Unless a reincarnationist is willing to say there was a 'first generation' of souls created with the first humans, he is exposed to absurdity by the recency of human life on the planet.

Primate and elephant and even pig societies show considerable evidence of care for others, parent-child bonding, solidarity in the face of danger, and so on.

Mockery of religion is one of the most essential things because to demystify supposedly 'holy text dictated by god' and show that they are man made and what you have to show [is] there internal inconsistencies and absurdities. One of the beginnings of human emancipation is the ability to laugh at authority... it is an indispensable thing people can call it blasphemy if they like, but if they call it that they have to assume there is something to be blasphemed - some divine work, well I don't accept the premise.

[E]xceptional claims demand exceptional evidence.

My political life has been informed by the view that if there was any truth to religion there wouldn't really be any need for politics.

To the dumb question, 'Why me?' the cosmos barely bothers to return the reply, 'Why not?'

I've been to Uganda and to North Korea and to Eritrea, countless horror spots around the world.