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   <title>About.com Agnosticism / Atheism: What's Hot Now</title>
   <link>http://atheism.about.com/</link>
   
      <description>These articles that had the largest increase in popularity over the last week</description>
      <language>en-us</language>
      <pubDate>Sun, 08 Nov 2009 10:01:33 +0000</pubDate>
      <image>
      <title>About.com</title>
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	  <link>http://www.about.com/</link> 
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Atheists are Fools, Corrupt]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/knowledgeofreligiongod/a/FoolHeartGod.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Christians seem to love to quote the above verse from Psalms. Sometimes, I think this verse is popular because it allows them to call atheists &quot;fools&quot; and imagine that they can avoid taking responsibility for doing so - after all, they are just quoting the Bible so it's not really them saying it, right? Even worse is the part they don't quote - but not because they don't agree with it. They often do, but I don't think they want to be caught saying it directly because that's harder to defend.&#10;]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Odysseus \ Ulysses &amp; Jesus: Greek &amp; Christian Heroes]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blgrk_heroes04.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Odysseus (Latin: Ulixes, English: Ulysses) is one of the most famous characters in ancient Greek legends, not only for his exploits in the Trojan War but also because of long journey to reach home again afterward. Because Odysseus played such a central role in two of the most important epics of Greek mythology, it should hardly be surprising that the stories of Odysseus might influence later culture and religion. What's unexpected is how they might have influenced stories about Jesus. If it's true that Jesus' life was at least partially patterned after Odysseus', then at the very least the reliability of the gospels is seriously in doubt. Even the historicity of Jesus becomes more questionable.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Ethics: Descriptive, Normative and Analytic]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/phil/blfaq_phileth_cat.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Ethics FAQ: Descriptive, Normative and Analytic Ethics. What are the differences between the three categories of studying ethics and morality?]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Christianity FAQ: Christian Violence]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian/blfaq_viol_index.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Christian Violence FAQ: articles explore the Christian history of violence, including the Crusades, the Inquisition, violence between Protestants and Catholics, continuing violence in Northern Ireland, violence towards witches and pagans, the Holocaust and more.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Apostles of Jesus: Profile]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/biblepeoplenewtestament/p/Apostles.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Apostle is an English transliteration of the Greek apostolos, which means 'one who is sent out.' In ancient Greek, an apostle might be any person 'sent out' to deliver news - messengers and envoys, for example &#151; and perhaps carry out other instructions. Via the New Testament, however, apostle has acquired a more specific usage and now refers to one of the elect disciples of Jesus. Apostolic lists in the New Testament all have 12 names, but not all the same names.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Crusades: Perspectives]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/crusades/a/crusadesviews_2.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Most histories of the Crusades tend to focus on the Crusaders themselves and the perspectives of European Christians seeking conquest and plunder in the Holy Land. But what about the Muslims whose lands were invaded and cities sacked? What did they think about these religious armies marching out of Europe?]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Adolf Hitler Quotations on God]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/adolfhitlernazigermany/tp/AdolfHitlerQuotesGodReligion.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[It's popular among Christian apologists to claim that Hitler, the Nazis, and the Holocaust are all consequences of atheism, secularism, and liberalism. Such arguments fly in the face of reality: Adolf Hitler regularly proclaimed his faith in God, Nazi ideology was committed to supporting Christianity (on its terms, of course), and Nazi anti-Semitism was firmly grounded in Christian anti-Semitism. Hitler's theism, religiosity, and Christianity are strongly supported in his own words.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[What is Anti-Theism?]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/atheismatheiststheism/a/AntiTheism.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Atheism and anti-theism so often occur together at the same time and in the same person that it's understandable if many people fail to realize that they aren't the same. Making note of the difference is important, however, because not every atheist is anti-theistic and even those who are, aren't anti-theistic all the time. Atheism is simply the absence of belief in gods; anti-theism is a conscious and deliberate opposition to theism. Many atheists are also anti-theists, but not all.&#10;]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Einstein Quotes on Morality]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/einsteingodreligion/tp/EinsteinMoralsEthicsMorality.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[An important principle of most theistic religions is that morality originates with their god: there is no morality apart from their god and, in particular, apart from obedience to their god. This leads many to say non-believers cannot behave morally and/or cannot be moral. Albert Einstein denied that morality required or even could have a divine source. According to Einstein, morality is a purely natural and human creation - it's a part of being human, not a part of some supernatural realm.&#10;]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[ Don&#039;t Take God Out of Schools]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/religiousright/ig/Christian-Propaganda-Posters/Taking-God-Out-of-Schools.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A popular myth for the Christian Right is the idea that atheists forced God, prayer, and Bible reading out of public schools, leading to social, moral, and educational disasters which continue to plague America.  The above poster was created during World War I about the need to feed motherless, fatherless, and starving children in war-torn France. I have replaced the text with the claim that the destruction in the background is because of the secularist removal of God from schools..]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Nike in a Chariot: Images of Ancient Greek Mythology, Religion, Art]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blgrk_nike01.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Nike was the personification of victory for the ancient Greeks. Her image appears regularly wherever there is a desire to express or glorify a victory over enemies (as in the case of war) or competitors (as in the case of athletic competitions).]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Supreme Court Decisions on Privacy: Griswold v. Connecticut]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/decisions/privacy/bldec_GriswoldConn.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Supreme Court Decisions on Privacy: summary and analysis of Griswold v. Connecticut. Should people be allowed access to drugs or devices designed to stop contraception? Do people have a right to privacy that includes whether or not they buy, learn about, and use contraception?]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Fifth Crusade 1215 - 1221 - Timeline of the Crusades: Christianity vs. Islam]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian/blchron_xian_crusades09.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Called in 1217, only Leopold VI of Austria and Andrew II of Hungary participated in the Fifth Crusade. They captured the city of Damietta, but after their devastating loss at the Battle of al-Mansura they were forced to return it. Ironically, before their defeat they were offered control of Jerusalem and other Christian sites in Palestine in exchange for the return of Damietta, but Cardinal Pelagius refused and turned a potential victory into a stunning defeat.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Adolf Hitler on Christianity]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/adolfhitlernazigermany/tp/AdolfHitlerChristian.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Despite how often Christian apologists try to argue that Adolf Hitler is an example of the evil caused by atheism and secularism, the truth is that Hitler often proclaimed his own Christianity, how much he valued Christianity, how important Christianity was to his life, and even how much he was personally inspired by Jesus - his 'Lord and Savior.']]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Battles of the Crusades Gallery: Illustrations, Drawings, Woodcuts]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian/blxtn_crus_battles.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The Crusades were religious, military, political, and commercial expeditions against both rival religions and rival Christian groups. They helped European society define itself and they laid the groundwork for end of feudalism. The relationship between Christianity and Islam was permanently altered and the Crusades continue through this day to influence how Islam sees the West.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[In God We Trust]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/americachristiannation/a/InGodWeTrustNationalMotto.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Opponents to church/state separation cite the national motto, 'In God We Trust,' as evidence that there is not and should not be a strict separation of church and state and that America is supposed to be a Christian Nation. These accommodationists fail to explain why the national motto itself is constitutional or why Americans or the American government should be trusting any particular gods. Even worse, they often use the national motto as a reason for further breaches in separation.&#10;]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Sources of Christmas Tradition]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/christmasholidayseason/p/XmasTraditions.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[In modern America, Christmas is the biggest holiday of the year. More money is spent, more time is invested in celebrations, and more attention is paid to it than any other holiday. All of this time, money, and attention does not translate into greater understanding, though. Few people are aware of the origins of most Christmas traditions; most assume that Christmas is primarily Christian, or else they simply don't care. Christmas is, in fact, a combination of modern and ancient ideas.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Islam Holy Scriptures: Quran and Hadith]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/islam/blfaq_islam_script.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Islam FAQ: What are the holy scriptures in Islam? A look at the Quran and the Hadith, the two textual sources of Muslim traditions and beliefs.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Adolf Hitler&#039;s Faith in God]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/adolfhitlernazigermany/tp/AdolfHitlerFaithGod.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[If Adolf Hitler was an atheist, why did he keep saying that he believed in God, had faith in God, and was convinced that he was doing God's work? Adolf Hitler was not just certain that his attacks on Jews were divinely mandated, but also his efforts to clamp down on society by restoring traditional morality. Christian apologists only seem to claim that Hitler was an atheist because they cannot handle the idea that a Christian theist would cause so much evil in the name of their God.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Atheism &amp; Existentialism]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/typesofexistentialism/a/atheistic.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Although there is no denying that many Christian and even some Jewish theologians have made use of existentialist themes in their writings, it remains a fact that existentialism is much more readily and commonly associated with atheism than with any sort of theism, Christian or otherwise. Not all atheists are existentialists, but an existentialist is probably more likely to be an atheist than a theist - and there are good reasons for this.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[ Noah&#039;s Sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/bibleinpicturesimages/ig/Noah-Ark-Flood/Shem--Ham--and-Japheth.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[And the sons of Noah, that went forth of the ark, were Shem, and Ham, and Japheth: and Ham is the father of Canaan. These are the three sons of Noah: and of them was the whole earth overspread. ]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Method of Sacrifice in Ancient Greece: Images of Ancient Greek Religion &amp; Mythology]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blgrk_rituals08.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The nature of a sacrificial ritual as well as that which was to be sacrificed could vary somewhat, but the most basic sacrifice was that of an animal - usually a steer, pig, or goat (with the choice depending upon cost and scale). In contrast to Jewish tradition, the ancient Greeks did not regard the pig as unclean.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Muslim Basic Beliefs]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/islammuslims/p/Beliefs.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Many Muslim beliefs are similar to the beliefs in Christianity and Judaism, but other beliefs do differ. The most central beliefs are contained in the Five Pillars of Islam. Muslims also have a number of important Holy Days and Holy Sites which differ from those found in Christianity and Judaism. Any basic understanding of Islam requires first understanding what Muslims believe, why, and how those beliefs differ from beliefs in other religions.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[ Muslim Woman from Herzegovina in Concealing Clothing]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/womeninislam/ig/Women-in-Islam--Buraqa--Chador/Muslim-Woman-from-Herzegovina.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA['O Prophet! Tell thy wives and thy daughters and the women of the believers to draw their cloaks close round them (when they go abroad). That will be better, so that they may be recognised and not annoyed. Allah is ever Forgiving, Merciful.']]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Biography: Becket, Thomas St.]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/western/bldef_becketthomas.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Glossary of Religion and Philosophy - Short Biography of St. Thomas Becket]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Black Liberation Theology]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/theology/a/lib_black.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The primary architect of Black Liberation Theology in North America is James Cone. A Protestant minister who grew up in Arkansas under the heavy hand of segregation, Cone observed first-hand the way white Christians treated blacks - even after desegregation was ordered by the federal government. The Christian messages of peace and brotherly love contrasted sharply with Christians&#146; bigoted behavior, and this left a lasting mark on Cone&#146;s thinking.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Quakers]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/western/bldef_quakers.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Glossary of Religion and Philosophy - Quakers: protestant christianity nbsp definition massachussetts bay colony northwest england political authorities]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Troy: Images from Ancient Greek Mythology, Religion, Art of Troy]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blgrk_troy.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The city of Troy is most famous for being the primary site of the Trojan War, a conflict described in Homer's Illiad where Greek warriors from multiple city-states attacked and besieged Tory for ten years before finally achieving victory through trickery and guile.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Arch of Titus in Rome]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/bibleplacescities/p/ArchTitus.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The Victory Arch of Titus commemorates Titus' victorious conquest of Judaea, leading the sacking of Jerusalem and ending the Jewish wars. The arch was constructed after Titus's death in 81 CE, after his becoming a god. It was probably built by this brother and successor, emperor Domitian, but some believe that it was actually built by emperor Trajan because of similarities to the Arch of Trajan located at Benevento.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Crusades: Overview]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/crusades/a/crusades_2.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[There is some arbitrariness to any categorization or division of the Crusades &#151; over 200 years of almost continual fighting on multiple fronts. Where does one Crusade end and the next begin? Despite such problems, there is a traditional system that allows for a fair overview.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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