Counter Apologetics

If naturalism is true, why do so many people believe in god? What is it about human psychology that has made belief in god, in one form or another, the default position for the overwhelming majority of human beings that have ever lived? The theory of religion as a byproduct provides a potential answer. It’s … Continue reading CA22 Why We Believe in Gods: The Byproduct Theory of Religion →

Why would God hide? If God wants us to know he exists, he’s not off to a great start. Being invisible, silent, and undetectable in every way isn’t exactly what one would expect from a god who wants you to know the truth. The Bible says, “Seek, and ye shall find,” but not everyone who … Continue reading CA21 Divine Hiddenness →

What if you’re wrong? Aren’t you afraid of going to hell? Many Christians claim that their belief is the safe bet — they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We examine Pascal’s Wager and decide if one of the most popular arguments in favor of belief should make us lose as much sleep … Continue reading CA20 Pascal’s Wager →

Are good actions commanded by God because they are good? Or are good actions good because God commands them? We discuss Euthyphro’s Dilemma, the apologists’ favored “third horn” solution, and revisit the Problem of Holiness. … CA Patreon Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Contact: [email protected] Emerson’s Blog Rate the show on iTunes; it’s objectively … Continue reading CA19 The Euthyphro Dilemma →

If humans have no free will, can we assign praise or blame? Is it reasonable to condemn someone as immoral in a deterministic universe? We explore the concept of moral responsibility in a naturalistic world and distinguish between causal and moral responsibility. We also examine the problem of moral luck, which makes a case for … Continue reading CA18 Moral Luck and Responsibility (Free Will pt. II) →

Do we really have free will, or are we determined to think and behave as we do? Most Christian worldviews take it on as an assumption, but their conception of free will can’t be justified. CA Facebook CA Patreon [email protected] Emerson’s Blog Rate the show on iTunes or Facebook (you have no choice). Magic Tricks by … Continue reading CA17 Free Will and Determinism (pt. I) →

There seems to be genuine disagreement within the atheist community over religion and child abuse. We’ll explore the nuances and examine the instances where religion appears to be responsible for child abuse. We’ll also discuss whether the intellectual roots of religious child abuse can be traced back to the Bible and justified therein. CA Facebook … Continue reading CA16 Is Religion Child Abuse? →

We discuss whether faith is a reliable foundation for belief. When arguments fail, believers often say that we just need to have faith. But is faith a valid way of knowing something? CA Facebook and Twitter CA Patreon [email protected] Emerson’s Blog Rate the show on iTunes! Magic Tricks by Whalers … Matt Dillahunty on Faith … Continue reading CA15 Faith →

We address 20 common objections to evolution, give some evidence supporting the theory, and try to figure out why some Christians have a problem with evolution in the first place. CA Facebook and Twitter CA Patreon [email protected] Emerson’s Blog Magic Tricks by Whalers … Objections (in chronological order) Evolution is just a theory Why are … Continue reading CA14 Creationism’s Greatest Hits — Defending Evolution →

Nothing fails like prayer! We examine prayer studies, try to figure out how prayer is supposed to work, and wonder why God is so shy now that everyone has video cameras in their pockets. CA Facebook and Twitter CA Patreon [email protected] Emerson’s Blog Magic Tricks by Whalers … Sean Carroll: From Particles to People