6 Responses to “GOD or NOT #7”

1. bleedingisaac Says:
   January 16th, 2006 at at 1:32 pm

   I Am and Chad,

   I was wondering about the topics for the God or Not Carnival. You state that the purpose of the carnival is to “bring theist and atheist thought on a variety of religious issues together in one place on a regular basis” with the hope that it “can help [”people out there who are ‘on the fence’ when it comes to god”] make up their minds one way or the other.”

   While the topics that have been discussed in the carnival so far may very well help fence-riders decide, it seems that other, more direct topics would be even more effective in doing so.

   For instance, why not have a topic on each of the traditional “proofs” of a god–e.g. the cosmological argument, the argument to design, the ontological argument, an argument from miracles, an argument from answered prayer, an argument from fulfilled scripture, the transcendental argument, the moral argument, etc.? There could also be arguments against a god’s existence–e.g. the problem of pain, problem of evil, unanswered prayer, big bang cosmology, evolution, etc.

   Anyway, this is just my two cents for what it’s worth. I guess these are the arguments I would normally associate with a “God or Not” carnival.

2. I Am Says:
   January 16th, 2006 at at 2:29 pm

   We don’t choose the topics. Each host chooses the topic for the next edition (subject to approval). So, if you want to influence the topic, you’ll have to talk to the upcoming hosts or host one yourself.

   While I agree with your point about targeting topics to the fence-sitters, I would worry about a topic as narrow as “The Cosmological Agument.” I try to steer hosts toward broader topics. I would probably suggest broadening that one to someting like “Creation.” This allows for a wider range of posts so that people aren’t reading the same argument eight times.

3. Seth Says:
   January 16th, 2006 at at 2:52 pm

   Oy, can the topic for the KoH edition be “Kids and Religion”?

4. I Am Says:
   January 16th, 2006 at at 2:55 pm

   That’s up to Cadmus.

5. Seth Says:
   January 16th, 2006 at at 3:59 pm

   Ah. In retrospect, I should’ve finished reading the second sentence of your previous comment.

6. Michael Says:
   January 16th, 2006 at at 10:04 pm

   Sorry for the off-topic post, but the first show of Dawkin’s “The Root of All Evil?” is available on bittorrent at http://www.mininova.org/tor/196040

   The more of us download it, the more quickly it will spread! Tell everyone!