How Can We Know Anything?

I found an interesting podcast today and heard the following statement, "According to Science, Pluto needs 200 some odd years to orbit around the Sun. We haven't even known about Pluto that long in Science so how do we know that or that it will ever will orbit the sun? We don't know... but we have the math, the science and the evidence that confirms this former planet is conforming to the laws of gravity, the laws of physics that govern the universe that are consistently reliable. It's not like science stops working on occasion. There is a reason why there is no documentation for a miracle because these are violations of natural laws. They just don't happen." —Matt Dillahunt, The Atheist Experience Podcast.

I turned to my fellow brother in the battle, SouldeSaenz and emailed him to ask him how many contradictions and refutations he can find in the quote. I found his response brilliant! Here it is:

"His presupposition is that because the other planets orbit around the earth, then Pluto must do so as well. He first needs to address the problem of Induction. Just because it has happened once in the past that does not mean that it will happen again in the future, that is Induction.

Next, his evidences are not proofs of it happening. Just because you have evidence or rather, data, that is not proof of anything. What kind of data do you have regarding Pluto anyway? It's mass? It's position in Space? What is that proof of? That says noting about it's orbit of the Sun.

Finally and this is the biggy, on what basis can this clown even begin to make an assertion as to Natural laws? [They are] are immaterial, universal, abstracts. How can these materialist who hold to the creation of the universe through material means account for the immaterial? Why does he commit a category error in assuming that miracles are proven by the same means as the orbit of a planet around the Sun. This is what Dr. Greg Bahnsen called the "crackers in the pantry error". One does not prove that there are crackers in the pantry by the scientific method just as you do not prove the validity of miracles by whatever means he claims are invalid. He also never demonstrated that miracles violate natural law. How does Jesus curing a blind man a violation of natural? Which law of nature does that violate?

Lastly, there is plenty of documentation of miracles—it's called the Bible! In the end, he is left with the being guilty of what he himself is accusing the Christian of! There is no proof that Pluto orbits the Sun, only evidence that it may.

Well put my brotha! And may I add, doesn't the Atheist at some point have to account for the Big Bang? [hypothetically speaking]. Did it happen naturally? If they believe this, how can they know?

To believe or not to believe, that is the question.

Today, I received a news alert that headlined, "To believe or not to believe, that is the question."

The article was posted on Sacramento State's School newspaper website. It is about how some students plan to create an atheist club on campus. Their purpose, " To debate and challenge theistic assumptions". Below are a few responses I posted to their site from the article. Quotes from the article are  in blue.

"'(One goal) is to debate and challenge theistic assumptions,' Owen said." 

No matter what religion, or lack there of, they all have assumptions. Call it circular reasoning, but atheists must also admit, they too reason in circular fashion. At least speaking as a Christian, my benchmark, my guide is the Bible. It's the only rational worldview that comports with nature and mankind. Assume the contrary.

"Often atheists don't make their feelings known for fear of abuse or attack" said graduate English student Robin Martin."
Well, obviously Mr. Martin has no "fear of abuse or attack" by getting free publicity for club in the school newspaper about making his "feelings known". What type of abuse or attack is he describing here? Getting his feelings hurt or physical pain? Well, unfortunately for Christians, they live in a world of fear, abuse and attacks on their faith. In this post modern society, Christians are often directed to the "back of the bus"...if that—Most of the time, Christians are not even allowed on the bus. Especially in the public square.

'It's essential to inspire people to think and question the historical and present inconsistencies, violence, and exclusivity of theism and to educate through public speaking, printed materials, and creative events..' said Rebekah Hall, a prospective graduate English student. "

Apparently, Ms Hall makes the assertion of "historical and present inconsistencies" but fails to mention any. And implying that religion is responsible for violence is empirically false. It's obvious Ms Hall has been asleep at the wheel of her history studies there at Sac State.

Yes. There have been many atrocities in the name of religion. To be specific, Christianity. A blight on Christianity? Certainty. Something wrong? Dismally wrong. A tragedy? Of course. Millions and millions of people killed? No. The numbers are tragic, but pale in comparison to the statistics of what the ideology of non-religion criminals have committed. Go to your library there at Sac State and look up, ""Crimes: Mass Killings." There, you'll find names like Mao Tse Tung, Lenin and Stalin and Khrushchev. These men certainly weren't practicing theologians.

My point is not that Christians or religious people aren't vulnerable to committing terrible crimes. Certainly they are. But it is not religion that produces these things; it is the denial of Biblical religion that generally leads to these kinds of things. The statistics that are the result of irreligious genocide stagger the imagination.

"Lopez, a senior English major, said she wants "to talk to people about being an atheist and to get them to see that an atheist isn't something bad or something that has a negative connotation."
So what? As an atheist, why should Ms Lopez care about what people think? Again, if she was consistent with her worldview of atheism, she should allow people to think, act, do whatever they want. "Survival of the fittest" right? We're just molecules-in-motion. Is there a greater purpose for you Ms Lopez for proselytizing the students of Sac State?

Once again, we have atheists borrowing from the theists, specifically Christianity to spread their gospel of "good news".

Best of Both Worlds

I will be posting the same blog on both Blogger and Wordpress. So it's obvious that some will have different comments. So check them both out. I decided to do this because each blog service is unique and has it's different features. I really like the video features. However, I like that Blogger will post YouTube videos that are relevant to the posting I choose. Enjoy!

Back Up and Running!

Hello all!
Well, after a few weeks of exhaustive backtracking of lost posts, I must stop and continue on with this blog without some of the past postings. I kept following the links that say, "Can't see your blog? Click here", but unfortunately, they said there was nothing they can do because I cancelled my original email I signed up with. Live and learn I guess. So from time to time, as often as possible, I will be posting again some great questions that are either posed to me or some that I hear in the Public Square (internet, TV, radio, newspaper, academia, etc.) in regards to faith, reason, logic and other aspects that help shape our beliefs and how we look at the world philosophically. But once-in-a-while, I'll go off subject with something else so I won't take myself too seriously ;)