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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>Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:00:47 +0000</pubDate>
      <image>
      <title>About.com</title>
      <url>http://z.about.com/f/lg/s10.gif</url> 
	  <link>http://www.about.com/</link> 
	  <width>118</width> 
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Divorce Rates for Atheists]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/atheistfamiliesmarriage/a/AtheistsDivorce.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Conservative Christians of all types, evangelical as well as Catholic, tend to link their conservative brand of their religion with proper moral behavior. By far the most popular context is marriage: they claim that a good, solid marriage is only possible when people acknowledge conservative Christianity's claims about the nature of marriage and gender roles. So why is it that Christian marriages, and especially conservative Christian marriages, end in divorce more often than atheist marriages?&#10;]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Harry Potter &amp; Immorality]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/harrypotter/i/immorality.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The Harry Potter books have come under fire from different critics for many reasons. Perhaps the most serious accusation is that it teaches immorality by telling children it&#146;s OK to act immorally on behalf of some cause that is perceived as more important. Thus, it is argued, Harry Potter teaches kids to accept moral relativism or moral egoism rather than the moral absolutism of traditional Christianity. Does Harry Potter promote immorality? Is Christianity based on moral absolutes?]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Genetics &amp; Mutations]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/evolutionexplained/a/GeneticsMutationsDNA.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The basic definition of evolution is a change in the gene pool of a population of organisms over time. All of evolution is based on genetic change. Scientists still have a lot to learn about the workings of genetic code, but science has built up a large volume of knowledge about how the genetic material of living organisms works. We have a pretty good understanding of what DNA does in general and, equally important to evolution, how DNA changes.&#10;]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Popes of the 5th Century]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/popesandthepapacy/a/05thcentury.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Here is a list of all of the popes who reigned during the fifth century. The first number is which pope they were. This is followed by their chosen name, the starting and ending dates of their reigns, and finally the number of years they were pope. Follow the links to read short biographies of each pope and learn about what they did, what they believed, and what impact they had on the course of the Roman Catholic Church.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Skepticism - What is Cold Reading?]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/skepticism/blfaq_skep_cold.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Skepticism and Critical Thinking: What is Cold Reading? How do cold readers operate? Astrologers, mediums, psychics and others appear to have an amazing ability to tell people about themselves - how do they do it? Cold Reading is a technique which is commonly used.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[What is Religion? Differentiating Between Religions and Other Belief Systems]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blrel_beliefs.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[What is Religion? Differentiating Between Religions and Other Belief Systems. Religion is a belief system, but not all belief systems are religions. Understanding the differences and why they exist is key to better understanding the nature of religion and religious beliefs.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Religion in Public Schools]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/religioninschool/tp/ReligionPublicSchools.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The presence and extent of religion in public schools is one of the most difficult and contentious issues when it comes to the separation of church and state. On the one hand are those who sincerely believe that a lack of religion in the schools 'teaches' atheism or secular humanism, resulting in a decline in morality and performance. On the other hand are those who believe that state sanctioned religion and state supported religious observances infringe on the religious liberties of all.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Nietzsche vs. Gibson: Suffering, Debt, and Guilt]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian/blxtn_passion_niet.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Mel Gibson's movie 'The Passion' is almost entirely concerned with Jesus' suffering and death - even to the exclusion of Jesus' ministry and resurrection. What does this say about Gibson's theology and Christianity in general? Nietsche labeled such obsession a 'mental cruelty' and an 'insanity of will' - find out why and what Nietzsche thought about this sort of Christian passion.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Prayers in Public Schools]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/religioninschool/tp/PrayerPublicSchools.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Prayer in public schools is a contentious issue, arousing the most anger and passion among people on both sides of the table. Can kids pray in school? Should kids pray in school? What role can or should schools have when it comes to prayers? Is a 'moment of silence' permitted or is it just a ruse for inserting prayer back into schools? It shouldn't be that hard to navigate the questions surrounding school prayer if one remembers some basic principles of church/state separation.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Thanksgiving and Christmas]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/adviceforatheists/a/hol_celebrate.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Should you participate in acknowledging, much less celebrating, any aspect of a religious holiday? If a holiday has no other aspects to it but religion and religious ritual, there are few opportunities for atheists to participate. In such cases, if you do participate, it will likely be because some other factor like family unity weighs more heavily on you than does the principle of avoiding religion.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Coming Out to Your Family]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/atheistactivism/p/ComeOutFamily.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Many atheists struggle with deciding whether they should reveal their atheism to their family or not. Especially if a family is very religious or devout, telling parents and other family members that one not only doesn't accept the family's religion anymore, but in fact rejects even belief in a god, can strain familial ties to the breaking point. In some cases, the consequences can include physical or emotional abuse and even having all family ties cut off.&#10;]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Eid Al-Adhha]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/islam/bldef_eidaladhha.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Islam Glossary - Eid Al-Adhha: zul hijjah pilgrimage to mecca nbsp definition son ishmael feast of sacrifice]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[ Iranian Woman Riding a Mule, in Burqa]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/womeninislam/ig/Women-in-Islam--Buraqa--Chador/Iranian-Woman-Riding-a-Camel.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The Prophet said, 'A woman should not travel except with a Dhu-Mahram (her husband or a man with whom that woman cannot marry at all according to the Islamic jurisprudence), and no man may visit her except in the presence of a Dhu-Mahram.']]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[History of Christianity: Index of Christian History, Events, and People]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian/blfaq_hist_index.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[History of Christianity: Index of Christian History, Events, and People. Important events and people which have played key roles in the course of the history of Christianity. Includes the First Council of Nicea, Christian Persecutions, Protestant Reformation, the Moral Majority, and more.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Eight Fold Path]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/eastern/bldef_eightfoldpath.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Glossary of Religion and Philosophy - Eight Fold Path]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
         </item>
         
         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Biography: Pope Gregory VII]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/western/bldef_gregoryvii.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Glossary of Religion and Philosophy - Short Biography of Pope Gregory VII]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
         </item>
         
         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Agora of Assos: Images of Ancient Greek Mythology, Religion, Art]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blgrk_agora11.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The earliest agoras were probably developed around the 8th century BCE after the fall of the Mycenaean civilization (Mycenaean cities had no identifiable agoras). They were also marked off by boundary stones rather than buildings - that was the case in Athens and those boundary stones can still be seen.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
         </item>
         
         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Scopes Monkey Trial]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/evolution/bldef_scopesmonkeytrial.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Glossary of Religion and Philosophy - Scopes Monkey Trial]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
         </item>
         
         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Religion as Delusion: Sigmund Freud, Psychoanalysis, and Religious Obsession]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blrel_freud.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Religion as Delusion: Sigmund Freud, Psychoanalysis, and Religious Obsession. One of the primary sources of psychological critique of religion comes from the work of Sigmund Freud. He's one of the principle figures of psychology in the 20th century, so this is only to be expected, but there are also many problems with what he wrote.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Illustration of Urban II Preaching the First Crusade: People of the Crusades]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian/blxtn_crus_ill36.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Elected pope in 1088, Urban II was an active supporter of Crusading against Islam. In a famous speech at the Council of Clermont, tradition has it that Urban was so persuasive in arguing for a Crusade to impose Christian control on Jerusalem and the Holy Land that the crowd shouted out in response Deus vult! Deus vult! (God wills it).]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Nietzsche, Truth, and Untruth]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/philosophyepistemology/a/Nietzsche_2.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Nietzsche's target was not truth but faith, specifically the blind faith that is motivated by the &quot;ascetic ideal.&quot; In this instance it was blind faith in truth that he was criticizing, but in other instances it was blind faith in God, in traditional Christian morality, etc.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Danish Cartoons of Muhammad]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/danishcartoonsofmuhammad/p/DanishCartoons.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Extremist Muslims have rioted, burned embassies, engaged in economic boycotts, offered bounties for murder, and called for the death of anyone who slanders Islam. Allegedly respectable and moderate Muslims have called for and end to free speech protections for anything that insults or defames religions, especially Islam. What caused all this? Twelve satirical cartoons in a Danish newspaper. This is a battle between free speech rights and demands for deference &amp; submission to religious beliefs.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Newdow v. U.S. Congress]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/churchstatedecisions/a/Newdow2002_2.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Newdow v. U.S. Congress: The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recognized very early on that this was fundamentally a religious issue when it found that Newdow, as a father, had standing to bring his suit in the first place. This set the stage for considering whether or not the Pledge has enough of a religious component to prevent the State from endorsing it or leading children in recitation of it.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[French Wars of Religion]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/glossary/western/bldef_frenchwarsreligion.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Glossary of Religion and Philosophy - French Wars of Religion]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Arguments Against Vouchers]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/religioninschool/tp/AntiSchoolVoucherArguments.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Defenders of strict church/state separation and secular government also defend secular public education by opposing schemes to use vouchers to funnel public funds to private, religious schools. Secular public schools are an important foundation for secular democracy in America, bringing together children of diverse backgrounds into a common educational system and experience. Sending school funds to private, religious schools would undermine secular government as well as secular education.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[War Ethics: Jus Ad Bellum]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/warandmorality/a/jusadbellum_2.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[How do Just War theories expect to justify the pursuit of some wars? One of the more fundamental principles of Just War Theory is the idea that no just war can come out of unjust intentions or methods. For a war to be judged &quot;just,&quot; it is necessary that the immediate goals of the conflict and the means by which the cause is achieved be &quot;right&quot; - which is to say, be moral, fair, just, etc.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[ Iranian Woman]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/womeninislam/ig/Women-in-Islam--Buraqa--Chador/Iranian-Woman--Modesty.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA['And tell the believing women to lower their gaze and be modest, and to display of their adornment only that which is apparent, and to draw their veils over their bosoms, and not to reveal their adornment save to their own husbands or fathers or husbands' fathers, or their sons or their husbands' sons, or their brothers or their brothers' sons or sisters' sons, or their women, or their slaves, or male attendants who lack vigour, or children who know naught of women's nakedness.']]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <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[Non-Religious Wedding Options?]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/atheistsweddings/a/nonreligious.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Yes! There are quite a few options available for people who are uninterested or unwilling to have any of the traditional religious wedding ceremonies. Some are both nonreligious and without any real ceremony. Some include ceremony and ritual, but without religious elements. Finally, there are options which are religious in name, but not really in act.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[ Was Mary Magdalene an Apostle of Jesus Christ?]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/bibleinpicturesimages/ig/Mary-Magdalene/Mary-Magdalene-Weeps.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Mary Magdalene's role in the canonical gospels is small; in noncanonical gospels like Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Philip and the Acts of Peter, she plays a prominent role -- often asking intelligent questions when all the other disciples are confused. Jesus is depicted as loving her more than any of the others because of her understanding. Some readers have interpreted Jesus &quot;love&quot; here as physical, not just spiritual, and hence that Jeusa and Mary Magdalene were intimate -- if not married.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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