Ian Paisley and the Pope: The Return of Dr No?

image It’s been awhile since we’ve heard the Rev. Ian Paisley rail publicly against the pope, identifying him as an ‘anti-Christ.’ But in an interview with the BBC World Service, Paisley reverted to ‘anti-Christ’ mode as he voiced his opposition to … Read more...

Christians v. Atheists? The Battle for the Buses and the Ulster Museum

image In its annual report, the UK’s Advertising Standards Authority’s (ASA) has noted that it received 392 complaints about the British Humanist Association’s campaign slogan: ‘There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.’ The presence of this slogan … Read more...

Visioning 21st Century Ecumenism: More Research Results Now Available

image Reflections on and results from my School’s major research project, ‘Visioning 21st Century Ecumenism: Diversity, Dialogue and Reconciliation,’ have become available in a variety of outlets over the last few weeks. The research team is hoping that the publication of … Read more...

Philip Pullman Book Review: The Good Man Jesus & the Scoundrel Christ

image There’s not much in Philip Pullman’s latest book, The Good Man Jesus & the Scoundrel Christ, which would be new to anyone familiar with the Gospels.

Sure, his story has two characters, Jesus and Christ, in the place of a … Read more...

What Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and the Orange Order have in Common

image Prominent atheist campaigners Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens have common cause with the Orange Order: Protesting against the Pope.

Dawkins was the subject of a splashy headline in this week’s Sunday Times: Richard Dawkins calls for arrest of Pope Read more...

Atheism in the Public Square: Marginalised or Militant?

image Are atheists marginalised in our public conversations, even in the largely secular West? Last week, atheists had their first ever official visit to the White House. Sixty representatives from the Secular Coalition for America met with officials and discussed … Read more...

Peter Rollins & Impossible Tales for Lent: A Review of Seven More Parables from The Orthodox Heretic

image Back at Christmas time, I reviewed Peter Rollins’ latest book, The Orthodox Heretic and Other Impossible Tales. With the traditional Christian season of Lent nearly upon us, Rollins’ publisher Paraclete Press has released seven additional parables, available to … Read more...

Atheist Ireland Group Challenges Ireland’s New Blasphemy Law

image Within 15 minutes of a post about the website http://blasphemy.ie/ on the Irish Times website’s breaking news section, visitors (like myself!) received the message: ‘The server is temporarily unable to service your request due to maintenance downtime or capacity problems. … Read more...