If the soul doesn’t exist, then the mind is just matter, a sort of sophisticated computer. If that’s the case, we’d be lead to the absurd possibility (even likelihood) that the universe doesn’t really exist, but is just a computer simulation. Here’s why that argument is surprisingly popular right now (even being debated at the American Museum of Natural History), and three reasons where is – and all materialism – goes wrong.
Tag: science
Are Gay Marriage Opponents “Born This Way”?
One predictive factor in opposition to gay marriage — and even opposition to homosexuals themselves — is genetics. Certain people are more naturally averse to homosexuals and homosexual behavior than others. This means that, if it’s wrong to oppose homosexuality because certain people are “born that way,” then it’s even worse to oppose “homophobia,” since even more people are “born that way,” and the genetic link is stronger.
Neil deGrasse Tyson’s (Unwittingly) Ironic Trolling
Neil deGrasse Tyson, host of the popular Cosmos show, spent Christmas morning on Twitter, mocking Christians: On this day long ago, a child was born who, by age 30, would transform the world. Happy Birthday Isaac Newton b. Dec 25, 1642— Neil deGrasse Tyson (@neiltyson) December 25, 2014 Merry Christmas to all. A Pagan holiday (BC)… Continue reading Neil deGrasse Tyson’s (Unwittingly) Ironic Trolling
Nothing’s the Matter with Atheistic Materialism
The central problem with atheistic materialism is nothing, really. Metaphysical nothing, to be exact. The Solar System (not to scale) Any worldview, including atheism, should be able to give some sort of coherent answer to the rudimentary question of why the universe exists. I don’t mean “why does this universe exist rather than another?” I… Continue reading Nothing’s the Matter with Atheistic Materialism
Just How Effective is Natural Family Planning, Anyway?
One of the major arguments surrounding natural family planning is on its effectiveness. Critics of NFP claim isn’t all that effective at family planning. In part, this misconception is due to two things: Charles Auguste Romain Lobbedez, Family Time (1876) that, despite its name, it There are a wide variety of practices thrown together under… Continue reading Just How Effective is Natural Family Planning, Anyway?
The Chicken-and-Egg Problem for Abortion
A chick beginning to hatch You’re likely familiar with the philosophical problem, “which came first, the chicken or the egg?” But I want to pose a different sort of chicken-or-egg question for those abortion supporters who claim things like “My Body, My Choice.” In the case of non-mammals like chickens, fertilized eggs develop outside of… Continue reading The Chicken-and-Egg Problem for Abortion
The Single Best Argument Against Philosophical Materialism?
Robert Ritchie, commenting on Wednesday’s post refuting philosophical materialism, raised another important line of argumentation: that we can see that philosophical materialism is false because of “the reliability of our cognitive functions.” Ritchie described the argument as “exceedingly powerful,” and “for my money, is the best single argument against materialism.” I’ll let you be the judge… Continue reading The Single Best Argument Against Philosophical Materialism?
Does the Immaterial Exist?
One of the most common arguments from atheists is that matter is all that there is, and that the immaterial (God, angels, the human soul, etc.) simply doesn’t exist. This position is generally called “philosophical materialism,” although that term encompasses a number of distinct positions. In any case, here’s one of the clearest presentations of… Continue reading Does the Immaterial Exist?
Science v. Religion on When Life Begins
One of the looming questions in the abortion debate relates to when human life begins. From a scientific perspective, this question has been solved for centuries, thanks in part to the work of a seventeenth-century Italian scientist by the name of Francesco Redi. And it’s left the opponents of the scientific view appealing lamely to outdated… Continue reading Science v. Religion on When Life Begins
Misunderstanding God: Where Atheists Go Wrong in Opposing Christianity
A post I wrote last week on Catholicism and atheism received over 200,000 views and (as of this writing) over 900 comments. Most of these were negative, but they were helpful in showing the areas that many atheists go awry in their opposition to religion. I’m hardly the first to notice that the same errors get… Continue reading Misunderstanding God: Where Atheists Go Wrong in Opposing Christianity