The common religious belief in a "supreme being" is a psychological and social construction. Religion is made up, an invention given credibility simply because a lot of people agree with it. It is the product of primitive human societies which required a way to explain reality and create social rules. ... [More]

The Washington D.C. Council earlier this month unanimously passed a measure recognizing same-sex marriages (and civil unions) performed in other jurisdictions, and a measure is expected to be introduced later this year to legalize same-sex marriages in the D.C. jurisdiction. ... [More]

Muslim organizations are slowly and steadily stripping Arab Christians of their rights to speak on behalf of “Arab” issues. The conflicts are no longer secular. They are religious. Many Muslims, in fact, who are secular, are also being intimidated into obsequious silence by the religious extremists who dominate many of the discussions. ... [More]

Texas Senate should put brakes on Don McLeroy's nomination as chairman of the State Board of Education. ... At a time when education leaders are focused on raising science standards, McLeory led efforts to weaken the instruction of evolution. ... [More]

Watchdog group files case on behalf of local families who object to sectarian venue for public event ... [More]

Quantum mechanics is remarkably weird: even though it is well understood mathematically and can produce accurate, ultra-precise predictions, nobody really knows what it means -- but quasi-religious interpretations are not warranted. ... [More]

Some here in the West have reacted with shock in response to the new Afghanistan law that gives Shiite men permission to rape their wives, even though President Hamid Karzai claims that we're simply misinterpreting this law. In other words, we've lost something in the translation. I won't pretend to know if that is the case or not, but I don't think it's too big of a stretch to believe that women's rights are once again being compromised. ... [More]

Francie Billotti-Wood should have been in church today, volunteering in the nursery at the Holy Family Catholic Community parish, her priest said. Instead, she and her slain family were a focal point of prayers and remembrances at a Mass at the church in northwest Maryland. ... [More]

Individuals may be idealistic, smart and articulate – until they join a group. Individual Thais are among the gentlest, warmest, and most gracious people you could ever meet; groups of them were throwing petrol bombs at each other in the capital of Bangkok earlier this week. ... [More]

Clarence Darrow is arguably one of the most famous American lawyers of the 20th century. He participated in many controversial and highly publicized trials, tirelessly defending the underdog and fighting for civil rights. ... [More]

Neurobiologist Steven Rose reviews Kathleen Taylor's new book "Cruelty: Human Evil and the Human Brain" and explores evolutionary explanations for man's capacity for cruelty. by Steven Rose Excerpted from The Guardian From Gaza to the streets of Northern Ireland, from... [More]

The Islamist revolution, largely misunderstood by the West, is rooted in the refusal of many Muslims to accept Western secularism, Alastair Crooke said yesterday, during a discussion in Washington of his new book ... [More]

The mischief-making of social conservatives on the State Board of Education has drawn the bipartisan attention of members of the Texas Legislature. What has drawn their attention is the demonstrated interest of those conservatives in ideology over education. ... [More]

In a Washington Post op-ed article Friday, columnist Michael Gerson examines the facts related to a recent Newsweek cover story entitled "The Decline and Fall of Christian America." According to Gerson, the Newsweek story overstates the evidence for decline. ... [More]

In a ruling that says the St. Johns County School District in Florida violated the First Amendment, a federal judge has banned an elementary school in St. Augustine from having children sing a country song, "In God We Still Trust," at a school assembly. ... [More]

Channel surf around the television landscape, and it’s not hard to find experts earnestly discussing politics or economics or even home decorating. But you’ll rarely encounter anyone talking about spiritual matters, unless it’s a megachurch pastor with an 800 number scrolling across the screen. ... [More]

A nation facing problems of biblical proportions appears to be looking less and less to religion for answers. According to a new NEWSWEEK Poll, the percentage of Americans who think faith will help answer all or most of the country's current problems dipped to a historic low of 48 percent, down from 64 percent in 1994. ... [More]

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine have compiled the first-ever review of the neurobiology of wisdom – once the sole province of religion and philosophy. ... [More]

This is Holy Week. It started yesterday with Palm Sunday and continues through Holy Thursday, Good Friday and culminates this Sunday with Easter Day. One can no longer assume most people will be aware of this, let alone the events these days mark; in a recent UK poll, only 22% could identify what Easter was celebrating. ... [More]

Renowned atheist Christopher Hitchens clashed with Christian theologian William Lane Craig in a Saturday discussion over the existence of God. More than 4,200 people attended the sold-out event, moderated by Hugh Hewitt. Another 11,000 people listened to the debate via live feeds across 30 states and four different countries. ... [More]