Have a gander at what PhilHellenes has to say about the recent swath of atheist billboards. He also had recordings of a dozen or so voicemails from 'concerned citizens' demanding that these signs be taken down.
I posted this last night as my official opinion about gay marriage - or at least a synopsis thereof. I have some strong feelings about the right to marriage and the right to have that marriage recognized, which made it difficult to make this video.
Since it's that time of year, I figured I'd post a little something about taking a stroll down memory lane, remembering what it's like to live outside and to have to endure the elements rather than hide from them. Not really a topical or heavy post.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars In this book, D.Q. McInerny attempts to convey to the reader a sense of the importance and utility of logic in daily life without taking too many risks in terms of tackling controversial issues. This is wise for an introduction to practical logic and ends up being effective. A short and easy read, one very noteworthy quality of the author's writing is the impeccable grammar used throughout, a pleasant departure from typical reading.
This book is effective in introducing the concepts of critical thinking and gives a good overview. However, I felt that the author struggled a bit with breaking down some of the concepts of formal logic into manageable chunks of information. This problem is intrinsic to formal logic as it is to mathematics - there just isn't any way around using symbols and the specific, rule-governed and purpose-built grammar of the propositional calculus. McInerny doesn't delve too deeply into this topic, going over the basics of conjunction, disjunction, implication and the various forms an argument may take based upon those concepts. I felt that, throughout this section, the author worked very hard for not quite enough payoff, but again, this is understandable considering the topic.
Finally, his section on fallacies started off strong and ended somewhat abruptly, as if this section were either written very last and McInerny was eager to cross the finish line, or written very first as his means of motivating himself to start the book and simply placed into the appropriate section of the outline. You'll note that the grammar in this section isn't quite so precise and intricate, a glaring but forgivable inconsistency.
In the end, I would definitely recommend this book to anybody taking an interest in critical thinking or interested in a refresher in logic, but I would not recommend this as anything other than supplemental for a formal study of logic itself.
I made this video last night right before bed, after finally coming to a decision about atheism. It was sort of an epiphany, really. I just realized, as you'll see in the vid, that while labels and social designations are essentially transient, they exist for a reason and so while nothing is perfect, including what is becoming the "Atheist Movement", there's a need for it and I stand for much of what is being talked about on that front right now. So I'm coming out, it's official.
Time to go get a tattoo, I guess. What do you think, left cheek or right?
Episode 1 of my logic series. This series will focus on applying the concepts of logic to everyday life. This series is not meant to supplant a logic course or otherwise replace making a formal study of logic, but with the understanding that some of the concepts in logic can be overwhelming, I've set out to make logic approachable to everyone.
This episode serves as an introduction to the series, giving an overview of what logic is all about.
Feedback is always appreciated, as well as requests for topics and especially examples of arguments (valid and invalid, sound and unsound) in popular media.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Written by a mathematician who went out of his way to refrain altogether from using formulas and equations and stick strictly to prose, this charming book is a humble refutation of a collection of the most common arguments in favor of the existence of god. Paulos goes through these arguments one after the other, first documenting the form of the argument itself before discussing how the argument holds up.
For people who are already avowed nonbelievers, this book is an invaluable resource to aid in breaking down and analyzing the attempts of the religious to push belief, demonstrating with each page how weak the arguments in favor of god really are. For readers who do believe, this is a confirmation of what they already know - that belief is a personal matter and that for lack of clear evidence, there is no irrefutable argument for the existence of a supreme being.
Far from being an extremist about religion, Paulos' tone is that of a man who sees danger in the forceful side of religion and simply wishes to arm those who do not wish to be forced. His arguments are as sensible and thorough as one would expect those of a mathematician to be while remaining very approachable. I would recommend this book to anybody, particularly the nonreligious and religious moderates as well as anybody making a study of contemporary American religious culture.
I went to all the trouble of making an awesome video only to have Youtube's magical musical copyright detection system disable the audio. However, I'm determined to get a video up on this, the very first annual International Blasphemy Day, so here's my lame attempt at making up for my folly.
My rating: 5 of 5 stars Well written polemic that introduces nothing new to the argument between religion and atheism but summarizes the arguments and counterarguments very well. Wielding the second person as an effective literary device, the book in its entirety addresses American Christian religious fundamentalists, or at least the concept thereof. Acknowleding that this stereotype of Christianity in America doesn't truly reflect the views of all people who call themselves religious, he maintains that evidence indicates that much of the nation claims such piety, even if it goes unpracticed, and that it is this phenomenon of religiosity that is the cause of much suffering and strife within our borders.
Recapitulating the arguments in favor of atheism and refuting religion, Harris goes on the attack, showing that the recent trends in religious fundamentalism clearly indicate that the battle for the future of humanity is already well underway. Because he is directly addressing the American Christian fundamentalist, he is able to effectively draw comparisons between Christianity as practiced in the West and Islam, both being religions based upon the unquestioning belief in an oppressive, petty and tyrannical deity who, by all literary accounts, does not Himself endorse moderation when it comes to dealing with outsiders and infidels. Harris uses the apparently extremist nature of the god of Abraham to further condemn the complicity of what he calls "moderate, liberal Christians" in a battle being waged by religious extremists. He ends on a dour note, echoing the thoughts of a great many atheists when he says that the likelihood of religion ceasing to exist and therefore ceasing to cripple the human species is very slim and that the consequences for this appear to be potentially very dire.
I'm sure that all of this sounds very disrespectful, but I must say that throughout the book, Harris retains a very respectful tone, simply refuting religious arguments and expressing his own opinion. At no point does he condemn the average Christian, fundamentalist or otherwise, as being somehow unworthy or less than human. He does not exalt his position, he simply pleads for it and asks that it be understood that people are suffering unnecessarily in order to propitiate a petty deity that cannot be proven to exist. However, he concedes throughout his work that the unreasonable nature of religious belief is, if anything, usually strengthened by circumstances and arguments that might and should reasonably subvert it. So in the end, Harris is left with little hope for the future of our species in the face of it all.
Included are more examples that substantiate his arguments than I can enumerate, but the afterword in this edition does explicitly call out Stephen J. Gould's concept of NOMA (Non-Overlapping Magesteria) and refutes it very directly. This is similar to the argument made by Richard Dawkins that so long as religion purports to tell us things about the physical universe, it does in deed overlap with science and this cannot be reckoned away with doublethink. It is for this reason that Harris, Dawkins and many others continue to wage this battle for reason, logic and those conclusions that may be drawn from evidence.
I just got a whole fuck-ton of atheist literature from Amazon today. I'll be reviewing these books over on Goodreads as I get through them, for those of you who've been following my book reviews lately (I know there haven't been many, but whatever).
In unrelated news, someone pretty close to me is very, very sick, so please be aware that there may be abrupt changing or cancellation of plans and things as that situation develops. I haven't cancelled anything yet, but just so you all know what's going on.
A young man, formerly muslim, having declared himself apostate in Britain, has been detained by authorities for reasons unknown. They are preparing to deport him to Afghanistan where his apostasy is punishable by death. If you click the video and go to the actual youtube page, there is a link in the sidebar to an online petition for asylum from religious persecution. I don't know how much good it'll do, but it's worth doing something.
Also, this video introduced me to the Council of Ex-Muslims, an organization dedicated to pursuing liberty and freedom from persecution for people who have chosen to apostatize themselves. Check them out at http://www.ex-muslim.org.uk.
Edit: As of earlier today, he has apparently been released from immigration detention, so the immediate threat is over for now. However, his case still has yet to be heard, so if you're interested in this subject at all, this is a story to keep an eye on.
It's been a while since I last posted a Youtube video, so I thought I'd take advantage of this rare Saturday sans hangover to cover a topic I've been meaning to do for a while.
Workout Progress Since about the middle of July, I've been hitting the gym on a regular basis with a personal trainer. Progress is slow, as one might expect, but I've felt myself getting stronger and more energetic. The beginning of each month is measurements day, where I get measured for body fat percentage, actual measurements and weight.
This is a response to another youtube user who I follow pretty regularly. He asked a question about human interpersonal chemistry, whether it could be explained or understood. I think that there might be explanations for parts of it, such as the biological advantages or the function of it in society, but I haven't come across anything that does a truly adequate job of capturing those feelings. I suppose they're unique to everyone and every situation, even though we can all relate to them and we know what they are.
Birthday/Graduation Party Last night was lots of fun. A bunch of people came out to Dave and Kelly's and we drank it up and had good times. It was mildly debaucherous and right now I have a hangover that is pretty incredible. Man, seriously guys, I'm feeling my age today.
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fuerve's journal
