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Don McIntosh

Don McIntosh, M.S., M.Div., Dr.Apol., is the Owner of Gerizim Publishing and Editor-in-Chief of the Trinity Journal of Natural & Philosophical Theology.

Born: Corpus Christi, Texas, 1964

Degrees:

  • M. Div., Trinity Graduate School of Theology, 2012
  • M. S., Industrial Technology & Human Resource Development, University of Texas at Tyler, 2008
  • B. B. A., Business Administration, Baker College, 2005

Professional: Cost Estimator

Publications:

Homepage: https://sites.google.com/site/transcendingproof/

Published on the Secular Web

[ Modern Library ]
Modern Library

Transcending Proof: A Reply to Richard Carrier

| December 31, 2014 | Modern Library
Many Christians maintain that, in principle, atheists can never "prove the negative" that God does not exist. But atheists often regard this objection as a mere quibble, counterclaiming that the burden of proof rests solely upon the believer who has claimed knowledge of a supernatural being. In "Proving a Negative" Richard Carrier argues that proving the nonexistence of God is actually relatively easy, making passing appeals to the role of evidence in epistemology and the presumed incoherence of Christian theology. But in taking this position Carrier has assumed a substantial burden of proof, a burden that his arguments fail to meet.

Misunderstanding the Burden of Proof (2019) by Richard Carrier (Off Site)

In this response to Don McIntosh's "Transcending Proof," Richard Carrier explains how McIntosh does not actually address the logic or arguments Carrier makes in his "Proving a Negative," and updates its logical structure to make the same point using Bayesian epistemology.

The Presumption of Naturalism and the Probability of Miracles: A Reply to Keith Parsons

| December 10, 2011 | Modern Library
In Chapter Four of Science, Confirmation, and the Theistic Hypothesis, Keith Parsons defends the dictum that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence as part of a general critique of miracle claims which aims to defend naturalism as a rational operating philosophy against potential defeaters. In this defense of miracle claims Don McIntosh argues, first, that for any unknown the burden of proof falls equally upon naturalists and supernaturalists; second, to repudiate all miracle claims in one fell swoop with a mere presumption of naturalism renders naturalism unfalsifiable and unscientific; and third, estimating the prior probability of miracles introduces an element of subjectivity that makes any general probabilistic argument against them suspect. These points leave open the possibility of confirming specific miracle claims on the basis of historical evidence and eyewitness testimony.
Kiosk Article

Horrendous Evil and Christian Theism: A Reply to John W. Loftus

| June 17, 2024 | Kiosk Article
[ | | | | ]
In his recent article, "God and Horrendous Suffering," John W. Loftus argues that what he calls horrendous suffering is incompatible with traditional theism. The extent of horrendous suffering in the world, he says, "means that either God does not care enough to eliminate it, or God is not smart enough to eliminate it, or God is not powerful enough to eliminate it." For Loftus, however, the problem is not simply evil, but horrendous suffering, a particularly acute form of evil which renders theism completely untenable. Here I will argue in reply, first, that because horrendous suffering is itself a form of evil, it cannot be easily reconciled with naturalism, since naturalism actually precludes the existence of evil. Then I will argue that horrendous suffering is not only compatible with theism, but is best explained in the context of Christian theism in particular. Finally I will suggest that because God's work of creation is not yet complete, we have good reason for maintaining hope even in the face of horrendous evils.
[ Modern Library ]
 
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