How to build a community
More than a thousand people have now become founder members of our online rationalist community. Caspar Melville explains how we intend to build it
Blog
Pussy Riot: one year on
It is one year to the day since members of the punk collective Pussy Riot were detained following a 'blasphemous' guerilla anti-Putin performance in Moscow's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour.…
Leading Malawian humanist issues “bewitch me” challenge
As part of his campaign to protect those falsely accused of practising witchcraft, Malawian humanist George Thindwa is challenging people to prove that witchcraft is genuine by casting a spell…
Parishioner takes Catholic Archbishop to task over gay marriage
After hearing a letter against gay marriage read out in her local church, an anonymous Catholic writes to the head of the Church in England and Wales to express her…
What next for the atheist church?
Since it opened its doors in January the Sunday Assembly, also known in the press as the Atheist Church, has gained hundreds of congregants, acres of press coverage and a…
I love the Church, I loathe the Church
We know what atheists think about the Pope, but what about Catholics? This tortured statement from ex-monk Thomas Jackson, gives a sense of how it looks to those appalled by…
Ageing company executive to retire
The fact that an 85-year-old's retirement is viewed as highly unusual reminds us just how archaic the Catholic Church can be
Islam Without God?
A new BBC Radio 4 documentary asks if you can be Muslim without believing in God. Alom Shaha, who was interviewed for the programme, explains
Death and Cakes – the only two things certain at a Death Jam
Can talking about dying and loss be fun? Alom Shaha, who spoke at the inaugural Death Jam this week, thinks so
Leaving the Westboro Baptist Church
For distant observers, the macabre appeal of the infamous Kansas church lies in the abuse it hurls at those it hates. But the story of how one member walked away…
An interview with Twitter’s greatest Islamic spokesperson @KingofDawah
Is @KingofDawah the most important defender of Islamic values on social media, or a self-important moralistic windbag? Alom Shaha finds out
Cereal offenders
What have religion and porridge got in common? (No, it’s nothing to do with being thick, or intellectually sloppy, and nor is it related to how its makers are constantly…
Is the Royal Institution worth saving?
There is a groundswell of support for the campaign to save the London's venerable science institution. But, asks Adam Smith, beyond the emotion is there good evidence that it's worth…
Creationism and the Curse of Ham: History Texas style
The consequences of Texas's 2007 law promoting biblical teaching in schools are now becoming all too clear, according to an independent report.
Should the religious have an advantage in the job recruitment process?
A blogpost by an editor at People Management magazine suggests employers should look favourably upon job applicants' religious beliefs.