Monthly Archives: March 2010

An Atheist Meets God

Posted on March 28, 2010 by Jim Spiegel

Anyone familiar with the philosophical history of atheism knows that twentieth century British scholar A. J. Ayer is one of the most prominent atheists of the modern period.  He was a leading figure in the movement known as Logical Positivism, … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

Leading the Way to the Middle Ground

Posted on March 23, 2010 by Amy Spiegel

One of the cool, and often exasperating, things about being a parent is that you get to be somewhat omniscient. Not in the observing-the-thoughts-of-billions-people-at-once kind of way, but rather in the seeing-things-from-multiple-perspectives sense. Each time a disagreement breaks out in … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Observations, Politics | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

The “Pray for an Atheist” Campaign

Posted on March 19, 2010 by Jim Spiegel

Several folks, including myself, have launched a Facebook page entitled Pray for an Atheist.  As you may know, April 1 has been celebrated in the past as “National Atheists Day,” and in the first week of April is held the … Continue reading →

Posted in Announcements | Tagged , | 42 Comments

Tips for Working Out

Posted on March 17, 2010 by Amy Spiegel

Several weeks back some friends treated us to a weekend away at their family cottage in Michigan. While snow fell gracefully outside, my dear friend and I sat catching up on recent events. She chanced to mention that she was … Continue reading →

Posted in Cultural Observations | Tagged , , | 6 Comments

God Judges Animals?

Posted on March 13, 2010 by Jim Spiegel

Amy and I have practiced what we call a “cruelty-free diet” for more than a decade.  We do this out of a conviction that it’s the least we can do to avoid moral complicity with the factory farming system in our … Continue reading →

Posted in Ethics, Theology | Tagged , , | 13 Comments

Green Grass and Rocky Deserts

Posted on March 9, 2010 by Amy Spiegel

A few years back, I did a Bible study on the life of Moses. Throughout the study, I struggled with a bit of snobbery against the Israelites who seemed like the most pathetic band of “stiff-necked” people ever collected. God … Continue reading →

Posted in Theology | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Hell and the Undermining of Heavenly Happiness

Posted on March 5, 2010 by Jim Spiegel

Lately, I’ve been pondering some of Thomas Talbott’s arguments against the traditional doctrine of hell (in his 1990 Faith and Philosophy essay “The Doctrine of Everlasting Punishment”).  He makes many interesting points, both in criticism of eternal conscious torment and … Continue reading →

Posted in Philosophy, Theology | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments