In this video I talk about why it’s good to talk about the downsides of atheism, despite it generally being more attractive to be positive rather than negative; to make the case for something and not to merely make the case against one of its alternatives. That reason is that people often take the “cheese pizza” approach. If they think that there’s a common denominator, they will pick that to avoid conflict. By talking about the problems with atheism, it can help people to realize that there is no plain cheese pizza; that there is no common denominator.
Category: Missing the Mark
Big Tech Censorship: A Conversation with Ron Coleman
Famous First Amendment & trademark lawyer Ron Coleman discusses big tech censorship and the law with me, as well as the morality of big tech censorship which the law would ideally capture. We talk about promissory estoppel, misrepresentation, contract law and terms of service, and the possibility of consumer protection laws.
Determinism, Free Will, and Predestination
In this video I answer a question about (atheistic, materialistic) determinism, free will, and Calvinism-style predestination.
That last part is important to point out because there is a Catholic doctrine of predestination, but it only means that God has a plan (being outside of time) and in no way contradicts human free will. I also talk about how Martin Luther denied free will as well as John Calvin, though I don’t go into great depth.
What To Do if the News Has Gotten You Down
In this video I answer a question about what to do if one read the news, or commentary on the news, or saw social media about the news, and it’s gotten you down.
Can Men and Women Be Best Friends
I answer a question from Blake about a Twitter exchange where one person characterized marriage as raising a beautiful family with your best friend and “Charles Mayne” quoted this saying that men and women can never be best friends, and that it’s a modern and degenerate idea that they can.
The Incoherence of Subjective Morality
In this video I take a look at subjective morality and how it is incoherent.
The Fake Simplicity of Atheism
In this video I look at the claim that atheism (or materialism, or naturalism) is simpler than theism is therefore to be preferred—and how it isn’t simpler, and how simpler things are not always to be preferred anyway.
Everything Has Been Refuted
In this video I look at how everything—including everything true—has been refuted by someone, somewhere, so it doesn’t mean anything to say, “that’s been refuted”.
Theistic Evolution & The Book of Genesis
In response to a question to go into the specifics of how theistic evolution works, I do that. It’s still a bit of an overview of the subject, but that’s because going into true detail would take quite a lot longer than the hour and fourteen minutes this video ended up being. Still, I hope that this helps to get people started, at least.
Taxonomy of Atheists
In this video I give my taxonomy of online atheists, and how, based upon this taxonomy, you can tailor the help you try to give them to their needs.
Why Unsustainable Things Are Seductive
In this video I talk about unsustainable things are intrinsically seductive because they suggest that they have more power/strength/ability/life/etc than they actually do.
Rhetorical Arguments and Straw Men
In this video I look at rhetorical arguments and accusations of straw men. I also take a look at what rhetoric is and when it is good.
Symbolism Isn’t About Secret Decoder Rings
In this video I look at what symbolism isn’t—a secret code for a simple message that could have just been said in a sentence or two—and what it is—the structure of reality presented in a simplified form to make it easier to grasp. Symbolism isn’t a code or a cipher, it’s not about hiding a simple message where clever people will find it. Symbolism is about what makes stories good—it’s about reflecting the structure of reality.
When To Do the Right Thing For the Wrong Reasons
In this video I take a look at when you should do the right thing for the wrong reasons.
A Dime Store Heaven: The Big Rock Candy Mountains
In this video I look at the song The Big Rock Candy Mountains and how it describes a dime-store heaven, and how you can see this same sort of thing in all sorts of bad political philosophies which don’t even take themselves seriously.
My Favorite Proof For the Existence of God
In this video I talk about my favorite proof for the existence of God — the argument from contingency and necessity — because of how much this proof for God tells us about God, such as that God is love, God created creation for the sake of creation, as an act of generosity, etc.
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