Over the last few days I’ve been reading (and occasionally contributing to) a lengthy blog thread entitled A Central “Argument” in Feser’s Final Chapter, “Aristotle’s Revenge” « Choice in Dying. The starting point was a back-and-forth between Erin MacDonald, the thoughtful author of the Choice in Dying blog, and Edward Feser, an intemperate advocate of…
Read More The blogosphere at its most enjoyable: “Aristotle’s Revenge”As Tweeted: @geoffarnold: Hallelujah! Amazon reports my copy of Penn Jillette’s “God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist…” is in the mail! http://t.co/L65ediP
Read More Why am I waiting for a book for which Glenn Beck contributed to the back-cover blurb?A code to yesterday’s piece: Some of the Christian bloggers asserted that “What is needed in the face of all this is a more assertive proclamation of the value of our faith than many Episcopalians, especially clergy are comfortable giving.” To this, I would point to the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and in particular: It…
Read More What makes you feel good is not necessarily effectiveAfter reading a few Christian blog and Facebook pieces today, I just had to vent. Please excuse. Please forgive this atheist if he finds it hard to take US Christians seriously when they talk about experiencing “hostility” and worry about possible irrelevance. Christianity remains the dominant culture of the USA, even if its adherents are…
Read More The fear of irrelevancyOver at CommonSenseAtheism, Luke just posted the following question: Imagine you have a blue pill and a red pill, and you must swallow one of them right now and not the other. If you take the red pill, you will die immediately. If there is an afterlife, all your sins will be pardoned and you…
Read More Acting on one's beliefsThe media (blogosphere and MSM) has been discussing the latest Pew findings that atheists and agnostics know more about religion than most believers. Dan Dennett offered his explanation in the NY Daily News yesterday, and at the end he mentioned a phenomenon he’s been studying recently: My colleague Linda LaScola and I are currently studying…
Read More "…you haven't been paying attention…"Andrew Sullivan links to a soothing piece of accommodationism by Francis Collins at BigThink, and announces that it makes complete sense to him. I guess he’s taking things easy on the weekend, because Collins is as illogical as ever. Dissecting the bit that Andrew cited: Why is it that, for instance, that the constance <sic>…
Read More It's not a question of how vs. why; it's about what.Bill Vallicella describes himself as a “Maverick Philosopher” and a “recovering academician”. Perhaps if he sought to recover the rigor and discipline of academic philosophy we would be spared nonsense like his latest piece on Christopher Hitchens and death. Here’s his conclusion: What would Hitch lose by believing? Of course, he can’t bring himself to…
Read More The value of truthI was worried that MrDeity was getting a little stale in Series 3, but they’ve just bounced back with a wonderful piece to finish the season: Perfect timing, right after Easter, to remind us how illogical (and immoral) the whole Original Sin/Redemption nonsense is.
Read More Quitter! (And about time too.)I just finished Rebecca Goldsten’s latest work, and I can’t wipe this silly grin off my face. This is the kind of book that makes my toes curl with delight: witty, arch, thought-provoking, funny, familiar, relevant, and deeply satisfying. As in her previous novels, such as The Mind-Body Problem, Goldstein uses the stereotypical figures of…
Read More 36 Arguments for the Existence of God