Humanist Symposisum #56

Welcome to edition #56 of The Humanist Symposium!

Religious people like to challenge atheists by asking if we examine our own assumptions as closely as we ask them to examine their own. Here are some folks who are asking some deep and important questions.

Fundamental Questions

Greta Christina asks one of the hardest, and most important, questions of all: What do we do when we disagree about our most fundamental values? Is there any way around the impasse? This is a truly great post; check it out at  Why Liberal Values Really Are Better, posted at Greta Christina's Blog.

Andrew at 360 Degree Skeptic asks for better definitions of science and religion. See Sunday Sacrilege: The Tricky Definition Game .

Communicating With Religious Folks

No Forbidden Questions discusses the spectrum of religious beliefs and asks: How do we best address people who are at different points along that spectrum?

Eric Michael Johnson at The Primate Diaries asks: How can we promote a better understanding of biological evolution? How about  a hip-hop album that got a very positive review in a scientific journal? Check out The Evolution of Hip Hop (by Natural Selection).

David Michael, at Perplexicon, asks how issues of personal identity override rationality in The Christian and the Christ: can one be rational and delusional? 

And Dale McGowan of The Meming of Life asks: What would be your reaction if you walked into your child's public kindergarten classroom and saw this on the whiteboard?

Evidence

Leah Libresco at Unequally Yoked asks what's at stake in belief claims, and how does what's at stake change the nature of the evidence we require? Read Eye has not seen, ear has not heard: Atheism and Anecdotal Evidence.
 
When Reasonable is Wrong: Autism and Divorce Rates discusses why even claims that seem reasonable need to be tested. Another one from Andrew at 360 Degree Skeptic.

The Atheist Community

vjack of Atheist Revolution asks us to take a closer look at how we respond when people talk about the atheist community, in Success of Atheist Community Depends on Ability to Look Beyond Our Experiences.

And finally, Paul S. Jenkins remembers a Humanist Hero: Arthur C Clarke. Posted at HumanistLife.

Thanks to everyone for their submissions, and to Adam for letting me host! And remember to visit the next Humanist Symposium, on July 18 at Unequally Yoked.