I have published papers for Academia.edu, a few of which aren't found elsewhere. Here they are in one Link.
---A Minimal Facts Approach to the Problem of Evil. In my anthology, God and Horrendous Suffering, my focus as an author is on heinous, hideous, horrific levels of horrendous suffering given the belief in a theistic God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfect good. Unless we focus on that kind of suffering, the kind that seems needless and absolutely inexplicable, we'll fail to see the problem of evil for what it is. Instead of focusing on bruises, sprained ankles, slaps on the cheek, a clump of hair being pulled out, or sicknesses like colds and the flu, let's focus instead on people who have been burned alive, boiled alive, and buried alive. This paper is set to be published in the Freedom from Religion Foundation's next monthly publication!
---Hume's Four Suplemental Arguments Against Miracles. David Hume argued that the prior probability of a miracle is infinitely low because it violates established laws of nature. Consequently, the likelihood of human testimony being mistaken will almost always outweigh the probability of the miracle itself, making it irrational to believe. Often neglected, David Hume offered four additional or supplemental arguments that discussed the "likelihood" and "false positive rate" in Part 2 of Chapter 10 of the Enquiry.
I think David Hume didn't revise or edit his chapter after knowing about Bayes is because he already used the structure of Bayes in his chapter! Plus, in his philosophical proof he already argued against the possibility of human testimony to overcome the laws of nature. After that destruction what else did Hume need to say?
---Preface, Blurbs, Contents and Introduction to "God and Horrendous Suffering" 2nd Edition. This paper contains the Preface, Blurbs, Contents, and Full Introduction to "God and Horrendous Suffering" 2nd Edition.
---Is Atheism a Religious Faith? A Definitive Answer. At its most basic level the word atheist describes a nontheist. It's literally derived by combining the words "a" (or "non") and "theist" into one word. Atheists are therefore nontheists. Atheists don't believe in religious theisms, such as pantheism, polytheism, henotheism, panentheism, monotheism, or tri-theism, and by extension all religions. Atheists are therefore nonbelievers. If anyone thinks atheism is a religion, then they need to provide a definition of religion that applies both to supernaturalism and to its denial. Any definition of religion that includes atheism will either deny the inherent supernaturalism of religion, or end up describing religion as a social grouping of some kind. That's it.
---Final Chapter On Why I Became An Atheist. This is the concluding chapter in my magnum opus. After all I studied and experienced this is why I finally became an atheist.
---Does God Exist? A Definitive Biblical Case. To believe in a god who created the universe doesn't automatically lead believers to their own specific religious sect. The truth is there are an utterly overwhelming number of non-Christian religionists who agree that a different creator god exists. So it's quite apparent that philosophical and scientific god-arguments are beside the point. None of those arguments, even if shown to be true, point to a specific religion, or religious sect, or gain anything at all in the debates between theistic religious faiths.
---From the book, God or Godless: Closing Thoughts. Here are my concluding thoughts from the co-written debate book with Randal Rauser. I had twin goals in co-writing this book. The first one is to force Christians to think about what they would believe if the Bible itself was undermined as a source of divine truth. My claim is that they probably won't believe at all. I'm trying to drive a wedge between the Bible and the brain of the believer. The second goal is to show in a cumulative fashion that Randal's God, having the three main attributes most Christians believe in today--omnibenevolence, omniscience, and omnipotence--does not exist.
---From the Introduction to My Book "Christianity is Not Great." In this excerpt where I answer two questions: 6) Does Christianity cause more harm than good overall?; and 7) What does this book attempt to show?
---The Demon, Matrix, Material World, and Dream Possibilities, by John W. Loftus Given the influence of Alvin Plantinga and William Lane Craig, I doubt very much believers have heard these issues discussed like this before. I share it in hopes you'll like what I write enough to read the whole book.
---Why I Changed My Mind On the Value of the Philosophy of Religion? What changed my mind about the value of philosophy of religion to the point where I’m calling for that discipline to end in the secular universities? It was the perspectives of three towering intellectuals, Dr. David Eller, Peter Boghossian and Hector Avalos. Here in this excerpt from my book, "Unapologetic: Why Philosophy of Religion Must End" I explain why.
---Chapter 7 On Making Excuses for God. This is the first half of a chapter of mine for an upcoming anthology on God and Horrendous suffering. In it I'm presenting five facts that must be acknowledged. In the rest of the chapter I'll deal with five excuses given to defend a faith in a good all-powerful God despite these five facts. I’ll then conclude my chapter with what it takes to save theistic faith from refutation.
---Chapter 4 "Case Studies in Atheistic Philosophy of Religion" in Unapologetic: Why Philosophy of Religion Must End. Here I discuss atheistic philosophy of religion in this excerpt from Chapter 4 of my book "Unapologetic" (2016). Here's hoping it'll make a difference.
---An Atheist Morality without God. This essay is a response to James Sterba's "An Ethics without God That Is Compatible with Darwinian Evolution." and thoroughly a secular morality, and that the most reasonable ethics are secular systems in that they don't require a God, gods, or goddesses. I go on to defend an atheist morality based on polls showing that the sources of human morality, arguing that there is a common neighborly morality that matters, based in facts about who we are as a species, which includes the pre world. Finally, I argue that Sterbaian Ethics, as it should henceforth be called, succeeds in that it is useful for human flourishing. I have of religion on atheism and theism.
---A Minimal Facts Approach to the Problem of Evil. In my anthology, God and Horrendous Suffering, my focus as an author is on heinous, hideous, horrific levels of horrendous suffering given the belief in a theistic God who is all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfect good. Unless we focus on that kind of suffering, the kind that seems needless and absolutely inexplicable, we'll fail to see the problem of evil for what it is. Instead of focusing on bruises, sprained ankles, slaps on the cheek, a clump of hair being pulled out, or sicknesses like colds and the flu, let's focus instead on people who have been burned alive, boiled alive, and buried alive. This paper is set to be published in the Freedom from Religion Foundation's next monthly publication!
---Hume's Four Suplemental Arguments Against Miracles. David Hume argued that the prior probability of a miracle is infinitely low because it violates established laws of nature. Consequently, the likelihood of human testimony being mistaken will almost always outweigh the probability of the miracle itself, making it irrational to believe. Often neglected, David Hume offered four additional or supplemental arguments that discussed the "likelihood" and "false positive rate" in Part 2 of Chapter 10 of the Enquiry.
I think David Hume didn't revise or edit his chapter after knowing about Bayes is because he already used the structure of Bayes in his chapter! Plus, in his philosophical proof he already argued against the possibility of human testimony to overcome the laws of nature. After that destruction what else did Hume need to say?
---Preface, Blurbs, Contents and Introduction to "God and Horrendous Suffering" 2nd Edition. This paper contains the Preface, Blurbs, Contents, and Full Introduction to "God and Horrendous Suffering" 2nd Edition.
---Is Atheism a Religious Faith? A Definitive Answer. At its most basic level the word atheist describes a nontheist. It's literally derived by combining the words "a" (or "non") and "theist" into one word. Atheists are therefore nontheists. Atheists don't believe in religious theisms, such as pantheism, polytheism, henotheism, panentheism, monotheism, or tri-theism, and by extension all religions. Atheists are therefore nonbelievers. If anyone thinks atheism is a religion, then they need to provide a definition of religion that applies both to supernaturalism and to its denial. Any definition of religion that includes atheism will either deny the inherent supernaturalism of religion, or end up describing religion as a social grouping of some kind. That's it.
---Final Chapter On Why I Became An Atheist. This is the concluding chapter in my magnum opus. After all I studied and experienced this is why I finally became an atheist.
---Does God Exist? A Definitive Biblical Case. To believe in a god who created the universe doesn't automatically lead believers to their own specific religious sect. The truth is there are an utterly overwhelming number of non-Christian religionists who agree that a different creator god exists. So it's quite apparent that philosophical and scientific god-arguments are beside the point. None of those arguments, even if shown to be true, point to a specific religion, or religious sect, or gain anything at all in the debates between theistic religious faiths.
---From the book, God or Godless: Closing Thoughts. Here are my concluding thoughts from the co-written debate book with Randal Rauser. I had twin goals in co-writing this book. The first one is to force Christians to think about what they would believe if the Bible itself was undermined as a source of divine truth. My claim is that they probably won't believe at all. I'm trying to drive a wedge between the Bible and the brain of the believer. The second goal is to show in a cumulative fashion that Randal's God, having the three main attributes most Christians believe in today--omnibenevolence, omniscience, and omnipotence--does not exist.
---From the Introduction to My Book "Christianity is Not Great." In this excerpt where I answer two questions: 6) Does Christianity cause more harm than good overall?; and 7) What does this book attempt to show?
---The Demon, Matrix, Material World, and Dream Possibilities, by John W. Loftus Given the influence of Alvin Plantinga and William Lane Craig, I doubt very much believers have heard these issues discussed like this before. I share it in hopes you'll like what I write enough to read the whole book.
---Why I Changed My Mind On the Value of the Philosophy of Religion? What changed my mind about the value of philosophy of religion to the point where I’m calling for that discipline to end in the secular universities? It was the perspectives of three towering intellectuals, Dr. David Eller, Peter Boghossian and Hector Avalos. Here in this excerpt from my book, "Unapologetic: Why Philosophy of Religion Must End" I explain why.
---Chapter 7 On Making Excuses for God. This is the first half of a chapter of mine for an upcoming anthology on God and Horrendous suffering. In it I'm presenting five facts that must be acknowledged. In the rest of the chapter I'll deal with five excuses given to defend a faith in a good all-powerful God despite these five facts. I’ll then conclude my chapter with what it takes to save theistic faith from refutation.
---Chapter 4 "Case Studies in Atheistic Philosophy of Religion" in Unapologetic: Why Philosophy of Religion Must End. Here I discuss atheistic philosophy of religion in this excerpt from Chapter 4 of my book "Unapologetic" (2016). Here's hoping it'll make a difference.
---An Atheist Morality without God. This essay is a response to James Sterba's "An Ethics without God That Is Compatible with Darwinian Evolution." and thoroughly a secular morality, and that the most reasonable ethics are secular systems in that they don't require a God, gods, or goddesses. I go on to defend an atheist morality based on polls showing that the sources of human morality, arguing that there is a common neighborly morality that matters, based in facts about who we are as a species, which includes the pre world. Finally, I argue that Sterbaian Ethics, as it should henceforth be called, succeeds in that it is useful for human flourishing. I have of religion on atheism and theism.
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