Tag Archives: magic

Atheists make great magicians

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Penn Jillette, D.J. Grothe, James Randi—three prominent atheists, three accomplished magicians. (Anyone care to volunteer some thoughts as to why many atheists are attracted to magic? Or is there something about studying and performing magic that lends itself to atheism?)

My favorite atheist magician at the moment is the UK’s Derren Brown. You really ought to search YouTube for his work—some of his tricks put the gospels’ miracles to shame. Converting wine into water? Pfft! Try converting a room of atheists into believers. Brown did it.

“Instant Conversion” Part I

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Skeptic James Randi comes out as gay at 81

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James Randi came out as gay today at the ripe old age of 81. Good on him.

For those who don’t know of him: James Randi is a famed magician, skeptic, and debunker of pseudoscience. He is best known for his “One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge,” which offers a prize of one million U.S. dollars to anyone who can demonstrate a supernatural ability under mutually agreed-upon scientific testing criteria. Many have taken the challenge, but none have succeeded.

Randi and his foundation have exposed psychics like Sylvia Browne, paranormalists like Uri Geller, and faith healers like Peter Popoff for the frauds they are.