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Billboards, rallies, biting commentary—all this is meant to deconstruct the cultural worlds framing sacred texts and ideas, and to do deep damage to the stronghold religion has on life in the United States. I’m in favor of billboards, as well as other organized efforts to advance progressive values and life-affirming ethics. Why should theists alone be allowed to present their ideas in grand ways? The anger coming from theists when confronted with the absurdity behind some of their own faith commitments shouldn’t silence non-theists, and it doesn’t require special handling by public figures.

Two of the three judges who upheld the ruling were GOP appointees.

Why “spiritual, but not religious” is problematic and makes one academic want to punch those who say it in the face. Hard. Theologians are often open about their religious stance, so there shouldn’t be a double standard for critical, reflective atheist voices.

The bill to criminalize sex-selective abortion may be doomed but passage isn’t the point.

If three wacky experiments and a host of assumptions makes it so.

Preventing it from getting better.

That’s one thing the Cardinal has no comment on.

“I have to have the help of a lot of good people.”

In many ways, The Rich and the Rest of Us is political sustenance for the already converted to liberal and leftist causes. Quoting historian Howard Zinn and looking to the insights of filmmaker Michael Moore probably will not convince many conservatives to rally to the cause—and when Smiley and West rely on Barbara Ehrenreich, they are drawing upon a fellow dissident. Put simply, they are preaching to the choir—but choirs need encouragement too. This is what Smiley and West accomplish: they provide the Occupy generation with a text to rally around.