religion

Craig vs. Spinoza: INDEX of Posts

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WHERE WE ARE Although Spinoza’s primary objection against miracles fails, Spinoza’s second objection against miracles appears to be a powerful and devastating objection against belief in miracles. Spinoza points out that humans cannot distinguish between true miracles (that are brought about by God) and fake miracles (that are brought about by some other supernatural being, such as an angel or a … Craig vs. Spinoza: INDEX of Posts

Craig vs. Spinoza: the Atheists Don’t Believe in Angels Objection

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WHERE WE ARE Although Spinoza’s primary objection against miracles fails (see my post “Craig vs. Spinoza: A Big Problem for Belief in Miracles“), Spinoza’s second objection against miracles appears to be a powerful and devastating objection against belief in miracles. Spinoza points out that humans cannot distinguish between true miracles (that are brought about by … Craig vs. Spinoza: the Atheists Don’t Believe in Angels Objection

Craig vs. Spinoza: Craig’s Doctrinal-Context Objection

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WHERE WE ARE In the third edition of Reasonable Faith (hereafter: RF3), William Craig presents three objections against Spinoza’s second objection against miracles, as we saw in my previous post on this subject. Craig’s first objection, lets call it the Insignificant Impact Objection, is an attempt to downplay the significance of Spinoza’s second objection against … Craig vs. Spinoza: Craig’s Doctrinal-Context Objection

The Total Death Toll of Human Violence Over History – Who is to Blame for Most of It (Hint, it’s Not the Atheists)

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Large scale war and mass atrocities have been afficting humanity since the advent of civilization. So who is most to blame for these disasters? According to the religion industry if most or all folks would just be good and obedient sheep and behave themselves by following the dictates of whatever deity a particular brand of … The Total Death Toll of Human Violence Over History – Who is to Blame for Most of It (Hint, it’s Not the Atheists)

Critical Evaluation of William Craig’s 21st-Century Case against the Swoon Theory – Part 3

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CRITICAL EVALUATION OF THE KEY PREMISE (3a) Here, again, is the sub-argument given to support the key premise (3a): 4a. It is contrary to 1st-century Jewish thought to believe that Jesus had died on the cross (around 30 CE) and then to believe that Jesus had gloriously risen from the dead (less than 48 hours … Critical Evaluation of William Craig’s 21st-Century Case against the Swoon Theory – Part 3

THE LEAVE IT TO BEAVER EFFECT — HOW TV HAS HELPED BASH POPULAR RELIGION WITHOUT TRYING ALL THAT HARD

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It might seem that the religion industry in its many brands continues to be a powerful force in human societies. And of course in some regards it remains so here and abroad, what with most Americans being divinity worshippers, and the religious right enjoying oversized political power despite its minority status, to the degree it … THE LEAVE IT TO BEAVER EFFECT — HOW TV HAS HELPED BASH POPULAR RELIGION WITHOUT TRYING ALL THAT HARD

Evaluation of Definitions of the Word “Miracle”- Part 2: Agent, Exception & Baseline

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WHERE WE ARE In my initial post, I analyzed eight definitions of the word “miracle” into seven different elements. I am not satisfied with any of these definitions, so in my previous post I began to evaluate these definitions to make clear the problems I see with them. In this current post, I will continue … Evaluation of Definitions of the Word “Miracle”- Part 2: Agent, Exception & Baseline

Religion and Dishonesty

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In the book I’m currently working on (Thinking Critically about the Resurrection of Jesus: The Resuscitation of the Swoon Theory) I examine several objections to the Swoon Theory (roughly the skeptical view that Jesus was crucified but survived his crucifixion and that this led to the belief that God raised Jesus from the dead). One … Religion and Dishonesty