Randal Rauser

Tag: plausibility structure

Plausible Christianity in the metalcore community

Posted on 10/16/12 15 Comments

In my previous article I pointed out the oft-neglected role of plausibility frameworks in apologetics. Insofar as the apologist is concerned to present his/her worldview winsomely, it becomes very important that he/she labor to make that worldview a live option for belief. Though I speak with valid arguments and persuasive evidence, and have not plausibility, [...]

Apologetics as argument, ethic and culture

Posted on 10/15/12 16 Comments

Imagine that Mormon missionaries come to the door of an irascible Christian. “Let us tell you about the community started by Joseph Smith!” they say. Irascible looks back skeptically and replies, “Actually, why don’t we talk about the evidence that Mormonism is false. Like the erroneous Mormon claim that the historic Christian faith disappeared after [...]

The Naturalism Narrative

Posted on 07/14/12 10 Comments

This morning I was reading the blog of Paul Krugman, one of the few economists that I read as much as I can (which, alas, is not as much as I should). In the article, titled “No Bain, No Gain,” Krugman offers a response to those who say Barack Obama should focus on criticizing Mitt [...]

Are Christian apologists just clowning around?

Posted on 03/15/12 62 Comments

The clown is preparing for his evening act at the circus. He puts on the ridiculous polka dot body suit. Next he slips his giant rubber feet into place and pulls on his red wig. Carefully he applies the colorful makeup to his features. Then, just as he pops on the big red clown nose, he notices [...]

David MacMillan on the incredulity of atheists and theists

Posted on 03/01/12 175 Comments

David MacMillan (aka davidstarlingm) sent me a long response he had written to The Atheist Missionary regarding the mutual incredulity that Christians and atheists have toward one another. Given the length an provocative content, I decided to treat it as a guest post. I have included David’s text below and then offered a quick response [...]

One of these causes is not like the others: Getting behind the personal incredulity of ‘skeptics’

Posted on 02/24/12 58 Comments

Why is it, I wondered, that the minute you point out that agent casuation is a perfectly familiar concept (it provides a fine explanation of the sentence you’re reading, for example) and then add that it is thus in principle a concept worth considering as an explanation of the universe’s existence, some people make the leap [...]

God vs. the flying spaghetti monster at the Society of Edmonton Atheists (Part 1)

Posted on 11/04/11 29 Comments

On the evening of November 1 I was pleased once again to share an evening with the motley crew at the Society of Edmonton Atheists. My topic for the evening was “What hath God to do with the flying spaghetti monster?” I spent the first section of the talk summarizing a range of entities that [...]

The problem of uncool Christianity

Posted on 04/12/11 14 Comments

Apologists are those who want to convert you to a particular view, whether it be Christianity, atheism, capitalism, democracy, or anything else. Very often the assumption is that the apologist should focus on reasoned arguments for one’s view. And of course that is indeed a part of what they should be concerned with. But the [...]