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Randal Rauser

Home of progressively evangelical, generously orthodox, rigorously analytic, revolutionary Christian thinking (that's what I'm aiming for anyway)

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nihilism

“Nihilism is false iff theism is true”: Let’s Discuss

January 13, 2019 by Randal

When people say atheism entails nihilism they're more than likely saying "I'll be really sad if I couldn't believe I'm immortal and will eventually live in paradise." — Counter Apologist (@CounterApologis) January 13, 2019 I like Counter Apologist, but this is akin to saying “When people say ‘God doesn’t exist’ they’re more than likely saying […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: atheism, nihilism, theism

Ungatz: How a Lucky atheist faces his mortality

August 9, 2018 by Randal

“It’s all going to go away … into blackness, the void.” “And what do you do with that?” “What do we do with that?” “You smile…” Harry Dean Stanton was the quintessential actor’s actor and his last film is a fitting final act for a stellar career. (Stanton passed away on September 15, 2017 at the ripe old […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: atheism, Harry Dean Stanton, Lucky, mortality, movie review, nihilism

Dear Christian Apologist, Don’t Cherry-pick Quotes to Make Your Case

January 26, 2018 by Randal

I have my share of frustrations with popular Christian apologetics. I also have my frustrations with popular non-Christian apologetics. Nonetheless, Christianity is my tribe, and thus I see a special responsibility to speak out against bad examples of Christian apologetics. In this article, I’m going to focus on one practice that really frustrates me. I […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: apologetics, atheism, nihilism

Why shouldn’t I just kill myself? A physicist replies

September 28, 2016 by Randal

For many years Krista Tippett’s program “Speaking of Faith” (2003-2010) / “On Being” (2010-today) on NPR has been one of my favorite radio/podcast shows. So it is rather stunning that after writing close to 3000 blog articles I still have never engaged with the show. Well, better late than never. In this 2014 episode Tippett […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: Brian Greene, existentialism, Krista Tippett, nihilism, suicide

Kill some wolves before you die: A review of “The Grey” (Part 2)

February 20, 2012 by Randal

Warning: Spoiler(s) ahead. (Not really bad spoilers as would be the case if I told you that Dr. Malcolm Crowe (Bruce Willis) in “The Sixth Sense” is really a ghost who doesn’t know he’s a ghost. That’d be a wicked spoiler. The “spoilers” here are really nothing more than the untimely revelation of plot points.) […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: atheism, Bertrand Russell, existentialism, Liam Neeson, nihilism, The Grey

The nutcracker that thought he’d stoke the fire and other bad ideas

November 30, 2011 by Randal

“It comes up constantly.  Without a god, without an afterlife, how can life have any meaning?” So says “Bad” of the “Bad Idea Blog” at the beginning of his article “The Meaning of Meaning & Why Theism Can’t Make Life Matter“. Bad doesn’t think this idea is of much worth. Thus he retorts: “Meaning without God?  The question […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: atheism, existentialism, meaning, nihilism, Nutcracker, purpose, theism

Can you see the sun if it doesn’t reflect light?

November 29, 2011 by Randal

John Loftus and I have now completed the manuscript for God or Godless and I can say it was the most fun I ever had writing a book. (And I have fun writing books so that’s saying something.) I also think it may be the most important project I’ve ever worked on. (Admittedly depending on […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: C.S. Lewis, existentialism, God, meaning, nihilism, purpose

Life is a concentration camp, so why are you smiling?

November 23, 2011 by Randal

Few American autuers can boast the kind of reputation enjoyed by Woody Allen. While his films rarely clean up at the suburban Cineplex they are a cherished mainstay at the neighborhood art house. Whatever you think of Woody as a person, his oeuvre speaks for itself. And time and again Woody has explored one particular theme: the […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: existentialism, meaning, nihilism, purpose, Woody Allen

The Meaningless Post or the tyrrany of running a blog

May 10, 2011 by Randal

It has been a busy day. So busy that I have been kept from blogging. This is a bad thing, because in the merciless world of the internet — as in the wider world as any advertising agency will tell you — attention spans are short. Thus, if the side show is interrupted, even for […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: blogging, internet, meaning, nihilism

One Lost Penguin: A Meditation on Werner Herzog’s “Encounters at the End of the World”

February 3, 2011 by Randal

Disclaimer: Blogwise this week I feel like an overworked dad who, forced to balance a busy work schedule while feeding the family when mom’s out of town, has been reduced to providing a steady diet of Kraft Mac ‘n’ Cheese. Perhaps sufficient to fill the stomach, but not as much time for preparation and presentation […]

Filed Under: The Tentative Apologist Tagged With: atheism, Encounters at the End of the World, existentialism, nihilism, Werner Herzog

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