Atheism, Christian Theism, and Rape (1997) Michael Martin   One of the more dramatic debating maneuver used by Christian apologists against atheists is to argue that atheists can provide no objective reason for not raping people. This startling claim follows from the apologists’ wider claim that atheists can provide no objective moral reasons for anything. […]

On Two Reviews of Atheism, Morality and Meaning (2003) Michael Martin   Two reviews of my book, Atheism, Morality, and Meaning–one by Taner Edis[1] and one by Jeff Lowder[2]–have recently been posted on the Secular Web. Both reviewers, although initially praising the book saying that it is “well worth reading” and that the territory covered […]

Are There Really No Atheists? (1996) Michael Martin   Some Christians maintain that there are no atheists. They believe, of course, that some people profess to be atheists. But according to them these people suffer from a form of self-delusion. The doubters insist that in their heart of hearts people who profess not to believe […]

Justifying Methodological Naturalism (2002) Michael Martin   In his recent book Tower of Babel Robert T. Pennock argues against the New Creationists for failing to realize that science is committed to Methodological Naturalism (MN) and not Ontological Naturalism (ON).[1] Roughly speaking ON is the view that only natural processes or events exist. It maintains that […]

The Naturalistic Fallacy  and Other Mistaken Arguments  of Paul Copan (2000) Michael Martin   Paul Copan has replied in the form of a letter[1] to my rebuttal[2] of his critique[3] of my Secular Web paper.[4] In this paper I will respond to his defense of the ontological foundation of theistic morality, his claim that ethical […]

More on Heaven (2004) Michael Martin   Belief in Heaven as Liberating In his paper “Trouble in Paradise,” Tom Wanchick[1] raises some objections to my argument in “Problems With Heaven.”[2] But before he does, Wanchick notes the practical issues involved in Heaven. He maintains that the Bible is “brimming with practical import” and if it […]

Hugo Meynell’s Is Christianity True? (1998) Michael Martin   In Is Christianity True? Hugo A. Meynell, a Cambridge Ph.D. who teaches at the University of Calgary, provides an affirmative answer to the question posed in the title of his book.[1] After a short introduction in which he gives reasons for believing in God, he devotes […]

Positive Atheism and the Meaninglessness of Theism (1999) Michael Martin   In Part I of Atheism: A Philosophical Justification I argued that sentences about the existence of God are factually meaningless, hence, they are neither true nor false. However, in Part II of this book I maintained that if the sentences about God are not […]

On a New Argument for Agnosticism (2001) Michael Martin   In a recent Internet paper entitled "A Formal Justification of Agnosticism,"[1] Bill Schultz defends agnosticism by denying the universality of the Principle of Excluded Middle (P v ~P).[2] In addition, he accuses me of using the Principle of Excluded Middle to try to "force agnostics […]

Final Response to Frame Michael Martin   I would like to thank John Frame for the courtesy and care with which he has carried on the discussion. Our discussion has been stimulating and has raised many important issues in the philosophy of religion which believers, atheists, and agnostics must take seriously. Although it would be […]

Third Response to Frame Michael Martin   Science In my previous replies I suggested that on the standard sense of “miracle, ” a miracle is an event brought about by divine intervention in the natural course of events. Frame seems to understand this to mean simply that God caused the event in question to occur. […]

Response to Frame’s Response Michael Martin   My reply to Frame in "A Response to John Frame’s Rebuttal of The Transcendental Argument for the Nonexistence of God (TANG)" appeared on the Internet and now Frame has replied to my response in "A Second Response to Martin. " In my present reply I respond to what […]

A Response to John Frame’s Rebuttal of The Transcendental Argument for the Nonexistence of God (TANG) Michael Martin   My article, "The Transcendental Argument for the Nonexistence of God," was originally published in the New Zealand Rationalist and Humanist (Autumn 1996, p. 4). It recently appeared on the Internet and was replied to by John […]

The Transcendental Argument for the Nonexistence of God Michael Martin   [This article originally appeared in the Autumn 1996 issue of The New Zealand Rationalist & Humanist.] Some Christian philosophers have made the incredible argument that logic, science and morality presuppose the truth of the Christian world view because logic, science and morality depend on […]

The Martin-Frame Debate The Transcendental Argument for the Nonexistence of God (1996)   This debate is about Martin’s 1996 article, “The Transcendental Argument for the Nonexistence of God” (TANG), which attempts to reverse the claims of the transcendental argument given by presuppositionalist apologists. The Transcendental Argument for the Existence of God demonstrates God’s existence by […]

Does Logic Presuppose the Existence of the Christian God? (2000) Michael Martin   The Transcendental Argument for the Existence of God (TAG)–the argument that logic, science, and objective ethical standards presuppose the existence of the Christian God–has been repeatedly used by a small group of Christian apologists operating within the Orthodox Presbyterian tradition. In the […]

Is Non-Christian Thought Futile? Keith Parsons   Readers of recent theistic philosophers are likely to be struck by contrast between the sophistication of the logical machinery employed and the modesty of the claimed results. Alvin Plantinga expends vast labors of modal logic to argue that theism is no less rational than atheism. Richard Swinburne devotes […]

The Futility of Non Christian Thought Douglas Jones   Biblical Christianity, properly defined in terms of classical Protestantism, offers a radical philosophical critique of non-Christian thought. This Christian critique is radical in the sense that it challenges the very core of non-Christian pretensions and demonstrates that non-Christian thought, whether atheistic, agnostic, or religious, ultimately destroys […]

Is A Non-Christian Worldview Futile? Michael Martin   Douglas Jones’ “The Futility of Non-Christian Thought” raises important epistemological questions that both Christians and non-Christians need to address. However, as I will show, Jones’ argument for his main thesis that non-Christian worldviews destroy the possibility of knowledge rests on unsound arguments and confusions. In addition, it […]

Douglas Jones opens the interchange by sketching the argument for the Christian critique of non-Christian thought. Douglas Jones, an elder in the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, is the editor of Antithesis and a Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Idaho and Lewis-Clark State College. Keith Parsons offers the first of two atheistic responses to Jones’s […]

Jones Responds Douglas Jones   Apart from the more serious concerns, I find it quaint that both Parsons and Martin apparently hold to the notion that truth is in part determined by the number of pages one writes. Though my opening essay is directed to a non-technical audience, perhaps no such discussion need take many […]

Does Induction Presume the Existence of the Christian God? (1997) Michael Martin   [The following article was originally published in Skeptic, Vol. 5, #2, pp. 71-75.] Readers of this journal may have heard of the Cosmological, the Teleological, and the Ontological Arguments for the existence of God. Indeed, many readers will know the basic problems […]

Problems with Heaven (1997) Michael Martin   Introduction Belief in Heaven is an essential part of the great monotheistic religions of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. Famous theologians have written about it and ordinary theists hope to go there after death. Unfortunately, atheists have had little to say about Heaven although some atheist writings are indirectly […]

Patrick Glynn’s God: the Evidence Michael Martin   Patrick Glynn, a former atheist with a Ph.D. from Harvard, argues in God: The Evidence[1] that new scientific discoveries in cosmology, psychology, and medicine add up “to a powerful–indeed, all-but-incontestable–case for … the existence of soul, afterlife and God (p. 2).” Written in a breezy popular style […]

The Gap in Theistic Arguments (1997) Michael Martin   Introduction In this paper I will show that all the major proofs for a theistic God contain a gap. Even if they are otherwise unassailable, they fail to prove what they purport to prove: that a theistic God exists. As proofs of theism these arguments are […]

Friendly Atheism (1996) Michael Martin   Should atheists be friendly towards theists? Is what might be called friendly atheism to be encouraged? This question is not only interesting it is own right but has obviously practical implications for atheists in dealing with theists in our society. In this paper I will explore this question relating […]

Atheism and Intraorganizational Free Speech (1996) Michael Martin   What position should atheists take on freedom of speech? In particular, what stand should atheistic organizations take in regard to the freedom of speech of its members? Should they censor members who do not adhere to particular doctrines which, even if they are not entailed by […]

As Dr. Fernandes and I conclude our debate I would like to thank him again for his stimulating challenge to my position. Criticisms of Atheism As I have shown again and again Dr. Fernandes’ objections to atheism are based on either misunderstandings or question begging assumptions. Even though I have pointed out his misunderstandings and […]

As Dr. Fernandes and I complete the penultimate phase of our debate I would like to thank him again for his stimulating attempt to answer my criticisms. Introduction Atheism in the positive sense is the view that the theistic God, an all good, all knowing, all powerful being who created the Universe, does not exist. […]

I am grateful to Dr. Fernandes for the courteous tone he has adopted in this debate and his thoughtful attempt to answer my criticisms. Response to Misunderstandings of Atheism In my opening statement I said that Dr. Fernandes misunderstood atheism because he claimed that atheism is committed to materialism, epistemological relativism, epistemological skepticism, ethical relativism, […]