How Can You Believe That?

Last updated on: October 8, 2012 at 4:52 pm By Leah Libresco

During my guest stint at Daylight Atheism, I expressed pity for Harold Camping’s deluded followers and sparked a debate on whether his beliefs were so stupid as to be self-refuting. If the beliefs couldn’t be rationally supported, then presumably the ‘victims’ were willfully deluding themselves in order to take part in a con or for some other malign purpose. I was dubious, since I’m not one to ever underestimate the Dunning-Kruger effect (sufficiently ignorant/stupid people can’t spot their own mistakes). In... Read more

Call him Voldemort!

Last updated on: October 8, 2012 at 4:51 pm By Leah Libresco

“Call him Voldemort, Harry. Always use the proper name for things. Fear of a name increases fear of the thing itself” — Albus Dumbledore, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone I was dumbfounded by a “On the Square” feature at First Things this week. Christopher Kaczor gave advice to Christian parents who aren’t sure whether to have their children vaccinated against HPV and adopted the tone of someone teetering at the edge of a precipice. After considering several approaches, Kaczor’s recommendation... Read more

7 Quick Takes (6/3/11)

Last updated on: October 8, 2012 at 4:49 pm By Leah Libresco

–1– I had the privilege of guestblogging at Daylight Atheism last week (all posts available here), so I’d like to kick off this week’s Seven Quick Takes by featuring a recent post by Adam, the creator of Daylight Atheism. In “The Logic of Genocide” he asked penetrating questions about the kinds of rationalizations apologists in the mold of William Lane Craig use to justify Old Testament slaughter. They rarely allow these explanations to be applied in any other circumstance. ETA: Apparently some people... Read more

Stemming the Knowledge Drain

Last updated on: October 30, 2012 at 2:39 pm By Leah Libresco

Technically relevant to the content of this post I’ve been following in the footsteps of Luke of Common Sense Atheism and been spending more time on Less Wrong (the rationality/probability theory writings of Eliezer Yudkowsky — author of the fabulous fanfiction story Harry Potter and the Methods of Rationality). I thought I’d share the opening paragraphs of a post titled “Tsuyoku Naritai! (I Want To Become Stronger)” In Orthodox Judaism there is a saying: “The previous generation is to the... Read more

Sam Harris, Psychopaths, and Moral Culpability

Last updated on: October 6, 2012 at 3:16 pm By Leah Libresco

Sam Harris is blogging about morality and free will, and one of his examples puts me in mind of our discussion about culpability, hate, and radical forgiveness. Harris doesn’t think free will is a coherent concept, but he doesn’t see that fact as precluding any discussion of culpability. I want to focus more on the example he provides than his explanation, but, for the sake of completeness, here’s what he has to say: What does it really mean to take... Read more

Who Gets to Use Lewis’s Excuse?

Last updated on: November 26, 2012 at 4:52 pm By Leah Libresco

Now that college is over, and I’m wrapping up my guest stint at Daylight Atheism, I finally have time to get back to reading and blogging about books (or more precisely, books about atheism and philosophy, since if I were blogging through all the YA fantasy I’ve been reading, this would be a very different blog). I’ve just finished C.S. Lewis’s The Problem of Pain, but I’m not that interested in discussing the main thesis of the book since, as... Read more

You Call That Religion?

Last updated on: March 26, 2012 at 12:27 am By Leah Libresco

One (possibly last) guest post at Daylight Atheism. This one is also inspired by The Book of Mormon and is focused on how the diffuse, unrooted idea of religion that emerges in Mormon and is praised by reviewers ought to be opposed by atheists as well as fundamentalists. My last day for guestblogging is tomorrow, so please comment if there’s a topic you think I should be sure to cover for Daylight Atheism’s large (but mostly pissed off with me)... Read more

The Mormon Test

Last updated on: March 26, 2012 at 12:27 am By Leah Libresco

Another day, another post at Daylight Atheism (and jeez oh man have I been catching flack in the comments sections). Today’s post tries to give an example of the kind of challenging but not condescending conversations with Christians I’ve been trying to sell the commentariat on. This one’s inspired by seeing The Book of Mormon, but is focused on talking to non-Mormon Christians. If you want something more focused on talking to Mormons, click back to my dialogue with Mormon... Read more

7 Quick Takes (5/27/11)

Last updated on: October 6, 2012 at 3:08 pm By Leah Libresco

–1– This week, I’ve been guestblogging at Daylight Atheism about when, if ever, mockery and ridicule is a productive part of interfaith debate. You can check out parts one, two, and three at Daylight Atheism. After the week ends, I’ll be tying some of those ideas back into the discussion we’ve been having here about whether there are any victimless sins–whether it’s always wrong to feel hate. –2– I was going to write legitimate quick takes, I swear, but Scott... Read more

Adapt or Die

Last updated on: October 5, 2012 at 8:43 pm By Leah Libresco

One last post at Daylight Atheism about whether it does atheists good to take a condescending, mocking tone when talking to Christians. (Spoiler alert: I still think it’s bad strategy and bad for you). This is the last one I’m doing there trying to call out bad tactics; the next one will be a strategy for questioning Christians that was inspired by seeing The Book of Mormon on Broadway. So here’s my last shot: Adapt or Die [I]f Christians have... Read more