I n this video, Neil deGrasse Tyson revisits a previous statement he made about not believing in God. Astrophysicist/TV Host Tyson expanded on the quote by asking which god of the multitude of "gods" worshipped by various religions. He then states that the reason behind his viewpoint is that he values evidence and he has not seen any that suggest the existence of a higher power. As the interview moves along, Tyson explains why he doesn't consider himself to be agnostic and then outlines the difference between himself and individuals in that category. For more, scroll down and press play.

By Mike Hixenbaugh and Elizabeth Chuck ~ This article is part of “ Pastors and Prey ,” a series investigating sex abuse allegations in the Assemblies of God. A children’s pastor was caught filming girls in a church bathroom in Arkansas. Elders suspended him for a few weeks. In Illinois, a preacher was accused of sexually abusing children. Church leaders sent him to therapy rather than call police. In California, a worship minister went to prison for molesting boys. His congregation threw him a party when he returned. All of these men remained in ministry in the Assemblies of God, the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination. All went on to abuse more children. Since the 1970s, Assemblies of God churches have repeatedly reinstated ministers and volunteer leaders accused of sexual misconduct, returning them to pulpits and youth groups [...] Survivors say they were violated in sanctuaries, at pastors’ homes and in tents on camping trips. Read the entire NBC news article here:...

I t never ceases to amaze me how completely a human mind can be taken over by belief. Once someone decides they have the truth, there’s no reaching them with reason, no appealing to evidence, no possibility of honest dialogue. Their belief isn’t a conclusion they’ve come to — it’s the ground they stand on. To question it feels like questioning existence itself. I see it in my own family. Some of my relatives, though their lives are in varying degrees of disarray, remain absolutely certain that their particular brand of Christianity is the only true faith — and that I, for having rejected it, am destined for hell. Nothing I say, no matter how calm or rational, makes a dent. Their conviction is immune to contradiction; it explains everything and defends itself from all challenges. To them, their faith is reality itself. One relative in particular has merged religion with politics — a heady mix of MAGA-flavored Christian Nationalism . He quotes Jesus while echoing doctrines that have n...

By William Walter Kay BA JD JEREMY Bentham was born in 1748 unto a line of London lawyers. His father amassed a fortune flipping real estate. England’s youngest university grad at 18, Jeremy joined the Bar at 24. His inheritance excusing him from practicing, Bentham wrote legal texts which were well-received in America and France. Jefferson praised Bentham. The French awarded Bentham citizenship and assembled his manuscripts into a comprehensive, readily adopted, national legal code. Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Virginia borrowed from this code. Bentham’s five-volume Rationale for Judicial Evidence earned marquis shelf-space in judges’ chambers and lawyers’ libraries across French and English speaking worlds. George III disliked Bentham thus thwarted his substantial efforts toward prison reform. Bentham’s overarching goal was a society based upon the principle of “ the greatest good to the greatest number, and subordinate the whole to rational calculations of utility. ” He c...

W hen I first started questioning my faith, I noticed something odd. People didn’t really want to hear why I had doubts. They wanted to classify me. The moment someone steps away from belief, the label comes out: “They were never true believers.” The go-to verse for that is 1 John 2:19 —  “They went out from us, but they were not of us.”  That line has done a lot of heavy lifting over the centuries. It provides a neat theological escape hatch: if someone leaves, it’s not because something might be wrong with the faith. It’s because something was wrong with them. Of course, there are supporting texts — Hebrews 6, Matthew 7, 2 Peter 2 — each offering its own spin on the idea that you can get close to the truth without ever really possessing it. For the faithful, it’s a reassuring narrative. It means their worldview is insulated. No need to wrestle with messy questions about why sincere people lose belief — the Bible already explained it. Looking back, I can see how useful...

L ately, I’ve been asking myself a question that feels both embarrassing and profound: How could I have possibly believed that the claims of Christianity were anything more than absurd? It’s not an accusation against my past self so much as a genuine inquiry. Looking back, I can see there were many powerful and very human reasons why I believed — and why it all felt so convincing at the time. I grew up inside it.   Christianity wasn’t presented to me as an idea to be evaluated; it was simply reality. “Jesus is Lord” wasn’t a proposition — it was a background truth, like “the sky is blue.” I didn’t choose it. I inherited it. It met deep emotional needs.  The faith promised meaning, belonging, and eternal security. When you’re searching for purpose or fearing death, that’s an intoxicating combination. Wanting reassurance isn’t irrational — it’s profoundly human. I trusted the people who taught it.  Parents, pastors, teachers — the people I loved and respected — all af...