I thought this was too incredible not to discuss.  It seems that Turkish courts have passed a ruling that bans  all internet access to the website of Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins (www.RichardDawkins.net).  I hardly know what to say other than, “Thank goodness I live in a free, democratic country in which we still have freedom of speech!”
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Reposted from: http://www.monstersandcritics.com/science/news/article_1431422.php/Turkey_bans_biologist_Richard_Dawkins_website
Ankara - Turkish internet users have been blocked via a court order from accessing the site of prominent British biologist Richard Dawkins after complaints from lawyers for Islamic creationist author …

I clearly remember my days as a bible-thumping Jehovah’s Witness; looking forward to the End of the

Ask the right question…
I’ve been asked many times why I am an Atheist. Often that question is phrased as ‘why do you believe in Atheism?’  I first have to correct the question before I can answer it. As I will go on to explain, Atheism is not a belief in and of itself, rather it is a lack of belief in a god or divine creator. You see, Atheism is not organized; it is not a club or a group. Atheists are individuals who use their faculties of reason and …

“Maybe YOU evolved from monkeys… but I certainly didn’t!”

I’m sure that every Atheist has heard that before - and most Creationists have probably said it at one time or another.
First of all, let me say that it’s a common misconception that humans are the direct descendants of apes. Rather, evolution suggests that at some point in our very distant past our species shared a common ancestor.
But back to the point… I never understood why people are often so offended at the thought of having evolved from a lesser form, whether …

Recently I’ve been asked: “What religions did you study?” and  “What made you become an Atheist?” The answers are: many and science, respectively.
Religious Study
I began many years ago by studying and/or looking into several Christian religions: the Catholic Church, the United Church, the Lutheran Church, the Pentecostal Church, to name a few - I really wanted to compare Christianity based on my knowledge and understanding of the bible. I wanted to consider Christian faiths and their individual perspectives. What I found in every case was that there were the typical …