Annoying Atoms I have come to a rather grim conclusion: I don’t like atoms. Never have, never will. There is something so annoying about them. I wonder if I can get you to see it that way. This is not a phobia on my part, or a prejudice, but a considered judgment. It just isn’t […]
Coach Colin When I was at school, I did a lot of athletics: gymnastics, pole vault, diving, discus, table tennis, trampoline, basketball, as well as the usual football, cricket, and track. My PE teachers thought I would make a good PE teacher, and I didn’t disagree. They would be disappointed to learn that I became […]
Gods Let’s imagine a theological dispute of a different color: the question is which of two possible Gods, called Yum and Yam, exist. Yum and Yam are very similar—they are standard-issue Gods—but they do differ in certain particulars. Yum’s chosen people are the Dutch while Yam favors the Armenians, Yum’s day of rest is Saturday […]
Shortest Books in the World You will be familiar with this genre of humor. Well-known examples include: Italian War Heroes, Polish Wit and Wisdom. Here are my inventions (they are not intended to be fair or accurate—that’s the whole point). Triumphs of British Dentistry Irish Teetotalers I have Known Scottish Hospitality Welsh Wineries Nations of […]
Dreams and Religion There is a peculiarity of religion that is not often (if ever) remarked: its combination of the serious and the silly. I might even say commingling: the way the serious and the silly are interwoven, inextricably joined. Serious themes run through religion—life and death, right and wrong, cosmology. But at the same […]
Theism and Moral Anti-Realism What are the logical relations between theism and moral anti-realism?[1] First, we must define our terms (tedious work but it has to be done). Let theism be the doctrine that something like the Judeo-Christian God exists (not just any old type of God): not only morally perfect but also the very […]
Table Tennis (and the Meaning of Life) I was watching the Olympics a few months ago and made a point of checking out the table tennis. I used to play a lot as a teenager—we had a table at home and my brother also played. Naturally, I was pretty good at it (the best in […]
Atheism and Moral Realism So-called moral realism is the doctrine that morality is mind-independent. In particular, it is independent of judgments, attitudes, legislative acts, or emotions. It is therefore incompatible with divine command theories or human approval theories: the good is not what God commands and not what humans approve of. Moore’s theory of the […]
The Lord’s Prayer Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses; As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but […]
God: A Dialogue A: There’s this guy I read about: he’s like really big, much bigger than anyone else, and he’s incredibly knowledgeable, much more than any Jeopardy player you’ve ever seen, and he’s also extremely powerful, more than all the world leaders put together. B: Really, is he a good guy? A: Oh yes, […]