The Talk.Origins Archive An offshoot of the Usenet newsgroup talk.origins, this is the essential first stop for anyone wishing to learn more about evolution and creationism. Dozens of excellent and comprehensive FAQs covering every related topic imaginable, from flood geology to transitional fossils to geologic dating methods. Very highly recommended. The Panda's Thumb Many of the most intelligent and prolific contributors to the talk.origins newsgroup and archive have come together to create this excellent weblog, which is named after the subject of a famous essay by evolutionary scientist Stephen Jay Gould (and an equally famous bar at the eclectic University of Ediacara). Updated frequently with entries on a variety of subjects, mostly critiquing the "intelligent design" movement. Highly recommended. The National Center for Science Education An ad hoc national group working to defend the teaching of evolution in public schools and keep creationism out. Articles, Supreme Court decisions, statements from educational and scientific organizations, and the amusing but pointed "Project Steve" list. The Creation-Evolution Controversy Don Lindsay's creation-evolution page. Contains many pertinent articles on a wide variety of subjects; quite thorough. Highly recommended. No Answers in Genesis Another excellent and thorough site set up as a reply to the young-earth creationist organization Answers in Genesis. Articles cover a wide variety of questions, debunk many creationist organizations and provide a solid defense to common creationist arguments. Creation "Science" Debunked Lenny Flank's well-researched anti-creationism pages deal with a variety of issues germane to the evolution debate. Especially good are the articles which describe in exacting detail the transitional nature of fossils such as the therapsids and Archaeopteryx. Greene's Creationism Truth Filter Todd S. Greene's website refutes creationism from a theistic evolutionist's point of view, with several impressively thorough articles detailing the undeniable scientific evidence for the antiquity of the earth. Creationist Lies and Blunders This provocatively named site provides well-documented, cutting analysis of many specific creationist claims, showing how each one is, at best, a factual error that should embarrass any competent scientist, and outright dishonesty at worst.

The Skeptic's Annotated Bible "No man is convinced the Bible means what it says; he is always convinced it says what he means," the quote goes, and this site goes a long way toward pointing out the parts of the Bible that many Jews and Christians are either unaware of or would just like to forget about. An excellent resource for arguing with apologists. (Now there's a Skeptic's Annotated Qur'an and Skeptic's Annotated Book of Mormon also!) The Jesus Puzzle Did a historical Jesus really exist? Historian and scholar Earl Doherty examines the question from a skeptic's point of view, drawing on numerous historical and biblical sources to build a powerful and convincing case that Christianity did not begin as a response to a historical man. Highly recommended. The Secular Web (Internet Infidels) Without a doubt the largest, most comprehensive and scholarly nontheistic site on the Internet, the Secular Web is dedicated to promoting and defending metaphysical naturalism, the view that our universe is a closed system sufficient unto itself and requiring no external explanation. For high-quality academic material on atheism, theism and related topics both past and present, this is the site you want to see. There's also a large, friendly bulletin board community at iidb.org. LosingMyReligion.com Two former evangelical Christians, now agnostics, living in the heart of America's Bible Belt have taken it upon themselves to tell the other side of the story in a land awash in Christianity. Testimonials, many excellent original articles, and a hilarious dead fish logo. The Compleat Heretic The web site of James Matthew Wallace, a conservative, Republican, moral traditionalist, pro-life, U.S. Army veteran, secular humanist atheist. A unique perspective on social, political and religious issues that just goes to show there are nonbelievers from all walks of life. The Student Voice at Pensacola Christian College The unofficial student newspaper of a fundamentalist Christian college in America's Bible Belt, the Student Voice provides a chilling glimpse into a world where absolute unquestioning obedience to authority is demanded and the slightest hint of dissent is harshly punished. There is no better illustration of why fundamentalist Christianity is a force for evil in the world. To Question is the Answer The web site of James Haught, a skeptic and freethought writer who has published several books and numerous newspaper letters and columns, most of which are reproduced here, documenting the atrocities produced by religion. Infrequently updated, but contains a large amount of material already. The Rejection of Pascal's Wager: A Skeptic's Guide to Christianity Paul Tobin's excellent and extensively researched site presents the fruits of a twelve-year journey from believing Christian to convinced atheist. Despite its name, the site deals with much more than just Pascal's Wager, presenting a wide variety of scholarly articles that debunk Christianity on all fronts. Tangents This wonderful site contains thoughtful, well-written articles on a variety of subjects, including politics, philosophy, science, technology, religion, and humanism. Atheists and the Web in general need more places like this! The Event Horizon Rider Although not written by an atheist, Brian Elroy McKinley's site is well worth a visit. Contains many reflective and moving essays on the author's journey away from fundamentalist Christianity, the personal tragedies that have shaped his life, and a series of carefully reasoned and well-placed arguments against the American religious right, in addition to original music and poetry. One of the best essays so far, in my opinion, is the powerful and poetic "Breaking Windows in the House of God". The Bible of the Good and Moral Atheist A free e-book that offers an introductory guide to a positive atheist viewpoint. Blest Be Dissent Exalting a quality we don't have nearly enough of, Blest Be Dissent bills itself as "Not polite. Not subtle. Philosophy with a hard edge," and it certainly delivers that, providing a wide variety of entertainingly irreverent and uncompromising essays on religious and philosophical topics.

General Science, Skepticism and Educational Resources

http://www.hawking.org.uk/ The official website of Professor Stephen Hawking. Contains much useful information about this renowned scientist's personal life and professional work, including the full text of several of his public lectures on cosmology and theoretical physics. The Tree of Life A grand and ambitious project, the Tree of Life seeks nothing less than to build an Internet database comprising all known lifeforms, extant and extinct, classified into their proper places in the vast and intricate nested hierarchy - the branching "tree" - of four and a half billion years of biological evolution. Although not comprehensive yet, the tree is to a large degree complete in its major branches, and still growing. The James Randi Educational Foundation Magician, skeptic and professional debunker James "The Amazing" Randi has offered a legitimate $1 million prize (unlike creationist Kent Hovind's entirely phony $250,000 offer) for anyone who can scientifically prove that they have supernatural abilities. CSICOP: Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal CSICOP is a scientific organization devoted to objective analysis of the merits of supernatural and paranormal claims in all fields, from UFOs to creationism to astrology. Publisher of the Skeptical Inquirer, an investigative magazine. The Skeptic's Dictionary Robert Carroll's guide for the new millennium contains hundreds of skeptical definitions and essays on occult, paranormal, supernatural and pseudoscientific ideas, "from abracadabra to zombie". The first stop for anyone confronting, or wanting to learn more about, any of the countless manifestations of illogic and uncritical thinking. Bad Astronomy Philip Plait's excellent site is devoted to pointing out and correcting depictions of faulty astronomical science in the media. Of special interest is the Fox TV and the Apollo Moon Hoax section, which demolishes the ridiculous arguments of conspiracy theorists who claim, in defiance of all evidence, that the Apollo moon landings were faked. The parallels with creationism are instructive. Quackwatch With credulity rampant in our society and many people understandably afraid of death, injury and disease, the result is medical quackery, a wide variety of "alternative medicine" treatments that are frequently completely ineffective, if not outright dangerous. Dr. Stephen Barrett provides an antidote (so to speak) to the confusion with Quackwatch, a non-profit site where qualified doctors and scientists debunk health-related frauds, myths, fads, scams, and fallacies. The Skeptic Report A skeptical site with many impressively thorough articles investigating fads and fallacies of all kinds, with an emphasis on pseudoscience such as cold reading, self-proclaimed psychics' predictions and remote viewing. Snopes.com: Urban Legends Reference Pages Ever heard the story about the old woman who put the dog in the microwave? Or the major corporation that will donate a dollar to a dying child each time you forward this e-mail? Or the latest deadly new virus that's making the rounds on the Internet? It happened to a friend of a friend of a brother of an aunt of a roommate who swears it's really true. Well, wonder no more - the impressively thorough Urban Legends Reference Pages debunk a vast variety of misinformation and oft-repeated tall tales and filter the true stories from the false ones. The Straight Dope The name says it all. This offbeat column, written by the reclusive and irascible but nigh-omniscient Cecil Adams, has the answers to every question of importance ever asked in the history of humankind. Motto: "Fighting Ignorance Since 1973 (It's Taking Longer Than We Thought)". Wikipedia Wikipedia is a one-of-a-kind reference: the World Wide Web's first completely open-source encyclopedia. Anyone can add or edit an article on any subject. As of 2006 there are over one million articles, many of them very high-quality, on a vast range of subjects, and that number is still growing. Visit today and contribute an article of your own! Project Gutenberg The purpose of Project Gutenberg is to make old, out-of-print, and public-domain literary works freely available for download on the Internet in machine-readable format. With thousands of books already complete and available - including works by classic authors such as Shakespeare, Poe and Dante - and thousands more in the pipeline, this effort represents a valuable contribution in the fight to make information free. Volunteers to transcribe and proofread new books are always needed!

Advocacy Groups and Organizations

The Darwin Foundation A scientific research and environmental education group dedicated to the conservation and protection of the Galapagos Islands, where Charles Darwin gathered much of the evidence that led to his groundbreaking insight of natural selection. The Rainforest Site Dedicated to protecting the most beautiful and diverse ecosystems on the planet Earth, the Rainforest Site's corporate sponsors pay for conservation with each click-through the site receives. Visit every day. Its sibling sites, such as the Hunger Site, are set up for similar causes. The Sierra Club Founded in 1892 by visionary naturalists and explorers such as John Muir, the Sierra Club today has over 700,000 members nationwide, making it America's largest grassroots environmental organization. Its chosen mission is to explore, enjoy and protect the planet's wild places, as well as educating humanity in the responsible use of natural resources. As its website says, "There is no priority more urgent than saving the Earth." Defenders of Wildlife Defenders of Wildlife is an environmental advocacy group dedicated to the protection of all native wild animals and plants in their natural communities, focusing on the two serious environmental threats of species extinction and habitat destruction, both of which are occurring today at ever-accelerating rates. Voted one of America's 100 best charities in 2001 by Worth magazine. The Electronic Frontier Foundation The Electronic Frontier Foundation is one of the leading civil liberties organizations working to protect rights in the digital world. Founded in 1990, the EFF actively encourages and challenges industry and government to support free speech and privacy online. The Freedom from Religion Foundation Dan Barker was an evangelical Christian preacher for nineteen years, devoted to spreading what he believed to be the word of God. Then he saw the light. Today, he's the president of the Freedom from Religion Foundation, a nonprofit organization working to keep church and state separate in America and educate the public about the views of freethinkers, and this atheist is proud to be a member dedicated to helping him achieve that goal. Publisher of Freethought Today, an excellent atheist periodical. Americans United for Separation of Church and State Americans United is a nonprofit advocacy group working with lawmakers at all levels to maintain the "wall of separation between church and state" (as Thomas Jefferson wrote). AU and its executive director, Rev. Barry Lynn, defend the right to freedom of conscience against militant conservative Christian groups who would remake this nation into a theocracy. They also maintain an excellent weblog, aptly titled The Wall of Separation. The American Civil Liberties Union The ACLU is America's guardian of liberty, a public interest organization working in courts, legislatures and communities to protect the fundamental freedoms granted to all citizens by the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Today, the ACLU's mission is more relevant and important than ever as the government continues its attempts to infringe constitutional rights in the name of fighting terrorism. Air America Radio The premier source in the United States for liberal and progressive talk radio, Air America offers a much-needed alternative to the right-wing stranglehold on the media. Intelligent, entertaining, and fearless, it's a powerful advocate for the values all thinking human beings should share. The website has biographies of the hosts, links to blogs for each show, lists of local affiliates, links to listen live over the Internet, and more.

Operation Clambake Andreas Heldal-Lund maintains this site dedicated to exposing the truth about the dangerous cult known as the Church of Scientology. A stark lesson on the dangers of unchecked religious mania and the susceptibility of the human mind to brainwashing. HubbleSite Orbiting above the distortion of the Earth's atmosphere, NASA's famous Hubble Space Telescope sees the raw beauty of the cosmos in exquisite detail. This public site contains a full-color archive of many of Hubble's most striking images, including the famous "Pillars of Creation" in the Eagle Nebula and pictures from HST's powerful new Advanced Camera for Surveys. The Blue Marble This NASA site contains the most detailed true-color images of the Earth from space in existence, taken by orbiting observation satellites. All the pictures, but especially the one of humanity's artificial lights glowing from a darkened Earth at nighttime, are simultaneously beautiful and humbling, serving to remind us of the fragility of our only home. Gibson Research Corporation An invaluable resource for Internet security and computer tips in general. The articles pertaining to file download spyware, distributed denial of service attacks and firewall efficacy are likely to inspire some (probably long overdue) paranoia about your computer's health and safety. Opera Software The creators of the Opera internet browser - fast, functional and free, a welcome third party in the never-ending Internet Exploder vs. Netscape wars. Has both paid and free ad-supported versions. [ Site Index ] [ Updates ] [ Resources ] [ Suggest a Link ]