Month: April 2009

Faith-based nonbelief

In conservative America—the real America, as some would have it—nonbelief is a liability. Everyone is supposed to be a Protestant, though this might include Catholic Protestants or Muslim Protestants. You are free to go to the church of your choice, but it is very important that you do go to a church of your choice. Faith-based nonbelief

Good philosophy, bad philosophy

I hadn’t thought I would read Simon Blackburn’s Truth: A Guide. For some reason, I had formed the impression that it was a pop-philosophy book. While I think such books are very good things, I do not feel compelled to read them any more than a book on the physics of superheroes. Then I happened Good philosophy, bad philosophy

The Logic of the Trilemma

Here is the logic of Josh McDowell’s version of the Trilemma argument found in Chapter 7 of Evidence that Demands a Verdict and Chapter 2 of More Than a Carpenter: 1. Jesus claimed to be God. 2. If Jesus claimed to be God, and Jesus was not God, and Jesus knew that he was not The Logic of the Trilemma

McGill Symposium on Islam and Evolution webcast

The McGill Symposium on Islam and Evolution, where I was one of the panelists, is now available as a webcast. The first half-hour lecture is mine. If you want to get a comprehensive picture of the creation/evolution wars in the Muslim world, watch them all.

When superstition gets dangerous

I do run into this reasoning from religious right circles: “God promised he wouldn’t wipe us out in quite that way, so global warming can’t be happening (or harmful).” It’s infuriating to see its potential to influence public policy. I’m sorry, but these particular superstitions are dangerous. Unless by some wild stroke of luck they’re When superstition gets dangerous

ARIS 2008

The American Religious Identification Survey 2008 results are online. One interesting note. In terms of “belonging,” or self-identification, 0.9% of Americans describe themselves as agnostic, 0.7% as atheist. But when asked about actual beliefs, 2.3% of Americans take an atheist position, while the “hard” and “soft” varieties of agnosticism add up to 10.0%. Interestingly, there ARIS 2008