The philosopher Richard Purtill proposed the following definition: A miracle is an event (1) brought about by the power of God that is (2) a temporary (3) exception (4) to the ordinary course of nature (5) for the purpose of showing that God has acted in history. (“Defining Miracles” in In Defense of Miracles, IVP, … Purtill’s Definition of “Miracle” – Part 4

In Catholic cultures, you run into believers who perceive miraculous images of the Virgin Mary appearing in odd circumstances, or who see the face of Jesus on a burnt tortilla. Islamic religious imagery is usually non-representational. But like Catholics who constantly encounter Mary and Jesus iconography, many devout Muslims live in an environment saturated by … “Allah meat”

The Texas Freedom Network posted this portion of an e-mail from some religious right organization called The American Family Association. Someone named Jeffrey Howard (anybody ever heard of him?) can teach you how to refute evolution in just five minutes! You can confute “hardened skeptics” and “leave scientists with their mouths hanging open!” Actually, I’m … Refute Evolution in Five Minutes!

There are a number of stereotypes about nonbelief embedded in pop culture that I’d like to know more about. Some may be true, and if not, it’s interesting to ask why. For example, there’s this notion that a lot of nonbelievers will convert to a religion late in life. As death approaches, the stereotype goes, … Late life conversions

In Chapter 2 of The God Delusion, Dawkins gives an argument for atheism. The argument has some problems, and may or may not be salvageable. After I point out some flaws, I will make an attempt to fix-up the argument. In fairness to Dawkins, his main argument for atheism is supposed to be given in … An Argument for Atheism

A few weeks ago a reader sent me email including a link to a cartoon. It was part of a online series that is updated twice a week, Jesus and Mo. The cartoon is quite good, actually. I’ve become a regular reader, so I’m passing on the recommendation. Your name Your email Subject Your message … Jesus and Mo

The cover of the latest issue of Christianity Today: God Is Not Dead Yet.The lead article is by William Craig. He summarizes five key arguments for the existence of God and refers to modern defenders of these arguments. Evangelicals are definitely aware of the New Atheism (Dawkins, Hitchens, etc.). Craig comments briefly on Dawkins, and … God Is Not Dead Yet

I have previously pointed out that the word “God” is ambiguous in Richard Dawkins’ book, The God Delusion. This oversimplifies the situation a bit, because a close reading of The God Delusion reveals a reference to at least fifteen different kinds of atheism. So, before I go into critique of Dawkins’ main argument, I will … 15 Kinds of Atheism

Michael J. Murray and Jeffrey Schloss will soon be coming out with The Believing Primate: Scientific, Philosophical, and Theological Reflections on the Evolution of Religion. Though I’ve encountered a review that consists of praise by an Intelligent Design proponent, it promises to be serious as well as likely disappointing. I’ve encountered both Schloss and Murray … The gods designed us to believe?

I notice that some of the exchanges on Secular Outpost have gotten a bit heated lately. Hey, you guys don’t know nasty. We atheists are pikers when it comes to nasty. To see it in its paradigmatic form, you need to look at some of the more far-out fundagelicals. Check this out: http://www.theologyweb.com/campus/showpost.php?p=2378861&postcount;=131This is a … Idiot Loser Crap Apologist takes on John Beversluis