AI atheism blogging Capital capitalism Chinese Room connectivism consciousness CritLit2010 crtc curriculum revision distraction downes environment evolution flickr hitchens Inheritance internet safety intro iran myth mythical myths net neutrality networking nuclear power obama OER open data personal learning philosophy physics police privacy quantum mechanics race skeptics sustainable energy taxes TIMSS trig UBI usage-based billing Village Green wncp
- May 2024
- April 2024
- March 2024
- February 2024
- January 2024
- December 2023
- November 2023
- October 2023
- September 2023
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June 2023
- May 2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- November 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- June 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- August 2018
- May 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- August 2016
- May 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- June 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- September 2010
- August 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- March 2010
- January 2010
- December 2009
- November 2009
- October 2009
- September 2009
- August 2009
- July 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
- December 2006
- November 2006
- October 2006
- September 2006
- August 2006
- July 2006
- June 2006
- May 2006
- April 2006
- March 2006
- February 2006
- January 2006
- December 2005
- November 2005
- October 2005
- September 2005
- August 2005
- July 2005
- June 2005
- May 2005
-
Category Archives: religion
Free Will and (Divine?) Foreknowledge
Various defenders of academic philosophy are offended (see, eg Jean Kazez and Daniel Fincke)by the contempt expressed by some for the idea of “Divine Foreknowledge” as a topic of serious philosophical investigation (especially when funded by the “notorious” Templeton Foundation). But while I … Continue reading
Posted in religion
Leave a comment
Is Religion Above the Law?
What intrigues me about this is what appears to be the choice by various Supreme Court justices to use quite naive language to express questions which cannot fail to have occurred to anyone who has really considered this issue at any … Continue reading
Posted in law, religion
Leave a comment
Why do you believe in God?
This series from the New Statesman may (or may not) provide some of the insight I have been looking for into why intelligent decent people can adopt traditional-sounding religious positions. The answers I have been able to get from personal friends … Continue reading
Posted in religion
Leave a comment
Faith, Belief, and Unbelief
John S Wilkins of ‘Evolving Thoughts’ is exploring some definitions to facilitate a discussion of the philosophical landscape around the issues of atheism, agnosticism, theism, and so on. One point I took issue with in his first post was his statement … Continue reading
Posted in religion
2 Comments
Religions, cults and wacos
John S Wilkins’ piece on Religions, cults and wacos reproduces a couple of cartoons from Wiley Miller’s Non Sequitur which make an amusing and important point about the various levels of respect accorded to different words for superstitious belief systems. There … Continue reading
Posted in law, religion, social issues
1 Comment
Creationism at the Royal Society
This would be old news but for the fact that the Royal Society’s president at the time was Martin Rees – who might now be seen by some as finally getting his reward for letting it happen. On the other … Continue reading
New Atheism=The Tea Party?
I do not self-identify as an “atheist” let alone a “new” one and certainly not a wildebeest (with which I only identify in the context of computer software). But having read a bit of what is written by some of … Continue reading
The Sine Qua Non
. . .for inclusion in an interfaith convention is to have a representative to whom one delegates moral authority, be (s)he priest, rabbi, imam, or “secular chaplain”. But that excludes all who reject such immoral authorities whether they be true atheists or … Continue reading
Posted in religion
Leave a comment
Origin of Religion
How Did God Get Started? by Colin Wells in Boston University’s ‘Arion’ magazine gives a part of the story but fails to address some key questions.
Posted in religion
Leave a comment
Value of Religion
The great debate between Tony Blair and Christopher Hitchens was a bit of a bust – with Blair citing the roles of moderate religious leaders in “bringing together” Catholics and Protestants in Northern Ireland (without any acknowledgement of the fact … Continue reading
Posted in religion
Leave a comment
Defining Evolution
When I read the title of this piece (Theologians Lobby Successfully to Change Definition of Evolution | Cosmic Variance | Discover Magazine)I was prepared to get angry. But instead I am embarrassed on behalf of those who are complaining about … Continue reading
Posted in evolution, religion
Leave a comment
“The Belief Instinct”
Jesse Bering’s “The Belief Instinct” is described as an exploration of possible sources of religion in cognitive tendencies towards a sense of being observed even when we have no evidence for it. To support this idea he reportedly both cites … Continue reading
Posted in evolution, psychology, religion
Leave a comment
Muslim Reactions to Violence
What a contrast between this and this!
Confounding
Apparently, religion is no more likely than any other kind of group affiliation to be associated with either charity or emotional well-being. So the argument that religion provides a positive contribution in these areas may like saying that baseball is … Continue reading
Bishop Explains Christmas as Myth
In his annual Christmas message the Rt Rev John Davies, Bishop of the Church in Wales diocese of Swansea and Brecon, complained about atheists timing their contrary message so as to “coincide with two of the church’s greatest festivals, Christmas … Continue reading
Al Sharpton vs Christopher Hitchens
This old debate (which came up when I looked up Al Sharpton in response to Obama’s use of his name in contrast with James Dobson) is quite good, but Hitchens’ failure to take up Sharpton’s (repeated) invitation to raise things … Continue reading
Obama Speech on Religion
This comes from before he was president. But note that (at 2:30 on the tape) he says “politics involves compromise” and perhaps that is being applied also to the very principles advocated in this speech.
The Inheritors of What?
A new book by Eric Kaufmann entitled Shall the Religious Inherit the Earth?: Demography and Politics in the Twenty-First Century is
Posted in biology, religion, sustainability
Leave a comment
The Myth of Separate Magisteria | Big Questions Online
The Myth of Separate Magisteria | Big Questions Online. The main problem (aside from its pretentious name) with Stephen Jay Gould’s concept of “Non-overlapping Magisteria” as a resolution of the “conflict” between science and religion is the fact that many … Continue reading
Posted in religion, science, uncategorized
Leave a comment
Killing Blasphemers on the Peace Train
This is apparently old news, but I was previously unaware of it. I recall being shocked when Cat Stevens was treated as potentially dangerous after his conversion to Islam. Now not so much!