Tag Archives: atheism

Chapel Hill Shame Belongs To Reactionaries Like @TheFlowerThrowe AKA @LIFG_4_HRC

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Twitter user @TheFlowerThrowe (Update April 2016 – now changed to @LIFG_4_HRC), or ‘Johnny Spooner’ is an individual often uncharitably described as a ‘CJ Werleman flea’ due to his consistent promotion of Werleman’s articles, and a propensity for attacking Werleman’s detractors. When he isn’t being abusive towards me, he attacks me by way of ‘guilt by association’ – namely the fact that ex-EDL leader Tommy Robinson has been on my podcast.

This is a point he attempts to use against me yet again in a new blog piece he has cobbled together when he states:

‘…new atheist podcaster/blogger Stephen Knight – who also has given a platform to anti-Muslim extremists – takes up the baton, armed only with half-truths and attacks an author for dedicating his book, The New Atheist Threat to the three Chapel Hill victims.  And as these half-truths spread they become whole truths’

I note there is no attempt whatsoever to highlight what these ‘half truths’ are in my piece titled The Views And Potential Motivations Of Craig Hicks. Lazy. Also, as you can see from my comprehensive book review, mere ‘dedication’ is not what I ‘attacked’ Werleman for, but rather it was misrepresentation and exploitation.

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Ep#67 – Wendy Thomas Russell – Secular Parenting

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Joining me on this week’s #GSPodcast is Author and Journalist Wendy Thomas Russell (@WendyRussell). Wendy has a great book on Secular Parenting titled ‘Relax, It’s Just God’. We talk about the huge challenges of not being religious, yet raising a child in a religiously saturated society. We discuss when is it time to talk to kids about religion and how best to approach it. We deal with death, the problem with comforting lies and of course, Santa!

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher.

Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/gspellchecker

Listeners get a free audiobook and trial with Audible at http://www.audibletrial.com/gs

#GSPodcast Theme by Dorian Silk & The MCH


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The Views And Potential Motivations Of Craig Hicks

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Yet another school shooting has taken place earlier this week in The USA. How often can you keep labelling these events as ‘shocking’ before ‘routine’ seems more appropriate?

Reports suggest the killer quizzed his victims on their religious convictions before gunning down those identifying as Christians. The usual liberal regressive apologists have been out in force, finger-waving at ‘New Atheism’. And worse, sanctimonious atheists have been penning obnoxious ‘atheists, we need to talk’ type blogs. The fact is: We know very little about this shooting. We also know very little about this killer. All that these over-opinionated individuals are doing is blowing a trumpet in a concerto of uninformed noise.

There may well be many things to discuss with atheists, and non-atheists alike over this horrific mass murder – however, I think the gravity of the event deserves a more responsible approach. It is for this reason I shall wait until there has been an investigation before joining the orchestra.

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The Young Turks Link Ahmed Mohamed’s ‘Bomb Clock’ Fiasco To Atheists

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The story of a 14-year-old Muslim boy from Texas who was arrested on suspicion of taking a bomb to school has been widely commented on this week. Poor Ahmed Mohamed, a student who brought his homemade clock project into school, promptly found himself handcuffed and in police custody. Despite telling the teachers in charge that he was in possession of nothing more than a clock, they called in the police anyway. Perhaps in their apparent wisdom they deemed his name too Boko Haramish to take the chance. Who knows?

It’s one of those stories that has you asking: “Really? Surely there must be more to it”. Well, it appears not. It’s also odd that those intuitive enough to identify a potential ‘bomb’ on the premises weren’t proactive enough to evacuate them. This goes some way as to demonstrating how credible they truly considered this ‘threat’.

This kind of unjust treatment is not the best way to encourage and inspire budding young innovators, I hope you will agree. Read more

Ep#65 – Francesca Stavrakopoulou

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Professor Francesca Stavrakopoulou (@ProfFrancesca) is this week’s excellent #GSPodcast guest. We talk the historicity of Jesus, Sunday morning television barneys, Richard Dawkins, Feminism, faith schools, the destruction of ancient temples in Palmyra, the Qur’an pages found in Birmingham and why she loves corpses! Also, Star Wars or Star Trek?

Also available on iTunes and Stitcher.

Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/gspellchecker

Listeners get a free audiobook and trial with Audible at http://www.audibletrial.com/gs

#GSPodcast Theme by Dorian Silk & The MCH


Direct Mp3 Download

Fox News Blames Atheism For Virginia Shooting

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The debate surrounding gun control is once again dominating discourse Stateside after the brutal gunning down of two Tv news journalists live on air.

The usual suspects wasted no time in exploiting this atrocity to further their own political agendas and prejudices.

So, what does the Fox say? Now, I know most sensible people would agree that Fox ‘News’ is a wretched little propaganda hole that would only merit a mention were it to actually deviate from its usual M.O. of sowing fear and hate.

However, given Fox is the main source of information for countless American citizens – I can’t help but feel they’ve certainly played their part in influencing some of the disconcerting polling data regarding American attitudes towards atheists. Read and weep at the thought that some consider atheists to be less trustworthy than rapists & murderers in the land of the free.

Let’s take a look at what Mayor of Bullshit Mountain Bill O’Reilly had to say in the aftermath of this horrific crime (via The Examiner):

“Every single murderer over 40 years that I have covered in these circumstances has been either atheistic, agnostic, no religious basis at all.”

O’Reilly continued, claiming that Americans were “tending away” from religion and spirituality.

AlterNet has already gone to the trouble of pointing out a number of examples to falsify O’Reilly’s dubious claims, but what of the shooter in this particular crime?

Sometime after gunning down Allison Parker and Adam Ward live on air, suspect Vester Flanagan found the time to fax a 23 page suicide note and list of grievances to ABC News, before eventually turning his gun on himself, ending his life.

Contained amongst the slew of grievances he’d highlighted about his former colleagues and employers, was this item of note (ABC):

He said Jehovah spoke to him, telling him to act.

I wonder if that’s spiritual enough for Bill O’Reilly.

Needless to say, of all the things Vester Flanagan may have lacked, religion doesn’t appear to be amongst them.

Stephen Knight is host of The #GSPodcast. You can listen to The Godless Spellchecker Podcast here, and support it by becoming a patron here.

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