Reading Time: 10 minutes Across the length and breadth of Christendom, discernment means the ability to tell if something is divine, earthly, or demonic in nature. As one might expect in an ideology consisting of nothing but false claims, Christian leaders all have their various ways of teaching this system to their followers. Pope Francis is no exception to […]
critical thinking
Posted inReligious News
Child Evangelism Fellowship seizes school shooting opportunity to recruit children
Reading Time: 3 minutes Child Evangelism Fellowship is now distributing indoctrination booklets to already-traumatized kids and families in Uvalde
Posted inIt Kills Me to Admit This
How I narrowly avoided becoming an anti-vaxxer
Reading Time: 4 minutes Before I wrote my book on taking risks, debunking pseudoscience, and critical thinking, I was a vaccine skeptic. Crazy but true. Unlike most of my friends, who described being pregnant as one of the happiest times of their lives, I hated every second of it. I had all the bad stuff—hot flashes, extreme mood swings, […]
Posted inFilm/TV
Strange New Worlds: Star Trek’s return to humanist form
Reading Time: 9 minutes I almost didn’t watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which started airing this month. I’m glad I did: it’s deservedly being called the best of the recent Treks, and there’s a lot to be said about this series as a humanist. I had reason to be reluctant. The franchise hasn’t been in great shape for […]
Posted inIt Kills Me to Admit This
The treasured atheist idea that reason undercuts faith just doesn’t hold up
Reading Time: 9 minutes “Can we actually win a war of ideas with people? Judging from my email, we can. I’m constantly getting email from people who have lost their faith and were, in effect, argued out of it. And the straw that broke the camel’s back was either one of our books, or some other process of reasoning.” […]
Posted inReproductive rights
How to discuss the overturning of Roe v. Wade with our kids
Reading Time: 4 minutes We’ve heard about the SCOTUS decision. Changes to abortion laws are coming. Now it’s time to discuss it with our kids. Here’s how.
Posted inMyth & Folklore
Friday the 13th: A good day to get lucky
Reading Time: 2 minutes I love the number 13. I mean… what’s not to love? A baker’s dozen is 12 plus 1. An extra donut? Yes, please. In a hurry at the grocery store? Checkout lane number 13 is probably shorter. Looking for an apartment in a tall building? Units on the 13th floor could be cheaper. Need a […]
Posted inCritical thinking
Scooby-Doo, where are you? Our kids need you more than ever
Reading Time: 3 minutes As a child of the late 80s and early 90s, Saturday morning was a sacred time. Looney Tunes, Tom & Jerry, and Scooby-Doo dominated my morning. I filled my mind with useless jokes and colorful fun as Captain Crunch destroyed the roof of my mouth. My father called it the “boob tube,” and was utterly […]
Posted inEducation
Why aren’t schools robustly teaching critical thinking? No time.
Reading Time: 5 minutes American public schools are teaching our kids too much and too little simultaneously. It’s too much what to think and not enough how—like how to think critically, analytically, about all the factual information they’re being taught. The critical “how” responsibility of education is being lost in the crowded shuffle of coursework. Before you learn how […]
Posted inParenting & Family
An Easter horror story
Reading Time: 2 minutes As a little kid, I was not allowed to watch horror movies. In the early 80s, they were all the rage. Such masterpieces like A Nightmare on Elm Street and Friday the 13th were favorites of my older siblings. And they knew that because I was prone to nightmares, my mother didn’t want me watching […]