There has been much publicity in recent years, on both sides of the Atlantic, about “institutional racism” or “systemic racism”. I fully appreciate that these “woke” times have created a considerable amount of hysteria and exaggeration, and even provoked or aggravated the problems they purport to stand against. I also…

For thousands of years, humankind has passed down stories of heroes — great figures who bravely faced challenges and overcame great opposition to find, achieve or rescue great prizes. From Gilgamesh in Mesopotamia, through Hercules in the Greek Myths, these tales have not only entertained and inspired throughout the centuries…

It is tragic to live in “interesting times”- times of cultural insanity, when an ideology takes over the minds of masses of people, like Germany in the 1930s — or like now, in Britain and the USA and Canada… I see that the actors union, Equity, has now taken upon…

It distresses me that a great ancient civilization, and a huge country full of wonderful people and a source of wisdom, can be so unwise as to keep reinforcing its current path. I’m not being naïve about “great ancient civilizations” here, as I am fully aware that every single culture…

Why do people accept huge chunks of Christian doctrine? Because one man, Paul, had an overwhelming subjective experience; and he applied an innate intelligence and talent to interpreting and expressing it in terms of his own personal and cultural obsessions. And because he travelled for miles on foot, for years…

Intellectuals and scientists and doctors of impressive intellectual capacity will all sacrifice their intelligence and ability at the altar of their faith. Consider, for example, allegations and justifications by members of the medical profession. Instead of dismissing the piercing of Christ’s side with a spear as unhistorical, as a deliberately…

If you tried explaining the whole phenomenon of Christianity to a dispassionate alien visitor from another planet, it would really emphasise the incredible absurdity of the continuing belief of millions of people in the alleged teachings and revelations of the God of the Israelites. He, the creator of all things…

We are human beings and we have the power of reason. It has brought us a long way, e.g. to democracy from tyranny and to evidence-based medicine from witch-doctors, from brutal societies to ones that have rules against torture and capital punishment. …

The earliest Christian groups did not have a sense of history. Most of them had expected the end of the world and the establishment of the Kingdom of God, within years rather than centuries. They would have seen no point in preserving historical records if there was going to be…