Naturalism, Theism, and the Meaning of Life
In the book Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, there is a funny scene in which an artificial intelligence is tasked with figuring out the meaning of life or, as it is called in the book, the Great Question of “Life, the Universe, and Everything.” The AI spends 7.5 million years working on the problem, until it finally … Naturalism, Theism, and the Meaning of Life
Debate: External Evidence for Jesus – Part 3
Question 1: What are Hinman’s Central Claims about Polycarp? As with his discussion about the external evidence of Papias, Hinman begins his discussion of Polycarp with some strong claims: III. Polycarp: Knew the Apostle John and studied with him. He speaks of where the apostle sat when they studied together. The first sentence is lacking a subject. But … Debate: External Evidence for Jesus – Part 3
A Layman’s Thoughts about Christian Theism and Gender Identity Disorder
(Note: I’ve titled this post “A Layman’s Thoughts” to reinforce the fact that I am neither an expert on human sexuality in general, gender identity disorder in particular, nor Christian doctrine on gender identity. If someone who reads this wants to “school” me on the errors in this post, I won’t be offended in the … A Layman’s Thoughts about Christian Theism and Gender Identity Disorder
Euthyphro Dilemmas
As I explained on page 25 of my Primer in Religion and Morality I think there are multiple dilemmas floating around under the name “Euthyphro Dilemma” (hereafter, ED). ED: The literal, original formulation of the ED is this: “Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it … Euthyphro Dilemmas
Atheist ‘Safe Zones’: A Solution In Search of a Problem
I just became aware of this website: “Secular Safe Zone.” Why are secular safe zones needed? “The number of nontheists in America is rising rapidly and there is a growing body of research that is beginning to explore this once-invisible and amorphous group. While tolerance for minority religions is growing around the country, discrimination and harassment … Atheist ‘Safe Zones’: A Solution In Search of a Problem
Debate: External Evidence for Jesus – Post on Part #3 Coming Soon
I am working on Part 3 of this series of posts about external evidence for the existence of Jesus. Part 3 will focus on analysis and evaluation of Joe Hinman’s third argument for the existence of Jesus, which is based on historical claims about Polycarp. I have written the opening section of Part 3, and … Debate: External Evidence for Jesus – Post on Part #3 Coming Soon
Christian Charity on Display
Yesterday (7/5/16) The Houston Chronicle published my letter below: The 5-3 Supreme Court ruling against Texas’ oppressive abortion restrictions is a rebuke to extremism. It is also a rebuke to dishonesty. The purpose of the legislation, indeed its sole purpose, was to restrict access to abortion. When they take office members of the Texas State … Christian Charity on Display
Are Atheism and Moral Realism Logically Incompatible?
I am a regular reader of Victor Reppert’s blog, Dangerous Idea. In the combox for one of his recent posts, Steve Hays claimed that atheism and moral realism are logically incompatible. I wrote a lengthy reply to Hays in the combox and have decided to republish it here. Before I republish my comments, I will make one … Are Atheism and Moral Realism Logically Incompatible?
LINK: Atheist Driver Spots Jesus Fish Eating Darwin Fish, Repents
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LINK: A New Problem of Evil: Authority and the Duty of Interference
Abstract: The traditional problem of evil sets theists the task of reconciling two things: God and evil. I argue that theists face the more difficult task of reconciling God and evils that God is specially obligated to prevent. Because of His authority, God’s obligation to curtail evil goes far beyond our Samaritan duty to prevent … LINK: A New Problem of Evil: Authority and the Duty of Interference