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Research Term: Secular Humanism

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Christianity and Scientific Naturalism
J.P. Moreland discusses the worldview of Naturalism. Moreland discusses claims of reality and claims of knowledge, and speaks on the naturalist's belief that the only thing that is real is the physical universe. Moreland goes on to discuss naturalists’ claim of knowledge and the claim that the only way a person can know something is through the proof of science — empiricism. All things have to be explained by the laws of nature. Naturalism is the view that science is the entire search for knowledge. Moreland exposes fallacies in naturalistic thinking, and uses examples in nature to argue that science cannot explain all things in the universe.

Truth & Consequences

Religion Poisons Everything
As I drove back to Colorado Springs from Denver today, the fog was so thick I could barely see the car ahead of me, much less the usual splendor of the Rocky Mountains to the west. I was listening to Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in Manhattan, who made some interesting points about the nature of faith. In the ongoing dialogue between theists and atheists that permeates society today, theists are often said to rely on faith while atheists rely on reason in the formation of their respective worldviews. Yet, such a stark dichotomy is too simplistic and out of touch with reality...

How to Survive Psychology Graduate School
I recently received the following email: I have a friend who is in graduate school in Psychology at the University of Colorado. She's spent $17,000 (so far) on her education and cannot afford to transfer. But she's finding that if her Christian worldview informs any of her thinking on papers, on exams, etc., she will be downgraded. Other students have told her that if she even appears to espouse a Christian worldview she won't graduate. One of her biggest problems is that she is being forced to (at least appear to) view same-sex marriage as an acceptable alternative lifestyle when she strongly objects to it. I don't know to what degree the school's administration may be under pressure to indoctrinate students into a politically correct, left wing mold, but it worries me. I'd expect this sort of thing at UC-Boulder, but not here. Any suggestions?

Is There a War between Science and Religion?
Many people today have the impression there is a war between modern science and religion, and that science has won the day. But is that really the case? Are scientific knowledge and religious ideas incompatible? Has science replaced religion as the means for understanding life and mankind's place in the universe? Dr. Ian Hutchinson, Professor at MIT, traces much of the blame for the current hostility between these two disciplines to Andrew Dickson White, former president of Cornell University. In 1898, White wrote a book entitled "A History of the Warfare of Science with Theology in Christendom." White's preface stated outright that he intended the book to support his battle against the church's control of higher education...

Expelled, the Movie
Most of us take academic freedom for granted. We assume that freedom of speech applies not only to the political and social arena but also to the halls of education. However, the foundations of freedom are experiencing seismic tremors in the academy. In the area of science education the freedom to pursue the truth where ever it leads is experiencing a major setback. It is the equivalent of a modern-day black-list! What can jeopardize someone's work in the academy? Criticizing Darwinian evolution, or, worse, suggesting that life displays evidence of . . . we better whisper it . . . intelligence.

Read Any Good Books Lately?
A federal judge ruled last January (2008) that a southeastern Missouri school district's long-standing practice of allowing the distribution of Bibles to grade school students is unconstitutional. This is the latest salvo by the courts to secularize our society. The misguided notion that the public square and especially the public school must be scrubbed clean of any references to Christianity continues to gain force. There are, however, many educators who would disagree with this conclusion, as the following article, written by a friend, Kim Kinney, demonstrates...

The New Atheists
Perhaps it goes without saying that the "new atheists" have arrived. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens (among others) have recently published volumes capturing many intellects and imaginations. As international bestsellers, their publishing efforts are likely to produce challenges to our faith for years to come. These authors have superb rhetorical skills and deploy the English language to great effect. Dawkins and Hitchens have particular appeal with their posh British accents and witty idioms. It is not that their polemics are novel, however, nor their arguments especially successful. And they have not gone unanswered. Yet it appears they have not...

The Golden Compass
"The Golden Compass," a film hitting theaters December 7th, dramatizes Philip Pullman's youth novel by the same name. It is the first book in His Dark Materials trilogy originally published in 1996. The subsequent books, "The Subtle Knife" and "The Amber Spyglass," continue the fantasy tale that became a bestseller around the world. Many see the fantasy tales as harmless children's stories. One NBC weatherman has made the book his fall selection for his "Al's Book Club for Kids." A number of organizations and websites are jumping on the official support bandwagon, including Random House children's books, Scholastic, Myspace.com, Sega, and even the World Wildlife Fund. On the other hand...

Separating Secular Humanism and the State
Secular Humanism is a well-articulated worldview. This is evident from the three Humanist Manifestos written in 1933 and revised in 1973 and again in 2000. According to their own pronouncements, Secular Humanists are atheists who believe that the scientific method is the primary way we can know about life and living, from understanding who we are as humans to questions of ethics, social issues, and politics. However, apart from the specifics of what Secular Humanists believe, the pressing issue is this: is Secular Humanism a religion?

Dawkins and Shear Luck
Richard Dawkins, Oxford professor and bestselling author, is out to convince the public that macro-evolution — the idea that all present forms of life have evolved from simpler forms — is the scientific gospel. And he makes this claim with the fervor of the most committed televangelist. In his latest book, "The God Delusion," Dawkins presents his case for why natural selection is the best answer for why we observe design in nature. But there is a fly in this naturalistic ointment that undermines Dawkins' premise and makes his conclusion untenable. Worldview analysis uncovers the problem...

Dawkins’ Impossible Mountain
In Richard Dawkins' best-selling book, "The God Delusion," he sets out to prove why there is "almost certainly no God." However, in analyzing the first three chapters in last month's Truth and Consequences, we found a flurry of unsubstantiated claims, straw man arguments, non sequiturs, and question begging. Not a very good start for a book that claims to have vanquished God to the dustbin of ignorance and superstition. But in Chapter 4 Dawkins enters his area of expertise, biology. And it is here that he makes his most vigorous argument for why God does not exist. Dawkins begins by examining the question: How can we account for...

Dawkins’ Delusional Arguments against God
British ethologist Richard Dawkins, professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, is a long-time popularizer of Darwinian evolution, ardent proponent of atheism, and prominent debunker of religion. In his latest book,"The God Delusion" (Houghton Mifflin, 2006), Dawkins' thesis is that belief in a supernatural creator qualifies as a delusion, which he defines as a persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence. Over the past several months, Dawkins has received...

Of Unicorns and Straw Men
Dear Mr. Kagin, Recently a friend told me about your camp, Camp Quest, an unique camp for children of secular humanists. I visited your website and noted that, according to your 2005 Camp Director's letter, you offer a prize of a one hundred dollar bill" to any camper who can prove that two invisible unicorns do not reside at your camp. I assume this challenge is to develop...

The End of Humanism
Remember humanism? That optimistic belief that human beings are the apex of the universe, the source of all values, and the measure of all things? Throughout the 20th century, many intellectuals believed that humanism would take the place of the world's religions. And yet, even within the world of humanism, the status of "Man" has been diminishing. In the sequence of Humanist Manifestos issued over the years, what began with the exaltation of "Man" has been reduced to the exaltation of...

The Influence of the Secular Humanist Worldview
Secular Humanism (SH) is a well-defined worldview. The Humanist Manifestos of 1933, 1973, and 2000 explain the details of their beliefs. Topping the list is their belief that God does not exist, or at least there is insufficient evidence for the existence of God. From that theological foundation, Secular Humanists have developed a comprehensive view on various issues, including the nature of man, moral values, the role of the state, plus other areas. Over the past 75 years, Secular Humanists have exerted significance influence over a wide range of culture shaping arenas, including...

Why the Grinch is Stealing Christmas
Like the Grinch of Dr. Seuss fame, there are those who are working hard to erase every public expression of Christmas in USA'ville. To list just a few examples, consider the following...

One Flew over the Cuckoo’s DNA
There is one issue that is foundational to every worldview — the question of the existence of God. All other issues of life, from psychology to ethics to politics, are simply a postscript to how that question is answered. So the first question is: Is God real? A traditional reason given for God's existence revolves around the apparent design found in all living things. The English theologian William Paley detailed this argument in his Natural Theology of 1802. Paley noted that if a watch was found lying on the ground, one would not assume...

Science and Religion
Many people today have the impression that there is a war between modern science and religion, and that science has won the day. But is that really the case? Are scientific knowledge and religious ideas incompatible? Has science replaced religion as the means for understanding life and mankind's place in the universe? Dr. Ian Hutchinson, Professor at MIT, traces much of the blame for the current hostility between these two disciplines to...

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