New Mid-Month Biblioblogger Ranking
And guess which Blog is now ranked 2nd, topping all but one of them? *Cough*. Thanks to all my readers. It means a great deal to know people are interested in what some guy in Indiana has to say.
Psalm 14:1 Again, This Time Responding to Dr. Matt Flannagan
Previously I had argued that Psalm 14:1 claims an atheist is an immoral person, not an insane one, as Jim West had ignorantly argued. And I reject both accusations. And I argued the correct immoral interpretation of Psalm 14:1 is easily proven false by one lone ethical atheist. This verse is speaking about our behavior not our beliefs, for it's speaking about the behavioral consequences of our not believing. Again, the verse reads: "The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that does good."
William Lane Craig: Avoiding More Debate Opponents?
Recently Craig refused to debate me again. But not just me this time. He also refused to debate Robert Price, Hector Avalos, and Richard Carrier, three other contributors to the anthology to be released in April called The Christian Delusion. Maybe he ought to refuse to debate everyone who contributed to that book, right? Here's the story:
When Psalm 14:1 Says Atheists Are "Fools" This Can Be Easily Refuted.
Psalm 14:1 says: "The fool hath said in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that does good."
My claim is that once we correctly understand this verse we can easily refute it.
My claim is that once we correctly understand this verse we can easily refute it.
The Witch Hunts Continue: Christian, Police Your Own Ranks!
Christian, God fearer, Bible believer, how long before this ends?
The Documentary "Waiting for Armageddon" Opens Friday in Select Theaters
To see a trailer of this documentary click here. A synopsis of it can be found here. I've already argued that the rapture madness is indeed madness. This is yet another reason why I do what I do here at DC.
SURPRISE!! Khirbet Qeiyafa Inscription Already Being Used to Support the Historicity of David
The following is a response to recent reports of an inscription found at Khirbet Qeiyafa, by Dr. Hector Avalos, Iowa State University:
Dr. Valerie Tarico On Ugandan Atrocities: A Perversion of Religion or a Part of It?
Here's what she wrote:
Richard Carrier on the Formation of the NT Canon (2000)
Contrary to common belief, there was never a one-time, truly universal decision as to which books should be included in the Bible. It took over a century of the proliferation of numerous writings before anyone even bothered to start picking and choosing, and then it was largely a cumulative, individual and happenstance event, guided by chance and prejudice more than objective and scholarly research, until priests and academics began pronouncing what was authoritative and holy, and even they were not unanimous. Every church had its favored books, and since there was nothing like a clearly-defined orthodoxy until the 4th century, there were in fact many simultaneous literary traditions. The illusion that it was otherwise is created by the fact that the church that came out on top simply preserved texts in its favor and destroyed or let vanish opposing documents. Hence what we call "orthodoxy" is simply "the church that won." Link.
Professor Matt McCormick on "Vetting Supernatural Knowledge Claims"
Check it out. This is excellent and non-refutable.
Christians, You Have It All Wrong, This Christian Has The Answers!
That's right, or so he claims. What is missing from his credal statement? What is different from the historic creeds of the faith? Convert I say.
Christopher Hitchens Answers Some Questions
If you haven't already watched this it's worth looking at to understand what he thinks:
A More Insightful Critique of a Recent Post and My Response
A recent post, titled Based on This Argument Alone The Best Any Believer Can Claim is Agnosticism, has gained a lot of attention and been sidetracked by Christians who seek to defend their beliefs rather than think through it. To these Christians let me show you a much better way to argue your case, coming from a gay guy named Gaylord Martha Focker on Facebook, whose beliefs I can't say for sure, even if his his response is dead wrong:
Helen Fisher on Why We Love and Cheat
The provocatively titled blog by Leah Elliott Hauge called The Whore of All the Earth first linked to this brief but incredible TED talk. Fisher tells us of the science of lust, romantic love, and attachment, and it blows away the ancient Biblical understandings in several ways. View it and then let's count the number of ways this science destroys Biblical understandings, shall we? Once again it's Science vs Religion and once again believers will denigrate science. Go figure. How many times must they do this to believe?
Christian THINK: What About Your Friends and Family Who Will Be In Hell?
On Facebook I became a fan of the group "I may be going to hell but at least all my friends will be there." It's just a fun group and I can do fun. But then a Christian friend of mine and I got into a brief conversation about it:
Sam Harris Answers The Liberal Complaint Against the New Atheists
I really liked how Sam Harris answered Karen Armstrong's Foreign Policy article right here, although she got the last word. What's wrong with the liberals? Why don't they get it? Sam's sarcastic answer is a much better response than trying to reason with people like her, so it's better than my review of her book, The Case For God. But they just don't get it.
No Movement in Today's World Can Make a Difference Without Women, So Here's to Them ALL
Jen McCreight has complied a large list of awesome female atheists. Kudos to them and many thanks for all their efforts in our fight against superstition, pseudoscience, and ignorance. We need them! Let me rather say it this way: I'm glad to join with them in this common cause. So far her list includes:
Even PZ Myers Power Cannot Win All Atheist Polls
PZ Myers has topped every atheist poll so far and isn't doing too bad as a write-in on the most influential female atheist of 2009. ;-) He creamed all challengers on my own most vocal atheist poll, and right now he's beating out everyone in the universe combined. Since he wins all polls here's one in the sidebar where he cannot win in every category! We've got him this time. So which will it be?
Austin Cline on "Why Don't Theists Believe What Atheists Tell Them About Atheism?"
Question: When atheists explain why they became atheists, what atheism is, and what atheism is not, religious theists (and especially Christians) often refuse to accept what they hear. This happens even when atheists just answer a specific question which they were asked. Why do theists behave this way? What can I do about it?
Christian THINK: That's All You Have to Do
Check out this video of "Noah's Ark and the Great Flood":
Christopher Hitchens Takes on the Liberals
Hear Christopher Hitchens interviewed by Unitarian minister Marilyn Sewell. He's defending the fundamentalist critique of liberalism. You see, I agree with the fundamentalist critique of liberalism, as well as the liberal critique of fundamentalism. I agree with the Catholic critique of Protestantism as well as the Protestant critique of Catholicism. They debunk themselves leaving us no reason to accept Christianity in any form. HT: Hemant Mehta.
One Last Biblioblogger List Done (W)Right for December
And lookee here. I bested all but two of them. Now that Jim West is off the market I only need to overtake J.L. Watts for the number one slot. Can it be done? I wonder how I could convince him that he is boring too. ;-)
Could it Be That Our Universe Never Had a Beginning?
Here is an interesting scenario I have wondered myself, so I'd appreciate any input on it since I'm not a scientist:
Global Peace Index Shows Atheistic Nations are More Peaceful.
A GPI comparison of theistic nations to atheist nations shows us that peace is non-theistic.
Debate of the Day: Alvin Plantinga vs. Jaco Gericke
Watch the following interview and then read what I consider a refutation of Reformed Epistemology by Dr. Jaco Gericke afterward. Who wins?
Take the Debunking Christianity Challenge in 2010
[Written by John W. Loftus] What I’m engaging in here at Debunking Christianity is a huge challenge. I like big challenges. So let me offer one to Christians...
An Open Letter to All Bibliobloggers
In light of the developments of the last week or more let me recap what has happened. See what you think. I’ll try to keep this brief as possible and I’ll number my points for easy reference, not that I have to, okay?
Based on This Argument Alone The Best Any Believer Can Claim is Agnosticism
That's right. For even if some kind of god exists the believer has no reasonable way to know anything about such a god, hence a theistic kind of agnosticism. dguller expressed this cogent argument very well in the comments:
"Noah's Ark" Was Not Rectangular Shaped. It Was Bowl Shaped
That's right. Not as pictured on the left but a bigger version of the one on the right:
See the story here. Now pseudo-apologists will start finding the remains of a big bowl boat in the mountains of Turkey, right? Right!
Listen to Top Notch Thinkers Interviewed
It looks like Luke over at Common Sense Atheism does one a month. Check them out.
Richard Swinburne on Probabilities and the Anthropic Principle
When I first read the selection below I was a believer and thought what Swinburne wrote on this topic in his book, The Existence of God (1979 ed.), was excellent. No longer do I think so.
A Step By Step Course in How Christians Argue Fallaciously
I had linked earlier to a site about Reasoning Fallacies. I think it's time to illustrate them with some real examples of how most Christians argue at DC in a series of short Blog posts. I'll illustrate several of the most blatant fallacies as I see them using that link's nomenclature. Don't get caught or I might write you up for it. ;-) This could be the beginnings of a book, we'll see!
Jesus Was My Invisible Babysitter by Ricky Gervais
Ricky Gervais describes why he became an atheist. Link. Gervais directed and starred in the comedy The Invention of Lying.
Christians Live in an Intellectual Box and Cannot Think Outside of it
Yep, that's true of most of them in my opinion. Here's exhibit "A" named Brad Haggard, and my response. Watch how easy this is because I am not in that box of theirs.
On How to Write a Gospel Account
This is a challenge emailed to me from Johnny Pearce. It's interesting:
The Samaritan Strategy for Skeptics is Going to be Realized
In May of 2008 I had called upon skeptics to create an organization for doing humanitarian works. It now looks as if that is going to happen with the Foundation Beyond Belief. I first heard about it from former DC team member Valerie Tarico on Exchristian.net. Here is a video about it below:
What Do Tiger Woods and Jim West Have in Common?
They're both still missing! ;-) Maybe if and when Jim West comes back he'll deal with what Dr. Hector Avalos and others wrote here. Sorry, but anyone who claims like Jim West did that "Atheism is insanity. Hence, there’s no more point in arguing with (or even discussing things with) an atheist than there is in walking into an insane asylum and attempting to carry on a lucid conversation with persons utterly devoid of the gift of lucidity," doesn't deserve my respect. For I am one of those people and I take those attacks personally.
Why Did Jim West Shut His Blog Down to Outsiders?
Could it be because Dr. Hector Avalos called his bluff? ;-)
Another Poll: Who Was the Most Influential Female Atheist of 2009?
I like this one. Women don't always get their fair share of respect. Go Vote.
My Response to J. L. Watts, You Must First Understand My Argument Before You Can Effectively Critique It
Yep, that's what I think, and I don't think he understands what it is enough to offer an effective critique, so this will probably be my last reply to him. We'll see...
There's a Tree 7,000 Years Older Than the Entire Universe!
That is if you're a young earth creationist. ;-) Hat Tip to Stephen Law for this.
J. L. Watts is Engaging Me on the Problem of Suffering
Check it out here where you'll also see my initial response.
Resurrecting Eden
Professor Alan Lenzi posted a CBS 60 Minutes video that I found very interesting about the Wetlands in Southern Iraq where the Sumerian's lived in Ur of Chaldees, the birthplace of civilization.
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