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Monthly Archives: July 2009
Quote for the Day
G.K. Chesterton: The madman is not someone who has lost his reason. The madman is someone who has lost everything except his reason.
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Tagged 1800s, emotion, empathy, g.k. chesterton, justice, law, passion, philosophy, psychology, rationalism, reason, science
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Mental Health Break
Hat tip to Ice Gal:
William Dembski v. The Confidence Faitheists
ID proponent, William Dembski, at his blog Uncommon Descent, announced that he has a book coming out (perhaps as early as September) that will respond to the confidence atheists. Here’s what he says about it: “My book The End of Christianity: Finding a Good … Continue reading
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Tagged apologetics, atheism, atheist, Christianity, evolution, intelligent design, philosophy, Richard Dawkins, william dembski
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Contemporary Confidence Faitheism v. Harvard Biologist George Wald
Harvard biologist George Wald died in 1997, but I can’t help but wonder what he would have made of the vanguard biologists (Richard Dawkins, Jerry Coyne, and PZ Myers) who make up the post 9-11 new “confidence atheists” or “faitheists.” Dr. Wald … Continue reading
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Tagged agnostic, atheism, atheists, Biologist George Wald, faitheism, faitheists, jerry coyne, nobel prize, PZ Myers, Richard Dawkins, science, science v. religion
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Hollywood Tries to Tackle the Science v. Religion Question Accompanied by Exorcist Music and Explosions
I haven’t seen the film, but the trailer makes it appear at least mildly interesting (philosophically and as a measure of our cultural Zeitgeist ):
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Tagged angels and demons, atheist, culture, hollywood, jerry coyne, PZ Myers, reason, religion, science, science v. religion, zeitgeist
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Sure, Atheism’s Not a Faith
Confidence atheist PZ Myers this week on how (contra Francis Collins) he reconciles his atheist faith with the curious life-friendly values of the cosmological constants: What about chance? There’s nothing impossible about the fact that our universe was the product … Continue reading
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Tagged atheism, Big Bang, cosmological constants, cosmology, faith, life, PZ Myers, religion, universe
2 Comments
Entering Samadhi with Swing Dog
Swing Dog gaining Enlightenment under the Swing Tree? Next up: Swing Dog teaches yoga and the Noble Path to happiness?
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Tagged animals, bliss, Buddhist, dog, dogs, eightfold path, Hindu, meditation, psychology, samadhi, swing dog, yoga
2 Comments
What is a Faitheist?
By an ironic turn, atheist biologist Jerry Coyne’s blog contest to find a one word moniker for atheists and agnostics who are “accomodationist” towards religion has landed on a “winning term” that actually describes Jerry Coyne himself—and his enhusiastic followers—far better … Continue reading
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Tagged Albert Camus, apologetics, atheist, faith, faitheist, fundamentalist atheism, jerry coyne, philosophy, psychology, religion
10 Comments
God, Mind, Quantum Effects, and Quantum Fluctuations: Is There Any Evidence that Invisible Entities (That Can Influence Matter) Actually Exist?
When a theist posits that there might have been some sort of mind, wisdom, or telos prior to matter at the beginning of the universe, are there any pieces of evidence that invisible entities even exist? Actually, there are. They’re called minds. … Continue reading
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Tagged agnostic, agnosticism, atheism, atheist, consciousness, God, Michael Shermer, physics, quantum physics, science, sir james jeans, skeptic
6 Comments
Confidence Atheism, Religious Fundamentalism, and Don Quixote
I think that, in large part, the reason people sometimes use the phrases “fundamentalist atheist” or “militant atheist” to describe contemporary atheists has to do with the high expression of confidence expressed by some atheists. Like fundamentalists who express a high … Continue reading
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Tagged agnostic, atheism, atheist, Ayn Rand, cult, don quixote, don quixote atheists, fundamentalism, fundamentalist atheists, psychology, theism
2 Comments
The White Roof Movement
My wife and I are seriously thinking about getting the roof of our house painted white (for energy efficiency and environmental reasons). And today the New York Times has an article on the “White Roof Movement.” Money quote: Studies show that white … Continue reading
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Tagged climate change, cooling, ecology, electricity, energy, energy saving, environment, environmentalism, greenhouse effect, white roof, white roof movement
1 Comment
Mental Health Break
I made this video a few months back. I still kind of like it:
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Tagged mental health break, nature, picnic, psychology, Sartre, science
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Still Another Good Reason to Be an Agnostic
I think an agnostic is in the unique (and enviable) position of being able to look sympathetically at theism and atheism, and actually feel some engagement with the arguments of both of them—to even feel their emotional power and pull—depending … Continue reading
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Tagged agnostic, agnosticism, apologetics, atheist, doubt, philosophy, reason, religion, theist
5 Comments
Francis Collins on Science and Faith
I thought this Francis Collins talk was excellent and thought provoking:
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Tagged agnostic, apologetics, atheist, faith, francis collins, Jesus, Michael Shermer, science, skepticism
2 Comments
An Agnostic Lists Eight Pretty Good Reasons for Believing in God
As an agnostic, I don’t necessarily advocate God belief. In fact, I think that there are a lot of very good reasons not to believe in God (the problem of suffering being very high on my personal list), and I think … Continue reading
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Tagged agnostic, agnosticism, apologetics, atheism, atheist, Christianity, God, Islam, Jesus, philosophy, psychology, skepticism
9 Comments
Advice to Young Theist and Atheist Contrarians
Think! Then think some more. The truth is the whole. You’ve got to have empiricism—it’s crucial—it’s the only way to reality test your mad speculations. But don’t ignore metaphysics and epistemology. Don’t, in other words, ignore the premises underlying your worldview. And … Continue reading
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Tagged agnostic, apologetics, atheism, atheist, contrarians, doubt, empircism, integrity, life, snake oil, theism, theist
1 Comment
Orwellism Watch: Biologist Jerry Coyne Takes Down Robert Wright a Peg
Atheist biologist Jerry Coyne, in his recent review for the New Republic of Robert Wright’s new book, The Evolution of God, catches Wright out on an Orwellian euphemism that Wright deploys to describe Islamic historical setbacks on the road to greater tolerance: … Continue reading
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Tagged 1984, atheism, atheist, biology, evolution, George Orwell, jerry coyne, orwellisms, religion, robert wright, skepticism
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Is Religion a Tolerant or Intolerant Human Phenomenon?
Robert Wright, author of The Evolution of God, has a theory. He thinks that religions tend to be morally neutral in terms of tolerance—and that their ranges of tolerant expression are dependent on the contingencies that they find themselves in. Hence, for … Continue reading
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Tagged Christianity, evolution, God, Islam, projection, psychology, religion, robert wright, the evolution of god
4 Comments
Afairyism and Atheism: Are Disbelieving in Fairies and Disbelieving in God Epistemically Equivelent?
Ah, no. There are no good reasons that I can think of for believing in fairies (nor have I ever heard any advanced). There are, however, a multitude of good reasons that I can think of for believing that mind … Continue reading
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Tagged afairyism, agnostic, apologetics, atheism, atheist, fairyism, God, jerry coyne, philosophy, PZ Myers, religion, Richard Dawkins
5 Comments
Prometheus Unbound 