The first half of the 20 minute podcast, William Lane Craig shares his thoughts on theism's compatibility with evolution. :) The second half is also good, on the fear of death. . … [Read more...]
God is Logically Impossible — Or Is He?
In 1974, George H. Smith wrote a little book called Atheism: The Case Against God. In it, he made an ontological argument against God's existence. I found it intriguing, since I'm currently studying the ontological argument for God's existence. So let's take a look at it in reverse. To be is to be something as opposed to nothing, and to be something is to be something … [Read more...]
Good Arguments For God's Existence – Intro
"Is it possible to 'prove' God's Existence in a rational and logical fashion?" . "Are there things in the universe and our human experience that are best explained by the existence of a Personal Creator?" . These questions and many others will be answered in this new series, concerning classical arguments for God's existence. These arguments use simple but powerful reasoning to … [Read more...]
On the Importance of Terminology: Evolution
Words. When it comes to communication, everything, literally everything, comes down to words. A vast system of sentences, propositions, grammatical structure, arguments, and syllogisms are all constructed with words. Behind every word is a set of meanings. In this sense, words are merely a placeholder, a token, through which everyone receives the meaning intended by the speaker … [Read more...]
The Supposed Warfare Between Christianity and Science
The following is an excerpt from Dr. Douglas Groothuis' Christian Apologetics, chapter five, "Distortions of the Christian Worldview—Or the God I Don't Believe In". It is posted with Dr. Groothuis' gracious permission. The pic is taken by friend Sarah Geis. The Supposed Warfare Between Christianity and Science Many object to Christianity on the basis that it is hostile to … [Read more...]
Born Atheists?
Is atheism or theism more natural for human beings? According to online author Tim Covell, “Everyone is born atheist. Religion is learned.” Over at the “rational response squad” you’re treated to the claim that “Many people don't know it but everyone is born an Atheist, it's not until a child has religious beliefs Pushed on them with out any evidence to support them that they … [Read more...]
Hitler: just a good Catholic?
The history of Nazi Germany is no secret. There are probably thousands of reliable titles available that deal with various aspects of the regime, and all of them will tell you that the Nazis weren't motivated by Christianity - unless you're an atheist. If you're an atheist, you have to filter your reading through the attempts of Christopher Hitches to associate Nazism with … [Read more...]
Introduction to The Freed Thinker – First Edition
First impressions matter. As this is my first post to this forum I had considered a short introduction but saw the oozing narcissism that such a post might expose and therefore decided for a slightly different route – faux humility perhaps. Instead of laying myself bare on the plate, I will present a brief excursion into projects that I am currently working my way through. … [Read more...]
Your Challenge Does Not Apply- The Strawman
Lately I've been having a lot of discussions with fellow Christians about different ideas. Typically we're are on different sides of the debate and are trying to come to either an agreement, compromise, or understanding. One of the things that I have noticed all too often (I wouldn't worry about a couple times) from too many people and from the same people after I've pointed it … [Read more...]
Understanding What a Scientific Theory Actually Is
The word theory is thrown around in different ways. I often hear it used in a condescending manner such as "evolution is just a theory" as if that's the trump card--end of conversation. I frequently find that we use this word without understanding what we're actually saying. It would do well for the apologist to become more comfortable with the philosophy of science and even … [Read more...]