Dualism is Unhealthy
No, seriously. (LINK) “The fact that the simple priming procedures used in the studies had an immediate impact on health-related attitudes and behavior suggests that these procedures may eventually have profound implications for real-life problems. Interventions that reduce dualistic beliefs through priming could be one way to help promote healthier — or less self-damaging — … Dualism is Unhealthy
Draft for comments please
Here’s a rough draft of half of a chapter I am contributing to an edited volume. Comments and feedback please. Very best Stephen What are science and reason? Humanists expound the virtues of science and reason. But what are science and reason? And we should we think it wise to rely on them? … Draft for comments please
Atheistic Moral Realism – Part 2
I am going to engage in a bit of logic chopping now. But for those who do not have an appreciation for logic chopping, do not despair; my close examination of the bark on one tree will lead me to make some broader points that have significance for philosophy of religion, ethics, and serious thinking … Atheistic Moral Realism – Part 2
Atheistic Moral Realism – Part 1
In his essay “Why I Believe God Exists”, William Craig gives three main reasons for believing in God (Why I am a Christian – hereafter: WIAC – edited by Norman Geisler and Paul Hoffman, Baker Books, 2001, p.62-80): One problem with the Kalam cosmological argument is that it fails to establish the existence of a … Atheistic Moral Realism – Part 1
Materialism and Beauty
In response to a post by Victor Reppert, I left the following comments on his blog. Victor — I’m very late to this thread, but I hope you’ll respond to this comment. I read the linked article. Maybe I misunderstood it, but it seems to me that even if everything that article said were correct, … Materialism and Beauty
Some Thoughts on Robert Gagnon’s “Secular Case against Cultural Endorsement of Homosexual Behavior”
I’ve often suspected that the only valid* reasons for opposing homosexual behavior were religious ones, so I was very interested to read Gagnon’s self-described “secular case.” I view it as a “good thing” that religious opponents even feel the need to offer a “secular case” because there was a time when a list of Bible … Some Thoughts on Robert Gagnon’s “Secular Case against Cultural Endorsement of Homosexual Behavior”
Robert M. Price on Westboro Atheists
For the April issue of Zarathustra Speaks, Robert M. Price has published a well-written essay describing what he calls “Westboro Atheists.” I agree with pretty much everything he writes, especially this: This is why I cringe every time I hear about the latest attempts of the Freedom from Religion Foundation to scour every expression of … Robert M. Price on Westboro Atheists
Bollocks Venn Diagram
Check this out: This is terrific! I note that Scientology lies in the intersection of all four categories of nonsense. I guess that means that it is the most irrational of all. Your name Your email Subject Your message (optional)
Skeptical Atheism and the Fine-Tuning Argument?
The multiple universes objection is a common objection to fine-tuning arguments for God’s existence. Paul Draper once wrote an interesting essay comparing that objection to that argument to the same objection applied to arguments from evil. What I’ve often wondered is this: what if we tried to draw another parallel between fine-tuning arguments and arguments … Skeptical Atheism and the Fine-Tuning Argument?
A Taxonomy of Interlocutors
This post is mostly addressed to nontheists who engage in online debate with theists. If you discuss a topic as controversial as religion in a public forum, you will get challenged. The resulting debates are sometimes intellectually stimulating, instructive, and fruitful. Other times…not so much. Here at SO I recently engaged in two discussions on … A Taxonomy of Interlocutors