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 year, I did a short post outlining the high-level logic of my critique of Christianity:
I thought this plan was a bit ambitious, but I am now considering an even more ambitious project: a Twelve-Year Plan that includes a critique of various major world religions and secular worldviews.
I agree, to some extent, with complaints about philosophy of religion being too focused on Christian concepts and beliefs, and I agree with Ninian Smart and James Sire that secular worldviews should be studied along with world religions, as a basic part of a well-rounded college education.
My primary interest is in the philosophical study of religion, which asks evaluative questions, especially questions about the TRUTH of religious beliefs and points of view. I am planning to incorporate discussion of various key concepts, principles, strategies, character traits, and skills of critical thinking into any book that I write on the critique of a religion or worldview.
I had intended to spend ten years on the question “Is Christianity true?” But now I’m considering expanding the project to include the same question about various other religions and worldviews:
- Is Christianity true?
- Is Buddhism true?
- Is Secular Humanism true?
- Is Islam true?
- Is Hinduism true?
- Is Marxism true?
- Is Judaism true?
- Is Taoism true?
- Is Existentialism true?
My own leaning is towards Secular Humanism and Marxism, although I am open to objections and qualifications about both of these secular worldviews.
I still plan to do an in-depth evaluation of Christianity, which will involve composing four books just on Christianity. But if I am to have a reasonable chance of completing this more ambitious project in just twelve years, then I will need to limit my time on Christianity to about four years (roughly one year per volume), and then I will need to formulate a critique of each of the remaining religions/worldviews at a pace of about one per year, writing one book on each.
My Twelve-Year Plan
2017: Book 1 on Christianity: Does God Exist?
2018: Book 2 on Christianity: Did Jesus Exist?
2019: Book 3 on Christianity: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?
2020: Book 4 on Christianity: Was Jesus God?
2021: Book on a major eastern religion: Is Buddhism True?
2022: Book on a major secular worldview: Is Secular Humanism True?
2023: Book on a major western religion: Is Islam True?
2024: Book on a major eastern religion: Is Hinduism True?
2025: Book on a major secular worldview: Is Marxism True?
2026: Book on a major western religion: Is Judaism True?
2027: Book on a major eastern religion: Is Taoism True?
2028: Book on a major secular worldview: Is Existentialism True?