[ Author Index | Subject Index ]
The Modern Library contains material written during or after 1970, which tends to be more scholarly than Kiosk material.
Science Creationism Dembski
William Dembski William Dembski, a mathematician and philosopher, is one of the leaders of intelligent design creationism. Chance, Necessity, and the War Against Science (2000) (Off Site) by Massimo Pigliucci A review of Dembski’s Design Inference by biologist Massimo Pigliucci. Response to Massimo Pigliucci’s Review of The Design Inference (1999) by Mark Vuletic Vuletic replies to […]
Testimonials
Testimonials From time to time, The Secular Web receives an interesting and well-written essay by a nontheist detailing how s/he became an atheist, agnostic, rationalist, and/or freethinker. These essays are often of interest to others who are challenging their own ideas, the dominant beliefs within their society, or who are simply curious to read the […]
The Fool Mere
The author has requested that he be referred to as “Gaunilo II.” We have therefore moved his files into a new directory. The address for his files is now: /library/modern/gaunilo2/late.html Please update your links. Thank you.
Theism Christianity Craig
William Lane Craig Articles The Anthropic Coincidences, Evil and the Disconfirmation of Theism (1992) by Quentin Smith The anthropic principle or the associated anthropic coincidences have been used by philosophers such as John Leslie (1989), William Lane Craig (1988) and Richard Swinburne (1990) to support the thesis that God exists. In this paper I shall examine […]
Theism Cosmological
Cosmological Arguments Incorporating Aristotle’s notion of a “prime mover” into Summa Theologica and elsewhere, Thomas Aquinas famously formulated his version of the cosmological or “first cause” argument. According to this argument, the things which we see around us now are the products of a series of previous causes. But that series cannot go back in […]
Theism Moral Links
Moral Argument and Divine Command Theory: Related Links The American Humanist Association (Off Site) A national organization founded in 1941 to promote humanism in the United States, the AHA represents both secular and religious naturalistic humanism and promotes, among other things, that the derivation of "the goals of life from human need and interest […]
Timm Triplett Horner Triplett Debate
Horner-Triplett Debate, 1993: Does God Exist? Introduction Tonight’s debate will follow this format: Professor Triplett will speak first with his opening remarks. Mr. Horner will follow with his opening remarks. Professor Triplett will give his first rebuttal, and Mr. Horner will give his first rebuttal. Then two second rebuttals which last eight minutes each, Dr. […]
Tyler Wunder Davis Notes
Notes 1. See Sections I.1 and I.2 for Davis’ analyses of these world views. In brief, supernaturalists grant the existence of supernatural entities, while naturalists do not. 2. Concerning the distinction between a corpse being resurrected into a supernatural being rather than being revived back to natural (as opposed to supernatural) life, I will […]
Amanda Chesworth Pigliucci
Review of Tales of the Rational: Skeptical Essays About Nature and Science Amanda Chesworth Pigliucci, Massimo. (2000): Tales of the Rational: Skeptical Essays About Nature and Science. Atlanta, Georgia: Freethought Press. 255 pages. U.S. $17.00. Tales of the Rational: Skeptical Essays About Nature and Science begins by introducing the rational approach through the author’s […]
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 […]
Cale Corbett Abington
Abington Township School District v. Schempp: The Day God Was Kicked Out of School Cale L. Corbett Dr. Lynn W. Turner Prize Phi Alpha Theta June 26, 1995 In February 1963, the Supreme Court of the United States heard a First Amendment case which would forever change the way Americans viewed the Court and the […]
Church State Prayer
School Prayer Perhaps no aspect of the church-state controversy arouses more emotion and discussion than the subject of prayer in the public schools. After all, public schools are supported with taxpayer money. What believer would want his taxes to support an institution that prohibits his children from praying? What nonbeliever would want her taxes to […]
Dan Barker Babinski Index
Ed Babinski [ Author Bio ] Brief Testimony from an Ex-Christian (1995) Babinski’s post to the EX-TIAN mailing list summarizing his own deconversion. Cretinism or Evilution? [ Index ] (Off Site) A periodical edited by Babinski on creationism vs. evolution. Does the Bible Speak of the Brain? (1993) If the authors of the Bible were inspired by an all-knowing God, […]
Dave Matson Young Earth Carbon 14
The following material has been taken from a sheet entitled Several Faulty Assumptions Are Used in all Radiometric Dating Methods. Carbon 14 is used for this example:, which was put out by Dr. Hovind. The Atmospheric C-14 is Only 1/3 of the Way to Equilibrium Radiometric Decay Rates are Not Constant The Initial C-14 Content […]
Dave Matson Young Earth Specific Arguments Bible Dates
Young-earth "proof" #29: The dates in the Bible add up to about 6000 years. 29. The biblical figure, unfortunately, is based on patriarchal life spans to which no right-thinking person could subscribe. You have to be pretty deep into biblical infallibility before you can make yourself believe that individuals once lived upwards of 900 years! […]
Dave Matson Young Earth Specific Arguments One Proof
Dr. Hovind: It only takes one proof of a young earth to decide between CREATION and EVOLUTION. This magic bullet mentality, the tendency to rely on a single, isolated argument to win all the chips, has gotten creationists into more trouble than possibly anything else. Unfortunately, Mother Nature does not bestow a little, gold ribbon […]
Debates Secularist Abortion Roth5
A Secular Case Against Abortion Closing Statement by Jen Roth Introduction I would like to thank Richard Carrier for agreeing to this debate, the Internet Infidels for agreeing to host it, and Amanda Chesworth for coordinating it. It has been extremely refreshing to participate in a discussion of abortion without being subjected to accusations […]
Debates Secularist Genetic
On The Issues Involved in Genetic Engineering: Genetic Engineering has been a hot topic in the media ever since Dolly, the cloned sheep, was successfully engineered. Since then we have seen a variety of clones made as well as several advances in medicine afforded by genetic engineering. The debate on the subject has brought a […]
Debates Secularist Sexes
On The Difference Between the Sexes: For centuries people have been studying the differences to be found among men and women and using their ideas for one purpose or another. What are the differences between the sexes? How deeply rooted are these differences? Evolutionary psychology looks to our ancestral environment to find the source of […]
Doug Krueger Krueger Mchugh Krueger1
The Krueger-McHugh Debate: Theism or Atheism (2003) Doug Krueger Opening Statement by Doug Krueger Arguments for Atheism In this opening statement I will explain how we can be justified in believing that god does not exist. I would like to thank the hosts of this debate and Christopher McHugh for making this debate possible. […]
Edwin Wilson Manifesto Ch16
CHAPTER 16 Six Years Later: A Call to Revise the Manifesto As we’ve seen, soon after "A Humanist Manifesto" was published in 1933, there were those who, for various reasons, wanted a revision of the document, and the call continued in the ensuing years. Dr. Charles Francis Potter, who had reprinted the manifesto in his […]
Eric Laupot Re Carrier
Response to Richard Carrier’s Alleged “Rebuttal” (2012) Eric Laupot Richard Carrier’s reasoning in “Severus Is Not Quoting Tacitus: A Rebuttal to Eric Laupot” is too muddled to review in its entirety. Most leading scholars and Latinists are at variance with his conclusions. Most problematic is that Carrier begs the question from the beginning because he […]
Farrell Till Geisler Till Till2
This is my ninth debate. No, this is my tenth debate. And I have seen a first. Did you notice that Dr. Geisler read a manuscript for his first speech? That’s okay, because he won a toss and he was the first speaker. So if we wanted to read a manuscript that he had written, […]
Farrell Till Horner Till Till4
Five minutes isn’t very long, and certainly that’s not long enough for me to make much of an argument, but I’m going to try to. I had a reason for asking Mr. Horner if the body of Jesus had experienced rigor mortis, or if it experienced decay. Remember when Jesus was at the tomb of […]
Features 2000 Still1
A Fond Farewell to Jeffery Jay Lowder By James Still On January 15, after five years of building the Secular Web from the ground up, Internet Infidels President Jeffery Jay Lowder will retire. Jeff has decided it is time to move on and is interested in going back to school to study philosophy. He also […]
Frank Zindler Gish Zindler Appendices
APPENDIX A ICR EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY [Reprinted from pages 12-15 of the 1985-1987 Graduate School Catalog, Institute for Creation Research, 10946 Woodside Ave. N., Santee, CA 92021] The programs and curricula of the Graduate School, as well as the activities of other ICR divisions, while similar in factual content to those of other graduate colleges, are […]
Fred Edwords Perspective
The Humanist Philosophy In Perspective (1984) Frederick Edwords [Reprinted, with minor editorial corrections and with permission, from The Humanist, January/February 1984.] Never before has interest and talk about humanism been so widespread and rarely has the humanist philosophy been so poorly understood by both supporters and opponents. What kind of philosophy is humanism? To listen […]
Gerald Larue Otll Biblio
Old Testament Life and Literature (1968) Gerald A. Larue General Bibliography THE BIBLE Any accurate translation of the Bible may be used with this text, including The King James Version, The English Revised Version, The American Standard Version. Because of the advancement made during the past half century in language and word studies, […]
Gerald Larue Otll Chap23
Old Testament Life and Literature (1968) Gerald A. Larue Chapter 23 – Life and Literature of the Late Period ONE of the greatest writings of the Exile was produced near the end of the time of captivity during the period we are calling "The Late Period of the Exile" (ca. 555 to 538). […]
Gerald Larue Otll Chap9
Old Testament Life and Literature (1968) Gerald A. Larue Chapter 9 – The Settlement of Canaan THE Hebrews entered a land with its own highly developed culture. During the Late Bronze and Early Iron Ages, Canaan was dotted with strong, walled, industrial and trade centers surrounded by orchards, vineyards, grain fields and pasture land. Wool […]