Posting will be light today as I am embroiled in many issues and am troubled. One question for which I’ve always received feedback is this: did a “Jesus person”—a human on which the Biblical legends of the New Testament are based—really exist? I’m not accepting that any of the deeds attributed to a “Jesus” are […]
Hitchens: Did Jesus exist?
Hitchens: Did Jesus exist?
15 Mar 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of religion, liberalism
Madonna – Like A Prayer had a trigger warning for religious imagery on MTV80s
23 Feb 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of religion, liberalism, Marxist economics, Music, television Tags: Blasphemy, free speech, political correctness, regressive left
Barrett-Lite: The Supreme Court Takes Up Major New Religion Clause Case With One Notable Exception
26 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of education, economics of religion, politics - USA Tags: Freedom of religion, School choice
On Friday, the Supreme Court agreed to review a potentially blockbuster religion clause case in Oklahoma Charter School Board v. Drummond. However, there is a catch. While the lawyers representing St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School may need every vote they can get in this heaving contested area, they may have to prevail without Justice […]
Barrett-Lite: The Supreme Court Takes Up Major New Religion Clause Case With One Notable Exception
Consortium of secular organizations attack scientists deemed transphobic, The Center for Inquiry responds
21 Jan 2025 Leave a comment
in economics of education, economics of religion, health economics, politics - USA Tags: 2024 presidential election, Age of Enlightenment, conjecture and refutation, free speech, philosophy of science, political correctness, regressive left, sex discrimination
This will be the next-to-last item I write about my entanglement with the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF)—I hope. I am pretty sure that the joint statement below resulted from the fracas that ensued after the FFRF took down my post about biological sex, followed by my resignation and those of Richard Dawkins and Steve […]
Consortium of secular organizations attack scientists deemed transphobic, The Center for Inquiry responds
How an Archbishop of Canterbury is appointed
13 Nov 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of religion Tags: British politics
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has decided to resign after an independent report into the Church of England’s handling of abuse allegations against John Smyth found that Welby “could and should” have referred the matter to the police back in 2013. This post looks at the complex process for choosing Welby’s successor. Declaring the […]
How an Archbishop of Canterbury is appointed
Men less self-controlled than dogs?
03 Aug 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of crime, economics of religion, law and economics, liberalism Tags: women's liberation
A taxi driver in Sydney told us he was fasting for Ramadan and it was harder in the southern hemisphere when it was summer when the time between sunrise and sunset was longer. Discussion continued on what was required of a good Muslim and got on to why women are required to cover up. He […]
Men less self-controlled than dogs?
The New Zealand government unites indigenous knowledge with “western science” by claiming that gods cause earthquakes
26 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of natural disasters, economics of religion, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, conjecture and refutation, cranks, free speech, philosophy of science, political correctness, regressive left
A comment by reader Chris Slater called my attention to this article from GeoNet, an organization described as providing “geological hazard information for Aotearoa New Zealand.” It’s also . . . . sponsored by the New Zealand Government through its agencies: Natural Hazards Commission Toka Tū Ake, GNS Science, Toitū Te Whenua Land Information New Zealand […]
The New Zealand government unites indigenous knowledge with “western science” by claiming that gods cause earthquakes
Health New Zealand “encourages” its employees to say Māori prayers daily
16 Jul 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of religion, liberalism, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, Freedom of religion, political correctness, regressive left
This item, from the Breaking Views website in New Zealand, is one of the rare cases of a Kiwi speaking up against forcible adherence to Māori customs on the job—in this case, saying Māori prayers. First, “Health New Zealand,” the organization in question, is a government agency that, according to its own description: . . […]
Health New Zealand “encourages” its employees to say Māori prayers daily
Why Religious Beliefs Are Irrational, and Why Economists Should Care
22 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in applied price theory, economics of religion
In 2005, I debated my then-colleague Larry Iannaccone on the economics of religion. The turnout — around 300 people at GMU back when it was clearly a commuter school — surprised me and totally shocked Larry. I still remember his eyes bugging out when he entered the auditorium! Though perhaps he was just astounded to…
Why Religious Beliefs Are Irrational, and Why Economists Should Care
Response from Devin Pope, on religious attendance
20 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
All of this is from Devin Pope, in response to Lyman Stone (and myself). Here was my original post on the paper, concerning the degree of religious attendance. I won’t double indent, but here is Devin and Devin alone: “I’m super grateful for Lyman’s willingness to engage with my recent research on measuring religious worship…
Response from Devin Pope, on religious attendance
What Time Is The Protest March To The Iranian Embassy?
18 Apr 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, economics of religion, liberalism, Marxist economics, politics - New Zealand, war and peace Tags: free speech, Gaza Strip, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
Waddayu mean Nothing planned. Surly hundreds of drones rockets including some quite big ones will get the Mintos out protesting the assault on a little democratic nation in the Middle East. The barrage of hundreds of weapons including drones, rockets including some large ones were thwarted by IDF countermeasures with only under 1% reaching Israeli […]
What Time Is The Protest March To The Iranian Embassy?
No holding back
29 Mar 2024 Leave a comment
in economics of religion, liberalism Tags: Age of Enlightenment, Freedom of religion
Claims about Iran (from the comments)
27 Feb 2024 Leave a comment
in defence economics, development economics, economics of crime, economics of religion, growth disasters, law and economics Tags: Iran
I’ve chatted with a lot of Iranians online in the past few years (they’re in Iran). Some of their takes (always subject to the “plural of anecdote is not “data”)… 1. Islam is seen by younger people as the doctrine of a failed government staffed by a bunch of crooks. 2. And it’s a foreign, […]
Claims about Iran (from the comments)
Māori force indigenous prayer on secular district-council meeting
20 Feb 2024 1 Comment
in economics of religion, politics - New Zealand Tags: Age of Enlightenment, free speech, Freedom of religion, political correctness, regressive left
Meanwhile, the fun continues in New Zealand, as this article from Te Ao, which conveys Māori news, attests. In fact, there’s a video, so you can see the whole episode, as well as a transcript of the video. Here’s what happened: A local district council met and one of the participants wanted to recite a […]
Māori force indigenous prayer on secular district-council meeting
Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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