Hector Avalos: "In Praise of Biblical Illiteracy"
It was a featured article seen on The Bible and Interpretation.
Labels:
"Avalos"
Bible Contradiction Quiz Show
This is some funny stuff and includes a few extra brilliant jabs in the middle. Enjoy.
Has Noah's Ark Been Found?
Nope, I don't think so. Even despite this new claim, and even though it was reported by Fox News (Oh my!). Why? Because of what I wrote here, and because of what Ed Babinski wrote here. Any other questions?
How To Properly Review a Book: A Guide for Bloggers
Let me offer some advice on how to properly review an argumentative type book on your blogs and/or on Amazon. It's annoying that so many people don't know how to do it right.
NBC's Dateline: "What Were You Thinking?"
We human beings are woefully inadequate at rational thinking, as this excellent program shows starring one of my skeptical heroes, Michael Shermer. This report offers overwhelming evidence for my Outsider Test for Faith, since it shows we are gullible social creatures who conform our actions and beliefs to our social grouping. Enjoy.
Christians, Pray For the Death of President Obama. Why Not?
Hell, 24% of Republicans think President Obama is the Anti-Christ, so why wouldn't Christians pray for his death? And true to form over one million of them are doing so, according to this Facebook page. Christian, why haven't you joined in yet? You think it's not biblical? Think again. Ever hear of the imprecatory Psalms in the Bible? Doing so is Biblical, you see. So choose: either follow the Bible and pray for his death, or reject the Bible. Oh, I know, these Christians are just idiots--more than a million of them--right? No, the Bible is barbaric and your God was a poor communicator if he wanted them to think differently. Calling for prayers like this could inspire some idiot to try to kill him. Christians who do this ought to be ashamed of themselves, especially if this happens. But these Christians really want him to die, don't they?
Twisted Faith: A Case Study in Why Skepticism is a Virtue
Here is an interesting NBC Dateline story about the dangers of faith based reasoning and the virtues of skepticism. Faith can be twisted by feeble human minds into believing what they want to believe against their own consciences. It's a tragic but important story. Think you are immune believer? Think twice if you have the faith these believers had.
Why Should Believers Take the OTF? Because Control Beliefs Control.
Richard Dawkins provides a great example of how control beliefs control how believers see the evidence. They are indoctrinated (or brainwashed) to believe from birth and that's it. Watch him below:
The "Look Inside the Book" Feature For TCD is Now Activated
Check it out by following this link: The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails
. Use this feature as an online index for the book itself. Just type a word, a name, or a phrase in the "search inside the book" box to find the pages where they are used in the text.
. Use this feature as an online index for the book itself. Just type a word, a name, or a phrase in the "search inside the book" box to find the pages where they are used in the text.
The Smear Campaign Has Begun
Yep, that's what some Christians do with a book they cannot legitimately answer. They will try to negatively smear it or it's authors. And the campaign has begun against The Christian Delusion.
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A Brief Review Of "The Loftus Delusion" Book
I’m honored that some college professors use my book Why I Became an Atheist (WIBA) in their college classes, like Dan Lambert at John Brown University, and Richard Knopp at Lincoln Christian University, as I mentioned earlier. I’m also honored that David Reuben Stone has decided to write a book against WIBA, called The Loftus Delusion
. While I do not like the title of the book, which is misleading for a few reasons, including the fact that Stone does not deal at all with my most recent book, The Christian Delusion (TCD), Stone's book is a respectfully written one. But anyone who reads Jason Long’s chapter in TCD will see quite plainly what Stone is doing. He’s doing his best to gerrymander around my arguments in typical political redistricting fashion in order to maintain his faith. It’s a wonderful case study in cognitive dissonance reduction. Let me explain by briefly commenting on his book, which he graciously sent me.
. While I do not like the title of the book, which is misleading for a few reasons, including the fact that Stone does not deal at all with my most recent book, The Christian Delusion (TCD), Stone's book is a respectfully written one. But anyone who reads Jason Long’s chapter in TCD will see quite plainly what Stone is doing. He’s doing his best to gerrymander around my arguments in typical political redistricting fashion in order to maintain his faith. It’s a wonderful case study in cognitive dissonance reduction. Let me explain by briefly commenting on his book, which he graciously sent me.
More About "The Christian Delusion" Book
In case you want to know more about TCD check this review out.
Antony Flew, 1923–2010, A Tribute by Kenneth Grubbs
There is little hope of ever reconciling the Antony Flew of 87 years with the Antony Flew of 27 years. Did he change his mind, or did his mind change him? History will record Antony Flew as a deist; Annis Flew confirmed that for us all. History, I fear, becomes an unwitting conspirator, forever defiled. With so many varied aspects to this story, it is easy to forget that which matters most. Antony Garrard Newton Flew, philosopher, professor, author, atheist pioneer, and devoted husband, is now gone. For more than 60 years this thinker, this man of great intellect, marched to a different drum and followed the argument. We owe him much. Link
Joseph Lewis, a Pioneering American Freethinker
Joseph Lewis was a pioneering American freethinker. His excellent 1946 book, The Ten Commandments, appeared a decade before Cecil B. DeMille's movie by the same title, starring Charlton Heston, which, if people had read it would laugh at seeing the movie. Lewis's 1954 pamphlet, An Atheist Manifesto, is something I think should be updated and printed again, which is reminiscent of the so-called New Atheists (see below).
The Christian and Certainty: A Psychological Malaise
There is no reasonable way a Christian can be certain of his or her faith. And yet in a recent post we see many believers claim this to be the case. It's a psychological malaise, as Valerie Tarico shows in The Christian Delusion. You can see some of what she argues for in that book here, and also here.
. You can see some of what she argues for in that book here, and also here.
Christianity Behind the Veil of Ignorance
Let's test the Bible and the history of the church with the Veil of Ignorance proposed by John Rawls. There is no discernible divine mind behind the human authors of the Bible or the church. It just looks exactly like what we would expect if they are human creations in their respective historical time periods. Behind the veil of ignorance tell me what you would expect from the Bible and the church if there was a divine mind behind them. Remember, you are behind a veil of ignorance. You cannot consciously try to argue that what we've seen is what we should expect to find unless that is truly what you would expect. Cognitive dissonance reduction sets in at this point and some believers might even refuse to do this, but it's a very simple thought experiment. What would you expect to find?
Notes of Interest About "The Christian Delusion" Book
Luke from Common Sense Atheism was interviewed on Inside the Atheist Studio, and toward the last fifth of it said some nice things about The Christian Delusion. He also interviewed me about my book for his podcast Conversations From the Pale Blue Dot which should appear sometime soon. Lastly, Jason Berggren criticizes this book without first reading it. That's interesting to me. I wonder if his tune will change after doing so?
Richard Carrier Reviews Our Book, "The Christian Delusion"
John and I wanted this book to be conclusive, every chapter its own tour de force on each topic. And we achieved that goal. The book is superb. Every chapter is fantastic, some more than others, but all are great. It doesn't cover every subject it could have, but the subjects it does cover, it covers thoroughly, leaving nowhere left to run. It's all readable (nothing will be above anyone's head). Much of it will even be fresh and new to you (and that's saying something).To read his whole review click here.
Most of all, taken together, its fifteen chapters are sufficient to establish that Christianity is a delusion. The Christian religion is so manifestly contrary to the facts, belief in it can only be held with the most delusional gerrymandering imaginable. That's a bold statement. I wouldn't have made it myself before reading this book, but now that I have seen it all in one place, I am forced to agree.
The London Times Literary Supplement Mentioned My Book, WIBA
See here. The text can be found by clicking here. Thanks to DSL in the first comment below.
I Have Two Fleas Now!
Both are self-published books. The first book was given to me, while the second book looks strange: 1) The Anti-Supernatural Bias Of Ex-Christians
and 2) The Loftus Delusion. The second book could not possibly be a response to my recently released book, The Christian Delusion. Wooooooo! Hoooooooo!
and 2) The Loftus Delusion. The second book could not possibly be a response to my recently released book, The Christian Delusion. Wooooooo! Hoooooooo!
An Excellent Debunking Christianity Blog
Check out my good friend Ken Pulliam's Blog Why I De-Converted From Evangelical Christianity. Next to DC there isn't anything like it on the internet at the present time. He came out of the closet a few months ago and he hit the ground running. He's a reading machine, posting something substantive nearly every day. At the present time he's doing an in-depth review of my book The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails.
How to Help Promote "The Christian Delusion" Book
Let's say you have this new book and you like it very much. How can you help promote it? Here are some suggestions:
"The Christian Delusion" Broke the 500th Mark on Amazon
You'll just have to forgive me here but I'm very excited. The anthology The Christian Delusion: Why Faith Fails, just broke the 500th mark in its debut on Amazon:
just broke the 500th mark in its debut on Amazon:
My Interview on Freethought Radio Is Now Online
You can listen to my interview about halfway into the show. Enjoy.
My Interview on CTV News: The Pope Should Step Down and Allow a Full Investigation
I'm interviewed about the sex scandals surrounding the Catholic Church and Pope Benedict. Watch it here.
An author and former Protestant minister says that if the Pope really cared about the church, he would do what is necessary to show investigators the full extent of the abuse that took place within the Catholic church.
On a Scale of 1-100 How Certain Are You That Jesus Arose?
Christian, on a scale of 1-100 how certain are you that Jesus bodily arose from the dead? Let's say that your own existence is a 100, that there is gravity stands at 99. On the other end let's say that the existence of the elves of Iceland merits a 1. How certain are you Jesus arose from the dead on such a scale?
Sex, Sex, Sex...Issues
Taking as his cue something I wrote called God, Sex, and the Orgasm, a nice video was made of one of my points. Watch it below:
Labels:
"sex"
Tom Flynn's Review of My Book, "Why I Became an Atheist"
Doubting Christians beginning to doubt will find this book a juggernaut....If you seek an encyclopedic compendium of arguments against almost any imaginable defense of the Christian faith, this is your book....[T]he reader seeking a comprehensive disproof of Christianity as contemporary evangelicals defend it can do little better than to consult this volume. Free Inquiry April/ May 2010
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