Christianity subjugates & oppresses other faiths when it is NOT true to its principles; Islam does it when it IS true to its principles. — Dr. Michael L. Brown (@DrMichaelLBrown) June 22, 2017 Is this true? More specifically, what kind of evidence could be brought to bear to sustain or falsify Brown’s assertion? Let’s begin […]
tolerance
Islamophobia? Secular Bernie Sanders meets the Conservative Evangelical
A couple weeks ago Bernie Sanders undertook a provocative line of questioning during the confirmation hearing of a fellow named Russell Vought. You may have heard of this feisty exchange. It certainly got the attention of Christian conservatives who consider it solid evidence of secular incredulity toward and persecution of orthodox Christians. Here is a three […]
The Intolerable Martin Luther
Here is another entry from my forgotten back catalogue. In this article I critique the way that we airbrush our chosen heroes. I make the point by focusing on the hero of Protestantism, Martin Luther. However, the problem extends far beyond religious traditions. For the sake of truth we would all do well to heed […]
Why there is nothing wrong with being certain in your beliefs
These days one often encounters the idea that being certain about a belief — i.e. having unshakeable conviction in its truth — is somehow worriesome, dangerous, or otherwise threatening. This is how Richard Dawkins puts it: “religion causes wars by generating certainty.”(Cited in Avalos, Fighting Words, 177). Second, in Does the Bible justify violence? John J. Collins asserts […]