Is It Completely Unfair for Dawkins to Equate “Faith” with “Blind Trust”?
While going through some old files, I discovered this passage at the end of a book review. The book being reviewed was Dawkins’ God: Genes, Memes, and the Meaning of Life by Alister McGrath. The reviewer was Paul Pardi, a philosopher at Seattle Pacific University. Here is what Pardi wrote: “I also have one technical … Is It Completely Unfair for Dawkins to Equate “Faith” with “Blind Trust”?
Unapologetic Review – Part 10: Evaluation of Reason #9
REVIEW OF ANALYSIS OF REASON #9 In Part 9 of this series, I asserted that the main argument in Unapologetic is Reason #9, and I argued that Reason #9 invoved the following assumptions: 5. ANY claim that is based on faith cannot be reasonably defended. 6. Philosophers ought NOT recognize and participate in an alleged sub-discipline of philosophy that … Unapologetic Review – Part 10: Evaluation of Reason #9
Unapologetic Review – Part 9: Analysis of Reason #9
A KEY PASSAGE FROM PART 2 OF THIS SERIES: It appears to me that just as Chapter 5 is the heart of the book, and that the 10 Reasons are the heart of Chapter 5, so also I believe that Reason #9 (which concerns opposition to “faith-based claims”) for ending philosophy of religion is at … Unapologetic Review – Part 9: Analysis of Reason #9
Unapologetic Review – Part 7: Two Definitions of “Faith”
The Two Main Definitions of “Faith” in Unapologetic There are seven short statements in Unapologetic that appear to be definitions of the word “faith”. The definition given in Chapter 1 (p.37) is an incomplete version of the definition given in Chapter 2. The definition given in Chapter 2 is clear and worthy of serious consideration: … Unapologetic Review – Part 7: Two Definitions of “Faith”
Unapologetic Review – Part 4: More Effort Required
“Communication is Hard” My wife is a very intelligent woman. I enjoy discussing religion, politics, and philosophy with her. When I lay out an argument, either for my own viewpoint or (as the devil’s advocate) for some alternative viewpoint, she almost always raises one or two sharp objections to the argument. She is also a … Unapologetic Review – Part 4: More Effort Required
Unapologetic Review – Part 3: The Main Argument
I cannot recommend the book Unapologetic by John Loftus, because I have not carefully read the whole book yet. But I have read Chapter 5, which I take to be the heart of the book, and I can recommend reading Chapter 5 of Unapologetic. It is an interesting, informative, and thought-provoking chapter about the philosophy … Unapologetic Review – Part 3: The Main Argument
Unapologetic Review – Part 2: The Heart of the Book
A couple of the comments on my previous post (see Unapologetic Review – Part 1) were critical about my provision of details about the general physical characteristics of John Loftus’ new book Unapologetic. The commenters did not explain WHY this was objectionable, but I suspect it is a matter of childish impatience on the part … Unapologetic Review – Part 2: The Heart of the Book
A Nasty Christian Apologist Defends the Indefensible
There are many nice Christian apologists out there. To cite just four of several examples, (1) Glenn Miller; (2) Randal Rauser; (3) Trent Horn; and (4) Sean McDowell have both been extremely gracious as dialogue partner (1 & 2) or host (3&4). But there are also some nasty ones who apparently didn’t get the memo about 1 Peter … A Nasty Christian Apologist Defends the Indefensible
It Takes More Faith to Be an Atheist Than to Believe in God?
Editor’s Note: This is a guest post by Taylor Carr republished on The Secular Outpost with permission. The original post may be found on his blog, The Godless Skeptic. Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock somewhere, you’ve probably heard someone, somewhere, say at some point: “I think it takes more faith to be an atheist than to … It Takes More Faith to Be an Atheist Than to Believe in God?
What is Faith? – Part 9
Here are some key points from the first section (Relation of Faith to Reason) of Geisler’s article “Faith and Reason” (Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics, p. 239; hereafter: BECA): If we take the second point in a straightforward manner, then there appears to be no conflict between faith and reason, at least in terms of the … What is Faith? – Part 9