The Brexit Video

Belief that Brexit is a good thing requires the same kind of suspension of reason & logic as does religion.

Steve Weinberg on God.

Christianity demolished.

How to remain Christian.

How to talk to a Christian

"If you wake up tomorrow morning and think that saying a few Latin words over your pancakes will turn them into the body of Elvis Presley you're said to be out of your mind. If you think the same thing about a cracker and the body of Jesus you're just a Catholic."

The Placebo Effect

For when someone starts talking about miraculous cures  . . . .

Peter Millican on the KCA

Peter Millican is Gilbert Ryle Fellow and Professor of Philosophy at Hertford College, University of Oxford. His primary interests include the philosophy of David Hume, philosophy of religion, philosophy of language, epistemology, and moral philosophy.

(Interesting side-note
In 2008 and 2009 some Republican commentators advanced claims that US President Barack Obama's autobiography, Dreams from My Father was written or ghost-written by Bill Ayers. In a series of articles in American Thinker and WorldNetDaily, author Jack Cashill claimed that his own analysis of the book showed Ayers' writing style, and backed this up citing analyses by American researchers using Millican's Signature software. In late October 2008, shortly before the US Presidential election, US Congressman Chris Cannon and his brother-in-law attempted to hire Millican to prove Ayers' authorship using computer analysis. Millican refused after they would not assure him in advance that his results would be published regardless of the outcome.After some analysis Millican later criticized the claim, saying variously that he had "found no evidence for Cashill's ghostwriting hypothesis", that it was "unlikely"and that he felt "totally confident that it is false".)

WLC - Artful Dodger

A decalogue for the 21st Century

CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS - GREATLY MISSED

Supernaturalism

"One reason that belief in the supernatural remains widespread, despite its negligibility, is that, as discussed earlier, it cannot be proven wrong, and the epistemological insulation provided by its inaccessibility is accorded the weight of evidence despite the fact that it carries no evidential weight at all. The supernatural remains logically possible, and thus an option for belief, only because it is not susceptible to confirmation or disconfirmation on the basis of evidence. But this status is permanent--the metaphysical status of supernaturalism as at most a logical possibility will never change. To become more than a logical possibility, supernaturalism must be confirmed with unequivocal empirical evidence, and such confirmation would only demonstrate that this newly verified aspect of reality had all along never been supernatural at all, but rather a natural phenomenon which just awaited an appropriate scientific test. Supernaturalists have not succeeded in providing such a test, but the naturalist has all the time in the world, and is prepared to give the supernaturalist all the time in the world, to make the attempt. In the meantime, the philosophical naturalist can point to the constantly expanding success of science in explaining what once were thought intractable mysteries or fixed categories of experience and reality." ~ Barbara Forrest, "Methodological Naturalism and Philosophical Naturalism: Clarifying the Connection" (2000)

Finding magic . . .

Ethical atheism - a draft manfesto

1. Promoting reason, critical thinking and science

2. Promoting atheism over supernaturalism

3. Promoting natural compassion and ethics

4. Promoting inclusive, caring atheist groups

5. Promoting fair and just societies

6. Promoting secular government

7. Promoting local, national and global solidarity

 

See full article:- "A draft Manifesto to promote Ethical Atheism" by Michael Nugent.

Women

"Here and now, everywhere, those with eyes to see can see for themselves that religion has for thousands of years perpetuated the oppression of half our species. Half of the great minds our peoples have produced have lived and died unknown and forgotten, their educations neglected, their lives spent doing laundry and other menial tasks for men — their merits unrecognized and buried under lies promulgated by religion, in cultures soaked in the destructive myths of faith which codify misogyny and give it a godly blessing.

Isn’t that reason enough to tear down the cathedrals — that with this one far-reaching, difficult change to our cultures, we double human potential?"~ P Z Myers

Scouting for God?

Guest post by Jessica Redding.

A survey which was conducted by the Humanist Society in Scotland has seemingly found that there are many Humanists who have admitted their sons have joined the Scouts and made the “God Pledge” despite not having any real belief. One member who was surveyed claimed that her son had taken the pledge, sworn his allegiance and later revealed his “God” was Slash from Guns N Roses. Depending on your viewpoint on matters of humour and atheism, this is either hugely funny or not (especially if you prefer Bon Jovi).

What if atheists are wrong? - a response

A superb response to the hoary old question:-

And they call atheists arrogant . . .

The Jesus Birther Movement

https://www.facebook.com/JesusBirtherMovement

Stephen Hawking - a graphical life

Created by: Online PhD

Evidence & logic

And another problem arises in theological arguments when someone's notion of what constitutes evidence fall far short of your own . . . . 

The Order of the Planets for Sceptics

Mary's 

"Virgin" 

Explanation 

Made 

Joseph 

Suspect 

Upstairs 

Neighbour

Bill Maher's New Rule