Refuting the"Fine Tuning" Argument for God (Sean Carroll)

Physicist Sean Carroll lays some of the problems with the popular "fine tuning" arguments for a god. 

You can check out Carroll's post-debate reflections on his blog here: http://www.preposterousuniverse.com/blog/2014/02/24/post-debate-reflections/

Surely He Wasn't a "Real Christian"!

Pastor arrested, charged with sex crimes

SUMTER, S.C. —A Sumter pastor has been charged with sexually assaulting three female members of his church. Police said Friday that 58-year-old Larry Durant had been arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree criminal sexual conduct with a minor. He also faces four counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Police say family members told them Durant coerced the victims into having sex with him starting in 2011. Police say the Word International Ministry pastor told the victims the activity was part of the "healing process" and "private prayer."

It wasn't known if Durant had an attorney. He is also charged with forgery after allegedly forging the name of one of the victim's grandmothers on property documents, which he then filed with Sumter County.

But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible. (Matt. 19: 26)

F**ked-up Heroes of the Bible: Samson

With as irate as fundamentalist Christians get about sex and violence in movies (well, sex at least- they are pretty okay with violence), it is surprising the kind Bible stories that get passed off as appropriate for the kiddies. Sunday School lessons are populated with all sorts of unsavory characters plucked from the pages of the Good Book, sanitized and shined up to be presented to impressionable children. Christians are so desensitized to the nature of what is really going on in the stories that they fail to see that maybe - just maybe - these Hall of Shame members are not the best role models for kids to look up to.

Today’s example: Samson, who even has been immortalized as an children's action figure.

Samson’s sordid saga is detailed in Judges, chapters 13 through 16. It is like one long and violent soap opera. For the sake of brevity, we’ll just hit the low-lights as I present evidence that this hero of the faith (Hebrews 11:32) was just a scoundrel living the thug life.

Luiz Fernando Zadra on the Matrix Possibility

We know we are not in the Matrix because there's no Morpheus around asking us to take red pills, and traveling with us to a different realm of experience from where he can show us that our past life is an machine created illusion. After taking the red pill, your belief in the Matrix will become justified. Until there, it is not. Pretty simple. I don't know why people get so confused about it.

Quintessential Articulett

I'd say that anything that leads you to believe that you know which immeasurable beings are real and which ones are myth/false/superstition is irrational. It's a poor epistemology-- you can see this when it comes to people who believe in fairies or that they are the reincarnated spirit of Buddha or that demons are possessing you-- Heck, they may believe YOU are the anti-christ... but that doesn't mean that they are using the same process that you use to believe that you are NOT the anti-christ. The reason the Scientologist believes Scientology is not the same reasoning you use to believe that Scientology's teaching are bullshit. You are confusing belief in supernatural/far fetched thingies with the dismissal of these ideas-- all believers in magic like to classify skepticism of their claims as beliefs and pretend (as you do) that this means there's a 50-50 probability that their magical beliefs are the truth. (they confuse 2 options with the idea that both options are equally likely.)

Mathematician Dr. James Lindsay Explains How Math Originated

In the beginning, people like you had a rock. The idea of "one" was invented to describe the number of things you had. Then later, you found another rock, and the idea of "two" was invented to describe the situation for when you had one rock and added another rock to your pile. It was realized that the same applies not just to rocks, and numbers were given abstract meaning of their own. Arbitrary symbols, though not arbitrary like "A+A=B" (really, you embarrass yourself) for these numbers were eventually assigned.

Quote of the Day, by Papalinton ;-)

The rise and rise of Debunking Christianity as a forum for measured discussion continues. And just as a heading-lock gyro in a helicopter keeps it tracking true, no matter the direction the wind is blowing, so too does DC track straight and true. It is the place I start the morning, first thing, with a coffee, orientating my day. Increasingly DC is becoming a point of first referral at many sites across the blogosphere, its status and standing as a platform for reasoned discussion continues to consolidate, forensically clipping the remaining bedraggled and time-worn strands to a by-gone worldview, challenging head-on the recalcitrant nature of supernatural superstition.

Seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand

After over 300 comments on how I know E=mc2 I'm transferring the discussion/debate here. I do find it interesting, so in a way I thank Steve for raising it. Now he has brought up a different example. In his own words:

My Podcast Interview With Reasonable Doubts

It's Episode 116 (my part begins around 31:30). Unlike almost all others this 30 minute interview was done in a studio. It's about my two recent books.

How Do I Know E=mc2

Since I demand sufficient objective evidence for what I think is true, here is the question:

I assume, from reading your book the OTF, that you believe that E=mc2. (Perhaps you would say that you do not "believe" that E=mc2; rather, you "know" that E=mc2. Either way; I won't quibble. At least not for now.) The initial question that I have for you is: How do you believe (or, if you insist, know) that E=mc2? Not why, but how? What is the process by which you John Loftus have arrived at the belief (knowledge) that E=mc2?

*Sheesh* Right now I have other things to do than waste it on this drivel. Maybe others can help me out here. [FYI: I did a master's degree research paper on the theory of general relativity.] Here we see another science denier for Jesus.

Use of Classical Greek Etymologies as an Apologetic Defense for New Testament Hellenistic Greek: A Two Edged Sword

I received two comments telling me that I was wrong on the use of the word the church (τη εκκλησια) in Matthew 18: 17. The first was more technical by a Daniel and is quoted in full below.

A Biblical Lie (The Exodus) Exposes Jesus Christ as a Fraud

Sadly for all Christians, their Holy Savior Jesus Christ (as a good Jew) swallowed this baseless Jewish myth hook-line and sinker! What we now find exposed is the fact that this all-knowing Son of God was little more than a wandering ignorant Jewish bigot (if he ever existed).

Victor Reppert Again. I Swear Christians Have Stunted Imaginations

It's as if they cannot even conceive of anything different than what they believe. I showed this with regard to Richard Swinburne in The End of Christianity.[By the way, that is a damned good book even if I say so myself]. Victor is defending the "truth" but also the ridiculousness of the three-tiered world that is required in order to believe Jesus ascended into heaven (i.e. the sky). How does he do it? He rhetorically asks: "And if God is going to show first-century people that he went to heaven, how would you suggest he go about doing it?" My response:

Vic, this is easy. Jesus could have predicted he will disappear into the spiritual realm from whence he came. He could have said he will disappear at high noon the next day from off Mt. Olives. Then the next day when the crowd arrived, he would say goodbye and then *poof* he's gone.

Again, you can't make this shit up. No wonder we reserve the right to ridicule his beliefs along with how he defends them. His brain is made stupid by his faith, I'm sorry to say.

PZ Myers Takes Down Yet Another Attempt to Save Genesis from Refutation

PZ is best when he writes about science, his expertise. He has just written a devastating critique of Daniel Friedmann's attempt to defend concordism, the view that the six days of creation in Genesis represent an unspecified literal chronological order in Genesis. I highly recommend it. All such attempts fail, all of them. If you want to read a book length treatment of other attempts to harmonize the Bible with itself and science get Robert Price and Edwin A. Suominen's excellent book, Evolving out of Eden: Christian Responses to Evolution.

Randal Rauser: "Theology is the Queen of the Sciences"

Randal was interviewed not long ago on the "Apologetics 315" podcast. The 315 refers to 1 Peter 3:15 where we read, "Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." Randal was raised to believe, which is typical. He is a generalist, just like me. But he affirms the antiquated view, long ago rejected, that "theology is the queen of the sciences." How is theology a science? What evidence does it deal with? What is the method of faith? This all baffles me to no end. You can't make this shit up! LINK. I do appreciate that Randal is willing to revise his theology by reinventing the origins of Christianity when needed. And I appreciate that he doesn't think atheists are necessarily irrational. But come on Randal, you know better than this, don't you? To Brian Auten of "Apologetics 315" I say, why don't you open up your interviews to atheists like me? Do what Justin Brierley of Unbelievable does. Invite a real dialogue not a monologue. Your site would be better. Unlike Justin, you couldn't even link to my blog.

Christian Philosopher Victor Reppert: "Ridiculousness and truth are not incompatible."

Here is the major defender of the argument from reason to God speaking, mind you. Either he is deliberately trying to be provocative in order to get hits or, well, you decide. He said:.

I can listen to someone mock my beliefs, in fact I can even mock them myself, and not find any reason whatsoever in the mockery for rejecting that belief. I enjoy this kind of mockery. In fact, I hold that there are certain beliefs that are on the one hand completely ridiculous, and on the other hand, completely true. Ridiculousness and truth are not incompatible.

The definition of Ridiculousness: "Deserving or inspiring ridicule; absurd, preposterous, or silly. See Synonyms at foolish." I would never say that of the things I think are probably true, since probabilities are all that matter here. Faith makes you say stupid things Vic. Your Brain is Made Stupid By Faith. I'm serious folks. You can't make this shit up!

An Interview With Joe Nickell, Author of "The Science of Miracles"

Prometheus Books just released an interview with Joe Nickell about his new book, The Science of Miracles: Investigating the Incredible.It's a book I wrote a blurb for and recommend highly. Here is their interview:

Is Atheism a Set of Beliefs?

One of the most annoying and persistent accusations made against atheists is that we have a set of beliefs. Let me try, probably in vain, to disabuse believers of their ignorance on this. They utterly fail to understand what we think. It's as if they close their eyes and stop their ears and shout while we try to explain it. Randal Rauser claims he's trying to understand us. Is he? There is a distinction to be made. Can he make it? Let's see.

Justin Brierley Interviews Randal Rauser and Myself On "Unbelievable"

Unbelievable is a top notch Christian online radio show in the UK. We were scheduled to be interviewed at 7 AM that day but Justin called at 5 AM instead (citing a time zone error). So we scrambled together to do it at 5:30 AM. I was not completely awake, nor did I have enough energy for it, but here ya go. LINK.

Dr. James Lindsay, The Outsider Test for Faith is a "Silver Bullet"

Lindsay is the author of the wonderful book, God Doesn't; We Do: Only Humans Can Solve Human Challenges.He said some really nice things about my book, The Outsider Test for Faith.Here's the money quote:

John Loftus's Outsider Test for Faith is well-written; it is passionate; it is important; it is engaging; and it is surprising. It's well worth the relatively short read and a lot of consideration. It's a silver-bullet argument on its central theme: which religion is true? None of them! Get it; read it; and press the OTF out into the world where it can do some good. I strongly recommend it for anyone interested in discussions about religious faith. LINK.

Dr. Hector Avalos's Book on Slavery is Now Available At An Affordable Price!

Previously Hector sent me a review copy of his book, Slavery, Abolitionism, and the Ethics of Biblical Scholarship.I wrote a three part review of it, which can be read beginning with this first post. Now it's available at an affordable price. GET THAT BOOK NOW! Don't delay. It is without a doubt the best book on slavery and the Bible out there, and probably the best atheist book published in the last ten years or more, depending on your interests.

"The Call of God" by Ex-Preacher Is Free Today Through Sunday

The Bible says, "Many are called, but few are chosen..." This mini-book examines the call of god on the lives of Pastors, Preachers and lay people. Ex-Preacher also addresses the argument that people who leave the faith must never have been truly saved in the first place. With real life testimonials from other ex-church leaders and ex-Christians this book is a must read for all those who have left the faith or are questioning their beliefs! LINK.

My own five definitive answers to Christians who say I was never saved can be read here.

Does Randal Rauser's Silence Mean He Cannot Answer Our Objections?

I just did an interview for the Reasonable Doubts podcast of Freethought Blogs (to be aired later). They asked me the above question concerning their objections to his views on the genocidal texts in the Old Testament. In February Randal said he would respond, but he needs prodding I suppose. Their objections make good sense to me. See what you think.

"This Book Changed the Course of My Life"

It's not often that one book can change the course of someone's life, but it does happen. That's what a reviewer recently said of a book. Which one? What else did he say? Here, read it for yourself:

Did You Know Ed Brayton of Freethought Blogs Was Recently Ordered to Take His Site Down?

That's right! Here's what he was told:

You are heretofore given notification to take down your atheist website. You are notified your website leads to scientific illiteracy. You are therefore hereby commanded the following: this communication also functions to notify you of the narrow minded and blasphemous nature of the content you host. It is decided atheist fiction and error has no rights. It has therefore been decided that both the conceptual and physical expression of atheist superstitions has no raison d’être either on your site or anywhere else for that matter. The Sovereign Jurisdiction of the Holy Roman Church has made this determination. Should you fail to abide by that which has been declared herein: expect a swifter arrival of condemnation. Outside the Catholic Church There is No Salvation: view www.vaticancatholic.com

Did he do it? Hell no. What utter and complete nonsense. But that's what you get when your brain is made stupid by faith, and everyone who has faith is made to be stupid to some degree, as I recently argued. Christian, you can see it in others. Why can't you see it in yourself?