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Church and Freedom from Depression: Cause or Effect?

That churchgoers in the USA are less likely to be depressed than non-Churchgoers is pretty well established now. However, what’s always been unclear is whether this is down to cause or effect.

March 5, 2012 / No Comment / Read More

Pascal’s Wager Regurgitated

February 28, 2012 3 Comments

Historian Tim Stanley, biographer of Pat Buchanan, provided a most interesting column for the Telegraph titled, “I’d go to church just to reduce the probability of spending eternity in Hell with Richard Dawkins”.

The [in]compatibility of science and religion

January 19, 2012 1 Comment

There have been several books lately promoting the idea the religion and science are compatible – or at least challenging any suggestion that they might be incompatible. Of course, these were written by advocates of religion.

If religion makes you happy, why are people turning away from it?

August 22, 2011 3 Comments

Every now and then a study comes along that cuts with laser-like precision into one or two of the murky questions that haunt the sociology of religion. Here’s one.

Pint-sized preacher: Divinely inspired or carefully coached?

August 18, 2011 4 Comments

Child preacher Kanon Tipton has been receiving a lot of attention for his spirited sermons at his father’s Pentecostal church in Mississippi. His parents claim “the hand of God is on him in a special way,” but I am skeptical.

Was Jesus resurrected from the dead? Andrew Zak Williams investigates the evidence

August 16, 2011 5 Comments

There are three main arguments which are wheeled out in support of the historicity of the resurrection. But do they stand up to scrutiny?

The immorality of the Christian religion

August 15, 2011 13 Comments

We hear daily in the US that morality comes from the Christian god. When one examines Christian doctrine, the bastion of wonderful moral standards is nowhere to be found.

Acts of God: Why does God allow natural disasters?

June 9, 2011 6 Comments

If natural disasters are acts of God, why does God allow such suffering to occur? The answers of apologetics come up lacking.

God, evil, and free will

May 24, 2011 8 Comments

Christian doctrine explaining why God permits suffering usually boils down to free will. Could people really believe that a loving god gave them free will, knowing it would result in the eternal torment of most, so the freely-given love of the few would be so much more special?

Divine “justice”?

May 3, 2011 2 Comments

Do you punish the ones you love every single time they hurt you? I’ve been thinking about all the people who have done things that hurt me, and I’m struck by the realization that punishment is something I reserve for particularly bad offenses. I don’t go about life doling out tit for tat justice for every infraction against me. I let most minor gaffes slide. But I’ve never drowned the whole earth, or even thought it would be a good idea.