Essentialism

For as long as people have had the cognizance to ask anything, they have asked themselves and each other, “What’s the meaning of life?” If we’re here, we had ought to have some purpose. We should have a telos. People are always looking for meaning in things, so it makes sense that they would alsoContinue

Is Atheism A Belief?

Is atheism a belief? Many atheists attempt to make the case that atheism is not a religion, and that it is not based on faith. Those two points I agree with. Right away, however, they state, “Atheism is not a belief. It is a simple absence of belief.” I disagree; atheism is a belief. ToContinue

Philosophy of Religion: A Few Collected Thoughts

I like it when I agree with theistic arguments!  It makes me say, in the words of my Philosophy of Religion professor, Prof. Geirsson, “Now we’re talking!”  So I appreciate Mavrodess’s reiteration of Aquinas’s debunking of the square circle “paradox.”  It’s not a real paradox at all, just a linguistic illusion.  Mavrodes then turns hisContinue

A Personal God: What’s The Harm?

Knowing that I’m an atheist, someone asked me, “What’s the harm in believing in God if he’s true to me?” (I guess that the “true to me” part should be addressed from some sort of pragmatic stance and not as a literal truth claim.) What is the harm indeed? We can say that there isContinue

Why An Atheist Should Study Religion

I’m one of the few openly atheistic people in this bucolic little corner of Iowa. I’m also one of the few openly educated people in this rustic piece of America’s heartland. For whatever reason, some of my fellow citizen around here have asked me questions like, “Why do you read about religion if you’re anContinue