The prima facie problems with prayer
There are obvious—prima facie—problems with prayer. Prime problems that hit you in the face like a divinely unstopped tsunami. But what is really evocative of the bind that religious believers find
Jonathan MS Pearce
Christian apologetics and defending Matthew's guards
There's something meta going on when a Christian apologist takes aim at a biblical account of mine with some typical apologetics, claiming I am making stuff up out of whole cloth
What is transcendence?
Transcendence can mean an awful lot of things in many different contexts. But it is a word that carries some heft in philosophical and theological discussions. I have to say, though, that my
Why Matthew's guards at Jesus' tomb are so important
I've written before on why the guards at the tomb of Jesus, included only in the Gospel of Matthew, are almost certainly invented by the author of that Gospel. Today I
Could an Epstein-Barr virus vaccine end Multiple Sclerosis?
I have primary progressive multiple sclerosis (PPMS). And it sucks. Multiple sclerosis isn't just my problem. Indeed, some 2.8 million worldwide, 1 million in the US, and 130,000 in
And now Florida. Losing and legally challenging elections is the new norm
Trump has now forged a new path for American democracy, one that is distinctly un-democratic, and rather similar to a child throwing their toys out of the pram. It now appears almost required
What have I been doing in the meantime?
In the seemingly massive (but actually really not that extensive) period between Patheos Nonreligious closing up shop for most of its writers and this wonderfully shiny new enterprise opening its door, what have
Beyond carrot-and-stick morality
OnlySky · Beyond carrot and stick morality | Jonathan MS Pearce Sarah looks after vulnerable children on weekends at a children’s sheltered home. During the week, she trains to be a social worker. In
Jesus' family were asylum-seeking political refugees
Making America great again was largely about building a wall. Indeed, we have all seen footage of Trump rallies with large contingents of white conservative Christians shouting, "Build the wall!" Those
Welcome to my world. Our world.
So you've heard? We've moved. Some of us have set up residency for the first time. And we haven't just moved, we've upgraded. Built up.
I'm an atheist. Merry Christmas to you!
I love holidays, and Christmas is no exception. Do I believe in Jesus such that I will be celebrating his birth over that time? No. Not at all. I'm an atheist.
Election results demonstrate need for atheist and humanist community to do more for 2022
This is from the Center for Freethought Equality: The Republican sweep of statewide seats in Virginia and the very close governor’s race in New Jersey demonstrate the dangerous appeal to voters of