GoIn its own words: I consider myself an atheist and a skeptic. I care whether my beliefs are true or false. I believe I have good reasons for being an atheist, and that those reasons can stand up to the scrutiny of Christian apologetics. But – as Christians are so often fond of saying – what if I’m wrong? So this blog represents my effort to take Christianity seriously; to engage with the best Christians have to offer and see how my general Case for Atheism stacks up by comparison. I deliberately chose a gerund as the name for this blog; I view this as a process, and not an end goal. If you’re a Christian, my goal is not to “convert you to atheism;” my goal is to engage with, understand, and evaluate the best arguments you have for what you believe and see how that affects what I believe. At the end of the day, all I hope is that you will come away with a bit more understanding of (and hopefully, respect for) what makes someone an atheist.
Praying for particular things,’ said I, ‘always seems to me like advising God how too run the world. Wouldn’t it be wiser to assume that He knows best?’ ‘On the same principle’, said he, ‘I suppose you never ask a man next to you to pass the salt, because God knows best whether you ought to have salt or not. And I suppose you never take an umbrella, because God knows whether you ought to be wet or dry.’ ‘That’s quite different,’ I protested. ‘I don’t see why,’ said he. ‘The odd thing is that He should let us influence the course of events at all. But since he lets us do it in one way I don’t see why He shouldn’t let us do it in the other.’
Louis P. Pojman (Wadsworth Publishing Company: October, 1997)
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An up-to-date and comprehensive anthology in ethical theory. The presentation of each problem progresses from the classical to the contemporary, usually treating it in a dialectic (pro and con) form, so you can watch the debate unfold before your eyes. "This introductory textbook describes the historical schools, major
problems, and current trends concerning the study of ethics. Selections
from key philosophers cover topics like relativism and objectivism,
egoism, value, utilitarianism, deontology, virtue, metaethics,
skepticism, religion, sociobiology, feminism, and determinism.
Representing the span of the Western canon, selections are drawn from
the ancient, modern, and post-modern periods." ~ Booknews
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In a penetrating account of features of the natural world that mutation and natural selection are simply inadequate to explain. From biochemistry to the fossil record, Denton systematically demolishes the "fact" of evolution as a sufficient explanation for the world as it is. Denton doesn't deny that evolution occurs; he is, for example, sanguine about the "horse series." He claims, however, that evolution, taken as mutation and natural selection, is no more than a partial answer. His his explication and analysis of the avian respiratory system is as convincing as anything in Mike Behe's book. Some have tried to explain away problems in evolution as owing to the paucity of human imagination, but Denton doesn't merely ask, "How could this have evolved?" e.g., the feather, avian respiration, etc. He argues positively that certain features cannot have evolved, that intermediate forms are not just difficult to imagine, they are impossible.
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This book is a fantastic guide for any person, Christian or otherwise, who would like to understand the level of historical accuracy that can be found in the New Testament documents. In that Christianity is a religion whose truth claims are allegedly rooted in historical fact, it is key that the works through which we read of those "facts" be considered reliable. Bruce does a great job of doing just that. No historical account, regardless of reliability, can prove miraculous events. However, Bruce argues, if a work can be proven to be historically and culturally accurate with respect to most of its content, that document then becomes-on the whole-more compelling. Any historian would then need to take more seriously the author's questionable claims such as the miracles, and Christ as God and savior of humanity. For if an author can be shown to be reliable in all other aspects of his work, why should he lie with respect to the documentation of miracles? This line of reasoning, and many other arguments, make Bruce's short book a compelling read for anybody interested in this topic. ~ guy-72 at Amazon.com
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In its own words: "The misreporting of the evolution issue is one key reason for this site. The newsmedia in the U.S. seem to have rediscovered the evolution controversy recently. Unfortunately, much of the news coverage has been sloppy, inaccurate, and in some cases, overtly biased." Evolution News' raison d'être is to remedy these innacuracies by noting and commenting on references to Intelligent Design in the news. Evolution News is a publication of the Discovery Institute's Center for Science and Culture, the undisputed leading proponent of Intelligent Design, and thereby a good place to hear it from the horse's mouth. The site is updated almost daily.
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Ben Witherington III is an evangelical Biblical scholar, and lecturer on New Testament Studies. Witherington is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is a graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill and holds an M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in England. He is an elected member of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, a society dedicated to New Testament studies. Witherington is an author and speaker. He has written over thirty books, and has made many appearances on radio interviews, and on television programs featured on the History Channel, Discovery Channel, and other major networks.
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The Centre for Public Christianity (CPX) is an independent research and media organization seeking to promote the public understanding of the Christian faith in Australia and beyond employing the best of scholarship via the best of media. Established by Dr John Dickson and Dr Greg Clarke the Centre: seeks to be a benchmark for Christian thinking and communication in Australia and beyond; offers free vodcast/podcast comment, lectures and interviews, and other web-based resources; produces a range of popular and academic works exploring the relevance of the Christian faith; is a one stop shop for media outlets in search of informed and independent Christian comment; runs events and short courses for the curious and sceptical alike; supports a network of Christian scholars and research projects across the disciplines; serves as a speakers bureau and training facility for Christian thinkers and communicators. The Centre has no denominational affiliation and seeks to represent historic Christianity as defined by the Nicene Creed.
What is a Film Autopsy? • Coming Soon