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William Lane Craig’s First Reason for God – Refuted by Norman Bacrac

Norman Bacrac – Atheism UK Council Member

Norman Bacrac (1) has been a member of the Council of Atheism UK since 2011 and is a former editor of the Ethical Record (2).

 

 

 

This edited article, first published in the Ethical Record (3), refutes the first of William Lane Craig’s eight reasons for God. In further articles, published at Atheism UK during 2017, Bacrac will refute Craig’s seven other reasons for God.

Does God Exist?

In the Philosophy Now magazine, William Lane Craig (4) wrote in The God Issue, “Does God Exist?” (5). In this article, Craig argues there has been a “resurgence of interest in natural theology”.

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Catholics lobby for state funded faith schools to select 100% pupils on faith

dfeShould faith schools be able to select up to 100% of pupils based on their faith? The Catholic Education Service (CES) has proposed that the current 50% cap be scrapped. 

In September, Theresa May announced a consultative Department for Education (DfE) Green Paper – “Schools that work for everyone”. For Faith Schools, the DfE say they “intend to deliver more good school places, while meeting strengthened safeguards on inclusivity.”

The Green Paper consultation CLOSES 12th December 2016. Please send your comments (see below) before that date.

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Chris Street, President Atheism UK

Chris Street, President of Atheism UK commented:

“It seems to me  that the Green Paper gives some spurious arguments for changing the 50% cap on selection in faith schools. If you are concerned about social integration and inclusive children’s education, I urge you to complete the Department for Education feedback form before 12th December.”

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1 in 10 British Muslims agree: ‘Organisations that publish images of Prophet Mohammad deserve to be attacked’

ComRES Poll of UK Muslims, February 2015

todayBetween 23rd January  and 20th February 2015, 1000 British Muslims were asked by COMRES what they thought about British Society and cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad. The poll asked British Muslims two questions:

    • 1)  ‘Do you agree or disagree with these eight statements about British society…? (Table 5)
    • 2) ‘Do you agree or disagree with these six statements about cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad …?’ (Table 14)

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Church “has duty” to discuss politics, creationist Bishops say

The established church’s controversial unofficial election manifesto “Who is my neighbour? A Letter from the House of Bishops to the People and Parishes of the Church of England for the General Election 2015”, whether not one agrees with its conclusions, is founded on a false premise:-

Followers of Jesus Christ believe that every human being is created in the image of God. But we are not made in isolation. We belong together in a creation which should be cherished and not simply used and consumed. This is the starting point for the Church of England’s engagement with society, the nation and the world. All that we say here follows from this.

Human beings are not created or made; they have evolved. There is no creation; there are the laws of physics and there is evolution.

It is astonishing that, when every Church of England bishop claims to have long-since accepted evolution as a fact, the House of Bishops is still blatantly using the language of creationism.

It should also be noted that this “Pastoral Letter” is addressed to the “People and Parishes of the Church of England” – not to the public at large – and the People and Parishes of the Church of England are a dwindling and increasingly irrelevant rump.

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Non-religious belief-based marriage: legislation deferred

The government’s long-awaited response, to its consultation on marriage according to the usages of belief organisations, was published this week. A “belief organisation” is:-

An organisation whose principal or sole purpose is the advancement of a system of non-religious beliefs which relate to morality or ethics.

The response was to defer any legislation, and to refer the matter to the Law Commission for a broader review of the law concerning marriage ceremonies.

See:-

https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/marriages-by-non-religious-belief-organisations