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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>Sat, 04 Jul 2009 10:00:40 +0000</pubDate>
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      <title>About.com</title>
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	  <link>http://www.about.com/</link> 
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Violence: Witches &amp; Witchcraft]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/christianityviolence/a/witches.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Witches have long been feared and hated in Christian circles. Even today, pagans and Wiccans remain a target of Christian persecution - especially in America. It seems that they long ago took on an identity which reached far beyond their own existence and became a symbol for Christians - but a symbol of what? Maybe an examination of the events will give us some clues.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[C.S. Lewis &amp; J.R.R. Tolkien]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/cslewisnarnia/a/jrrtolkein.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Many fans are aware of that C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien were close friends. Tolkien helped convert Lewis to Christianity, whereas Lewis encouraged Tolkien to expand his fictional writing; both taught at Oxford, both were interested in literature, and both wrote fictional books which propagated basic Christian themes and principles. At the same time, though, they also had serious disagreements - in particular, over the quality of Lewis' Narnia books.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[The United States of America is Blessed by God; Americans are Chosen by God]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/religiousright/ig/Christian-Propaganda-Posters/God-Bless-America-Christians.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The idea that God has blessed America is integral to Christian Nationalists' religious and political ideology. This concept of a blessing isn't about God generally blessing humanity, but is instead the assertion of a special relationship between God and America - a relationship not unlike the one described in the Old Testament between God and Israel. Without this special relationship, much of Christian Nationalists' religious and political agenda would be difficult if not impossible to justify.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Gospel of Mark, Chapter 6]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/biblegospelofmark/a/mark06.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[In the sixth chapter of Mark&#146;s gospel, Jesus continues his ministry, his healing, and his preaching. Now, though, Jesus also sends out his apostles to try to do the same things on their own. Jesus also visits his family where he receives something less than a warm welcome.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Atheism vs. Freethought]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/atheismquestions/a/freethinker.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A standard dictionary defines a freethinker as 'one that forms opinions on the basis of reason independently of authority; especially one who doubts or denies religious dogma.' What this means is that to be a freethinker, a person has to be willing to consider any idea and any possibility. The standard for deciding the truth-value of claims is not tradition, dogma, or authorities - instead, it must be reason and logic.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Jesus Sends Out His Apostles]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/biblegospelofmark/a/mark06b.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Thus far, Jesus' twelve apostles have been following him from place to place, witnessing the miracles he performed and learning about his teachings. This included not only the teachings he has made openly to the crowds, but also secret teachings delivered only to them as we saw in chapter 4 of Mark. Now, however, Jesus is telling them that they will have to go out to teach on their own and work their own miracles.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Saint James (the Lesser) the Apostle]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/christianhistory/ig/Jesus-Apostles-Christianity/Saint-James-Lesser-Apostle.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Christian tradition says that James the Lesser was martyred in Egypt; specifically, that he was crucified for having violated the Torah despite having been one of the apostles who tended to stick most closely to traditional Jewish laws. This is an implausible story because Jews sentencing someone to death would have used stoning; crucifixion was a Roman method of execution and they wouldn't have cared about some random religious person violating a Jewish religious law.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Illustration the Battle for Antioch: Battles of the Crusades Gallery]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian/blxtn_crus_ill44.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Seljuk Turks had conquered Antioch, a strategically important city, in 1087 and the The First Crusade besieged it in 1097. Located in the mountainous region of Orontes, Antioch had never been captured by any means other than treachery and was so large that the Crusader army was unable to completely surround it. Bohemond conspired with Firouz, an Aremenian convert to Islam and captain of the guard, to allow the Crusaders access to the Tower of the Two Sisters and thus through treachery Crusaders take Antioch.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Muslim Woman in Cairo]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/womeninislam/ig/Women-in-Islam--Buraqa--Chador/Muslim-Woman-in-Cairo.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Ibn Fahd said: 'I have some slave girls who are better than my wives, but I do not desire that they should all become pregnant. Shall I do azl (withdrawal) with them?' Hajjaj said: 'They are your fields of cultivation. If you wish to irrigate them then do so, if not keep them dry.']]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Bible Dictionary: Family]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/bibledictionaryonline/p/familyfamilies.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Everyone is or has been part of a family, but defining the boundaries of a family is difficult to do. In modern America, 'family' is used almost exclusively in reference to the nuclear family of a father, mother, and their biological children. In the Bible, however, 'family' has much broader overtones. In the Bible, the family might include as little as the household, but it might further refer to a clan or tribe - even an entire nation.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Affirmative Action &amp; Ethics: Affirmative Action is Reverse Discrimination]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/phil/blphil_eth_aa_reverse.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Affirmative Action & Ethics: Affirmative Action is Reverse Discrimination. According to many critics, affirmative action does not help cure discrimination because it is itself a form of discrimination - reverse discrimination. Because discrimination is unjust and unethical, so is affirmative action.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Militarize the Homeland, the People, and the Children!]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/religiousright/ig/Christian-Propaganda-Posters/Militarize-Nation-Children.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Many are disturbed about far-right movements in America displaying too many characteristics of fascism. The central organizing ideology behind these groups is Christian Nationalism, the belief that America should have its cultural, legal, and political institutions organized along narrowly defined conservative, evangelical Christian lines. Christian Nationalist movements exhibit many of the basic characteristics of fascist movements except for one: organized, militant groups.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Gays Undermining Marriage]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/gaymarriage/a/underminine.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A common argument against legalizing same-sex marriages is that doing so would undermine the institution of marriage. For some reason, a marriage between members of the same sex is a self-contradiction and, if their unions are legalized, then marriage itself across the country will be harmed. But upon what basis is such an argument made?]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Quotes on Religion - James Madison]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/quotes/bl_q_JMadison.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[leonard w levy edward livingston impas madison james civil matters: Freethought Quotations: James Madison.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Saint Simon the Zealot, the Apostle]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/christianhistory/ig/Jesus-Apostles-Christianity/Saint-Simon-Zealot-Apostle.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Sometimes Simon the Zealot is referred to as Simon the Canaanite because the Hebrew root for zealot is qana and church father Jerome thought this mean Cana or Canaan. Thus he described Simon as coming from the town of Cana (the site of Jesus first miracle, when he transformed water into wine) or just more generally from the Canaan region.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[What if Atheists are Wrong?]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/atheismquestions/p/FearHellWrong.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A common logical fallacy is argumentum ad baculum, which literally means 'argument to the stick' and which is commonly translated to mean &quot;appeal to force.&quot; With this fallacy, an argument is accompanied by the threat of violence if the conclusions are not accepted. Many religions are based upon just such an tactic: if you don't accept this religion, you will be punished either by adherents now or in some afterlife. It's thus not surprising that theists would use this when debating atheists.&#10;]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[What is Religion?]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/religiondefinition/p/WhatReligion.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Definitions of religion tend to suffer from one of two problems: they are either too narrow and exclude many belief systems which most agree are religions, or they are too vague and ambiguous, suggesting that just about anything and everything is a religion. A better way to explain the nature of religion is to identify basic characteristics common to religions. These characteristics may be shared with other belief systems, but taken together they make religion distinct.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Achilles and Hector: Images of Ancient Greek Mythology, Religion, Art]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blgrk_heroes01.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Achilles is perhaps the best known figure from The Illiad and his story is, arguably, the central theme in Homer's account of the Trojan war. Like most Greek heroes, Achilles was born of a mortal (King Pleeus of the Myrmidons in Thessaly) and an immortal (the sea nymph Thetis).]]></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[Religion in Public Schools]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/cs/blcs_sch_index.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Religion in Public Schools: Prayers, Vouchers, Holidays, and more. To what extent should public schools recognize, support, and encourage particular religious beliefs? Are state sanctioned and state supported religious observances a violation of students' religious liberties?]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Crusades Image Gallery: Images of Religious Violence, Hatred, Warfare]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/christian/blxtn_crus-gallery.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[The Crusades were Christian military and religious expeditions launched both against rival religions (primarily Islam), Jews, and even other Christians. Not only did the Crusades lay the groundwork for medieval Christian society and feudalism, but they also laid the groundwork for contemporary violence between Muslims and Christians. In any substantive criticism of religion and religious violence, the Crusades will naturally play an important role.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Ten Commandments: Versions]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/tencommandments/a/versions.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Quite a few politicians and citizens want the government to display the Ten Commandments on public grounds and in various government buildings, like schools. In such a situation, it becomes reasonable to ask: What exactly are these 'Ten Commandments'? What many don&#146;t realize is that there aren&#146;t really 'the' Ten Commandments; instead, there are multiple versions of the Ten Commandments.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Fallacy: Begging the Question]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/logicalfallacies/a/beggingquestion_3.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[It&#146;s not uncommon to find political arguments that commit the &#147;Begging the Question&#148; fallacy. This may be because so many people are simply unfamiliar with basic logical fallacies, but an even more common reason may be that a person&#146;s commitment to the truth of their political ideology may prevent them from seeing that they are assuming the truth of what they are attempting to prove.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Baal: Phoenician, Canaanite, and Semitic God]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/ancientmythologyreligion/ig/Lebanon-Phoenician-Photos/Baal-Phoenician-God.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Baal is the most famous Phoenician and Canaanite god. The name Baal comes from the Semitic root for owner, husband, or lord. As such it appears as the name of a god, a title for any one of several other gods, the names of Phoenician rulers, and even as a common noun. Because of this there is some confusion, especially in the biblical texts, about what exactly is being referred to when we encounter Baal.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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         <item>
            <title><![CDATA[Architecture of the Basilica of Constantine]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/constantinethegreat/ig/Basilica-Constantine-Rome/Basilica-of-Constantine-Draw.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Located in the west of the basilica in a semi-circular apse was a massive statue of Maxentius, but of course that was not allowed to remain after his defeat by Constantine. The new emperor of Rome had the head of the statue replaced with his own; today, that's just about all that's left of the original, and even that wasn't located until 1486. Today it is kept in the Capitoline Museums.&#10;]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Saint Matthias, the Second Twelfth Apostle]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/christianhistory/ig/Jesus-Apostles-Christianity/Saint-Matthias-Apostle-Christ.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Not nearly as well known as any of the others, Matthias was the apostle chosen to replace Judas after he betrayed Jesus and committed suicide. Matthias wasn't chosen by Jesus and isn't even mentioned in the synoptic gospels. Instead, he was chosen by casting lots after Jesus reportedly ascended to heaven. After being chosen, Matthias disappears completely from the New Tesament canon and isn't mentioned in any other reliable historical records.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Muslim Holy Sites &amp; Holy Cities: Connecting Holiness, Politics, and Violence - How Have Holy Places in Islam Connected to Religious Violence, Division?]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/islam/blfaq_islam_holysites.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[According to Hector Avalos, religions might preach peace, love, and harmony, but establishing a textual canon or sacred site which only some have privileged access to also establishes an illusory &#147;scarcity&#148; which causes people to fight. This is the intent of religious leaders, but it&#146;s an inevitable outgrowth of their actions &#151; and we can see this occurring in the context of Islam with its holy sites and cities: Mecca, Medina, the Dome of the Rock, Hebron, and so on.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Belief in Supernatural Beings]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/religiondefinition/p/TheismGod.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[Belief in the supernatural, especially gods, is one of the most obvious characteristics of religion. It's so common, in fact, that some people mistake mere theism for religion itself, yet that is incorrect. Theism can occur outside of religion and some religions are atheistic. Despite this, supernatural beliefs are a common and fundamental aspect to most religions, while the existence of supernatural beings is almost never stipulated in non-religious belief systems.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[What is Monotheism? Belief in a Single, All-Powerful God]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/library/FAQs/religion/blrel_theism_mono.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[What is Monotheism? Belief in a Single, All-Powerful God. One of the most common types of theism in the world today is monotheism: belief in a single deity and denying the existence of all other alleged gods in the world.]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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            <title><![CDATA[Why Gay Marriage?]]></title>
            <link>http://atheism.about.com/od/gaymarriage/a/whymarriage.htm</link>
            <description><![CDATA[A common question in the debate over gay marriage is: what the point is for gays to marry? Aside from property and legal issues that could, in theory, be solved by other laws, what point are gays trying to make in attempting to get married? Why is it so important to be able to hold up a marriage certificate and say &#145;we're married&#145; instead of simply saying &#145;we're a couple&#145; without a certificate?]]></description>
            <category>religion</category>
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