Theists often claim that atheism cannot support an objective view of morality. In this video, I challenge that conventional wisdom and explain how atheism can support both objective morality and an objectively meaningful life. ?
metaethics
Morals, God, and Other Absolutes
Part Three of my continuing conversation with Eric Murphy. This is a good one, folks!
What’s wrong with the scientific study of morality? An interview with Paul Rezkalla
Paul Rezkalla has an MA in Philosophy and Ethics from the University of Birmingham and an MA in theology from St. John’s University. He is currently working on a PhD in philosophy at Florida State University (with the esteemed Michael Ruse) and an MSc in cognitive and evolutionary anthropology from Oxford University. In this conversation, […]
My Response to the Pinecreek-Doug-Dilemma
In “A street apologist puts me in my place” I provide a link to an extended critique of my critique of Bill Craig, courtesy of Pinecreek Doug. I’m laboring under some work deadlines at the moment so I asked my readers to view Pinecreek Doug’s extended critique and summarize the gist for me. Bilbo wrote […]
God and Moral Obligation: A Review
C. Stephen Evans. God and Moral Obligation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. John Rabe was a German businessman working in Nanjing, China in 1937 when it became clear that the advancing Japanese army was soon to overrun the city. Given the notorious reputation of the Japanese for brutality, the obvious course of action beckoned: flee the war-torn country by retreating […]
If There Is No God, Then Everything Is Permitted: A Reader’s Journey Through God or Godless (Part 5)
In the third debate in God or Godless Loftus and I talk about moral value and moral accountability. The title is borrowed from Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov so that what it lacks in precision it makes up for in literary and historical significance. My opening statement recounts a serial killer entering retirement after a successful “career” […]
68. Justin Schieber on knowledge, God and morality
This is the second installment of my interview with Justin Schieber in which we debrief our March 7th debate on God’s existence and our March 8th dialogue on belief and doubt. (If you haven’t listened to part 1 yet, you can do so here.) In part 2 of the conversation we conclude the topic of proper […]
God and Morality? “WIBA”: A Review (Part 14)
This is part 14 of my review of John Loftus’ Why I Became an Atheist. For part 13 click here. Loftus begins the chapter “Does Morality Come From God?” with the following assertion: “Christians claim their moral foundation is superior to others in that their faith provides the only sufficient standard for morality.” (103) To […]
Has morality been hijacked by religion?
In the discussion thread to my article “Canadian war criminals?” Jason Thibodeau opined that human beings fail to reason well about morality in part because “morality has been hijacked by religion, apparently for as long as civilization has existed.” He explained further: “The vast majority of people think that there is some kind of essential […]
Reciprocal Altruism: an adequate basis for moral action?
In my article “For Jesus and Angels? The off-putting side of Christian hospitality” I explore the grounds for hospitality within two biblical passages. The Atheist Missionary responded to the discussion as follows: “I’ll give you a much easier underlying explanation/justification/motivation for hospitality and it has nothing to do with Jesus or the Bible. 2 words: […]
39. Matthew Flannagan on God, ethics, and divine commands
Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied. Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.” Genesis 22:1-2. People of faith have wrestled with the ethics of the […]
Randal talks with the Counter Apologist
Yesterday I had a talk with Counter Apologist which ranged over several topics early on but quickly focused on the topic of metaethics. CA blogs about it here. And you can watch it below. (But be warned: due to technical difficulties the entire video consists of my ugly mug.)
The Problem of the Faulty Moral Perception Faculty
Many Christians apparently believe that an act like killing and mutilating a child as a devotional act toward a deity can be morally virtuous (i.e. if God commands it, and God can command it because he has commanded it) but raping a child as a devotional act to a deity cannot (because God never would […]
The Inherent Value of Human Beings: A Response to Stephen Maitzen
A couple weeks ago philosopher Stephen Maitzen left three comments to my article “Must existence be everlasting to be meaningful?” Over the week that followed I offered extensive critical engagement with Maitzen’s position. In this post and the next I’m going to circle back to the questions/comments themselves and engage them in two steps. In this article I’ll […]
