This video is based on a presentation that I gave to the Philosophy Club at Glendale Community College (in Glendale Arizona). Read more
This video is based on a presentation that I gave to the Philosophy Club at Glendale Community College (in Glendale Arizona). Read more
Suppose that I steal your laptop on Friday afternoon. As the weekend sets in, I begin to be plagued by guilt. Initially, taking your laptop seemed like a great idea. I need a new computer, and yours is much nicer than mine. It is newer, has a faster processor, more memory, a bigger screen, etc. I had imagined with great anticipation how much better life would be with a nice, new, up-to-date laptop. But now–now that I must live with… Read more
In 2018 I posted on SO a review of Tim Crane’s book The Meaning of Belief: Religion from an Atheist’s Point of View: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/secularoutpost/2018/01/22/atheists-get-wrong-according-tim-crane/ Crane argues that atheists have largely misunderstood religion by regarding it as a sort of cosmological hypothesis, one that makes insupportable claims about the creation of the universe via the supernatural acts of a divine agent. By thus construing religion as a sort of spurious proto-scientific cosmology, atheists justify relegating it to the bin of irrelevance… Read more
A quotation attributed to Stephen Roberts goes like this: I contend we are both atheists, I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours. I’ve seen this quote floating around the Internet for at least 20 years but I don’t remember reading anything by a professional philosopher specifically about it. One immediate question I have about this is how to interpret… Read more
THE “WITNESSES” OBJECTIONS In his Handbook of Christian Apologetics (hereafter: HCA) the first three objections that Peter Kreeft raises against the Hallucination Theory are all about “witnesses”: Objection #1: There were too many witnesses. (HCA, p.186, emphasis added) Objection #2: The witnesses were qualified. (HCA, p. 187, emphasis added) Objection #3: The five hundred [eyewitnesses] saw Christ together at the same time and place. (HCA, p.187 emphasis added) Before we examine these three objections, I think it would be helpful to… Read more
On Twitter, user @BissetteHunter tweeted this fifteen second video clip of William Lane Craig discussing arguments from evil: Another bad take from Craig given during the Law debate. �♂️ pic.twitter.com/SycXWzMptW — yourtypicaltheist (@BissetteHunter) July 19, 2021 In the case the link doesn’t work, here is the transcript: “Therefore, this problem of evil, I think, though emotionally powerful–I grant it is emotionally powerful–philosophically it is very difficult to run any kind of successful argument against God based on the evil and… Read more
MCDOWELL’S CASE AGAINST THE HALLUCINATION THEORY I recently examined Josh McDowell’s case against the Hallucination Theory in his book The Resurrection Factor (hereafter: TRF), and I showed that each one of the seven objections that McDowell raised against this skeptical theory FAILS, and thus that his case for the resurrection of Jesus also FAILS. The Hallucination Theory is the view that one or more of the disciples of Jesus had a hallucination (or dream or some sort of false or… Read more
WHERE WE ARE One important reason for rejecting the view that Leviticus was inspired by God is that this book contains several FALSE claims and assumptions. I have already argued that Leviticus contains FALSE historical claims and assumptions and that it also contains logical contradictions, so I have already shown that Leviticus contains FALSE claims and assumptions: In Part 8 of this series, I presented some general points in support of my fourth reason for doubting the inspiration and authority of… Read more
WHERE WE ARE In his book Philosophy of Religion (hereafter: POR), Norman Geisler provides an argument in support of the second premise of his Thomist Cosmological Argument (see pages 194-197). Here is my understanding of the argument that Geisler gives in support of that premise: 52. But no potentiality can actualize itself. THEREFORE: 53a. There is some actuality outside of every composed thing to account for the fact that it actually exists. 51a. Every limited changing thing is composed of both an actuality (its… Read more
When Easter rolled around this year, I dove back into the questions “Did God raise Jesus from the dead?” and “Did Jesus rise from the dead?” These are issues that I have enjoyed thinking about for the past four decades, and will continue to think and write about for the rest of my life. DEFENDING THE HALLUCINATION THEORY I wrote a series of posts defending the Hallucination Theory, specifically examining seven objections raised against this theory by Josh McDowell… Read more
