Tim O'Neill - History for Atheists

So the latest addition to my Great Myths series covers how this idea of an eternal conflict between science and religion arose, why it persists and who keeps propping it up. Enjoy.

New on History for Atheists: The Great Myths 16 - The Conflict Between Science and Religion.
If there is a foundational myth that underpins a great deal of anti-theist bad history, it's the notorious Conflict Thesis.
historyforatheists.com/2025/08/the-...

What’s that got to do with atheist activists’ misconceptions about the Old Testament?

The key words above are "things ATHEISTS get wrong about the Hebrew Bible etc."

My next interview on the History for Atheists channel will be with Dr Dan McClellan ‪@maklelan.bsky.social‬ on things atheists get wrong about the Hebrew Bible/OT, early Jewish beliefs, the history of ancient Israel etc. What would you like me to ask Dan about?

Orestes was a Christian. Pretty much everyone on both sides were Christians. I just looked at your profile and you seem unhinged. Time to ignore you I think.

My *what*? You seem like a loon.

And “corrected” by who? Who should be held accountable for a political faction fight in an ancient city 1600 years ago? What the hell are you talking about?

More fantasy. Please read some actual historians on what happened, particularly in the context of the social and economic divisions in the city. Her murder had nothing to do with religion.

… aligned with Christian thinking (several of her students were leading Christians) and continued to be so. Hypatia as a “martyr” to anything is a modern fairy tale.

She was murdered in a political faction fight over hierarchy and authority in the city that had nothing to do with religion or philosophy. Our most contemporary source even says she was caught up in “political jealousies” *despite* her renown as a philosopher. And Neoplatonism was already closely…

Review - Catherine Nixey "The Darkening Age" - History for Atheists Catherine Nixey argues that Christianity destroyed the classical world, but her thesis depends on selective evidence, misrepresentation and distortions .

Nixey’s book is crap.

historyforatheists.com/2017/11/revi...

The Great Myths 9: Hypatia of Alexandria - History for Atheists Hypatia of Alexandria is often portrayed as a martyr of reason and science, who was killed by anti-science fanatics. This bears little relation to reality

Yawn.

historyforatheists.com/2020/07/the-...

Okay.

Purchase & Free Download - Josephus & Jesus How to Download for Free A generous donor has made Josephus and Jesus freely available in digital format. To download the PDF or to read the web version, click here. When sharing the PDF with others, ...

You can also purchase Tom's book here or download a digital copy for free:
josephusandjesus.com/purchase-page/

Just uploaded to the History for Atheists channel, my interview with @ProfTCSchmidt on his new book *Josephus and Jesus: New Evidence for the One Called Christ* (Oxford, 2025)
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9L2b...

Okay.

Which article?

About what?

... tries to tangle with Holland's actual arguments, he will need to massively elevate his game when it comes to historical analysis and argument. Because the weak, lower-than-high-school-level pop history polemics he usually indulges in won't cut it when I get to work on him.

... criticisms are just fine. Except they aren't - he strawmans the arguments because he didn't bother to read the frigging book.
He also promises that he will "revisit the topic at a later date". Maybe after he's actually read the book? We live in hope. If he does finally do this and ...

... I analyse his reardguard action in an addition to my article. He's trying to pretend he wasn't critiquing the book, *per se*, but just the way apologists use it. Yet he still tries to claim the public statments by Holland that he has misunderstood still "reflect his core arguments", so his ...

"Rationality Rules" Bungles Tom Holland - History for Atheists In 2019 public historian Tom Holland published his book Dominion: The Making of the Western Mind, a thematic history examining the ways Christianity has fundamentally influenced western thinking. The ...

Addendum: After my critique of his video (supposedly) on Tom Holland's *Dominion*. Stephen Woodford/@rationalityrules.bsky.social has copped a lot of flak in his comments and has posted some (weak) excuses and then delisted the video. ...
historyforatheists.com/2025/05/rati...

“The Renaissance” was actually medieval. As I’ve been telling people for years.

You are the one making the claim the 1633 condemnation was “overturned” in 1992. So why can’t you quote the source that shows this?
Try again.

Still nothing. What does this tell you?

Yet according to you, it was. So, produce your evidence.

"This conviction was not overturned until 1992, 359 years later."

Please cite and quote the relevant section of the 1992 document that "overturned" this ruling. Precision please.

I’ve yet to see a substantive criticism of it that actually addresses what Holland argues.

New on History for Atheists - Stephen Woodford aka "Rationality Rules" (@RationalityRule) takes aim at Tom Holland's *Dominion* and ... shoots himself in the foot.
historyforatheists.com/2025/05/rati...