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Bill Schultz

Bill Schultz

A Formal Justification of Agnosticism (2001)

This essay was written by a self-described agnostic as a response to those individuals who define in a broad sense, such that anyone who is not a theist is automatically an atheist. Schultz argues that the rules of inference from Classical logic (meaning the logic as defined by Principia Mathematica by Whitehead and Russell) cannot be used in discourse about unexperienced truth values. Schultz concludes, accordingly, that agnosticism "is, in fact, the only valid choice in such circumstances under the rules of inference applicable to discourse based upon the evaluation of hypothetical (unexperienced) data."

On A New Argument for Agnosticism (2001) by Michael Martin

Martin argues that Schultz misunderstands atheistic arguments and that his argument for agnosticism is weak.

At the Intersection of "Metaphysical Naturalism" and "Intelligent Design" (1999)

It is that the "argument to design" and the other "intelligent design" arguments do not in any way support any assertion of the existence of some supernatural deity. If an atheist willingly suspends his or her disbelief, and totally accepts all of the factual assertions in support of these design arguments, that would not turn the atheist into a theist. The reason this is true is because no provable fact regarding the alleged "intelligent design" of our universe requires any supernatural phenomena to have occurred in order for that fact to be true. Instead, as I shall clearly show, it is entirely consistent with what we currently know about our universe for some external but natural intelligence to have "designed" our universe to be what it is. Such intelligence would be mighty indeed, but it would still be just another powerful alien, or a group of such aliens, and not in any way a god or gods.

The Essence Of Agnosticism (1996)

Using the writings of T.H. Huxley, Schultz argues that epistemology lies at the heart of agnosticism.

Is God A Criminal? (2001)

Schultz defends a moral argument for the nonexistence of the Judeo-Christian god by summarizing a fictional trial of God on charges of crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.

O'Hair vs. Huxley - A Totally Misdirected Attack (1999)

The O'Hair essay is, unfortunately, just the "tip of the iceberg" of anti-agnostic bigotry among the most "fundamentalist" of atheists. In this essay, I've hopefully shown that this bigotry is based on a total misunderstanding of how the word "agnostic" came to be invented, and what that word was origionally intended to mean. It's an unfortunate fact of life that other people will frequently twist our words to mean things they were never intended to mean.

Secular Wedding Ceremonies (1999)

Schultz describes the options available to nontheists who desire to have a secular wedding ceremony.


Bill Schultz is one of the original "Internet Infidels." He is founder of the Agnostic Church.


Published on the Secular Web


Modern Library

Is God A Criminal?

Is God [1] A Criminal? by Bill Schultz [2] Table of Contents Introduction The Facts of God’s Acts The Law Governing These Facts Jurisdiction The Judgment Against God From Where Does Morality Come? Some Conclusions Further Reading Acknowledgements Footnotes Introduction Does God stand above morality, defining for us what is moral and what is immoral […]

Cosmology and Atheistic “Fundamentalism”

Cosmology and Atheistic “Fundamentalism” (1999) by Bill Schultz I am a regular participant in various informal debates between atheists and Christians using the medium of Internet Relay Chat (IRC). Frequently in such debates, the Christian participant will cite the scientific evidence in favor of the so-called “Big Bang” as clear evidence of an “act of […]

At the Intersection of “Metaphysical Naturalism” and “Intelligent Design”

At the Intersection of “Metaphysical Naturalism” and “Intelligent Design” by Bill Schultz Table of Contents Introduction God Is What We Define God To Be Dimensions Beyond Our Senses TANSTAAFL A Brief Romp Through Flatland Our Universe As Art Into The Extra-Dimensional Reality “Metaphysical Naturalism” and “Intelligent Design” Some Conclusions Further Reading Acknowledgements Footnotes Introduction I […]

Were Humans Intelligently Designed?

Were Humans Intelligently Designed? Science Says No! by Bill Schultz Table of Contents Introduction Why You Can’t Exactly Copy Christy Brinkley Electronic Chips: Design vs. Evolution The Human Genome Is A Mess Correlating Evolutionary and Geological History My Conclusion: Science Denies “Intelligent” Design Further Reading Acknowledgements Footnotes Introduction As an officer of the Internet Infidels, […]

A Formal Justification of Agnosticism

A Formal Justification of Agnosticism by Bill Schultz Introduction There has long been a trend among some strong atheists to savagely attack any who declare themselves to be agnostics. The usual mode of attack is to bifurcate the decision, claiming that if you fail to assert that God exists (and to thereby become a theist), […]

Understanding the Limits of Knowing

Understanding the Limits of Knowing Answering The False Claims of Creationists by Bill Schultz Table of Contents Introduction How We Come To “Know” Things Science Is The Organized And Methodical Accumulation Of Knowledge Why Science And Religion Might Disagree About What “Knowing” Entails Why Science Is “Biased” Towards Naturalism Dualism: The Essence Of The Disagreement […]

Introduction to Metaphysical Naturalism

Introduction to Metaphysical Naturalism [1] (1999) Understanding the Warfare Between Science and Religion by Bill Schultz Introduction Many people from both the communities of science and religion lack certain basic understandings of what issues truly divide these two camps. Among common people on both sides, the lack is endemic. And in fact, the dividing line […]

Religion And The U. S. Supreme Court

Religion And The U. S. Supreme Court by Bill Schultz Table of Contents Introduction The Legacy of the Founding Fathers The “Sleeping Dog” 14th Amendment An Era Of Religious Orthodoxy The Great Change The Changed Law Evolves New Laws Against Religious Discrimination The Modern Teeter-Totter The Law as Things Stand Now The Law on School […]

Religion And The U. S. Supreme Court – Cases (1 of 4)

Religion And The U. S. Supreme Court – Cases (1 of 4) by Bill Schultz From the nation’s founding through 1942 Table of Contents Main Text The Law as Things Stand Now Links To Supreme Court Opinions, Etc., Founding-1942 (this page) Links To Supreme Court Opinions, Etc., 1943-1960 Links To Supreme Court Opinions, Etc., 1961-1980 […]

Religion And The U. S. Supreme Court – Cases (3 of 4)

Religion And The U. S. Supreme Court – Cases (3 of 4) by Bill Schultz From 1961 through 1980 Table of Contents Main Text The Law as Things Stand Now Links To Supreme Court Opinions, Etc., Founding-1942 Links To Supreme Court Opinions, Etc., 1943-1960 Links To Supreme Court Opinions, Etc., 1961-1980 (this file) Links To […]

Religion And The U. S. Supreme Court – Now

Religion And The U. S. Supreme Court – Now by Bill Schultz Table of Contents Introduction The Legacy of the Founding Fathers The “Sleeping Dog” 14th Amendment An Era Of Religious Orthodoxy The Great Change The Changed Law Evolves New Laws Against Religious Discrimination The Modern Teeter-Totter The Law as Things Stand Now The Law […]
Kiosk Article

O’Hair vs. Huxley—A Totally Misdirected Attack

Madalyn Murray O'Hair's essay "Agnostics" is, unfortunately, just the "tip of the iceberg" of anti-agnostic bigotry among the most "fundamentalist" of atheists. In this essay, Bill Schultz hopes to show that this bigotry is based on a total misunderstanding of how the word "agnostic" came to be invented, and what that word was originally intended to mean. It's an unfortunate fact of life that other people will frequently twist our words to mean things they were never intended to mean.