Brent Rasmussen

Observations and inanities by a second-shift assistant supervisor in the Puppy-Grinding division of the Evil Atheist Conspiracy® (our motto: "Sure it's cruel, but think of the jobs!"), your host, Brent Rasmussen.

Jim Downey

UTI Associate blogger Jim Downey is a former newspaper columnist and also writes at the Daily Kos under the handle Shadan7. "I'm the fat old man of the crowd (well, make that middle-aged and overweight). My life's arc has been colorful in some odd and delightful ways, and though by most conventional standards I'm not 'successful', I've mostly enjoyed the ride. I now keep busy writing, playing with my dog, and as a book & document conservator in private practice."

Paul Fidalgo

UTI associate blogger Paul Fidalgo is an actor, musician, and writer with a background in political media, communications, and research. He holds a master's degree in political management from George Washington University, and blogs on atheism in American culture. He blogs at Examiner.com as the DC Secularism Examiner, and maintains two blogs, Near Earth Object, a blog of several overlapping magisteria including political satire and his own musical work; and Bloc Raisonneur, specifically concerning atheists' precarious place in American politics and culture. Paul's music can be purchased for mere pennies at Amie St.

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Rick Ulrey

UTI Associate blogger Rick Ulrey comes to UTI by way of the Marine Corps: "I'm 31 and I earn my living fixing computers. I served 6 years in the Marine Corps and consider myself a liberal libertarian with conservative leanings. I am a firm believer that the world would be a better place if people took responsibility for themselves and their actions. As you can see from the picture I love food. That's me eating a banana fritter in Australia with a nice cup of coffee. I love to cook and my other hobbies include hiking, camping, reading and on and offline gaming."

Steven Darksyde

UTI co-blogger and friend DarkSyde has this to say about himself: "I'm in my 40s, I work out a lot, I'm a personal trainer as a hobby, I've worked mainly as an investment advisor, stocks and bonds. I've done quite a bit of sky diving. I live a few miles from the Space Center in Florida. I have a strong background in math and physics and I'm an active advocate for Evolution in the Evolution vs. Creationism issue."

Taking the long view.

Submitted by Jim Downey on November 24, 2008 - 9:23am.

A good friend passed along this Quote of the Day from Eric Hoffer:

The opposite of the religious fanatic is not the fanatical atheist but the gentle cynic who cares not whether there is a god or not.

Longer ago than I really care to admit I read a number of Hoffer's works, and in a very large part they helped to crystallize some of my own thoughts and inclinations about people and religion (I'm using religion here in a broad sense - meaning both god-belief as well as secular adherence to a movement). Hoffer's perceptions were much like Heinlein's; unorthodox, cynical, deeply insightful. Like Heinlein, he was a non-intellectual, a working-class guy who appreciated intelligence and common sense but disdained pretension. And yes, like Heinlein, he was human with more than a little touch of hypocrisy. We all fail in these ways.

Anyway, that quote above has largely defined much of my attitude about religion, and is reflected in my writing here. I was stung a little week before last when an anonymous comment complained that the writing at UTI was no longer a "bright beacon illuminating the path of truth". For my part, that is true - I am neither PZ Myers nor Steven Darksyde, both of whom are inspired and impassioned in their writings about atheism. My way is one of poking fun of the absurdity of religious belief, of gentle mockery, of occasionally ranting about the abuse of power which inevitably comes with putting faith before reason. We're working towards the same goal, just using different means to get there.

Jim Downey

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