There appear to be a number of advertising campaigns going on to promote freethought, for example, AHA’s “Why believe in a god” and Freethought Action. I suppose these are necessary in the present age and circumstances. But in a more cynical mood (more even than my normal baseline level of high cynicism), I can’t help … Advertising freethought

Palestinians are in serious trouble. For decades, they mostly had to worry about the madness due to two monotheisms. Jews thought the land was holy, and Palestinians’ own predominant monotheism, Islam, also insisted it was sacred. Nowadays conservative Christian fanatics in the US are also in on the act. According to Jack Chick, God punishes … New Chick Tract

There are some questions about faith and reason that it would be helpful to understand and answer: Q1. Which is better, reason or faith?Q2. Is faith a real alternative to reason?Q3. Do reason and faith sometimes conflict with each other?Q4. Do reason and faith have separate and distinct intellectual jurisdictions, so that they can never … Faith and Reason – Part 4

LINK (HT to Jim Lippard)

I finished grading another batch of student papers where I get to see what a bunch of smart juniors think of evolution and intelligent design. As usual, their tendency is to split the difference. Many of them are classic god-of-the-gaps reasoners, eager to insert supernatural powers wherever it looks that there’s something significant that we … Combining evolution and ID

In Miracles and the Modern Mind, Norman Geisler summarizes Spinoza’s argument about miracles: 1. Miracles are violations of natural laws.2. Natural laws are immutable.3. It is impossible to violate immutable laws.4. Therefore, miracles are impossible.(MMM, p.15) Contrary to Geisler’s interpretation, Spinoza does not argue against the possibility of miracles. Rather, he assumes that miracles do … Skeptical Approaches to Miracles – Part 5

I previously wrote about the North Carolina senate race, and Republicans attacking the Democratic candidate for associating with (shudder) the godless. Apparently they’ve gone one step further and released a TV ad falsely implying that Kay Hagan, the Democrat, is an atheist herself. Hagan, naturally, is enraged at the attack on her Christian faith, and … Another anti-atheist campaign ad by Elizabeth Dole

Last week I gave one of my talks where about half the audience was Muslim. (This is what happens when the organizers use a bland title such as “Islam and Science.”) These are always interesting. I don’t go out of my way to criticize Islam, but I forcefully point out the severe weakness of Muslim … Bound by scripture

I commented in a previous posting about the Texas State Board of Education and how its Chair, a fundamentalist dentist, and other board members are willing water carriers for the Discovery Institute. They are pursuing the latest D.I. ploy of having the “weaknesses” of evolution taught in science classes. This ploy, which is really rather … Texas SBOE wants IDeology Taught in Texas Schools

I’ll be giving a public talk on “Islam and Science” in the Madison Public Library this Thursday evening at 7:00. (More information.) It’ll be based on An Illusion of Harmony: Science and Religion in Islam. I jut thought I’d mention it, in case anyone who reads this lives in the vicinity.