Sorry Mr Godwin and Matt Dillahunty, but Hitler is still a problem for atheist morality

October 1, 2020 By Erik Strandness

Can atheism deliver the grounding needed to live a moral life as people search for meaning in the post-Christian West? Can we develop a code of conduct by committee? Christian guest Glen Scrivener met with atheist Matt Dillahunty on The Big Conversation to discuss those very issues. And the conversation inevitably turned towards Hitler. Godwin’s law (or Godwin’s rule of Hitler analogies) is an Internet adage asserting that “as an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches 1”. That is, if... Read more

Did you choose to read this blog? Not according to this atheist

September 28, 2020 By Erik Strandness

Is free will a real entity or a useful illusion? On a recent episode of Unbelievable? atheist Dan Barker and Christian guest Braxton Hunter discussed whether our thoughts and actions are determined or truly free. The discussion revolved around Dan’s newest book, Free Will Explained: How Science and Philosophy Converge to Create a Beautiful Illusion. Rodent Revelation Dan Barker was inspired to write his book by a relationship he forged with a chipmunk while working on his last project. The... Read more

Jordan Peterson: a gateway drug to Christianity?

September 24, 2020 By Erik Strandness

Jordan B Peterson was catapulted to fame by his defiance of the political correctness of his academic institution. His place as a cultural icon was cemented with the release of his best-selling book Twelve Rules for Life. Peterson sat down with atheist psychologist Susan Blackmore on a remarkable episode of The Big Conversation to debate whether or not we need God to explain life. “I would definitely describe myself as a religious man, yes. I think that’s fundamentally true. The... Read more

Do all paths lead to God? Why John Hick’s pluralism empties Christianity of meaning

September 21, 2020 By Erik Strandness

Do all paths lead to God? Is it arrogant to say we’re right and others are wrong? Theologian John Hick (1922-2012) was the world’s best known advocate for pluralism. His final debate on the subject was on the Unbelievable? show, and revealed that his philosophy was emotion rather than evidence-driven. Religious pluralism has come home to people’s consciousness, making the question a live one for large numbers. It is no longer, as it once was, an exotic question for foreign... Read more

Tom Holland: “I began to realise that actually, in almost every way, I am Christian.”

September 17, 2020 By Erik Strandness

Why did a notable historian change his mind about Christianity? And what can we learn from it? Historian Tom Holland created waves with an article he penned in 2016 in the New Statesman which suggested that we owe the underlying ethos of our Western Culture to Christianity and not ancient Rome or Greece. He concluded his article by stating, “In my morals and ethics, I have learned to accept that I am not Greek or Roman at all, but thoroughly... Read more

‘I felt tricked’ – Can skeptics find a home in Narnia?

September 15, 2020 By Erik Strandness

For over 60 years The Chronicles of Narnia have been beloved children’s stories. However, when Laura Miller discovered their Christian symbolism as a teenage skeptic she felt duped. Years later, she says she’s rediscovered the beauty of Narnia. Could we be missing the apologetic power of telling stories? Modern debates about the existence of God tend to focus on reason, science, and logic. We find lecture halls packed with believers and unbelievers awaiting scholarly fireworks shows. Such events may briefly... Read more

Autopsy of a Deconstruction: Jon Steingard and the foundations of faith

September 10, 2020 By Erik Strandness

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The former Hawk Nelson singer is gracious and vulnerable in talking about how his faith fell apart on Unbelievable?. He’s among a number of recent high-profile deconstruction stories. But are these collapses due to the power of the forces that toppled their worldview? Or the poor construction that went into building them? “After growing up in a Christian home, being a pastor’s kid, playing and singing in a Christian band, and having the word “Christian” in in front of most... Read more

Why has Unbelievable? joined Patheos?

September 8, 2020 By Justin Brierley

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Welcome to the Unbelievable? Blog on Patheos! Let me tell you the story so far… Conversations matter. Yet, since the turn of the millennium, dialogues on the biggest questions in life – purpose, value, science, faith and God – have been dominated by aggressive voices across the religious and non-religious spectrum. Many point to 9/11 as a key turning point in the culture when, in the eyes of many secularists, religion proved itself to be a threat to society. The... Read more