Was The Buddha Enlightened? (Part 1)
Asking whether the Buddha was enlightened may seem like asking whether the Pope is Catholic. The answer would seem to be an obvious “yes.” At the core of Buddhism is the figure of the Buddha. The word “buddha” means “one who is awake” or “enlightened.” If the Buddha had not been enlightened, he wouldn’t have … Was The Buddha Enlightened? (Part 1)
One Christianity or Many Christianities?
I know this is a controversial topic for the people who frequently comment on blog posts here at The Secular Outpost, and my view seems to be the minority view. Perhaps I am the only person in this crowd who thinks that there is some hope of being able to define “Christianity” in a way … One Christianity or Many Christianities?
My Twelve-Year Plan
In October of 2013, I came up with the idea of a Ten-Year plan to write a four-volume critique of Christianity: Plan for a Multi-Volume Critique of Christianity Some of my posts here at the Secular Outpost have been closely related to the Ten-Year plan and the topics it will cover. In January of this … My Twelve-Year Plan
Old but Fascinating: Mother Teresa Did Not Feel Christ’s Presence for Last Half of Her Life, Letters Reveal
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My Debate with Dr. Frank Turek
Last night I had the privilege of debating the question, “What Best Explains Reality? Naturalism or Theism?”, at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas before an estimated crowd of approximately 900 people. Although the breakdown of Christians and atheists was probably 898:2, I truly felt like the audience was respectful. In fact, after the debate, several … My Debate with Dr. Frank Turek
Off Topic: Trump is an IDIOT – Part 1
I realize that many atheists and skeptics are not liberals, so there is no liberal agenda shared by atheist and skeptics. However, I am a left-wing atheist and skeptic, and so I have been blogging (elsewhere) about my preference of Hillary Clinton over the twit Donald Trump. Today, just in time for the upcoming big … Off Topic: Trump is an IDIOT – Part 1
Skepticism and Conjunctions
Belief in God and belief in the Christian faith are both vulnerable to skepticism in view of the fact that both beliefs consist in conjuctions. Some of the key divine attributes are: In order for God to exist, there must be one and only one person who has all five of these divine attributes. If … Skepticism and Conjunctions
Ethical Subjectivism and the Argument from Outrage
In arguing for the superiority of theistic ethics over secular ethics, apologists sometimes present some version of an argument like this: 1. If theism is not true, then ethics is subjective. 2. Ethics is not subjective. 3. Therefore, theism is true. I think this is a bad argument because I think premise 1 is false. … Ethical Subjectivism and the Argument from Outrage
Omnipotence and the Actual Infinite
According to William Craig’s defense of the kalam cosmological argument, an actual infinite cannot exist. This claim is important not only for Craig’s main claim that the universe had a beginning, but also for a followup response to the suggestion that the universe cannot be part of a wider, infinitely regressive history wherein our universe … Omnipotence and the Actual Infinite
Debate: External Evidence for Jesus – Wrapping up the Debate
Josh McDowell and various life events have distracted me from the debate with Joe Hinman about the external evidence for the existence of Jesus. (Sorry for the delay, Joe.) I wrote an introductory post about the debate: Introduction to the Debate Hinman presented five arguments for the existence of Jesus based on external (non-biblical) evidence: … Debate: External Evidence for Jesus – Wrapping up the Debate