I gave the Irish Skeptics’ first public lecture of 2015 yesterday on the topic: “Tough on ideas, supportive of people – how atheist and skeptic groups can be robust, inclusive and ethical.” I covered five areas where we can be tough on ideas and supportive of people. 1. Promoting skeptical inquiry over faith-based conclusions2. Promoting […]
Over 1,000 people have so far signed Atheist Ireland’s open letter petitioning An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, to hold a referendum to repeal Ireland’s blasphemy laws. Please sign the petition now, at this link. Here is the text of the open letter, and the original signatories: Dear Taoiseach, Last October, your government decided that a […]
I will be speaking in May at the IBKA & AAI International Atheist Convention on May 22-24, 2015 in Cologne, Germany. Confirmed speakers include: Carsten Frerk, author Annie Laurie Gaylor, Founder and Co-President of the Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFRF) Dan Barker, former evangelical preacher, author and FFRF Co-President Michael Schmidt-Salomon, Executive Spokesman of the […]
I will be speaking at two events over the next two days. I will be talking at the Irish Skeptics’ first public lecture of 2015 on Wednesday, on the topic ‘Tough on ideas, supportive of people – How atheist and skeptic groups can be robust, inclusive and ethical’. Date and Time: Wednesday, 4 March at […]
I had a Twitter exchange today with Irish Catholic editor Michael Kelly, that reminded me of our recent RTE radio debate when he denied that the Bible says that Jews are of their father the devil. In fairness, he acknowledged when I next met him that it does say that, but since the original exchange […]
I discussed the ethics of Catholic aid and condoms with Eithne McNulty of Trocaire, philosopher Julian Baggini and host Audrey Carville on BBC Radio Ulster Sunday Sequence today. This is an extract from a longer discussion on the ethics of religious aid generally.
Please sign this One Law For All petition, asking the Bangladeshi Government to prosecute the Islamists who killed Avijit Roy and to protect freethinkers. Like Mukto-muna, we are united in our grief and remain undefeated We are outraged by the senseless and brutal hacking to death of well known scientist, atheist and writer Avijit Roy […]
I will be talking at the Irish Skeptics’ first public lecture of 2015 on Wednesday, March 4th, on the topic ‘Tough on ideas, supportive of people – How atheist and skeptic groups can be robust, inclusive and ethical’. Date and Time: Wednesday, 4th March at 8pm Venue: Abbey Room, Wynn’s Hotel, Lower Abbey Street, Dublin […]
In this interview with Shane Beatty on KFM Radio, I discuss how Irish schools evangelise children into a particular religious belief system, despite being funded by the Irish State.
This is part of the Atheist Ireland delegation that met the Taoiseach and Minister for Education last week, in the first formal meeting between an Irish Prime Minister and an atheist advocacy group in the history of the State. The photograph is significant for who it does not not include. Our delegation included a primary […]