while the U.S. is dealing with the extremities of such a barbaric practice that's suspected to have ended young Trayvon Martin's life, a respected public intellectual like yourself would advocate its practice on others.

The Sad, Silly Idea Of 'Religion for Atheists'

Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie | Posted 05.13.2012

Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie

When God and belief are stripped out of the equation, we are left with rituals and practices that are primarily hedonistic and hollow. What de Botton offers us is "religion for atheists," but what he gives us is pseudo-religion and empty routine.

Defying Our Maker: What The New Atheists Miss

Ted Cadsby | Posted 02.15.2012

Ted Cadsby

Of all the arguments employed to challenge the usefulness of religion, one is largely overlooked: the way religion feeds our tribal instinct.

WATCH: Fallen Navy SEAL From 2008 Mission Honored For Surprise Paintings Left Behind

Posted 01.11.2012

The Harris family may have lost their son, Josh, to a combat mission in Afghanistan in 2008. But a discovery left behind by the former member of the e...

New Allies In The Culture Wars

Steve Volk | Posted 11.06.2011

Steve Volk

Newberg asked people to draw an image of God ... Believers in fact most often drew the sun, light, mirrors and even nothing -- abstract images that reflected a conception of God as vast and unknowable.

9/11 Gave Birth To Aggressive, Unapologetic 'New Atheists'

Posted 10.26.2011

By Kimberly Winston Religion News Service (RNS) In September 2001, Sam Harris was an unknown doctoral student who didn't believe in God. But af...

New Allies In The Theist/Atheist Debate

Steve Volk | Posted 10.25.2011

Steve Volk

If we're going to get beyond the typical exchanges between new atheists and the religious, I'd argue that it's through figures like Eagleman and Harris that we will find the most productive path.

Drugs and the Meaning of Life

Sam Harris | Posted 09.05.2011

Sam Harris

One of the great responsibilities we have as a society is to educate ourselves, along with the next generation, about which substances are worth ingesting, and for what purpose, and which are not.

Life Without Religion

Joseph Smigelski | Posted 08.22.2011

Joseph Smigelski

There is a great divide in this country where none should be. I'm talking about the perceived rift between science and religion. There's no real conflict, just one manufactured by manipulative ideologues.

On Spiritual Truths

Sam Harris | Posted 08.16.2011

Sam Harris

The fact that human consciousness allows for remarkable experiences does not make the worldview of Sayed Qutb, or of Islam, or of revealed religion generally, any less divisive or ridiculous.

Has Atheism Become A Religion?

David Lose | Posted 07.26.2011

David Lose

These four elements suggest that Atheists regularly demonstrate attributes usually exhibited by religious folk of all persuasions.

The Perils of the Print Interview

Sam Harris | Posted 07.24.2011

Sam Harris

I'm entirely sympathetic with the desire on the part of journalists and their editors to print honest and natural speech. But it seems to me that very few consumers of media realize that print interviews present unique opportunities for distortion.

How to Meditate

Sam Harris | Posted 07.12.2011

Sam Harris

Not all contemplative paths kindle the same doubts or present the same liabilities. There are, in fact, many methods of meditation and "spiritual" inquiry that can greatly enhance our mental health while offering no affront to the intellect.

The Hangover: Questions for a Post-Bin Laden America

Richard (RJ) Eskow | Posted 07.03.2011

Richard (RJ) Eskow

It's been a hell of a binge, hasn't it? Now it's hangover time. When the hangover ends, that's when the questions usually begin: Will we finally honor those "everyday heroes" we keep hearing about?

Why 'Do You Believe in God?' Is The Wrong Question To Ask

Rabbi Geoffrey A. Mitelman | Posted 06.07.2011

Rabbi Geoffrey A. Mitelman

When you're asking a question with an expected answer, and that answer is the opposite of what you hope it will be, there's no constructive dialogue. It simply comes off as a judgmental attack.

Rationality And Irrationality In Believers And Atheists

Deepak Chopra | Posted 06.04.2011

Deepak Chopra

Science has much to say about spirituality, and vice versa. They aren't enemies or natural opposites.

Atheism's Odd Relationship With Morality

Rabbi Adam Jacobs | Posted 05.25.2011

Rabbi Adam Jacobs

The reason that I can agree with many of the moral assertions that these atheists make is because they are not truly outgrowths of their purported philosophies, but rather of mine.

My Response to Rep. Keith Ellison

Sam Harris | Posted 05.25.2011

Sam Harris

Who will reform Islam if moderate Muslims refuse to speak honestly about the very doctrines in need of reform?

Darwinism And The Problem Of Evil

Michael Ruse | Posted 05.25.2011

Michael Ruse

I am not sure that the problem of evil can be solved. I am with the chap in the Brothers Karamazov who said that even if everything is good in the end, the cost is not worth it.

The Atheist vs. Religion "Debate" Misses the Point

Frank Schaeffer | Posted 05.25.2011

Frank Schaeffer

If there is a God then what we believe -- or not -- about Him, Her or It, is neither here nor there. Even less relevant is our sincerity. The same goes for science. All science is, is the naming and describing of what is there.

What Is The History Of Modern Atheism?

Christian Science Monitor | Stuart Whatley | Posted 05.26.2011

When the priest asks him why, with his days numbered, he still has not turned to God, Meursault, the death row inmate in Albert Camus's "L'Étranger,"...

What's So New About The New Atheism?

Paul Pardi | Posted 05.25.2011

Paul Pardi

The general consensus on the part of professional philosophers on all sides of the question is that the popular arguments being made by new atheists are not all that new.

Mistakes Atheists Make: The Top 9

Phil Zuckerman | Posted 05.25.2011

Phil Zuckerman

If you really think that a secular worldview is superior, I would suggest a little self-examination. A lot of you out there are making some serious mistakes.