Judges 19-21 is a Major Obstacle to Why I Cannot Believe the Bible

Before reading further read Judges 19-21. Okay?

Steve Hays Recommends My Forthcoming Book, The Christian Delusion! ;-)

The Christian Delusion is new book by a hack village atheist editor (and contributor) who has rounded up a number of other hack villages atheists to form a literary village of hack village atheists. On top of that, the hack village atheist editor has also rounded up some additional hack village atheists to write glowing blurbs for a book by, to, and for hack village atheists.

This is a truly monumental breakthrough in the history of hack village atheist publications. Link

Start You Own Recovering Religionist Group

If you are one of the millions of people who have determined that religion no longer has a place in your life, this may be the right spot for you. Many people love the social support they get from religion, but can’t deal with all the crazy ideas they are required to espouse. It can be difficult to leave a religion because family and culture put so much pressure on us to stay and pretend to believe. If this is you, we want to help you find your way out. We are Recovering Religionists™, people who have given religion our best shot but just can’t bring ourselves to believe in virgin births, resurrections, 2000 year old miracles and the “power of prayer.” We are recovering Baptists, Mormons, Catholics, Jehovah Wittnesses, Hindus, Moslems, Lutherans, Pentecostals, Evangelicals, and more. Link

Notre Dame Conference: My Ways Are Not Your Ways: The Character of God in the Hebrew Bible

I really like Luke's website Common Sense Atheism where he recently called my attention to the videos of this conference that took place in September. I think everyone interested in the issues that separate us should subscribe to his site. It's my favorite one, both informative and keeping me up to date on what is happening on the web.

There's a Young Freethought Blog for Younger Freethinkers

Young Freethought is an independent blog, open for anyone, but with the aim of providing a way for young people to find the ideas of like-minded peers regarding issues such as rationalism, atheism, science and philosophy. Young Freethought is here to try and give a voice to a small section of society that, we feel, is currently being ignored. Link

Joe Holman on "God’s Entrapment and James’ Idiocy"

It's one of the worst blunders in the scriptures, and it comes from James, writer of the New Testament. He says:

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man.” (James 1:13)

Link

Christianity Has Died Out a Hundred Times Before

Christians claim that skeptics have come and gone but their faith has withstood all attacks so far and survived. Balderdash! Here's the truth. The Christianity that survived is a reinvented one in each generation as the result of skeptical attacks, sometimes coming from within. Just think of the modernist rift due to the enlightenment which divided all denominations to some degree. This division can be attributed to the skeptical attacks of Hume, Kant, Darwin, Nietzsche, Paine, Ingersoll, and many others. The liberal church is a testament to the effectiveness of the skeptical arguments. Even within conservative denominations there are liberal ideas that would have been condemned by the Office of the Inquisition, like Open Theism, a metaphorical and/or annihilation view of Hell, women in leadership, Preterism, the emergent church, acceptance of a gay orientation, the mythical (or literary) view of Genesis 1-2, and so forth and so on. The Christianity practiced and believed by any denomination today is not something the early church would recognize. And the future church will be almost as different. Let's have done then with this cockamamie notion that the church has survived our attacks. No it hasn't. In each generation the former Christianity dies, so to speak, and a new one is invented due to skeptical arguments.

What Have I Learned From Blogging For Several Years?

Christianity is a delusion. This is beyond reasonable doubt, beyond serious doubt, beyond sane, informed, intelligent doubt. Beyond a doubt Christianity is a delusion. The evidence against it is overwhelming. There is staggering psychological and anthropological evidence that we simply adopt what we were taught to believe as credulous kids who then seek to confirm that which we were led to believe. Skepticism is not an inherited trait. We must learn to be skeptical. And there is every reason to be skeptical. There is textual evidence, scientific evidence, and archaeological evidence against Christianity. There are also philosophical conundrums that cannot be solved if Christianity is the case, like reconciling the trinity within itself, the incarnation of a person who is 100% God and 100% man, and personal identity after death. Then there are problems that cannot be solved for a perfectly good God with the amount of intense suffering in our world, including massive ubiquitous animal suffering and a final punishment in hell. I am so sure of this I am willing to risk Pascal's Wager on it. Beyond a doubt Christianity is a delusion.

Guest Post by Kris Komarnitsky on his New Book, "Doubting Jesus' Resurrection"

DOUBTING JESUS’ RESURRECTION: What Happened in the Black Box?

On Judgment Day I'll Just Plead Insanity!

Yep, that's what I'll do if there is a judgment before God. My friend Kevin Harris, who produces William Lane Craig's podcasts, tells me that: "Going to hell is insane! But that's what sin is! Self-induced insanity!" Link. But if this is true I plan on pleading insanity. I could not believe differently than I do. Consequently, I did not know what I was doing was wrong, nor did I know there would be such severe consequences for my actions. Now what fair judge (much less a perfectly good one) would ever sentence me to hell, any hell, based on these considerations? None! Q.E.D.

Christian, Just Think! That's All You Have to Do. Think!

In yet another attempt to defend his beliefs my friend Kevin Harris wrote: "Christian theology teaches that Adam perfectly represented you and me. We all would do the same thing even in the fantastic beauty and circumstances of Eden." Link. But if we would all do exactly what Adam & Eve did by sinning, then we were imperfectly made, or it was entrapment, hence the buck stops with the Creator. Only if some of us would not have sinned as they did can Christians claim otherwise. Q.E.D

Special Investigation - Atheist Alert

See below:

New Book: The Historical Jesus: Five Views

Robert M. Price, Darrell Bock, John Dominic Crossan, Luke Timothy Johnson and James D. G. Dunn are the contributors. Click here: The Historical Jesus: Five Views

Dinesh D'Souza vs. John W. Loftus Debate In the Works

There are details to be worked out before I can say the debate will definitely take place. I just heard from the sponsor today.

An Ongoing Interview: "What Was it Like Studying Under William Lane Craig?"

I'll post an interesting question and my answer from time to time. Here's one from Eric:

I think it would be fascinating to read about your time studying under William Lane Craig: what your relationship was like, what you thought of him as a teacher, what the most important things you learned from him were, what some of your most memorable interactions with him were, etc.

Understanding the New Atheism, an Interview with Victor Stenger

Welcome to The Promethean's exclusive Q&A with Victor J. Stenger, author of the New York Times bestseller God: The Failed Hypothesis. Even believers can appreciate Stenger's fervent discussion of an emerging atheist movement, as he explains in his newest book, The New Atheism: Taking a Stand for Science and Reason.

Why Must We Even Bother With Presuppositional Arguments (TAG)?

No one has an epistemic right to presuppose a whole set of bizzaro extraordinary beliefs...No One! Nonetheless some people have the patience to take this argument seriously.

Joe Holman's Movie Review Blog

You should check this out, especially his latest review of the movie The Invention of Lying.

Mr. Deity and the Identity Crisis

This is funny!

Jim (aka T & T) Linville on "Can ANYONE be non-religious about anything?"

He begins:

This was the question blogger Rick Wadholm asked in response to a plan for a secular biblical researcher’s special interest group meeting in conjunction with the Society of Biblical Literature (which is the largest academic society in the world dedicated to research into all matters biblical). I wrote this up a few days ago and then decided that I should just ignore these comments but darnnit… some very important points need to be made. Link

Looking for Definitions of God for a Book.

I've been invited to submit some definitions for God which will turn into a book, but having seen the other ones it seems they covered it well enough already. ;-) Any other suggestions?

Announcing A Special Screening of "Creator of God: A Brain Surgeon's Quest"

This November, join the American Humanist Association for a special screening of Creator of God: A Brain Surgeon's Quest.

Lee Randolph's Blog

Some of you have asked me where some of the former DC Members have gone. They are Blogging on their own. Check Lee's Blog out. Look around and comment, it's a good Blog!

My Five No, Six No, Seven No TEN Published Books

[Written by John W. Loftus]

In case you want to know more about my TEN books, here are the links:

1) Why I Became An Atheist [Revised and Expanded](WIBA).

2) The Christian Delusion (TCD).

3) The End of Christianity (TEC).

4) The Outsider Test for Faith: How to Know Which Religion is True (OTF).

5) God or Godless?: One Atheist. One Christian. Twenty Controversial Questions. (GOG), co-written with Christian philosopher/theologian Dr. Randal Rauser.

6) Christianity is Not Great (CNG).

7) How to Defend the Christian Faith: Advice from an Atheist (HDCH).

8) Christianity in the Light of Science: Critically Examining the World's Largest Religion (CLS).

9) Unapologetic: Why Philosophy of Religion Must End.

10) The Case Against Miracles (CaM)

As you can guess I'm excited and humbled to know they'll help change the religious landscape for years to come.

My Thoughts On the Poll About My Book After One Day

I'm going to stop it. I've learned what I wanted to learn. Here are the results after a bit more than a day: