There are many religious objections to the fact that human beings have evolved from primitive apes. For example, many, if not most, religionists believe that human beings were created in their present form. However, even if one rejects the fossil evidence, the DNA evidence clearly demonstrates that human beings share a common ancestor with chimpanzees. In the past, it was reported that humans share 99.6% of our genes with chimpanzees. Recently, estimates have been lowered to 98.5%, 97.5% and 95%. However, the fact remains that humans and chimpanzees are very close cousins. Indeed, humans and chimpanzees even share “pseudo-genes,” or genes that served functions in the distant past.

Over the past few years, many people throughout the world have celebrated Charles Darwin’s birthday. This year, February 12, 2012, marks his 203rd birthday. His contributions to the world of ideas were many. However, he is best remembered for collecting important data that led the scientific world to embrace the theory of evolution by natural selection.

Men routinely objectify women, and many women willingly objectify themselves. This is obvious in the world of advertising, where men use women’s bodies to sell goods and services. Many people assert that boys and men are more visual than girls and women when it comes to mate selection. Certainly, boys and men generally tend to be more polygamous than girls and women.

Millions of people throughout the world have observed or heard about the Tim Tebow phenomenon. Tim Tebow is the ultra-religious quarterback of the Denver Broncos. He is generally regarded as, at best, a mediocre passer. Many current and former professional football players and coaches do not believe he will ever succeed over the long haul.

Like a belief in God, there is hardly anything that cannot be justified in the name of culture. What better place to begin examining this idea than the U.S.? During antebellum times, White supremacy and slavery were deeply ingrained characteristics of Southern culture (and U.S. culture in general). Southern White males from all classes were astounded and offended that some White Northerners criticized their deeply cherished (and thoroughly racist) values and traditions.

Donald R. Wright is the author of The Only Prayer I’ll Ever Pray: Let My People Go. It is his call to African Americans to let go of theism and embrace a secular humanist life stance.

Non-theist Maulana Karenga—formerly known as Ron Karenga—is the founder of the African-American cultural celebration known as Kwanzaa. Karenga founded the observance in 1966, when he was chairman of the Black studies department at the University of California at Long Beach.

For the past several years, reactionary Christians have been whining about the alleged “War on Christmas.” There is no shortage of letters to the editors of publications all over the U.S. complaining that Christmas is under attack. Bill O’Reilley has been particularly riled by efforts to respect non-Christians and to make the U.S. more inclusive. How dare non-Christians intrude upon the unwelcoming party of Christians as they celebrate the birthday of their Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ? Glory, glory, hallelujah!

Due to the great number of Black atheists that have come out of Harlem, I have decided to blog about them. My last posting focused on some of the women. Now I will focus on some of the men.

Not many years ago, I spoke at a standing room only event at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, a division of the New York Public Library System, in Harlem, New York. I was invited to discuss humanism and great humanists of African descent. As I was speaking, it dawned on me that I could have given a whole lecture discussing great non-religious Harlemites.

On November 3, 2011, the Associated Press reported that the offices of the satirical weekly publication, Charlie Hebdo, in Paris, France, were firebombed. The director of the weekly publication issued an "invitation" to the Prophet Muhammad to be its guest editor. Evidently, some Muslim extremists did not find the joke to be very amusing.

On October 29, 2011, the Associated Press ran a heartwarming story about an adorable dog that cheated death. ("Stray dog awaits adoption after surviving gas chamber," The Buffalo News, p. A7.)

Harold Camping of Oakland is at it again. The 90-year-old minister predicited that the world would end on October 21, 2011. This is the same prophet that predicted that the world was to have ended on May 21st of this year. Amazingly--or perhaps not--he made the same prediction in 1994.

On October 11, 2011, the Associated Press carried a news story about a conservative Christian minister's condemnation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (LDS), also known as the Mormons. The Rev. Robert Jeffress, minister of the First Baptist church in Dallas, told news reporters that presidential contender Mitt Romney is "not a Christian," and called Mormonism a "cult."

A wise man once said that "the mind of the bigot is like the eye of the pupil. The more light you shed upon it, the more it contracts." This thought came to mind after my incredibly brief appearance (perhaps ten minutes at the most) on a recent podcast hosted by the Black Atheists of Atlanta.

We are familiar with Martin Luther King's important work in the civil rights movement, and the tremendous role that some churches played in the fight for social justice. However, there were great humanists and humanistic ideals that preceded King and the movement.

Malcolm X was saved from a life of crime by Elijah Muhammad of the Nation of Islam (NOI). However, after Malcolm left the NOI, he said that he felt a sense of intellectual freedom. He no longer felt compelled to say "the Honorable Elijah Muhammad teaches us..." before every utterance. He no longer thought inside a box. He said that he felt free to think for himself.

Certainly, Black skeptics are to be found among members of such groups as the Black Skeptics. However, when many people think of skeptics, they think of individuals such as Michael Shermer, organizations such as the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (formerly known as the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal, or CSICOP), and publications such as the Skeptical Inquirer.