Bože! A Grace Catholic Project
Why Believe – Atheism and Christianity
Belief In America – The Numbers
Creationism is a hot button topic in the US. It is a battleground issue in school boards, churches, and politics. A recent Gallup Poll shows that 40% of Americans believe in creationism. That’s an astonishing number when you consider that the facts on the ground overwhelmingly demonstrate the truth of evolution. Yes – this OC/IC [...]
When is “religion” not a Religion?
What “is” religion? Religion Dispatches has this interesting essay today about a recent American court case in New York that determined that Feminism is not a religion. Well, D’uh! – I thought . . . . but then kept reading. What emerges in the essay is a rather complex morass of versions of a definition, [...]
Ad Campaigns – Do They Change People’s Minds?
I’ve been watching the “wires” (religious news sources) and have seen an interesting effect of the London/DC Atheist bus campaign; a debate, within the wider Christian community about how to reach out and inspire others with the message of the Gospel. What I’m seeing is both a conversation about the benefit of getting people talking [...]
Real Protest Or . . . .
I’ve been thinking about this bus driver who, last week (I think it was) refused to drive one of London’s new “Athiest busses” because he’s an Evangelical Christian. The story has been reported now on both sides of the Great Pond, but here are two references (A and B) for you to look at and [...]
Personhood, Worth, Speculating God
In a post two weeks ago I raised the question of when personhood begins. Andrew Brown, writing for the Guardian the other day describes a debate between the secular philosopher John Harris, and Professor David Jones of St. Mary’s College (Roman Catholic) which raised an even more useful (and perhaps even more unanswerable) question: what [...]
Bendy Buses & Pascal’s Wager
There was a rather fun article on the BBC late last week detailing a new campaign (starting in January) by the British Humanist Association encouraging people to reject religion. Posters (not sure if they are actually posters, but hey) will appear on the sides of the much loathed “bendy buses” around the city declaring in [...]
Being Reasonable
With the recent flood of media attention on the emerging “Fundamentalist Atheism”, and the renewed debate between faith and reason this recent New Scientist segment exploring the pros, cons, and pitfalls of reason is rather timely. Contributors include the Abp. of Canterbury, Noam Chomsky, and the artist Keith Tyson. Tweet
Myth vs. Logos – Ways of Considering Belief
I’m nearly finished reading Karen Armstrong’s A Short History of Myth (ISBN 1841956449), in which she makes a statement that fits well with something I said in this post last week regarding the debate between science and religion. Armstrong describes two “categories” myth and logos. Logos, she says is concern with fact – observable, measurable, [...]
Seeking Explanation
Over the past few months I’ve been mulling over the question: “Why believe”. Increasingly I like my partner’s answer to the question: because Christ’s teaching is compelling. That it is. But I am not entirely satisfied with this answer alone. So I’ve been very interested in the increasingly vocal debate – here in the UK [...]
Talk To Me About Believing
I thought about this for a new poll question but realised the possible answers people offered would need space to breathe, and be seen. Recently, at least here in the UK, there has been a wave of media on both sides of the debate surrounding the idea of “atheism” – from Dawkin’s book The God [...]