Walter wrote: “I know that Randal considers this argument to be a Ferrari, but I would classify it as a Yugo: the engine runs, the car moves, but it is still a piece of crap.” Walter knows of Yugos that are still running? Seriously? (A brief aside. First, Walter’s saucy “piece of crap” quip reminds me […]
evidence
The last argument you’ll ever need?
I just returned from driving the Ontological Argument to the airport when I found the following comment from Jerry: Walter, and then TAM, posted a link to a counterargument to the ontological argument. I didn’t read it all, but I did notice the following: Plantinga writes: “Our verdict on these reformulated versions of St. Anselm’s […]
Is it better to affirm a truth for the wrong reasons than to deny it for the right ones?
Another golden oldie from my 2009 CP blog: *** An acquaintance of mine, Stephen M. Wagner, sent me the following question: “is it better to believe something true through indoctrination and rhetoric or to believe something false through reflection and argument?” While it is a great question, let me put it in my own words, […]
Should we believe the universe exists?
TAM quoted Jerry Coyne as asking “what conceivable observation about the universe could convince you that God does not exist?” I responded by attempting to draw out the principles lying behind Coyne’s question. And I came up with the following: (a) If there are no conceivable observations of the universe that could convince you that […]
Richard Dawkins’ foolish advice to his daughter
Thanks to Beetle for linking us to Richard Dawkins’ advice to his then ten year old daughter. I call it foolish because any advice that is self-referentially defeating is foolish. First, Dawkins tells his daughter: “Something that you learn by direct seeing (or hearing or feeling…) is called an observation. Often evidence isn’t just observation […]
Petitionary prayer and the final hours of a Skoal hockey puck
Robert offered the following response to my delightful expostulation on a Bible being so inspired you can’t tell it’s inspired: “And intercessory prayer is so effective it’s effectiveness can’t be tested to have a measurable effect on our world.” Robert then added an explanatory notation for his statement. That qualification is helpful. But I’m going […]
Does extraordinary uncleanliness require extraordinary soap?
Once again the claim has surfaced: “extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.” And once again I have had to shoot it down. Now what could be the problem with a principle so symmetrically reasonable? Grey days produce grey moods. Cold weather requires a cold weather jacket. Why wouldn’t extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence? The problem starts […]
“To the rational mind, nothing is inexplicable; only unexplained.”
Ray Ingles provided this quote from “The Doctor” in my post “On Taking an Objective Approach to Inexplicable Events“. This is an interesting claim. It first begs interpretation. I take there to be the following two basic possibilities: (1) The rational person believes that every object, event or state of affairs has some explanation for why it […]
Naturalism and the ole’ swimming hole
Picture yourself taking your kids to the community pool with your favorite yellow inner tube when your friend retorts: “Community pool? That’s disgusting! Do you know what they have in that water? Crap and pee and barf, all floating around in particles too small to see.” Taken aback at this rather bold affront, you ask your friend: “So […]
