Notice a lot of people arguing about religion these days? It’s nothing new. Arguments over the existence of God have been ongoing for thousands of years, and with good reason. Whether you believe in God or do not believe in Him, it is impossible to prove your position in such a way that everyone will be convinced. This is because God is not a part of the physical … [Read more...]
An Atheist Admires the Contributions of Religion
Atheist Alain de Botton believes that atheists and secularists can borrow a lot of good things from religion: Religions merit our attention for their sheer conceptual ambition; for changing the world in a way that few secular institutions ever have. They have managed to combine theories about ethics and metaphysics with a practical involvement in education, fashion, … [Read more...]
No God, No Good or Evil
The next presentation in the Essentials of Apologetics series I described in an earlier post is now available. The latest PPT focuses on why, if God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist. You can find the latest presentation either on the PowerPoint Apologist website or on slideshare. Enjoy. … [Read more...]
The Moral Objection to Miracles
In New York, on March 3, 1964 at 3:15am, Kitty Genovese was attacked, raped, and killed after driving home from work. Her neighbors heard her screams and did nothing. They could have easily saved her from suffering, rape, and death. It would have taken, at most, a few seconds to call the police. Was that too much to ask for? By having not intervened, they seem to be partially, … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Morality 3
If you asked me when I was an atheist what I thought about serial killers, I would have said they were terrible people. If you asked me what I thought about child abusers, same answer – terrible people. If you asked me what I thought about my doing whatever I wanted to do even if other people thought it was wrong, different answer. What I did was my business. However, that came … [Read more...]
Atheism, Humans and Robots
The standard disclaimer: I am not speaking about or attacking atheists. Instead, my goal is to rationally work through the logical implications of the atheistic worldview. (Please notice how I define atheism). My conclusion is that, if atheism is true, then we need to re-imagine how we understand human beings. … [Read more...]
ATP Synthase, an Energy-Generating Rotary Motor Engine
Discovery Institute recently released a stunning animation (different from the one above) of the mechanics of ATP synthase, a biomechanical power generator found almost ubiquitously across life. The video above offers another glimpse of the engineering prowess of this amazing molecular machine. There exists three main types of membrane-embedded ATPases: F-type, V-type and … [Read more...]
Grayling's New Book Is Hampered by an Embarrassment of Errors
Atheist philosopher A.C. Grayling, whose debate with Peter S. Williams I wrote about yesterday, recently published a new book, The God Argument: The Case Against Religion and for Humanism. I was particularly interested in reading Chapter 11, which is devoted to the subject of creationism and intelligent design. The chapter contains so many errors and is so poorly researched … [Read more...]
An Unlikely Apologetic
Friday night is movie night in our home. After a week of work, school, and trying to stay on our diets, I get a movie for my daughters and myself, we pile into our theater room with it and loads of junk food, and enjoy while my wife does whatever she wants. I usually use Redbox for our movies and recently I noticed something that may have been there for a long time, but it’s … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Morality 2
The journey from atheism to theism is different for each person who makes it. My journey began with science, then made a turn onto the path of ethics and morality. Webster’s Dictionary defines ethics as “the discipline dealing with what is good and bad and with moral duty and obligation.” Webster’s defines morality as “a moral discourse, statement, or lesson, a doctrine or … [Read more...]