Stayin’ alive
Humans have invented an endless series of strategies to try and outwit the Grim Reaper. Stephen Cave explores our fascination with immortality
Faith & Religion
Top Six: Jesus Sightings
If the Lord moves in mysterious ways, then his son moves in downright weird ones. Jesus Christ’s inexplicable predilection for appearing in the snack foods of small-town America has become…
Atheists can embrace the power of Tarot
Elizabeth Wilson lays her cards on the table
No fire, no brimstone: An interview with Alain de Botton
Alain de Botton thinks atheists should take the best ideas from religion, and leave the bad stuff behind. Caspar Melville goes in search of enlightenment
The triumph of Rushdie’s censors
The response to the latest threats against Salman Rushdie shows that we have become dangerously accustomed to the erosion of free speech, says Kenan Malik
How to defend free speech
With the persecution of Salman Rushdie, the continuing furore over ‘offensive cartoons’, and polluters, dictators and terrorist bagmen using British libel law to shield their misdeeds from public scrutiny, the…
Bad Faith Award 2011: it’s Dorries by a landslide
New Humanist readers vote overwhelmingly for the Conservative MP Nadine Dorries as 2011's leading enemy of reason
Vicars, vicars everywhere
An issue that's packed with priests
Editorial: Oh my America
Faith and the American way
Ireland’s humanist president
Padraig Reidy welcomes the election of Michael D Higgins