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 […]
nihilism
Ungatz: How a Lucky atheist faces his mortality
“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 […]
Dear Christian Apologist, Don’t Cherry-pick Quotes to Make Your Case
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 […]
Why shouldn’t I just kill myself? A physicist replies
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 […]
Kill some wolves before you die: A review of “The Grey” (Part 2)
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.) […]
The nutcracker that thought he’d stoke the fire and other bad ideas
“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 […]
Can you see the sun if it doesn’t reflect light?
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 […]
Life is a concentration camp, so why are you smiling?
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 […]
The Meaningless Post or the tyrrany of running a blog
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 […]
One Lost Penguin: A Meditation on Werner Herzog’s “Encounters at the End of the World”
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 […]
