Victor Stenger Died
LINK Stenger was an early supporter of the Internet Infidels; we occasionally exchanged emails. Trained as a physicist, Stenger was also interested in the philosophy of religion. Many of his writings were at the intersection of physics (or, more broadly, science) and religion. As I reflect upon my numerous interactions with him about responding to … Victor Stenger Died
Towards a Rational Paganism
Recent discussions here at SO have focused on the future of philosophy of religion (if any), and some have queried where the field might go if, to some extent, it moves away from its traditional theistic/Christian emphases. I have maintained that certain discussions have pretty much played out. By now we know the arguments for … Towards a Rational Paganism
The End of PoR – Part 2
John Loftus has begun laying out his views on PoR in greater detail on his website. I’m going to comment on a few key points that he makes in a recent post: What Exactly is My Proposal For Ending the Philosophy Of Religion Discipline in Secular Universities? It will probably take me a few posts … The End of PoR – Part 2
More Craziness
This guy is as bizarre as Ken Ham, but whereas Ham only runs a “museum,” this guy might go to Congress! As Charles P. Pierce observes in Idiot America, there have always been crackpots, but it has never been so easy to be one as now. Characters who were previously relegated to corner soapboxes now … More Craziness
Crazy–Even for Ken Ham
Spock, ET, Marvin the Martian, ALF, Mork, the Third Rock from the Sun group and many other lovable aliens are all going to hell, I guess. In the pictures I have seen of this guy, his hair is combed, and his shirt is buttoned up. He looks like he has bathed recently. How can that … Crazy–Even for Ken Ham
Does Cosmos Promote Atheism?
Stargazing is my hobby, and I subscribe to various related publications, including the magazine Astronomy. Bob Berman is a regular columnist for Astronomy and his columns are usually entertaining and informative. Occasionally they are peevish, as when he recently devoted much of his monthly column to a matter of pronunciation. He insisted at length that … Does Cosmos Promote Atheism?
Atheists’ Favorite Parts of the Bible
There is a link on Debunking Christianity to an interesting article by Valerie Tarico on the topic of atheists’ favorite Bible verses. I thought that they would be the really horrid ones like II Kings, Chapter 2, where we have the lurid story of the prophet Elisha, who was approaching the town of Bethel when … Atheists’ Favorite Parts of the Bible
Belated Response to Ed Feser
Ed, sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you. All of May was taken up by final exam grading and then copy-editing and indexing my new book, due out in August, It Started with Copernicus (completely unabashed and self-serving plug). This is a response to your post of April 25, “A … Belated Response to Ed Feser
Craig’s “Historical Evidence” for the Death of Jesus – Part 4
William Craig asserts that “Jesus rose from the dead”. In making this claim, Craig takes on a burden of proof. A crucial part of this burden is to prove that Jesus actually died on the cross, since a person can rise from the dead ONLY IF they have previously died. Unfortunately, in most of his … Craig’s “Historical Evidence” for the Death of Jesus – Part 4
Theism, Atheism, and Dismissive Attitudes
Here are two hypotheses about theism, atheism, and dismissive attitudes. H1: for (some / many / most) theists, how dismissive a theist is to atheism is inversely proportional to how familiar said theist is to the best, most robust arguments for atheism* H2: for (some / many / most) atheists, how dismissive an atheist is to … Theism, Atheism, and Dismissive Attitudes