Ron Lindsay's column returns with comments on the pope's AI encyclical, with Ron arguing that looking to the pope, or any religious authority, for advice on AI is deeply misguided. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/wh...

In this week's column, Ron Lindsay discusses the conditions under which an assassination of a political leader might be justified. (Think of Hitler.) The key is whether change can be effected through the ballot box. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/wh...

In his column this week, Ron Lindsay comments on the dust-up between Trump and the pope, arguing that although Trump is despicable, the institution & policies the pope represents are nothing to cheer about. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/tr...

The US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit has narrowly held (9-8) that Ten Commandments displays in classrooms are OK b/c students are not "taught to adopt them." Oh, sure, prominent displays in classrooms are just there for aesthetic reasons; they have no influence on what the kids think.

Ron Lindsay's column will not appear this week, as Ron has been left literally dumbfounded by Trump's post of himself as Jesus followed by the absurd (and cowardly) explanation that it was meant to be a post of a doctor.

We are sincerely concerned about the level of medical care our president is receiving. Apparently, all the physicians who attend Trump wear biblical robes and rely on some purported mystical power of touch to heal. www.nytimes.com/2026/04/13/u...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay discusses the anomaly of our use of science to achieve great things (e.g., Artemis II) while simultaneously having our public policy influenced by fundamentalist religion. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/re...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay argues that antisemitism is not the principal reason Israel is losing support among the American public--it's the objectionable actions of Netanyahu's gov't. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/an...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay criticizes Mike Johnson's Orwellian redefintion of "separation" as it applies to separation between church and state: the gov't cannot interfere w/ religious institutions, but religion can influence gov't policy. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/sp...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay criticizes the Trump administration's May 17 event "Rededicate 250" as an ahistorical, unconstitutional, atavistic obeisance to a tribal god-- but one that serves Trump's politcal purposes. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/be...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay reviews yet another book-length lament about how atheism leaves us without direction, forcing us to choose how to live. But all of us choose how to live. Atheism is just honest about this. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/an...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay argues that freedom to criticize religious claims is important. Believers tell us how we should live, what policies we should have, etc. These claims should not go unchallenged for fear of giving "offense." secularhumanism.org/exclusive/we...

In his column today Ron Lindsay points out the hypocrisy of those in the MAGA-verse who critcized cancel culture but are now supporting Trump's efforts to use the power of government, including criminal prosecution, to silence critics. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay reflects on the power of prayer -- not on its supposed ability to obtain what the petitioner wants, but on its ability to give people hope, albeit a false hope predicated on an incoherent view of the deity. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/pr...

Ron Lindsay's column this week is unusual: he is announcing the search for his replacement. But everything's cool; this was the plan when he became editor. He's leaving at the end of August. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/fi...

In his column this week, Ron Lindsay argues that, whatever one thinks of transwomen participating in women's sports, classifying this as an issue of "religious freedom" is a misguided tactic that ultimately helps the religious right. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/am...

In his column this week, Ron Lindsay points out how the Trump administration has repudiated the core principle that defined the American Revolution: governments derive their authority from the consent of the governed. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/am...

Ron Lindsay's column returns today with an analysis of Trump's vision of America: it's a militant Christian nation, dedicated to Jesus Christ and dominance of the Western Hemisphere. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/on...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay argues we should not let Christians determine how we celebrate the holidays, incl. Dec. 25. The Catholic Church picked that arbitrary date to take advantage of an existing Roman holiday. Talk about cultural appropriation! secularhumanism.org/exclusive/ch...

Ron Lindsay is back with his column and in today's column he discusses the Catholic Church's lengthy consideration of the question whether women can become deacons. You will not be shocked by the outcome. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

In this week's column, Ron Lindsay argues that Thanksgiving is, in its origins & rationale, a religious holiday, one that assumes God craves expressions of gratitude, esp. for victories in war. But atheists can secularize the holiday, just like Christmas. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay comments on the recent anti-vaccine gathering in Austin and how it united religious fundamentalism with vaccine skepticism--a compounding of ignorance. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/go...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay expresses his hope that the Supreme Court will rule against Trump in the tariffs case. There is a need for the Court to act as a check on Trump's power grabs, because Congress has abandoned its role. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/no...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay comments on a right-wing singer/preacher's claim that his group & the Trump admin. are planning "revivals" for 2026. Implausible? Not given Trump's record. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/go...

Back from his trip, in his column this week Ron Lindsay takes issue with a journalist's comment that atheism is "boring." To the contrary, Ron argues atheism opens up our lives whereas religion constrains our autonomy & immerses us in mind-numbing rituals. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay expresses his concern that at a time when democracies are under serious threat from a bloc of authoritarian countries (Russia, China, N. Korea, Iran) the U.S. has an incoherent foreign policy led by a man-child. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/de...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay says there is no longer any doubt that the Christian Right is now the dominant force in the MAGA coalition -- and that's not good news. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

In his column today (written before the Jimmy Kimmel suspension), Ron Lindsay speculates about how far Trump & Co. will go in exploiting the murder of Charlie Kirk. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

In his column this week, Ron Lindsay discusses the irrationality of turning one's life over to self-proclaimed prophets. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

Unprayerful Reflections has a guest columnist today: Nicole Scott, our managing editor. Nicole dissects the recent, bizarre push for "household voting" by Christian nationalists. On the road to Gilead? secularhumanism.org/exclusive/is...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay envisages a future where the combination of ideologically shaped perceptions & gov't pressure make Trump's claim of a rigged 2020 election the "official" version of that event. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay criticizes Trump's efforts to whitewash American history. He notes, however, that Trump's cultural counter-revolution is, in part, an (over)reaction to the excesses of the Left's identity politics. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/co...

Ron Lindsay's column will not appear today. Instead Ron invites you to read Katherine Stewart's stirring speech at the recently concluded Scopes Centennial conference, if you have not already done so. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/ka...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay discusses the puff piece the New Yorker ran on the "pope's astronomer." No conflict between religion & science. How could there be when God is just that nice feeling you get when the data plot lines up perfectly. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/ha...

We are pleased to post a forceful, timely speech by Katherine Stewart, recently delivered at CFI's Scopes Centennial Conference. You may not be fined nowadays for teaching evolution, but the threats to science & education from the Trump administration are serious. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/ka...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay discusses the claim of the Religious Right that the separation of church and state is a "myth," arguing that this claim shows a complete misunderstanding of the wording and structure of the Constitution. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

No Ron Lindsay column today. He's working on his Trump Deflection Index, correlating the intensity of Trump's deflection efforts w/use of certain words, such as "Barack HUSSEIN Obama" In the meantime you should read this excellent essay by @nathanlents.bsky.social secularhumanism.org/2025/07/how-...

Free Inquiry is pleased to post on its website a timely, excellent essay by biologist Nathan Lents, professor at CUNY, demolishing a creationist's recent attack on the Smithsonian for allegedly misleading the public. secularhumanism.org/2025/07/how-...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay discusses and laments the role that religious fundamentalism -- Jewish, Muslim, and Christian -- has played in the Mideast conflicts. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay criticizes the IRS policy reversal allowing religious organizations to endorse candidates. Not only is this inconsistent with their nonprofit status, but injecting (more) religious zealotry into politics is a singularly bad idea. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/en...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay argues -- surprise! -- that the Trump administration has been very selective when it comes to pursuing its goal of making Americans "safe." What matters is what helps Trump. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

Ron Lindsay's column will not appear today. Ron's brain has undergone a temporary meltdown, either from the heat wave or as an effect from reading Ross Douthat's collection of bad arguments in Believe. (See review here: secularhumanism.org/exclusive/ex...) Ron should recover by next week.

Because of the Juneteenth holiday, Ron Lindsay's Thursday column is posted today. This column is an extended review of Ross Douthat's book Believe. Ron finds the book's arguments provide no reason for believing in a deity. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/ex...

In his column today, Ron Lindsay argues that the debate over the wisdom of physician-assisted dying for the terminally ill should be over, but different considerations do apply for those who are not terminally ill. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/as...

In today's column, Ron Lindsay argues that if we do not want kings to rule us we should modify the one provision in the Constitution that expressly allows the president to act like a monarch: the pardon power. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/a-...

In today's column, Ron Lindsay discusses the renewed push for official prayer time in public schools and how the cry of "religious freedom" serves as a mask for religious coercion. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

Ron Lindsay's column will not appear this week. Instead he invites you to read a Free Inquiry exclusive: a journalist's illuminating first-hand, contemporaneous account of the Scopes trial (100th anniversary this year). secularhumanism.org/exclusive/un...

In his column this week, Ron Lindsay ponders why the pope receives such lavish praise from the mainstream media when other religious leaders with similar views on key issues (abortion, birth control, same-sex marriage) are often characterized as extremists. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/th...

Now that the media frenzy is subsiding perhaps we can focus on reality: Leo XIV is just another leader of an archaic institution, selected exclusively by a group of celibate men. In 1st sermon, Leo laments "de facto atheism," as if that's the biggest problem in the world www.wsj.com/world/europe...

In his column this week, Ron Lindsay imagines what Trump would say if, in line with the image he posted of himself, he were actually elected pope. secularhumanism.org/exclusive/ma...