February 2012
24 posts
7 tags
WatchIdeal Rationality
In one of my favorite talks from Chicago Skepticamp a few weeks ago Ivan Phillips talks about how we think, how we ought to think and communicating this message to the public in this 15 minute talk followed by a brief Q&A.
5 tags
“Whenever we propose a solution to a problem, we ought to try as hard as we can...”
– Karl Popper - philosopher of science on the nature of rational discussion that we should try to live up to from his book The Logic of Scientific Discovery
7 tags
5 tags
We All Make Assumptions Part 2
*Part 1 - an explanation of my epistemology
Is there a real difference between the assumptions made by atheists like myself and Christians who accept Van Tillian presuppositionalism? One might argue that ultimately all epistemologies have to start with some assumptions so one is just as circular as another. This, I believe, could hardly be more incorrect. Suppose I begin my search for knowledge...
4 tags
Daniel Loxton - Tribal Skepticism? →
…The truth is that self-identified skeptics are not so terribly good at critical or scientific thinking. There’s little shame in that; nobody is all that good at those things. Nor, on the other hand, are paranormal “believers” all that terribly bad. Regardless of our intellectual commitments, regardless of our investments in this or that ideology or belief, humans everywhere are...
5 tags
We All Make Assumptions Part 1
How do we know what’s real? What counts as evidence? Philosophers have been asking these questions for thousands of years and since none were available I’ve been asked to explain how I answer these questions. There are certain assumptions that underlie my epistemology, as they are with all epistemologies, but I was particularly asked how mine differ or are less circular than the...
4 tags
“You may believe through faith [a] completely beneficial thing but if it’s...”
– JT Eberhard - on the problem of justifying beliefs through faith
7 tags
5 tags
“When I read the bible I found that God in His infinite wisdom couldn’t...”
– Robert G. Ingersoll - from his speech The Religion of Our Day
4 tags
Don't Hide the Children or Hug Some Kittens
We all know the false dichotomy between being an intentionally offensive anti-theist and a pushover accommodationalist is as cliche as the skeptic who asks “Do you know what they call alternative medicine that works?” and I won’t rehash that tired story here. However a few recent discussions about tone from skeptics and believers alike have me thinking that again we are going...
7 tags
“If there is anything that defines alternative, complementary, integrative...”
– Steven Novella - clinical neurologist, co-founder of the New England Skeptical Society and host of The Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe on alternative medicine
6 tags
Anonymous asked: Many are confused about what the mandate actually states. Religiously affliliated organizations would not be forced to directly give contraceptives/bith control. They would just have to cover it in the insurance plans of their employees. Employees can go to other places to receive assistance. It doesn't make sense that women don't have control of their reproductive health rights due to...
7 tags
4 tags
7 tags
Anonymous asked: It's very simple. It's called the 1st amendment. Non-negotiable. FREEDOM OF RELIGION. and Separation of Church and State. We have a Constitution for a reason. This is not a Totalitarian dictatorship although the floppy eared jackass thinks he can make it that way. He can't. This will cost him 2012. No potus has been elected without Catholic Swing voters. This is exactly why the...
5 tags
10 tags
6 tags
7 tags
When is One Theology Superior to Others?
Every so often, amidst political correctness and legitimate concerns about religious freedom, everyone can fail to even acknowledge what should be at the heart of the public debate. If you follow U.S. politics you have no doubt heard the public dispute over the Obama administration’s decision to make religious affiliated employers cover contraception. This has caused an uproar about Catholic...
2 tags
6 tags
Anonymous asked: Is astral projection possible?
3 tags
Anonymous asked: What do you say to people when they say that atheists must have no purpose in life, as they see no reason to be moral and see life as meaningless? Generally, I'm just so annoyed that I walk away.
6 tags
“The heavy-lidded satisfaction that marks the graduate of seminary, madrassa, or...”
– Michael and Ellen Kaplan - on theology as motivated reasoning from their book Bozo Sapiens
2 tags
Coming Out Atheist... Again & Again
Like any cliche story this one begins with running into a childhood friend. Let’s call him James. James and I were very close friends as children and eventually ended up attending the same college despite falling out of touch many years ago. Short story long I run into him yesterday and not surprisingly he mentions music he is making, which I already know happens to be gospel, and mentions...