[ Author Index | Subject Index ]
The Modern Library contains material written during or after 1970, which tends to be more scholarly than Kiosk material.
Richard Carrier Addendad
Bad Science, Worse Philosophy: the Quackery and Logic-Chopping of David Foster’s The Philosophical Scientists (2000) Addendum D: Precedents Richard Carrier Since I wrote this, I discovered that a real expert, Bernd-Olaf Küppers, had already done something similar to what I do in the rest of this chapter. His work is rigorous enough to […]
Richard Carrier Carrier Oconnell Carrier1
Carrier’s Opening Statement (2008) Two Bodies: One in the Sky, One in the Grave 1. Basic Argument When the Apostle Paul was asked “How are the dead raised? With what sort of body do they come?” he answered “that which you sow is not the body that will come to be” but “God […]
Richard Carrier Carrier Wanchick Carrier4
Carrier’s Closing Statement (2006) Wanchick Failed to Make His Case Naturalism Is True The best methods known for ascertaining the facts have only discovered results corresponding to naturalism. Wanchick hasn’t shown otherwise. The results of inferior methods cannot supercede the results of superior methods, because, by definition, the probability of an inferior result being […]
Richard Carrier Foster2
Bad Science, Worse Philosophy: the Quackery and Logic-Chopping of David Foster’s The Philosophical Scientists (2000) 2. Some of Foster’s Strange Notions Richard Carrier I will begin with examples of the more trivial of Foster’s strangeness, simply to prepare you for the worst. To begin with, Foster makes several amateurish philosophical errors that betray […]
Richard Carrier Improbable
Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) Richard Carrier Not the Impossible Faith: Why Christianity Didn’t Need a Miracle to Succeed Now available as a book, fully updated and reorganized. This is the definitive edition of “Was Christianity Too Improbable to Be False?” Even better than online, improved and revised throughout. Available at […]
Richard Carrier Improbable Radical
Was Christianity Too Improbable to be False? (2006) [See Introduction] Richard Carrier 16. Were Christian Teachings Too Radical for Anyone to Buy? Holding then throws in a hodgepodge of miscellaneous difficulties we might categorize under the general argument that “Christian teachings were too radical to be popular.” That may be true—after all, Christianity […]
Richard Carrier Indef I
Review of In Defense of Miracles (1999, 2005) Richard Carrier The material previously contained at this location has been moved into the combined Summary.
Richard Carrier Ntcanon
The Formation of the New Testament Canon (2000) Richard Carrier Contrary to common belief, there was never a one-time, truly universal decision as to which books should be included in the Bible. It took over a century of the proliferation of numerous writings before anyone even bothered to start picking and choosing, and then […]
Richard Carrier Resurrection 2d
This file has been relocated: it is now Section IV of Probability of Survival vs. Miracle: Assessing the Odds.
Richard Carrier Resurrection 3h
This file has been relocated: it is now Section VIII of General Case for Spiritual Resurrection: Evidence Against Resurrection of the Flesh.
Richard Carrier Scilit
Test Your Scientific Literacy! (2001) Richard Carrier Do you think you know what science is? You may be surprised. Scientific literacy is hard to acquire and is not widespread. Science is, after all, a very complex and nuanced affair that can only be truly understood with wide experience and deep thought. It took the […]
Richard Packham Heart
The Man with No Heart: Miracles and Evidence Richard Packham The problem of evidence for miraculous occurrences has frequently been discussed in TSR. It sometimes takes the form of an exchange between Farrell Till and some inerrantist. Till: “Extraordinary events require extraordinary evidence.” Inerrantist: “Then miraculous events require miraculous evidence, and since you don’t […]
Why Come Out As An Atheist?
Prologue This essay originated as a post to the Ex-Tian mailing list, a mailing for ex-Christians. A common question among ex-Christians who become atheists is whether or not to “come out” as atheists, or to pretend to be a Christian when around friends and family. This essay is my answer to that question. Should ex-Christians […]
Robert Price Beyond Born Again Chap9
________________________________________ 109 Beyond Born Again Section III– Can Evangelical Theology be Born Again? Chapter 9: Theological Rhetoric In the last chapter we saw the ineffectiveness of the Evangelical attempt to disqualify Liberal theology as “unscriptural.” We noted that, contra J. I. Packer and company, it is not self-evident that the only way to take scripture […]
Robert Price Price Rankin Price1
Opening Statement Robert M. Price I remember a particular Superboy comic book in which the Boy of Steel somehow discovers that in the future, he is thought to be as mythical as Peter Pan and Santa Claus. Indignant at this turn of events, he flies at faster than light speed and enters the future […]
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! […]