The Best Optical Illusion in the World!

It's about prayer, and this video is awesome!:

Dr. Matt McCormick on the F - Word

Be sure to click on his Powerpoint slide presentation on Faith. This is awesome! See here.

A Dialog With A Good Christian Friend

I get contacted from Christian friends I've had over the years who want to discuss why I rejected Christianity. Here is a brief email exchange I had with a dear friend from the past:

Dr. Hector Avalos Interviewed by the Iowa State Daily News

While growing up, Avalos' zealous belief in God ignited an intense study of the Bible. "Most adults, up until recently, usually end up in the religion they were raised in," Avalos said. "It's not because they came to that religion through a long period of study or research, but they were just raised that way. To me that was not satisfactory. I wanted to know whether it was true or not." "I started by trying to defeat the arguments of the other side," Avalos said, "and in the process I realized that my own arguments were not very good." "One thing led to another, and I realized that I did not believe in Christianity or that the Bible was the word of God, or that the Bible had any kind of divine origin." Link

Atheist Controversy Solved: "What Evidence Could Make Us Believe?"

While PZ Myers and Greta Christina and others banter this question back and forth I have already decisively answered this a long time ago when it comes to Christianity, right here. Q.E.D. If only they would come listen to the master! Sit at my feet children. I teach you. Place some coins in my jar with gratitude for once again decisively solving yet another dispute with precision. Thank you. Thank you very much. ;-)

James Sennett: "It would not take much to turn me into a Buddhist -- Theravada, that is."

As many of you know Dr. Sennett and I have been friends since seminary days. He has recommend my book. He has written/edited some significant apologetic/philosophical books and articles. He teaches at Brenau University. In March of 2009 he wrote a blog post at DC where he maintained he was still a believer. Now on Facebook (if you can access it) this is what he said in a post about "25 Random Things About Me." It's number 17. Anyone see a trend here? It's somewhat the same trend I went through (although I went from being a liberal to an agnostic to an atheist). Where will he end his intellectual journey? Who knows? But he is no longer an evangelical, that's for sure. James, I wish you well my friend.

"You Might be a Fundamentalist if..."

Jeff Foxworthy's line is "You might be a redneck if.." Below are ten suggested answers to this other line that were emailed to me. Got some of your own?

Quote of the Day, by D. Newman

I and many others are in Christian eyes little lost sheep. I look forward to being found by the good shepherd!!! He has not found me yet though and does not seem all that interested in looking either! (I am sure he is busy, washing his hair or something).

John Shimkus, R-Ill is presently running for Chairman of the House Energy Committee. He should be stopped NOW!

Hat Tip: Jeffrey A. Myers

I Know More Than You Do! Na Na Na Na Na NA! Or, You Don't Know Jack Shit.

Christians have faulted the so-called New Atheists with ignorance. They do the same thing with me. If only I knew this or that I would see the error of my way and believe again. But think about this. How much philosophy should Richard Dawkins know to rationally reject religion? How much science should Christopher Hitchens know? How much Bible should Daniel Dennett know? How much theology should Sam Harris know? How much should we know to rationally reject religion? How much? What if we know very little? What if all we know is that God did not save our child and she died from Leukemia? What if a scientist rejects religion because s/he cannot adequately test supernatural hypotheses? What if a historian rejects the claims of a religion because as a historian s/he must assume a natural explanation for the events in the past? What then? Are they culpable for doing so when this is all they know to do? When can it be said that a person can rationally reject a religion? Surely the theist cannot possibly demand that nonbelievers must know all that can be known before their rejection of religion is warranted.

To put it in terms of the Outsider Test for Faith, how much should someone know in order to reject Mormonism, or Catholicism, or Islam, or Orthodox Judaism, to name a few. How much do YOU know of them?

Atheist Ministers Struggle With Leading the Faithful

"I am an atheist," says "Jack," a Southern Baptist with more than 20 years in ministry.

"I live out my life as if there is no God," says "Adam," who is part of the pastoral staff of a small evangelical church in the Bible Belt.

The two, who asked that their real identities be protected, are pastors who have lost their faith. And these two men, who have built their careers and lives around faith, say they now feel trapped, living a lie. Link

I've switched to DISQUS Commenting System Because Blogger Sucks

I'm following the lead of Mike D The A-Unicornist.

My Review of Karen Armstrong's Book "The Case for God"

My review was just published in Philosophy Now magazine (follow the link). If the link doesn't work an earlier version is on Amazon. You'll see I made the same arguments against her liberalism that I made against John F. Haught's book, God and the New Atheism, against Cheryl Exum and Dennis MacDonald at last years annual SBL meeting, and that I make against Thom Stark's book The Human Faces of God, Robert Wright's book, The Evolution of God, and Mark Roncace's book Raw Revelation. See what you think. Let's have done with the notion that I don't understand liberal versions of Christianity. I do. I just reject them.

Roger Nygard's "The Nature of Existence" is Wonderful!

I just finished previewing a copy of this documentary to be released Nov. 23rd. It is fascinating as we hear from people around the globe what they think about the meaning of existence. This link does a great job telling you what it's about. Nygard goes on a quest to know the answer(s) and he comes back with a few meager suggestions when all is said and done. It's well done, contains some great humor, and is very educational.

I'm Headed to Canada and Need a Passport.

Pam Walls, Executive Director for the Centre for Inquiry, Ontario, Canada, invited me to speak on January 21st about the extraordinary claims of Christ. I originally had to turn her down because the date was set for November 19th and I had no passport. So she graciously moved the date I'm supposed to speak. Now I have time to raise the money and get one. There is a ChipIn in the sidebar to contribute toward my passport and a new suit. Help if you can--immediately so I can get it. I do appreciate anything you can donate.

The Agora Movie is Wonderful Food for Thought

The 2009 movie titled Agora is one I recommend very highly. It takes place in Alexandria around 391 CE, and portrays Christians like we picture the Taliban today. The city's Christians gain political power and burn the great books of the Library of Alexandria. Then a few years later Christians enforce their so-called morality. First the Jews are their obstacle, then women. From the Boston Globe: "Fanaticism, no matter who’s doing the preaching, is this movie’s gravest sin, against which the enlightenment of science and learning has always struggled and always will." There is much food for thought here. As you watch the movie ask yourself how Christians actually conquered the minds of people. No, really. Ask yourself. Do you think whole cities of people change their minds that easily in a few decades without being forced to do so? That means people were killed for Jesus. Ask yourself how Christians argued in those days when it came to science. No, really, ask yourself. You'll see the same arguments used today in the face of science. The difference is that you'll recognize how bogus that type of reasoning is when Christians defend the Ptolemaic solar system by deferring to their God to solve the problem of planetary epicycles. Ask yourself how literate these people were too. You know the masses could not have copies of the Bible, nor read it. They had to depend on what church leaders told them it said. This is very interesting to me even though the movie takes poetic license with some of the facts. If you think about it though, this movie makes some pretty good conjectures. Fascinating stuff.

The Blag Hag on "Where Are All The Atheist Women? Right Here!"

The Blag Hag weighs in on Where Are All The Atheist Women? Right Here!

Cheryl Pulliam's Comments on Ken's Funeral

I've written about my friend Ken's death before, both here where I announced it, and here about his funeral. Cheryl, his widow, expressed her thanks to me on Facebook for our thoughts and kindness, below:

Did I Ask Boring Questions?

Leah thinks so and offered her own questions.

Realism and Religion: A Physicist Examines the Basis for Belief

Physicist Milton Rothman examines the relationship between science and religion and the extent to which a scientist should apply his belief in realism to all aspects of our knowledge of the universe. Link.

Update on a Proposed Co-Written Book with a Christian Scholar

It's not always easy coming to terms about a book proposal. Here's the new proposal he made to me:

I propose that each debate consist of 750 words arguing the affirmation, 750 words arguing the denial. At that point we exchange our brief opening arguments and then write 100 word rebuttals. Then we exchange those brief rebuttals and write 50 word closing statements so that a single debate is about 1800 words total. With an introduction and 20 debates that would put us at about 38-40,000 words which is a nice little 160 page book.

So we're going to begin by writing on three questions each. Here they are:

Contact Info If You're Interested in Having Me Speak or Debate

If you're interested in obtaining me for a speaking engagement, please send me an email at johnwloftus dot frontier dot com for arrangements and details.

Funeral Services for Kenny Regan Pulliam

Funeral services for my friend Kenny Regan Pulliam, 50, of Loganville, GA, who died Friday evening, October 29, 2010, will be Wednesday at 2 PM at the Ginn Funeral Home chapel, with the Rev. Todd West presiding. Internment will be in the Franklin Memorial Gardens. The body is at the Ginn Funeral Home, Carnesville, GA. Visitation will be at 1 PM before the service.

I have been shaken by Ken's death at the young age of fifty. It's causing me to rethink why I spend so much time on a computer when there is a life to be lived at my age of 56.

Time Magazine Interviews Michael Coogan About Sex

Biblical scholar Michael Coogan's new book God and Sex is one I heartily recommend (see my review at Amazon). Time magazine interviewed him recently about it.

DC Ranked in 5th Place on the SBL's List of BiblioBlogs

Only the top 50 blogs are ranked even though there are 400+ of them between us. The late Ken Pulliam's blog made it into the top 50! Boy I'm going to miss him. Apparently he's scheduled some blog posts ahead of time so keep going back to his blog to see what his final posts will be.