Essay: Losing Faith In Faith – Dan Barker

Losing Faith In Faith – Dan Barker In 1984 Dan Barker, an evangelical minister, wrote the following article for “Freethought Today” to explain how he had lost faith in faith. Religion is a powerful thing. Few can resist its charms and few can truly break its embrace. It is the siren who entices the wandering … Read more

Essay: Is Science a Religion? – Richard Dawkins

Is Science a Religion? – Richard Dawkins The following article was first published in the Humanist, January/February 1997. It is fashionable to wax apocalyptic about the threat to humanity posed by the AIDS virus, “mad cow” disease, and many others, but I think a case can be made that faith is one of the world’s … Read more

Essay: Religion Is Absurd – Christopher Hitchens

Religion Is Absurd – Christopher Hitchens Religion will always retain a certain tattered prestige because it was our first attempt as a species to make sense of the cosmos and of our own nature, and because it continues to ask “why”. Its incurable disability, however, lies in its insistence that the answer to that question … Read more

Essay: Religious Belief – Charles Darwin

Religious Belief – Charles Darwin The following extract is taken from the Autobiography of Charles Darwin (Page 85 … you can find it on-line here). In this extract he talks about his religious belief. DURING THESE two years [October 1836 to January 1839] I was led to think much about religion. Whilst on board the … Read more

Essay: A Letter on Religion – H. P. Lovecraft

A Letter on Religion – H. P. Lovecraft In 1918 H. P Lovecraft at the age of 28 wrote the following letter to his friend Maurice W. Moe Your wonderment “What I have against religion” reminds me of your recent Vagrant essay—which I had the honor of perusing in manuscript some three years ago. To … Read more

Essay: ‘Of miracles‘, in An Enquiry concerning human understanding – David Hume

‘Of miracles‘, in An Enquiry concerning human understanding – David Hume (Published in 1739-40) – The full text of the book may be found here, what follows is section 10. PART I THERE is, in Dr. Tillotson’s writings, an argument against the real presence, which is as concise, and elegant, and strong as any argument … Read more