---

 

Is Atheism a Religion?

At first, the claim that atheism is a religion might sound ridiculous. It certainly can be a surprising claim. And it’s one that many people, including western atheists, might initially dismiss out of hand. But there’s more to the story here. There is a case to be made that, in a very real sense, atheism is a religion.   A Word About Words Words mean what people use them to mean. So whether atheism counts as a religion will depend on how you use the term “atheism” and how you use the... Read More

Who Has the Burden of Proof When Discussing God?

The subject of who has the burden of proof frequently comes up in discussions between Christians and atheists. Both parties sometimes try to put the burden of proof on the other. At times, Christians claim that atheists have the burden of proof. At times, atheists claim that Christians have the burden of proof. Somewhat surprisingly, both parties are sometimes right . . . and sometimes wrong.   The Burden of Proof The basic idea of the “burden of proof” is that a particular party has an... Read More

Toward a Better Science/Religion Venn Diagram: Responding to Chana Messinger

  EDITOR'S NOTE: Today's post is in response to yesterday's from atheist blogger Chana Messinger titled I Need a Better Science/Religion Venn Diagram. Be sure to read that one first.   I would like to thank Chana Messinger for her thoughtful and gracious reply to my piece on the need for caution in using the Big Bang to argue for God’s existence. Here I will offer a few thoughts in response, though I should say up front that I’m not familiar enough with Messinger’s thought to be... Read More

What Is the Difference Between Creation, Evolution, and Intelligent Design?

What's the difference between creation, evolution, and intelligent design?   Creationism, Evolutionism, and Intelligent Design are three of the major positions on the question of how we got here. What’s the difference between these positions? That seemingly straightforward question proves surprisingly controversial. Let’s take a look at it . . .   The Basic Question The basic question at issue in the contemporary origins debate is whether or not the world was created. It could be tempting... Read More

Why We Should Be Cautious Using the Big Bang Argument

Since it was proposed by Fr. Georges Lemaître, the Big Bang has been common in discussions of the existence of God. The reasons are obvious. The Big Bang looks like a plausible beginning for the physical universe. Things that begin need causes. The beginning of the physical universe would need a cause, which would seem to lie outside the physical universe. This coheres well with the Christian claim that God is a non-physical being who created the physical universe. The argument has been elaborated... Read More

Are You Smarter Than an Atheist?

Are you smarter than an atheist? I am, at least according to a quiz put out by the Pew Forum on Religious and Public Life. The quiz has 32 questions, of which atheists in America got an average of 20.9 questions right. American Jews got 20.5, American Mormons 20.3, American Protestants 16.0, and American Catholics 14.7. I got all of them, but that’s nothing special since this is the field I work in professionally. I’m expected to know my own field. Give me a comparable quiz on another topic... Read More

« Previous Page