The Positivist Canard

Christian apologists keep crowing on about their criticisms of positivism as if that ends the matter. What best describes positivism:

Positivism refers to a set of epistemological perspectives and philosophies of science which hold that the scientific method is the best approach to uncovering the processes by which both physical and human events occur.Link

There is something to positivism these apologists have overlooked. We cannot offer a logical DEDUCTIVE proof that science is the only game in town. To criticize positivism as if it did is to knock down a straw man. Yes, the positivists did make sweeping statements so they fell prey to some criticisms. But what we really want to say is that it's very probable science is the only game in town. That cannot be refuted. And that is all we need to say. If they want to continue hanging their hats on what is "possible" time and again, have at it. That's the definition of faith. We will keep insisting on that which is probable not that which is possible.

Christian Apologists Must Denigrate Science and Scientists Themselves

That's right. I've said this before. Anything apologists can do to denigrate science is what they'll do to defend their faith. That's why there is the science vs religion debate in the first place. That's why creative science had to fight an uphill battle against church censure and threats of violence. Case in point is Victor Reppert in disputing the results of the social sciences which have confirmed several biases we have as human beings, especially cognitive bias [<---READ THE LINK!] which has conclusively shown us we believe what we prefer to believe and when faced with contrary evidence we actually dig our feet in deeper into what we believe, depending on our vested interests. Now why does he feel the need to dispute these findings without offering any counter-evidence? It's because he has faith, that's why. Faith can be used to trump almost any evidence and if not, then just denigrate science--or scientists themselves. Hey, don't believe me? Then read what he said:

Gallup Poll: Four in 10 Americans Believe in Strict Creationism

...and yet there is hope. The percentage of people who don't think a god was involved in evolution is climbing. Link

Are Christian Apologists Liars, Ignorant, or Blind?

Keep in mind I'm talking here about credentialed Christian apologists and not the myriad numbers of hacks out there, some of which are liars for Jesus and certainly ignorant. My informed judgment of credentialed apologists, having been one of them, is what follows. If they are lying to defend their faith they are lying to themselves. This is not impossible to conceive given cognitive dissonance theory which predicts that when presented with falsifying evidence believers will deny it depending on how much vested they have in their belief. And they are certainly ignorant about many things, sometimes willfully ignorant. But none of this is done on a conscious level and for that reason they are not conscious of the lies or their ignorance. After all, only the ignorant are ignorant of their ignorance.

And yet I have known many Christian apologists who are clearly informed about many things. They face our arguments head on, or so it seems to them. Take for example Dr. Victor Reppert. In the following few sentences I don't think I've ever run across such a short yet adequate summation for the case for faith in the resurrection of Jesus:

Dr. James McGrath: "The War on Christmas"

So to those in the English-speaking world who consider themselves Christians, my recommendation is this: stop complaining about the "de-Christianization" of a holiday that we ourselves stole (sorry, borrowed) from others and successfully hijacked for more than a thousand years. Link.

Quote of the Day, by Dr. John Shook

"If God exists, then all is permitted." Link

My Oh My, Didn't Pre-Scientific People Believe in Some Strange Beings:

Biblical Beings- Angels, Cherubim, Seraphim, Tetramorph, and others..

Serpents & Dragons- Dragons, Amphiptere, Amphisbaena, Basilisk, Chimera, Cockatrice, Hydra, Gorgon, Wyvern (also Lindworm), and others...

Part-Human Creatures- Centaur, Harpies, Ipotane, Lamia, Manticore (and Catoblepas and Leucrocuta), Moon-Woman, Satyr, Sphinx, and others...

Winged Beasts- Caladrius, Gansas, Griffin, Goose Tree, Hippogriff, Martlet (and Bird of Paradise), Opinicus, Pegasus, Peryton, Phoenix, Roc, and others...

Land Beasts- Bonnacon, Bunyip, Cerberus, Gulon, Ibex, Lamb Tree, Mantygre, Mermecolion, Musimon, Salamander, Su Unicorn, Yale, Yppotryll, and others...

Sea Creatures- Devil Whale, Kraken, Nereid, Mermaid, Scylla, Siren, Sea Bishop, Sea Monk, Sea Horse, Sea Lion, Sea Serpent, Siren, and others...

Link

The Evolution of Hell

Religion in all of it's aspects has evolved over the centuries. So have notions about god, religious morality and hell.

Dr. Keith Parsons: What Really Happened on Easter Morning?

As I have argued elsewhere (see my essay in The Empty Tomb), I do not think that we have enough information to establish ANY account about what really happened during "Easter Week." If I had to conjecture, I would imagine a scenario (and a scenario is all we can have) something like this: Click here for more.

David Eller's New Book "Cruel Creeds, Virtuous Violence" Reviewed

Jack David Eller's new book, Cruel Creeds, Virtuous Violence: Religious Violence Across Culture and History has been reviewed by the Library Journal:

Taking on a highly volatile subject with admirable objectivity, Eller (anthropology, Community Coll. of Denver; Cultural Anthropology: Global Forces, Local Lives ) has written a thorough academic study of religious violence from an anthropological and sociological perspective. Drawing extensively on examples from the history of various religions around the world, he covers the full range of religious violence, going well beyond the current hot topics of war and terrorism to include sacrifice, self-injury, persecution, and ethno-religious conflict. He even devotes a chapter to nonviolence and religion. Overall, his argument is highly nuanced and avoids any temptation to oversimplify the complexities of human violence and its relationship to religion. VERDICT Eller makes a commendable effort to avoid taking sides or focusing too heavily on one particular religious tradition. Those seeking either a spirited defense of religion or a ruthless attack on it should look elsewhere. This book is ideal for those studying or teaching anthropology, sociology, and religion and looking for a scholarly and objective overview of a complicated subject. Brian T. Sullivan, Alfred Univ. Lib., NY.

John's Top Ten List of How to Deal With "The Christian Delusion" Book

My anthology The Christian Delusion has been out for awhile. Based upon the Christian responses I've seen on Amazon and other blogs, here are the top ten ways to deal with it:

It's Possible to Change Minds Against the Overwhelming Odds

Pardon me here. I'm not bragging. I'm just astounded that what I do is making a difference against the overwhelming odds, as I wrote about earlier. It's encouraging to me personally. Here are three such stories:

Well, I am (was) a five-point Calvinist, Reformed Baptist type, who recently lost my faith thanks to the two books by John Loftus (see? I didn't make it very far into the challenge). Losing your faith hurts a lot, and frankly, has made me angry because it feels like something very precious has been taken away from you. Then you think about it more, and it makes you even angrier and ashamed to be deceived into believing something so totally false and unworthy of the time and talents wasted on it. Then after some time, anger leads to depression. But I see a bright, glorious light at the end of the tunnel, and as far as I can see, it is not an oncoming train like the theists assured me I needed to fear. So, thank you, Mr. John Loftus. It's hurt like hell, but so far it's all been worth it! Link

The Free Will Fumble: Why Christians Treat it Just Like They do With Unanswered Prayer

Christians have developed so many ways to escape the force of the evidence that it’s frustrating to those of us who are trying to reason with them. I’ve written about several of them before. There is the big one I call The Omniscience Escape Clause. Another one I haven’t quite developed yet I call The Faith Trump Card, which is leaping beyond the actual probabilities of the evidence itself. No reasonable person can leap beyond what the evidence calls for. If Christians conclude it’s 51% probable Jesus arose from the dead then they simply cannot conclude they know he did. That’s an unjustified leap. If I thought it’s 51% probable the Colts will play in the Super Bowl and win it this year (fat chance) I would be ignorant to say I know this will happen, especially enough to bet all my meager life savings on it (which is zilch).

Who Says We're Wasting Our Time?

We're making a difference one person at a time.

One day I was at a Barnes and Noble browsing around. I got to the Philosophy section, and picked up The Christian Delusion. Part 2 of the book is titled "Why the Bible Is Not the Word of God." After reading about some historical, scientific, and moral errors I went to the Christian Inspiration section of the store to get a Bible so I could read the context of each verse. Finally, hours later I renounced my faith. Link

The Chronicle of Higher Education: "Among the Evangelicals: Inside a Fractured Movement"

It appears that American evangelicalism is finally coming into its own as a subject of social research and academic attention well beyond the scope of those who identify with it as insiders...Yet as soon as evangelicalism becomes a subject, it splinters and splits. Indeed, taken together, recent studies by more-or-less outsiders show there is no such thing as evangelicalism. The term represents a broad range of significantly different theologies, practices, and religious movements within Christianity, and there are often tensions among and within them. Which is no revelation at all to most more-or-less insiders, who call themselves evangelicals, however qualified, and who argue as much with others who do the same as with those of us who don't. Link

Apparently even among people who claim the Bible is God's word it's like herding cats!

New Books to be Released Through May of 2011

JP Holding Has Reared his Ugly Head Again

The last time I said anything here about Holding was almost two years ago in a post I'll link to below. He has recently brought up the same old accusations about me and embellished on them as the time goes by, even though I had already answered them as gross mischaracterizations at best, to outright lies.

The two questions for his Christian supporters are as follows: 1) Why does he continue to repeat these old accusations when I have already reasonably answered them? and, 2) Why doesn't he stick to the arguments? See for yourselves. Sheesh. To answer him drags me down into the sewer with him. Sorry about this.

I’m Ready to Go With New Suit and Passport in Hand

I want to thank the people who donated for me to get a new suit and a passport. The suit is a Calvin Klein one from Macy’s. The passport is for when I speak in Toronto, Canada, at CFI's Extraordinary Claims Panel Discussion. This means a great deal to me in the midst of the worst financial crisis I’ve ever experienced this past Fall. We’re climbing our way out of it with your help. Now if I could only get enough to pay for a new computer (see the ChipIn widget). Every little bit helps and will be equally appreciated. If not, I still appreciate the wonderful encouragement I’ve received over the years here at DC to continue Blogging.

Atheist 2 Star Review of The Christian Delusion: "This is not an awful book"

What a resounding accolade! ;-) Maybe we can place it on the front cover for the next printing? See my response in post #18. 33 people thought this review was helpful, eh? What do you think? I can take justified criticism even though it's difficult, but he's faulting the book for what it wasn't supposed to do. You can see this in his last paragraph as well as his 2 star rating. In other news I finally learned how to herd cats:

Quote of the Day, by William Lane Craig

Anyone who fails to believe in God by the end of his lifetime does so only by a stubborn resistance to the work of the Holy Spirit in drawing that person to a knowledge of God. On the biblical view people are not like innocent, lost lambs wandering helplessly without a guide. Rather they are determined rebels whose wills are set against God and who must be subdued by God’s Spirit....The unbeliever is like someone dying of a fatal disease who refuses to believe the medical evidence concerning the efficacy of a proffered cure and who rejects the testimony of his doctor to it and who, as a result, suffers the consequence of his own stubbornness. He has no one to blame but himself. Question 191.

And to think, some skeptics here are blasting poor little Debbie for saying the same kinds of things. I wonder where she gets these platitudes? Bill exhibits a stubborn refusal to actually listen to us as real people with real doubts, choosing to believe the Bible instead. What nonsense! Bill is the one who stubbornly refuses to see the truth written on our faces.

Jonathan Pearce's New Book on Free Will

I have not read it yet to recommend it. Here is Jonathan Pearce's Amazon Profile Page. Here is a link to his book: Free Will?: An investigation into whether we have free will, or whether I was always going to write this book. The following is what he emailed to me about it:

Professor Johnnie Terry is Using "The Christian Delusion" in His Class

Johnnie Terry is a professor of Philosophy and Humanities at Sierra College in Northern California--just outside of Sacramento, CA. He created an Introduction to Atheism course a few years ago that he now teaches to about 60 students every spring semester. This year he's requiring them to read The Christian Delusion. Other required texts are How to be a Good Atheist by Nick Harding, and The Portable Atheist edited by Christopher Hitchens. He'll probably also require students to listen weekly to Dan Barker's and Annie Laurie Gaylor's Freedom From Religion podcast. He tells me he's very excited, as am I.

He's not the only one using my books. Christian professors are doing so. Dr. Dan Lambert from John Brown University is using my book, Why I Became an Atheist, as I wrote about before, and so is Dr. Richard Knopp of Lincoln Christian University, my Alma mater. If you're a Christian professor maybe you should consider doing the same by educating rather than indoctrinating your students. Cheers.

Sex, Sex Toys, Sexy Girls, Naked Girls, Strippers, Porn, XXX, Lesbians, Adult Games, Threesomes and Orgasms

Welcome to DC. Put your dick away for just a minute. You can get back to it later. Since porn is such a multi-billion dollar industry most of the searches for the words in the title above are done by Christian men. You feel a bit guilty for this but you do it anyway. You may even publicly condemn pornography, homosexuality, lust, and even masturbation, but here you are doing what you're doing. You rationalize your behavior away by thinking to yourself God will forgive. In my opinion Christianity is sexually repressive. God supposedly created you with this strong desire and then forbids you to express it. He wants you to be celibate except in a monogamous heterosexual marriage, even though most people are not in that kind of relationship at the moment. For some Christians there is to be no oral sex, no adult toys, and no contraception.

Sex will be the undoing of Christianity.

Here are a few links for you to look at before getting back to business: ;-)

Quote of the Day by R. Joseph Hoffman

On defining a fundamentalist: “You have to have a book that you take deadly seriously, and you have to forget that the book has a history.” Link.

Hat Tip: James McGrath.

Ha! This is Funny But True, Beware of a Little Curiosity

Come on Theists, just admit it, you're a little curious. We know it. You know it. You wouldn't be here otherwise.

Just come out and admit it. It's okay. We're not bad... not really. ;) If you're a Theist and are spending time lurking on /r/atheism or Pharyngula or Debunking Christianity or any of the other Atheist websites out there, you're almost one of us already. If you're a Theist and are spending time actually COMMENTING on Atheist websites, you're just a half step away from being a full fledged baby-eating scourge of humanity. Link