There seems to be no end to this pandemic. In fact, it seems to be getting worse. From its beginning in the early 2000’s, it has grown more destructive every year and the infection has spread to more and more people. No, I’m not talking about COVID. I’m referring to ‘outragism’ – the almost pathological …
In my regular discussions and debates with atheists online, I often come across the statement, “I trust in science, not God.” On the surface, it seems a reasonable statement to make (at least the first half of it, anyway). But I always like to ask the question, “On what basis are you prepared to place …
Science is the ultimate definer and guardian of truth, right? The irrefutable authority that determines what is true and what is not? Yes? No. Not even close! Science’s rise to almost god-like status over the last century and a half is unwarranted for two reasons: Science is limited to a surprisingly narrow field of enquiry. …
THE ILLUSION OF SECURITY “You’re a kite dancing in a hurricane, Mr Bond,” proclaimed an antagonist in the film, Spectre. The statement has become one of the best-known quotes from the Bond franchise and describes Bond’s naïve underestimation of the forces aligned against him. It references his imminent and inescapable demise and his illusory sense …
A newly released American study draws attention to a “striking decline” in traditional biblical beliefs among those who claim to be evangelicals. The study by Probe Ministries discovered that 60% of those claiming to be ‘born again’ Christians in America, aged between 18 and 39, believe that Buddha and Muhammad are equally valid paths to …
ENFORCED CELIBACY In this second instalment, I examine the policy of the enforced celibacy of clergy. Within the Catholic church, priests and nuns are prohibited from marrying, based upon the belief that abstention from sex and freedom from marital ties will enable them to be more singularly devoted to God’s service. Similarly, within Eastern and …
This is the first in a short series of articles aimed at examining some of the religious rituals and practices that originated many centuries ago and which have persisted into the modern world. The series aims to examine the historical roots of these practices and evaluate the relevance of their continued practice. Let me start …
The first ‘trans woman” (a biological male who claims he is really a woman) has been accepted to compete in the Olympic women’s weightlifting competition. New Zealand transgender weightlifter, Laurel Hubbard, was born Gavin Hubbard, and for many years competed as a male weightlifter for New Zealand, winning many competitions. But in 2013, at the …
In my recent seminar, “Evidence for Belief”, I examined some of the compelling evidence for God’s existence. This included recent cosmological evidence that has led to the stunning conclusion that the universe had a finite beginning and came into existence at a distant point in the past via mechanisms that many scientists are now admitting …
