franz kiekeben
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THE TRUTH ABOUT GOD

5/26/2015

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I have just published my first book, The Truth about God, which as you may have guessed is a defense of atheism. But – even though I don't consider myself to be in the closet with regards to my beliefs – I can't post the news on my personal Facebook page, nor have I told any of my neighbors about it (most of them would probably have no problem with it, but there are a few who almost certainly would, and that might affect my son's ability to play with some of his friends). And that just goes to show how much progress there is still to be made on this. The question whether or not there is a conscious being who is responsible for the existence of the universe should be treated like any other: it should be no more controversial than asking whether or not the universe is infinite, or when dodo birds became extinct. And yet, even though I don't live in the Bible belt and my book's main focus isn't the criticism of religion, I can't talk about it to people I speak with on a daily basis. Which is kind of ridiculous.

About my book: The Truth about God is a defense of an unusually strong type of atheism, since it argues that God isn't just unlikely, but is in fact impossible. In addition, it covers such topics as the fine-tuning argument, the basis of morality, the historical unreliability of the New Testament, the Kalam cosmological argument, a new problem of evil, the mind's dependence on the brain, and much more.

Most atheists maintain that one cannot prove the nonexistence of God, which is certainly understandable. If, however, you are convinced that such a proof is out of the question you should definitely read my book. See it on Amazon here. 



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ARE ATHEISTS SCARY?

5/11/2015

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The lack of an afterlife is the toughest part of the traditional atheist worldview to sell. As some believers are quick to point out, atheism has nothing to offer except the cold, hard grave. That's not actually true, of course: atheism has something to offer everyone here and now – namely, a life free of religious delusions. And the traditional Christian view of the afterlife – which consists of eternal punishment for a majority of humanity – is, if anything, worse than the end envisioned by nonbelievers. But in spite of all that, it's certainly understandable if many find atheism's lack of a hereafter utterly unappealing.

But could any of this be related to a dislike of atheists? According to a new study published in Social Psychological and Personality Science, the answer, surprisingly, is yes. Two experiments were conducted, and the first found that negative feelings towards atheists was greater among those who had very recently thought about death, while the second showed that “the mere contemplation of atheism can arouse intimations of mortality.” The finality of death associated with atheism appears to be subconsciously translated into a distrust of those who dare to espouse the view.

If true, this means nonbelievers have even greater obstacles to overcome than previously thought.

For more on the study, see: http://www.psmag.com/health-and-behavior/why-atheists-terrify-believers

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