An End to Philosophy of Religion?
John Loftus has issued a call for the end of philosophy of religion (POR) being taught in secular universities. He’s since written a few follow-up posts, but I think there are two main points that Loftus makes: (1) Science has disproven religion, and philosophy ought to follow suit (2) Philosophy of religion is dominated by Christian … An End to Philosophy of Religion?
Randal Rauser Replies
His post: Do naturalists have more to lose? If not, why are they crucifying Thomas Nagel? In order to prevent this from becoming a back-and-forth mess, I’ve replied in the comments there. He’s a good guy, so I don’t mind sending him more traffic. If you’re interested, the discussion can continue there.
Do Christians have more to lose?
In a recent blog post, Randal Rauser wonders about the prospects that atheists (or anyone, really) are “simply after the truth”. He begins by noting that many Christians (such as the popular Christian apologist Lee Strobel), assume that atheists reject God in order to give license to their poor behavior. He’s not sold on this … Do Christians have more to lose?
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
Bias in the Philosophy of Religion
An interesting post over at Prosblogion.
The Holy Spirit and the Affect Heuristic
I’ve been re-reading Daniel Kahnman’s wonderful book, Thinking, Fast and Slow and came upon the section in which he discusses the ‘affect heuristic’. The affect heuristic is the notion that people often make decisions based on their feelings or emotions about the topic at hand. It is an example of “substitution”, in which “the answer … The Holy Spirit and the Affect Heuristic
Boudry’s Hoax on “Sophisticated Theologians”
Dr. Maarten Boudry performs a ‘Sokal-style hoax‘ on two theology conferences. Here is the abstract: The Paradoxes of Darwinian Disorder. Towards an Ontological Reaffirmation of Order and Transcendence. Robert A. Maundy, College of the Holy Cross, Reno, Nevada In the Darwinian perspective, order is not immanent in reality, but it is a self-affirming aspect of reality … Boudry’s Hoax on “Sophisticated Theologians”
An Argument Against Moral Facts
In a seminar on Metaethics (h/t John Brunero) , I encountered an argument against moral facts that I hadn’t heard before. Here is a brief sketch: (1) We’re justified in believing in some fact only if it plays a role in the explanation of our observations and other non-moral facts. (2) Moral facts don’t play … An Argument Against Moral Facts
Priest Plans to Defy Vatican Orders
“The Rev. Tony Flannery, 66, who was suspended by the Vatican last year, said he was told by the Vatican that he would be allowed to return to ministry only if he agreed to write, sign and publish a statement agreeing, among other things, that women should never be ordained as priests and that he … Priest Plans to Defy Vatican Orders
J.L. Schellenberg’s “Evolutionary Religion” Prologue and Chapter 1
Available here.