Which is the converstation starter and which is the conversation stopper?

Science is always open to new possibilities. Science is searching for the ways things work. If science does not know, it's okay. Science says this is not problem, we can live with not knowing the answer.

Religion is not open to new possibilities, they have found the ultimate truth. They know. Which is the conversation starter and which is the conversation stopper?

Which makes it more exciting to be alive? We don't know, let's explore, let's discover. Or is the attitude of we know, we found it, we know—is this the best attitude to have? If you know, what is there to discover?

For the religious, it's really not that special to be here, right? We know the ultimate truth, been there, done that. We look forward to dying, for that better life. This secret death wish of religions is a very disgusting way to live your life.

Horoscopes: The unchecked pseudoscience

What if horoscopes targeted countries, wouldn't you be offended? Americans need to eat less, exercise more, use less credit cards and not be so arrogant. The Japanese need to learn more English and stop eating so much sushi. The French need to be nicer to Americans and eat less frog legs.

Are you offended yet? I hope so. How do you think I feel when I see horoscopes in the newspaper or posted on Facebook?

Religion: Giving hope in a world torn apart by... religion.

Could this be stated any better? I'd say this is probably as concise as it gets.

The internet is where religion goes to die.

The internet is where religion goes to die. What does this mean? 

 Before the internet, you'd go to a pastor to discuss your nonbelief, he'd probably recommend you go back to church. Now, you go online to see the same question answered by a pastor. In the comments or on other websites, you have dozens of different answers by pastors and they are all contradicting each other.

(This is a paraphrase of Blair Scott, Communications Director of American Atheists who was interviewed by Ed Tyll on Big 810 AM radio, this morning in Florida.)

The World Will Go To Hell Without Religion! Really?

“What is the alternative to a belief in Santa Claus? The answer really is nothing. Now, it's not that a belief in Santa Claus was doing nothing for a child. You know, a child is entranced and consoled and interested and happy that Santa Claus exists.

You take the belief away, you've taken something away—you haven't replaced it with something but whatever conspired to make the belief untenable, perhaps he saw that it was his parents wrapping the presents. The belief disappears and we all know that no one wants to be the last kid in class who believes in Santa Claus.

And imagine how untenable the position of a child would be, if he claimed not to want to throw the baby out with the bath water, he claimed to have found a moderate position on Santa Claus and he could keep the sleigh and the elves but jettison the guy in the suit.

So the first answer to the question, 'What are the alternatives to faith?' there don't have to be alternatives. If these beliefs are false, if they're untenable, we can relinquish them. As many countries in western Europe have done. Only 10 percent of Swedes, 10 to 15 percent are believers of the sort we recognize in the states.”

“We can relinquish these beliefs without an alternative. Let me remind you about how easy it is to see the wisdom of this when we simply change the word God to Zeus. No one is feeling that we should maybe hold on to Zeus.”

—Sam Harris, talking about his book, The End of Faith at the University Synagogue on January 18, 2005. See the entire video of his lecture here.