A few weeks ago, I found myself at the front of a sizeable auditorium, facing an audience full of faithful Christians. The organizers of the event—the Christian Veritas Forum—had flown in a charismatic MIT chemistry... Read More

Is faith a good thing? In past columns, I have argued that we must outgrow our reliance on faith: that despite its reputation as a virtue, it is actually an obstacle to moral progress. In... Read More

The Dawn of Civilization Long ago, a relatively hairless breed of two-legged ape eked out an existence that was nasty, brutish and short. Conflict was a key contributor to their misery, but eventually, they noticed... Read More

The Institute for Humanist Studies (IHS), a new think tank conducting humanist research on social and political issues, met in Houston last week to reflect on the nature of theism’s impact on public policy. What... Read More

Years ago, I was enjoying conversation with a religious friend. The subject of gay marriage came up, and he asserted his opposition to its legalization. “Why on earth,” I asked him,“would you want to interfere... Read More

He drew a circle that shut me out— Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout. But Love and I had the wit to win: We drew a circle and took him in. --Edwin Markham In prior... Read More

The biblical story of Abraham and Isaac poses a crucial test for believers.  If God commanded you, as he did Abraham, to slaughter your own son, would you do it? If, like Abraham, you’d plunge... Read More