Category Archives: Naturalism

What Lies at the Dark Heart of Atheism?

Posted on October 24, 2013 by Dwight

Once God is extinct, claimed one of Dostoyevsky’s characters in The Brothers Karamazov, everything is permitted. And this is a common theist mantra. What unfathomable perversion lies at the dark heart of atheism? My answer: nothing more salacious than loyalty … Continue reading →

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Disembodied intelligence and the natural worldview

Posted on June 3, 2012 by Dwight

Roughly speaking, there are two ways of looking at the “big picture” of life, two basic worldviews—which we commonly call the natural and the supernatural. At first glance the difference seems clear. One says everything that exists is natural, the other … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheology, Naturalism, Supernaturalism | 3 Comments

Billy Graham on Atheism

Posted on June 15, 2011 by Dwight

Atheism is often misunderstood by the religious—which is not surprising given how foreign disbelief is to the theistic outlook. A recent but typical example comes from longtime evangelist (and “spiritual advisor” to several U. S. Presidents) Billy Graham, Jr. Many … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheist Culture, Atheology, Naturalism | 14 Comments

Fixing Classical Arguments

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Dwight

In my last post, I wrote about how the premises of classical deductive arguments could be construed as either statements of logical definition or of observed fact. I argued that philosophers often confound the two and, as a result, either … Continue reading →

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God and Other Minds

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Dwight

Theists like to point out that we can never prove that others (besides ourselves) have minds. The person sitting in the chair next to me may be carrying on quite a lively conversation—but how can I be sure there’s really … Continue reading →

Posted in Faith & Reason, Naturalism, Theologians | 3 Comments

Atheism and Common Sense

Posted on March 26, 2011 by Dwight

Theists often think of atheists—especially new atheists—as people who take an extreme position by closing their eyes to the obvious existence of God. In fact, atheism is eyes wide open. The atheist turns off the tv show, stops the movie, … Continue reading →

Posted in Naturalism, Non-Existence Arguments | 10 Comments

Let’s Make a Deal

Posted on June 27, 2010 by Dwight

I’m a fan of Michael Shermer, a prominent atheist and skeptic who writes a column on skepticism for Scientific American. But in an article entitled “How Randomness Rules Our World and Why We Cannot See It” he has fallen for … Continue reading →

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Cosmological Arguments

Posted on June 24, 2010 by Dwight

The Cosmological Argument is perhaps the classic argument for the existence of a God. Thomas Aquinas included it in his famous Five Ways, although over the years his argument has been constantly refashioned. It lives on in several distinct versions. I bring … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Reviews, Cosmological, Existence Arguments, Naturalism, Non-Existence Arguments | 3 Comments

Why atheism?

Posted on November 11, 2007 by Dwight

Why am I an atheist? Since atheism is still a somewhat unusual point of view, let me be candid about why I believe no God exists. Before proceeding, it is important to define God — otherwise no coherent discussion is … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles Highlighted, Naturalism, Non-Existence Arguments | 13 Comments

Naturalism’s Touchstone Proposition

Posted on August 6, 2007 by Dwight

In his book, Faith & Reason, Ronald Nash introduced what he calls Christianity’s “touchstone proposition.” A touchstone proposition, Nash explained, is the “control-belief or ultimate presupposition” that encapsulates the “fundamental truth ” of a worldview. [p. 46] Nash followed with … Continue reading →

Posted in Articles Highlighted, Naturalism, Theologians | 6 Comments