I am grateful for this opportunity to defend the position of atheism. I would like to thank Dr. Phil Fernandes for agreeing to debate me and Jeff Lowder for arranging the debate. Misunderstandings About Atheism Before I present my arguments I would like to clear up some serious misunderstandings concerning atheism. First, atheism is not […]

The big bang model and the second law of thermodynamics reveal that space, time, matter, and energy had a beginning. Therefore, the universe had a beginning. Dr. Martin has agreed with me concerning this premise. Still, he entertains the absurd idea that the universe popped into existence without a cause. Cosmologists who accept this idea […]

Introduction Once again Dr. Martin should be commended for the graciousness and brilliance he has displayed in this debate. It is truly an honor to debate a man of his stature. In his second statement, Dr. Martin accuses me of “begging the question” against atheism. However, he fails to understand that I am presenting theism […]

A Response to Michael Martin INTRODUCTION Before I respond to Dr. Michael Martin’s opening statement, I would like to express my appreciation to Dr. Martin for his approach to this debate. I found his opening statement to be both fair and insightful. I respect Dr. Martin for his decision to attack my arguments without attacking […]

The Cumulative Case for God INTRODUCTION Before I begin my case for the existence of a personal, infinite God, I would like to express my gratitude to Jeff Lowder for arranging this internet debate, and Dr. Michael Martin for agreeing to debate me. I consider it an honor to dialogue with a thinker of the […]

The Fernandes-Martin Debate (1997) Opening Statement by Phil Fernandes Opening Statement by Michael Martin Second Statement by Phil Fernandes Second Statement by Michael Martin Third Statement by Phil Fernandes Third Statement by Michael Martin Closing Statement by Phil Fernandes Closing Statement by Michael Martin

Atheistic Education Michael Martin   [This article was originally published in The American Rationalist.] In discussing atheistic education it is necessary to draw a couple of important distinctions. The first is between getting someone to be an atheist and educating an atheist. One can accomplish the former in many different ways. For example, one might […]

[Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in Darshana 10 (1970): 22-26. The page numbers below show the position of the text within that pagination scheme.] ________________________________________ 22 A Disproof of God’s Existence (1970) Michael Martin In this paper I present a disproof of the existence of God. Such a disproof does not disprove the […]

Davis on the Rationality of Belief in the Resurrection (2005) Michael Martin   Introduction From 1998 to 2000, I engaged Christian apologist Steven Davis in an exchange on the rationality of belief in the Resurrection in the pages of Philo.[1] Subsequently, I assumed that the debate had ended, but to my surprise Davis recently published […]

Copan’s Critique of Atheistic Objective Morality Michael Martin   Related documents: Atheism, Christian Theism, and Rape (1997) by Michael Martin “One of the more dramatic debating maneuvers 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 […]

[Editor’s Note: This article was originally published in The International Journal for Philosophy of Religion 17 (1985): 185-191. The page numbers below show the position of the text within that pagination scheme.] ________________________________________ 185 The Coherence of the Hypothesis of an Omnipotent, Omniscient, Free and Perfectly Evil Being (1985) Michael Martin Department of Philosophy, Boston […]

Butler’s Response (1997) Michael Martin   Last summer I critically evaluated Michael Butler’s defense of The Transcendental Argument for the Existence of God (TAG)–the argument that logic, science, and objective morality presuppose the Christian worldview and his critique of The Transcendental Argument for the Nonexistence of God (TANG)–the argument that logic, science, and objective morality […]

Butler’s Defense of TAG and Critique of TANG (1996) Michael Martin   Michael Butler in a recent paper published on the Internet has attempted to defend The Transcendental Argument for the Existence of God (TAG) and refute The Transcendental Argument for the NonExistence of God (TANG).[1] In this paper I evaluate his defense and refutation. […]

On Universes and Firing Squads or “How I Learned To Stop Worrying About the Origin of the Cosmos” Michael J. Hurben   “Men think epilepsy divine, merely because they do not understand it. But if they called everything divine which they do not understand, why, there would be no end of divine things.” – Hippocrates […]

Review of “Beyond the Cosmos” (2nd Edition) by Hugh Ross (1999) Michael J. Hurben   Introduction Beyond the Cosmos is the most recent in a series of religious books by Hugh Ross (The Fingerprint of God, The Creator and the Cosmos) which attempt to demonstrate that science is not only compatible with Christianity, but that […]

Review of The Resurrection of Christ (2008) Matthew Green   Review: Gerd Lüdemann. 2004. The Resurrection of Christ: A Historical Inquiry. Amherst, NY: Prometheus Books. 248 pp. I am always pleased to read of people who have left the Christian faith and why they have left it. Of particular fascination are scholars who once considered […]

The Revelation Game mathew [ Traducción al Español / Spanish translation ]   The Revelation Game is an interesting abstract analysis, though not quite a game theory version of Pascal’s Wager. The players are H, a human, and G, a superior being. Each player has two strategies. H can either believe or not believe in […]

The Argument Clinic mathew   A reception desk in a sort of office building. Receptionist: Yes, sir? Man: I’d like to have an argument please. Receptionist: Certainly, sir, have you been here before…? Man: No, this is my first time. Receptionist: I see. Do you want to have the full argument, or were you thinking […]

More Research concerning Atheist Morality mathew [ Traducción al Español / Spanish translation ]   This article appeared in the “Living” section of the September 11, 1993, edition of the “San Jose Mercury News.” It is a summary of a study which shows that religious belief and ethical behavior have little to no correlation. NOT […]

More on Huxley and the Definition of Agnosticism mathew [ Traducción al Español / Spanish translation ]   Huxley describes how he came to originate the term “agnostic” as follows: When I reached intellectual maturity, and began to ask myself whether I was an atheist, a theist, or a pantheist; a materialist or an idealist; […]

More on Hitler’s Religious Beliefs mathew [ Traducción al Español / Spanish translation ]   Adolf Hitler, in a speech delivered April 12, 1922, and published in his My New Order: My feeling as a Christian points me to my Lord and Savior as a fighter. It points me to the man who once in […]

More on Einstein and Quantum Mechanics mathew [ Traducción al Español / Spanish translation ]   There is nothing inherent in Quantum Theory which requires randomness. In the 1950s, Bohm developed a deterministic nonlocal theory which is consistent with all the predictions of quantum mechanics. Einstein sought a theory which was “locally causal” or “locally […]

More on Definitions of Atheism mathew   Oxford English Dictionary (OED), Second Edition Here is how the OED defines “atheism”: atheism Disbelief in, or denial of, the existence of a god. disbelieve 1. trans. Not to believe or credit; to refuse credence to: a. a statement or (alleged) fact: To reject the truth or reality […]

Definition of a ‘Cult’ mathew   What makes some religions “cults” and others “mainstream”? This is taken from Margot Adler’s book Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America, a guide to contemporary neopaganism. She quotes P.E.I. Bonewitz on what to look for and avoid in any organization that promises wisdom […]

Why alt.atheism Exists mathew   [Editors note: Usenet newsgroups were once very popular venues for discussion of topics of interest. In the intervening years since the writing of this article, however, they have become less and less popular, primarily because they tend to be overrun with spammers. In the meantime, discussion boards, such as the […]

Media & Reviews Movies Movies with an overtly atheist perspective are rare; it’s too easy for fundamentalists to picket cinemas and put economic pressure on movie companies. The Handmaid’s Tale Based on Margaret Atwood’s novel and set in the near future in the Republic of Gilead, an America where something has gone very, very wrong. […]

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אתאיזם: טיעונים נפוצים (1997) mathew המאמר המקורי כאן   מבוא המסמך הזהמכילתגובות לטיעונים שעלו לעתים תכופות בקבוצות דיון המוקדשים לדיון באתאיזם.התשובותהמובאות כאן אינן מתיימרות להיות מקיפות או סופיות. מטרת המסמך אינו לסייםאתהדיון, אלא להרים את רמתו.   הערה לגירסה העברית חלקמהתשובותהעוסקות בטיעונים שנוגעים רק לנצרות ו\או בארצות-הברית לא תורגמו לעברית,מתוךמחשבה שנושאים אלה לא יענינו את […]

Rationally Speaking A monthly e-column by Massimo Pigliucci Department of Botany, University of Tennessee N. 2, September 2000 – "The Place of Science" This column can be posted for free on any appropriate web site.  If you are interested in receiving the html code, please send an Further reading: Unweaving the Rainbow by Richard Dawkins […]