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Can you prove the external world exists?

Intro: This series is an atheist's review of an important skeptical anthology aimed at Christian beliefs called, "The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails" (TCD), that is likely to be popularly discussed across the web…
(book review) "The Christian Delusion" - Ch. 6: The Bible and Modern Scholarship (part 4)

Intro: This series is an atheist's review of an important skeptical anthology critical of Christian beliefs called, "The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails" (TCD), that is likely to be popularly discussed across the…
(book review) "The Christian Delusion" - Ch. 6: The Bible and Modern Scholarship (part 3)

Intro: This series is an atheist's review of an important skeptical anthology critical of Christian beliefs called, "The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails" (TCD), that is likely to be popularly discussed across the…
Opening words at Ethical Society

Intro: The Ethical Society I go to asks different members to do the 5 minute "opening words" to each Platform on Sunday. Incidentally I happened to be asked to do the Easter version. Good morning. My name is Ben Sch…
(argument map) The Dubious Doctrine of Hell

Intro: [Please, note that updates to this map will be posted here: "(argument map) The doctrine of hell is unjust."] So last week I was listening to Alpha & Omega Ministries' James White give his very Christian thou…
Does the Bible teach eternal suffering for the unsaved?

Intro: I think it's pretty clear the Bible teaches eternal torment for the unsaved and Jesus himself is the primary advocate of the doctrine. In case anyone hasn't happened to peruse the verses, I've collected the most…
Are atheists demon possessed?

Intro: Previously, I posted some chunks of Christian apologist, Steve Hays', views on demons, skeptics, and UFology from " This Joyful Eastertide" (TJET), his ebook length response to the skeptical anthology, "The Empty…
Christian demons vs. Muslim demons?

Intro: Last time I posted some chunks of Christian apologist, Steve Hays' views on demons, skeptics, and UFology from " This Joyful Eastertide," his ebook length response to the skeptical anthology, "The Empty Tomb: Jesu…
Is it easy to be saved?

Intro: The Bible does not portray salvation as trite and as easy as modern pop-culture Christianity would like us to believe. Many Christians are of course under no illusions that their afterlife plan entails "a difficul…
Steve Hays' "Demon-Haunted" Apologetics

Intro: It is not hard to point out the hypocrisy of Christian apologist, Steve Hays. Hays will often be found to turn on a dime within a sentence or two of a vicious denouncement to commit the very same intellectual cri…
Christians try to save William Lane Craig from circularity (and FAIL)

Intro: In my original review of the William Lane Craig vs. Sam Harris debate on the ontological foundations of moral realism, I gave my initial impressions of why Harris pulled his weight in the debate. In a later post…
Bart Ehrman on Textual Reliability of the NT?

Intro: This is part of my review series on the skeptical anthology, "The Empty Tomb: Jesus Beyond the Grave" (ET). Basically I've lifted this little bit from my material on chapter 4 of that book, which is the essay, "A…
Yes, William Lane Craig is still wrong about morality.

Intro: Christians who saw the debate between Christian apologist, William Lane Craig, and atheist, Sam Harris, are baffled. Why didn't Craig's amazing arguments work? Isn't it obvious that Harris didn't even begin to p…
Textual Reliability of the New Testament?

Intro: Previously I went over the dialog between Christians and skeptics over the possibility that the early Christian churches conveniently adjusted their sacred writings for religious and/or political ends. That was a…
Deterministic Moral Responsibility?

Intro: In the debate with William Lane Craig on the ontology of moral realism, Sam Harris seemed to ignore the issue of free will and how that relates to coherent concepts of moral responsibility. He even seemed to go a…
Expectations on Richard Carrier vs. J. P. Holding debate

Atheist/historian Richard Carrier recently debated Christian apologist/librarian J. P. Holding on the "Textual Reliability of the New Testament" or more specifically, "Do we have what they had?" Tidbits are trickling thr…
Early Christian Church Conspiracy?

Intro: This is part of my review series on the skeptical anthology, "The Empty Tomb: Jesus Beyond the Grave" (ET). Basically I've lifted this little bit from my material on chapter 4 of that book, which is the essay, "A…
Here's some much needed Friday cheer from Colbert and Fallon.

Colbert volunteered Fallon's money to a charity without asking and so Colbert said he'd sing the infamously bad "Friday" song if Fallon would come up with the money anyway. And so, he did:
(politics) Think of the rich children!

Lots of things to be mad about today. How about that government shutdown!?! The Daily Beast recounts: Republicans, however, aren't willing to let the president paint himself as the only adult in Washington, [...]"Adult…
Sam Harris is easily refuted by Vox Day's shallowness?

Theodore Beale (Vox Day) deals with the problem of evil by proposing a lesser god most Christians wouldn't accept. The only reason he seems to believe in theism at all is because he believes evil is so darn real (the ex…
Reactions to Harris vs. Craig on Morality

So I did a google reader search on Sam Harris and William Lane Craig and I thought I'd run through some of the reactions (find all my coverage with my Harris vs. Craig tag). Before the debate, Theodore Beale (Vox Day) ha…
Sam Harris vs. William Lane Craig on Moral Realism

See here for audio. Here for video. Sam Harris ignored much of William Lane Craig's chop shop syllogistic framing and simply presented a positive case for naturalistic moral realism based on the well being of conscious…
Do conservatives value the unborn as much as they think they do?

Intro: In the comments of a previous post, I was discussing how it is that we can scale seemingly insurmountable ideological divides on issues like abortion. The following thought experiment, which I've contemplated…
Is Steven Pinker right that Sam Harris is wrong about science's ability to discover moral reasons?

I'm somewhat curious as to Pinker's account of the motivation behind human sacrifice to the gods, but it is plausible and we'll move on. Spoiler alert: Despite the pretenses of disagreement the only difference betwee…
Prominent Christian apologists convert to atheism?

Intro: Christian apologists from around the world gathered in San Diego to discuss honestly their misgivings about defending the faith. It was an unprecedented, no-holds-barred, "skeptifest" of Biblical proportions. It…