The Secular Outpost: 20+ Questions for Theists #8 and 9 and 10

John Loftus has posted a link to a  list of questions for theists from another blog. Rather than answer all of them in a single post, I will take each of them one at a time. Today:


8. Why would God desire to create embodied moral agents, as opposed to unembodied minds (such as souls, spirits, or ghosts)? Why is the human mind dependent on the physical brain


I gave a response to this one before the post was edited at:  http://mmcelhaney.blogspot.com/2012/06/secular-outpost-20-questions-for.html


9. Did Australopithecus have a soul? What about homo habilis? Homo erectus? Neanderthals? Why or why not? (HT: Keith Parsons)


I'm not sure if we can really conclusively prove that  Australopithecus,  homo habilis, Homo erectus, or Neanderthals  were fundamentally different from us or represent the varying stages in human evolution. It is am interesting fairytale that I just don't think that there is enough evidence to accept as fact. Therefore being asked about whether or not they had souls is not appropriate. Many people who raise this question don't think modern people have souls either, so it's just sad attempt to make people doubt their own soul's existence based on not being able to answer the same question about "ancestors" that we don't really have much information about. For the sake of argument let's say that these earlier hominids did exist, how would you go about testing their cognitive functions? How would you talk to them about their hopes and dreams? On this subject, if you accept evolution, agnosticism is the only honest position. Concluding that they had souls and that they did not have souls would be a move of blind faith - believing something that you have no evidence for. 


10. How do souls interact with physical matter? Do you have any answer that is not tantamount to "I don't know?" (HT: Keith Parsons)


Souls interact with physical matter in their bodies that God gave us. Easy peasy. 

The Secular Outpost: 20+ Questions for Theists

Answering Muslims: Muslims Stone Christians (NSFW)

So some Christians were recently attacked by Muslims - Men, Women, And Children - while peacefully carrying signs about Christianity as they walked through an Arabic cultural festival. Where did such a thing take place? Egypt? Saudi Arabia? Afghanistan?





Nope? Dearborn, MI - in the United States!!!! I guess there is no free speech in Michigan. Read David Wood's comments at the following link. The one problem I have in this video is the attempt to try to tie President Obama to what happened because no President would be in a real position to do anything. I wouldn't expect Bush or Clinton to have committed political suicide, why should I expect Obama to do it? Of course it's the right thing, but not the Political thing to do. I think it's important to hold Obama to the same standard I would his predecessors and I think those standards should be higher.

Answering Muslims: American Muslims Stone Christians in Dearborn, MI