Chris Stedman

All Stories by Chris Stedman

Four atheists and Humanists travel the world to help humanity: An interview with Conor Robinson

By Chris Stedman — January 13, 2014
As we begin 2014, the four atheists and Humanists of the pioneering Pathfinders Project—perhaps the first international service trip specifically organized for atheists and Humanists—are already reaching the halfway point of a year of service to others.

In 2014, let’s stop saying “atheists are immoral” and “believers are stupid”

By Chris Stedman — January 8, 2014
Imagine what we could achieve if we moved beyond name-calling and making dismissive statements about the “other,” and instead put our heads and hearts together to heal our shared world.

Jessica Ahlquist looks back — and ahead — 2 years after Ahlquist v. Cranston

By Chris Stedman — January 5, 2014
Two years ago this week, Jessica Ahlquist’s life changed forever. On January 11, 2012, a federal judge ordered the removal of a “School Prayer” banner at Cranston High School West in Cranston, Rhode Island, saying that it violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Ahlquist—then a 16-year-old student at Cranston High School West—was a plaintiff in Ahlquist […]

2013: Atheism’s 10 defining moments

By Chris Stedman — December 31, 2013
Atheism was in the headlines perhaps more than ever before in 2013. To highlight some of atheism’s defining moments and trends from the last year, I worked with a panel of ten writers, scholars, and activists to come up with ten major moments or currents in American atheism from 2013. Their contributions are below. Godless […]

Nearly 1 in 4 alums of leading U.S. interfaith organization are nonreligious

By Chris Stedman — December 30, 2013
Earlier this month, Interfaith Youth Core (IFYC)—a leading interfaith organization in the United States that works with college and university campuses to equip young people for cooperative service and dialogue around shared values—released intriguing numbers about the alumni of their programs. According to their survey results, nearly 1 in 4 IFYC alums identify as atheist […]

Why are these comedians going to Sedona to make a film about belief?

By Chris Stedman — December 26, 2013
What’s so special about Sedona, Arizona? And what does it have to do with mysticism and belief? If you can’t make the trip yourself, two young filmmakers want to show you. In a recently launched Kickstarter for their upcoming documentary film Sedona: A Documentary Film, which they will produce with experienced multimedia producer Adam Isaak, Carrie Poppy and Brian […]

An atheist’s Christmas tree ornament tattoo

By Chris Stedman — December 24, 2013
As an atheist who grew up in a nonreligious household that celebrated Christmas with gusto—for us it was about food, family, and Santa, but not about Jesus—I’ve always loved the holiday. As a child this was partially due to the “magic” of the season—such as the year we found pieces of cotton strewn about the […]

Discussing the “War on Christmas” with Bill O’Reilly

By Chris Stedman — December 21, 2013
A couple of weeks ago, I was invited to appear on to the Fox News program “The O’Reilly Factor” to discuss a new Christmas-themed billboard put up by American Atheists. I’ve expanded on my thoughts about this issue in a new piece for CNN Belief: The “War on Christmas:”  what —or who—is it good for? […]

Putting a joyful face on atheism — Chris Johnson on “A Better Life”

By Chris Stedman — December 18, 2013
Among the most persistent myths about atheists: that we are joyless, that we are immoral, that we don’t experience wonder, and that we are angry and bitter. These stereotypes can be shattered when people are given an opportunity to get to know atheists. Building relationships seems to be one the best ways to challenge misconceptions about atheists—but a new […]

Does Sarah Palin know any atheists?

By Chris Stedman — December 16, 2013
It’s the most wonderful time of the year… for celebrities to roll out Christmas-themed items timed to cash in on America’s obsession with eggnog and twinkling lights. Among those competing for a spot beneath the tree this year, former Alaska governor Sarah Palin—rarely one to miss an opportunity to jump into the fray—has recently released a […]

Does American Atheists agree with this offensive LGBTQ comment?

By Chris Stedman — December 13, 2013
  American Atheists is perhaps the most visible atheist organization in the United States. As such, it’s not unreasonable for atheists to hold the organization accountable for accurately representing our aims and values. But earlier today, Dave Muscato, the Public Relations Director for American Atheists, made a problematic and offensive comment about LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, […]

Meet the comedians behind “Atheist Mingle”

By Chris Stedman — December 12, 2013
Christian dating website ChristianMingle.com has been the butt of many, many jokes over the years. (Just one example: the “Gay Christian Mingle“ parody video.) In spite of that—or perhaps in part because of it—the website is also extremely active. But what about atheists looking for love? It seems there are a few atheist dating websites, though after […]

Humanism at Harvard gets an address — and a nod from the governor

By Chris Stedman — December 9, 2013
Last week, Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick officially declared that Sunday, December 8 would be “Humanist Community Day” in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This was a historic moment for Humanists, atheists, agnostics, and the nonreligious—not just in Massachusetts, but across the United States. To my knowledge it is the only proclamation ever released by a governmental authority in […]

Atheism is not the “new gay marriage” (or the new anything else)

By Chris Stedman — December 6, 2013
A few months ago, Bill Maher made a claim that I regularly hear from other atheists: “[Atheists are] out there, they’re thinking it, they’re just afraid to say it. But that’s changing,” he said. “It’ll be the new gay marriage.” He’s certainly not the first person to have made the comparison. Earlier this year Todd Stiefel, […]

10 things to expect from my ‘Faitheist’ column

By Chris Stedman — December 4, 2013
You may be asking yourself: What on earth is a ‘faitheist’? It’s been years since I first heard the term “faitheist”—a pejorative used by some atheists to describe other nontheists who seem too accommodating of religion. As an atheist and an interfaith activist, I decided that I liked the word enough to embrace it. I […]
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