I know this sounds like one of those horrid assignments from a high school English class. “Now students, write a 500-word essay about a body part.” But that is not what this is about. Not at all. Those of you who know me or have read my book, Godless in America, will know that I suffer …
Random thoughts on being human This happened more than half a lifetime ago. The image has stayed with me through the passing decades. I stood on the back porch of my home in South Florida and watched the advance of a thunderstorm moving in from the north. The clouds, massive and ominous, were dark, purpling …
In the November general election, residents of the state of Florida will be asked to vote on an amendment to the state constitution that is billed as the “Florida Marriage Protection Amendment.” The amendment will be on the ballot by virtue of its having acquired more than the necessary 611,009 signatures of registered voters. If …
Toward a more rational 21st Century society While the political flacks and religious hucksters gear up for another round in the fictitious “War on Christmas” that is so beloved by Fox News and the Christian Right in the United States, new ad campaigns in the U.S.A. and England will doubtless be seen as throwing fuel …
By George A. Ricker Some years ago, while I was earning my living as a newspaper editor, a press release that came across my desk caught my eye. It opened this way: “Why are some of the nation’s suburban and affluent kids committing some very ugly violent acts?” Why, indeed. The thrust of the piece …
By George A. Ricker While it is certainly true there are times when political matters are of concern to atheists, and other secularists who prize individual rights of conscience and value the wall of separation between governments and religions, it is also true that atheism has no direct connection to politics. Atheists don’t believe in …
By George A. Ricker To Senator John McCain and Senator Barack Obama: since you are the presidential nominees of your respective political parties, I wanted to take this opportunity to raise an issue that probably will not get much attention this fall. Each of you wants to be my president. I assume each of you …
Read more “Memo to Messrs. McCain and Obama Concerning a Wall That Needs Mending”
By George A. RickerOn May 1, my wife and I joined other members of the Space Coast Freethought Association (SCFA) at a local seafood restaurant to observe the National Day of Reason—an unofficial event created as a counterweight to the official National Day of Prayer, which was legislated by the U.S. Congress and is proclaimed …
Read more “Let Us Think: Thoughts on the National Day of Reason and the Reasons Behind It”
Belief claims present a bait and switch on ‘God’ By George A. Ricker Two recent reports on religion and god-belief illustrate some of the difficulties inherent in our national conversation on these two subjects. The first is the second installment of the U.S. Religious Landscape Survey conducted by The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. …
By George A. Ricker With the presidential nominating process well under way and the fall elections approaching, I wanted to offer a few observations about elections and the way we conduct them here in the United States. This is not a partisan issue. It should not matter whether one is a Democrat or a Republican, …
Read more “Elections: Much too Important to be Left to Politicians”