When getting involved with discussions, especially on twitter, I keep hearing the phrase ‘The McRae Virus’ – often when discussing definitions or logic. I find this a strange way to dismiss a logical argument that doesn’t fit one’s narrative. Before entering the world of internet debates and things, I thought that an atheist was someone…
Hello, and welcome to Fresh AiR! – I’m Joe… Words you will have heard a few times if you have already started listening to season one. What is Fresh AiR? ‘Fresh AiR’ is a podcast, hosted by Joe, Martijn and Dave. It is part of Answers in Reason but hopes to bring a fresh perspective…
This article is to define and discuss objective and subjective, morals and morality. As with any article on AiR we don’t always agree. Where science is concerned and the evidence is irrefutable we of course accept and believe it to be true. When it is opinion or something philosophical we may have differences. As such…
Life, purpose and dealing with death If you are reading this, you might be alive. You might be a computer program, simulating my life to me. We never know. To me, cogito ergo sum, to you, not so much. I think, therefore I am. But I don’t know that you think, so you might not…
Abortion is a very sensitive topic with a lot of high charged emotions flying about. If you remove the emotional element it is easy to see either sides point, but there are a few things that should be cleared up from either perspective. Pro-Choice does not mean Pro-Abortion There seems to be an attitude that…
Defining Apologetics Apologetics may be simply defined as the defense of the faith. The simplicity of this definition, however, masks the complexity of the problem of defining apologetics. It turns out that a diversity of approaches has been taken to defining the meaning, scope, and purpose of apologetics. From Apologia to Apologetics The word “apologetics”…
Read More “Religious Apologetics – The Science of Excuses” »
Fanboys, Fundamentalists, and Conspiracy theorists are the prime users of Confirmation Bias. In fact, everyone at some point has operated using confirmation bias based on their cognitive biases, but in most circumstances, you could drop them in to one of the above categories. So let’s start with some definitions of the terminology shall we? We…
Conflated and Misunderstood Terms There are a number of conflated and misunderstood terms floating about the internet. Some of these terms are colloquialisms, others are just a misunderstanding, while the bulk used have been taught erroneously to further an agenda. Communication is a very important thing. If we cannot interact with each other on the…
Read More “Conflated and Misunderstood Terms Volume 1: Evolution” »
The ancient Greek philosopher Lucius Annaeus Seneca said; ‘Why weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.’ Though I do not agree with this particular quote, I must admit that the sentiment is useful. And when push comes to shove, that’s all that matters. In this piece, I will attempt to show…
My money is on faith healing being a dirty scam preying on the desperate and gullible but I guess I had better not just leave it at that and present some kind of reasoning behind my conclusion. Exposed The James Randi Million Dollar Challenge. Job done!! Hmmmm, it would make for a very short article…
Read More “Faith Healing: Miracle or dirty scam preying on the desperate and gullible?” »
Bigotry definitions and false bigotry claims has been covered by an article by Kriss: What Is Bigotry? The Difference Between What Makes Us A Person, And What Makes Us A Human. I also covered the difference between words/prayers and actions in my article: Sorry I’ll pray for you. Assuming you have an understanding of these…
Read More “Bigotry, Political Correctness, Intent, and offence.” »
A few years ago, I first heard the saying: “Smash that plate on the floor. Now say sorry. Does it fix it?” It appealed to me quite a bit. I find too many people throw around the word sorry without ever actually being sorry, or even if they are, they do not change their behaviour/actions…
In our rational mindset, many devote their lives to obtaining and maintaining knowledge and reason. We run the risk of being obsessed to the point that we forget to appreciate the better things in life. To enjoy ourselves, to enrich the soul. In this small series, I will discuss these things with you in an…
Introduction. Previously I have written an article that lists and explains some Common Theistic Fallacies that are often brought up in arguments. As an atheist who is active in several online debate and discussion groups, they are things that I see with exceptional regularity. However, it is unfair to think that it is only the Theists…
A few of the luckier staff members here at www.answers-in-reason.com(AIR) made the long (because I cant follow GPS directions), arduous and at times perilous (because I was driving) road trip to catch a talk by the magnificent Aron Ra. After getting stuck in rush hour traffic which made snails pace…
Internet atheists, FB debating groups and their spin offs I cut my teeth in online debates in a group called does God exist(DGE) on facebook about 3 years ago. I had been an atheist for a long time but was not active in it in any way. I married a Muslim woman and she tried…
Read More “Internet atheists, FB debating groups and their spin offs” »
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