Month: October 2014

Why be Skeptical? Reason #1

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In a previous post I put forward seven reasons why we should be skeptical (Reason For Skepticism #7 is in the comments section).  In this post I’m going to provide some facts and data in support of Reason For Skepticism #1: (RFS1) People are often dishonest, deceptive, or have been deceived by others. Here is … Why be Skeptical? Reason #1

William Provine on Evolutionary Naturalism and Morality

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Cornell University biologist William Provine debated UC Berkeley law professor in 1998. (Click here for a link to the transcript.) In his opening statement, Provine made the following provocative assertion. Let me summarize my views on what modern evolutionary biology tells us loud and clear — and these are basically Darwin’s views. There are no gods, … William Provine on Evolutionary Naturalism and Morality

Why Be Skeptical?

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According to my old American Heritage Dictionary (2nd College edition, 1982), a “skeptic” is a person “who instinctively or habitually doubts, questions, or disagrees with assertions or generally accepted conclusions.”  This seems to come close to what I have in mind when I support the view that students should be taught to be skeptical as … Why Be Skeptical?

Another Failed Defense of “The Inevitable Consequences of an Atheist Worldview”

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Steve Hays has commented on my previous post, “Fact Checking the Inevitable Consequences of an Atheist Worldview.” That post was a detailed summary and refutation of eight specific claims. Hays does not interact with any of the specific claims. Rather, he makes general points about my post as a whole. Here is Hays: Over at … Another Failed Defense of “The Inevitable Consequences of an Atheist Worldview”

Fact-Checking “The Inevitable Consequences of an Atheist Worldview”

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Earlier this year, J. Warner Wallace reposted on his blog something written by an anonymous writer which describes “the inevitable consequence of an atheist worldview.” Wallace gives the writer the nickname “John.” I want to comment on “John’s” comments as well as Wallace’s commentary. Before I address “John’s” remarks, I first need to point out a fundamental … Fact-Checking “The Inevitable Consequences of an Atheist Worldview”

Matthew Flannagan on The Arbitrariness Objection to Divine Command Ethics

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There is a standard objection to the divine command theory (DCT) that runs as follows: I’ll call this the Arbitrariness Argument (AA).  You can find versions of this argument in Walter Sinnot-Armstrong’s book Morality Without God?  and in his article “Why Traditional Theism Cannot Provide an Adequate Foundation for Morality.” Here is a quote from the latter: … Matthew Flannagan on The Arbitrariness Objection to Divine Command Ethics

Link: Why Science Cannot Explain Why Anything At All Exists by Luke Barnes

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Physicist and cosmologist Luke Barnes wrote an interesting post in his blog a while ago about why science cannot explain why anything at all exists. I’m inclined to agree with him. Here is how he summarizes his own argument in his own words. A: The state of physics at any time can be (roughly) summarised by … Link: Why Science Cannot Explain Why Anything At All Exists by Luke Barnes