Articles written by Currie Jean

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About me - Currie Jean

I write a lot for the A&A channel, as well as at Constant Content. I also organize Helium's official Atheism and Agnosticism Zone. Links are available at right (and down a little).

In my high school years, I won a county-wide contest, and wrote and proofread

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Religion & Spirituality > Heaven, Hell & Afterlife Is Hell a real place or a metaphor to deter evil-doers?: 1 of 104
Is hell like the bowels of a dungeon, brimming with medieval torture devices like the iron maiden, thumbscrews, and stretchers? Is it bloody? Do people repeatedly regrow their limbs, only to have them crushed or torn off again and again? Does hell have many levels that gradually get more terrifying and awful the further one ... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Christmas Christmas 2008: Ways to have a joyful Christmas while in a recession: 1 of 48
While folks like to discuss the meaning of the Holiday Season (Christmas? Hanukkah? Yule? Kwanzaa? Solstice?), it's tough to find anyone who doesn't love it at its basic, personal, family-oriented levels. For most, December is about hot drinks, cold snow, peppermint and pine. It's about twinkly lights and caroling, not polit... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism God believes in you. Why do you not believe in Him?: 1 of 46
The question, "God believes in you, so why do you not believe in him?" can be infuriating to a free thinker at first glance or, to the more mellow skeptic, at least a little frustrating. It looks like the poser of the question is dodging the whole issue; it can make one want to shout back, "Who the heck are you to claim to k... More..
Relationships & Family > Marriage & Divorce (Other) Was the California Supreme Court right in legalizing gay marriage?: 1 of 44
While many of those protesting California's legalization of gay marriage do so only using unconstitutional and irrelevant religious arguments, some also claim to be up in arms based on constitutional concerns alone. It's hard to tell whether these people are merely veiling religiously-supported bigotry with the constitutiona... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism Testimonies: Why I am an atheist: 1 of 36
I was excluded from actively participating in my parents' religion, Presbyterianism: instead, the religion was dropped on my head without my consent, and I was considered a part of it before I could possibly understand it or volunteer my inclusion. This is probably a familiar situation to many theists and non-theists. I was ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Astrology & Prophecy Assessing the possibility of predicting the future: 1 of 27
Somehow, most of us have gotten it into our heads that we have a definite choice: either people can predict the future with psychic revelations, or people can't predict the future at all. The first option is rather negative: it suggests that a game is being played in which some players can't explain the rules to the others. ... More..
Sciences > Astronomy What to do if you see a UFO: 1 of 24
An unidentified flying object could be anything from a bird to a plastic bag to a bona-fide alien spacecraft. Until we can tell what that weird thing up in the sky is, habit dictates that we excitedly call it a "UFO." Let's not kid ourselves - usually we're pretty good at labeling what we're seeing, so if we can't tell, we a... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Comparative Religion Religions with the most peaceful teachings: 1 of 24
While it may come as a surprise to many Westerners, especially those adhering to the 'big three' faiths (Judaism, Christianity and Islam), the most peaceful major religions still practiced today trace their origins eastward. From a global perspective, Buddhism and Jainism originated next door to the major Western religions, ... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Atheism & Agnosticism Why are athiests so curious about religion: 1 of 24
Curiosity about religion arises from the drive to find out why other people believe what they do. Very often, the atheist wonders, "I can see what's up; I'm sure of the truth. But then, why don't other people see what I see? It doesn't make sense to call them something silly, like 'evil,' so what's actually going on?" This q... More..
Religion & Spirituality > Ghosts & Paranormal Phenomena Are crop circles evidence of UFOs?: 1 of 19
Crop circles fascinate the curious. They're weird, they're eye-catching, and they defy immediate explanation. Upon looking more closely, however, it becomes obvious that these huge patterns, usually geometric and appearing in fields without the permission of presiding farmers, are actually less than meets the eye. Crop circl... More..