20+ Questions for Theists
(This post was last edited on 21-Jun-12, by reorganizing the list into a more logical sequence. I apologize in advance for the inconvenience this may cause to people who have posted comments or their own articles discussing these.) As a follow-up to my last post, I compiled a list of my own questions for theists. … 20+ Questions for Theists
The Definition of Atheism, the Anal-Retentive Defense of Etymological Purism, and Linguistic Relativism
Back when I was the moderator of the USENET newsgroup alt.atheism.moderated, I used to debate the definition of atheism and I used to defend the atheism as the lack of belief position. I’m persuaded, however, by Ted Drange that by default we should define our terms in a way which matches ordinary usage. Ordinary usage … The Definition of Atheism, the Anal-Retentive Defense of Etymological Purism, and Linguistic Relativism
Recent Discussion of My Old List, “How to be an Atheist Apologist”
I haven’t been a regular, active participant on message boards for years, but I recently decided to participate in the thread at Rational Skepticism about my 2006 post, “How to be an Atheist Apologist.” The topics we’ve discussed include: The discussion board thread may be found here; my comments start here.
Worst Atheist Debaters
Like my list of “Best Atheist Debaters,” I don’t know of any way to be fully objective about this sort of thing. Also, like the other list, I fully recognize that others may disagree. Nevertheless, for what it’s worth, here is my list of worst atheist debaters, organized by topic.Topic: God’s Existence Topic: Morality Without … Worst Atheist Debaters
Distrust & Anti-Atheist Prejudice
Interesting new paper from Gervais, Shariff and Norenzayan: Gervais-et-al-Atheist-Distrust.pdf The experiments performed by Gervais et al. provide pretty convincing support for the thesis that anti-atheist prejudice manifests as distrust (rather than dislike, or disgust), and that it surfaces most strongly when the need for trust — as opposed to say, likeability, or pleasantness — is … Distrust & Anti-Atheist Prejudice
Ted Drange on the Logical Coherence of Atheism
Ted Drange just me the following response to Vasko Kohlmayer’s column, “Atheism: Why It is Logically Incoherent.” Toward the end of his essay, the author writes: But even as the atheist tries to make his point, he unwittingly falls into a trap: If his worldview were true, then the principle of non-contradiction – or any … Ted Drange on the Logical Coherence of Atheism
LINK: Michael Antony’s Review of Reasonable Atheism by Aikin and Talisse
LINK (HT: Ex-Apologist)
LINK: Atheist Philosopher Julian Baggini Labels New Atheism “Destructive”
(This is another one for the “not new, but new for me” category.) Julian Baggini, author of the excellent book, Atheism: A Very Short Introduction, explains that the four horseman of the new atheism is a “backwards step. It reinforces what I believe is a myth, that an atheist without a bishop to bash is … LINK: Atheist Philosopher Julian Baggini Labels New Atheism “Destructive”
Archbishop Says “Atheism is Cool?”
Apparently Brittain’s archbishop, Rowan Williams, has said that “atheism is cool,” as an explanation for why the Chuch of England finds it increasingly difficult to convey its message. Books by new atheists Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens “get a high profile,” whereas “books that say Richard Dawkins is wrong don’t get the same kind of … Archbishop Says “Atheism is Cool?”
Old News But Still Interesting: Vatican Plans Major Effort to Engage Non-Believers
I have been out of the loop; I completely missed this when it was news. Here’s a link to an announcement from the Vatican Information Service, dated March 18, 2011, about a formal dialogue between believers and non-believers. LINK Elsewhere, courtesy of Hemant Mehta at The Friendly Atheist, we learn that the Vatican’s desire to … Old News But Still Interesting: Vatican Plans Major Effort to Engage Non-Believers