In one of the definitive discussions of the issue, Philosophers Alvin Plantinga and Robert Pennock debated the teaching of evolutionary theory in public schools of religiously pluralistic societies at the December 1998 meeting of the Eastern Division of the American Philosophical Association. [The following is a crude rendition of the issues in the debate – […]
Entries Tagged as 'Philosophy of Religion'
Take Nobody’s Word for Anything – Especially Bob Brockie’s
October 3rd, 2008 3 Comments
Tags: Bad Reasoning · Bob Brockie · Christian History · Faith and Reason · Science and Religion · Urban Myths
More on the “Dark Ages” and Other Propaganda
September 27th, 2008 13 Comments
Those of you who have followed my discussions with Peter Cresswell on the history of Christianity and the relationship between faith and reason in the middle ages may find this abridged article by Dr James Hannam interesting. Dr Hannam has recently completed his PhD on the History of Science at the University of Cambridge. UPDATE: […]
Tags: Christian History · Dark Ages · Faith and Reason · James Hannam · Science and Religion
Cultural Confusion and Ethical Relativism – Invitation to a Thinking Matters Event
August 19th, 2008 Comments Off on Cultural Confusion and Ethical Relativism – Invitation to a Thinking Matters Event
Taken from Thinking Matters – Events & Announcements: Cultural Confusion and Ethical Relativism Dr Matthew Flannagan PhD, MSocSci, BSocSci When: Tuesday 2nd September Time: 7 – 9pm Where: Bethlehem Community Church Center – 183 Moffat Rd, Bethlehem, Tauranga Cost: Free Event Format: Live Presentation followed by Q&A and discussions Christian moral obligations are often seen […]
Tags: Events · Faith and Reason · Relativism · Thinking Matters
Self-Reference and Little-p philosophy
July 30th, 2008 3 Comments
I am a closet “ego surfari” (to coin one of Maverick Philosopher’s phrases); I enter my name into Google to see where my name comes up and what people are writing about me. It is an old hang up that goes back to my student politics days at the University of Waikato when Matt and […]
Tags: Bad Reasoning · Little p philosophy
The Bible Tells Me So
July 25th, 2008 2 Comments
Suppose a person upon reading scripture and hearing the scriptures expounded through preaching from the pulpit believes that God has prohibited a certain class of actions. Suppose further that the believer is aware of no conclusive argument either for God’s existence or for the affirmation of the command in question. Nor is he or she […]
Tags: Alvin Plantinga · Faith and Reason · Greg Dawes · William Alston
Of course I think I’m right!
July 18th, 2008 3 Comments
I find it really frustrating when I encounter someone who throws the “you think you’re right” accusation at me and assumes that this obviously makes me arrogant and that I should therefore back down and run away ashamed. I am sick of it. I will not be made to feel guilty for thinking my opinion is […]
Tags: Bad Reasoning

A common objection to belief in the God of the Bible is that a good, kind, and loving deity would never command the wholesale slaughter of nations. In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.





John Key on Religion and Public Life
September 30th, 2008 21 Comments
A few weeks ago someone gave me a copy of this interview with John Key. Now the first thing to note is that the article was published by Gaynz.com. Gaynz.com are not a terribly reliable media outlet, and Madeleine would say that they are beneath the term “media outlet”. Hence, much of what is written […]
Tags: GayNZ.com · Homosexual Conduct · John Key · National Party · Religion in Public Life · Sexual Morality