What’s New Archive

August 29, 2000

Added "The Poverty of Theistic Morality" (1995) [ 110K ] by Adolf Grünbaum

In this hard-hitting article, Grünbaum critically evaluates the persistent claim that theism can help solve moral crises while secularism only exacerbates them. More specifically, Grünbaum considers two theistic claims: (1) theism is normatively indispensible for the acceptability of moral imperatives; and (2) theistic belief is motivationally necessary, as a matter of psychological fact, to assure such adherence to moral standards as there is in society at large.

August 28, 2000

Added the May/June 2000 issue of The Skeptical Review.

Added "Secular Humanism, Christian Theism, and the Meaning of Life" (2000) [ 8K ] by J. Wesley Robbins

Robbins refutes J.P. Moreland's claim that, so far as the meaning of life is concerned, the best way to live one's life is in terms of Christian theism.

Added J. Wesley Robbins author page

August 25, 2000

Added feature article "The Metaphysical Freedom" (2000) by Claudio Lujan.

Theoretical physics and philosophy join forces in this masterly crafted essay on determinism and metaphysical freedom. The author, along with many great minds throughout the centuries, is fascinated by the problem of free will, for it encourages us to ask ourselves if we are the masters of our own destiny. As science continues on the path of discovery we may be approaching our answer.

August 23, 2000

Added Closing Statements for the "Is There A Secular Case Against Abortion? Debate

This concludes the first debate in a series of Secularist Vs. Secularist debates. Readers will have the opportunity to pose questions to Mr. Carrier and Ms. Roth and both questions and answers will be posted alongside the debate. Readers can also look forward to more exciting online debates on issues that move and shake the Secular Community.

August 19, 2000

Added feature article "A Thought Experiment: On The Problem of Unjustifiable Suffering" (2000) by Dale Proctor.

Although the problem of suffering has been written about for millennia, with great detail and sophistication, and by some of our world's greatest minds, Dale Proctor revisits the issue with a simplicity that allows all to grasp the insurmountable difficulty it continues to pose to the believer.

August 17, 2000

Added "Irreducible Complexity and the Evolutionary Literature: Response to Critics" (2000) [ 26K ] (Off Site) by Michael J. Behe to the Michael Behe page of the Modern Library's creationism section

Behe responds to his critics and maintains that there are "very few" scientific papers that attempt to explain the Darwinian details of irreducibly complex systems.

August 12, 2000

Slightly expanded a footnote in Are the Odds Against the Origin of Life Too Great to Accept? (2000) [ 98K ] by Richard Carrier

August 7, 2000

Added Can Mystical Experience be a Perception of God? A Critique of William Alston's Perceiving God (1999) [ 71K ] by Keith Augustine

William Alston's Perceiving God argues that some mystical experiences should be regarded as perceptions of God analogous to the perception of physical objects in sense experience. I conclude that there are several reasons for doubting that mystical experience generally--or Christian mystical experience specifically--can be a form of perception, even given Alston's epistemic commitments.

August 3, 2000

Added feature article "Free Advertising Isn't the Point" (2000) [ 7K ] by Jeffery Jay Lowder (also archived at Lowder's author page.)

Lowder responds to a recent Hanegraaff "Bible Answer Man" radio show segment with The Case for Christ author Lee Strobel. Recall that Lowder recently reviewed Strobel's book, noting that Strobel had quoted Lowder without mentioning Lowder's name or the source of the quotation. When a caller presented Strobel with this objection, Strobel defended his actions, claiming that he did not want to provide the Secular Web with 'free advertising.' Why is Strobel afraid of us? What is he trying to hide from his audience?