apologist watch

A Very Unscientific Survey of Some Popular Responses to the Problem of Evil

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I recently defended Paul Draper’s evidential argument from evil (specifically, facts about pain and pleasure) against William Lane Craig’s popular objections. (LINK) I decided to browse his website discussion forum devoted to the problem of evil. I was struck by some of the responses used by the people posting there (who should not be confused … A Very Unscientific Survey of Some Popular Responses to the Problem of Evil

Does Theism Explain the Necessity of Moral Truths?

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The book, Does God Exist? The Craig-Flew Debate, contains a transcript of the debate between William Lane Craig and Antony Flew, responses by eight commentators, and final responses by Craig and Flew. Many of the commentators, including some of the theists, sharply criticized Craig’s moral argument for God’s existence because, they argued, some moral truths are … Does Theism Explain the Necessity of Moral Truths?

Dream a Little Dream of Me

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Barry Leventhal thinks that Jesus appears to people in dreams. (www.christianpost.com/news/jesus-still-appears-to-people-in-dreams-even-god-haters-christian-apologist-says-170855/) His claim isn’t that people have dreams in which Jesus figures as part of the dream, but rather that Jesus, himself, appears in the dream. I suspect that Leventhal does not think that every dream involving Jesus counts as an appearance of him, though. … Dream a Little Dream of Me

My Debate with Dr. Frank Turek

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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

Repost: Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence (ECREE), Part 2: Is ECREE False? A Reply to William Lane Craig

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(This article was originally published on this blog on June 21, 2012. I am reposting because William Lane Craig recently tweeted a link to a video in which he objects to ECREE.) In my last post, I offered a Bayesian interpretation of the principle, “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence” (ECREE). William Lane Craig, however, disagrees with … Repost: Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence (ECREE), Part 2: Is ECREE False? A Reply to William Lane Craig

Busted. Victor Reppert has Nailed Us. We Became Atheists for the Sex

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OK fellow secularists, the game’s up. Victor Reppert has nailed us. http://dangerousidea.blogspot.com/2016/06/surprise-surprise.html Secularist organizations seem to be having a lot of trouble with sexual harassment.   You have to ask “What did you think was going to happen?” One of the key selling points of secularism is that you don’t have to follow those benighted old … Busted. Victor Reppert has Nailed Us. We Became Atheists for the Sex

Jerry Coyne Criticizes A.C. Grayling’s Handling of God Arguments, But Coyne Gets It Wrong Himself

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Jerry Coyne is a Harvard-educated, brilliant professor of biology who is an expert on biological evolution. His book, Why Evolution Is True, is a “must-read” for anyone interested in, well, why evolution is true. He also likes to write about topics outside of his area of expertise, including the philosophy of religion. As I’ve explained before, non-experts … Jerry Coyne Criticizes A.C. Grayling’s Handling of God Arguments, But Coyne Gets It Wrong Himself