“The seemingly unquenchable popularity of the so-called ‘paranormal’ has long been a puzzle, both to me and to my good friend Aron Ra. However, Aron’s much more important and more specific interest in preoccupation with woo-woo is bifold: religion & creationism — to the study of which he has given much thought and concern. His book Foundational Falsehoods of Creationism brings to our stunned attention the farcical, juvenile, pseudoscientific claims with which so many cultures, worldwide, have occupied themselves for centuries, and to which they have so willingly surrendered on their way to the abattoir. . . Aron’s rage — along with his concern — is very evident as he takes his reader step-by-step along the bumpy road he has researched and probed to illustrate just how juvenile that a belief in angels, heaven — and hell, eternal life, promised rewards and penalties, can be unless we wake up and see the Earth upon which we live as a home that doesn’t need abject nonsense to make it wondrous and exciting. Those who choose to believe that the fossil record can be disregarded, that humans were designed and manufactured ‘as is’ and just ‘happened,’ who surrender on their knees to ghosts that just aren’t there, should settle down and read Aron Ra very carefully and should seriously think — that’s the word! — about what he’s written.”
—James Randi, author of An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural

About the Book

Religious fundamentalists and biblical literalists present any number of arguments that attempt to disprove evolution. Those with a sympathetic ear often fail to critically examine these creationist claims, leading to an ill-informed public and, perhaps more troubling, ill-advised public policy. As Aron Ra makes clear, however, every single argument deployed by creationists in their attacks on evolution is founded on fundamental scientific, religious, and historical falsehoods–all of them. Among their most popular claims is that evolution is a religion, that there are no transitional species, that there are no beneficial mutations, and that supposedly sacred scripture is the infallible word of God. Yet, as the evidence and data plainly show, each of these claims is demonstrably and unequivocally false. There is simply no truth to creationism whatsoever, and the entire enterprise rests on a foundation of falsehoods. This book explains and exposes the worst of these lies, and should be read by all who honestly care about following the evidence no matter where it might lead in pursuit of the truth.

About the Author

Aron Ra is a science educator, secular activist, debater, and public speaker. He cohosts the Ra-Men podcast and writes at Reason Advocates on the Patheos network. He is the former Texas state director of American Atheists and current president of Atheist Alliance of America. He is also heading the Phylogeny Explorer Project, an effort to render the entire evolutionary tree of life as a navigable online encyclopedia. He is best known for his popular video series exposing the foundational falsehoods of creationism.

Details

ISBN: 9781634310789
Format: paperback
SRP: $21.95
Page count: 440 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: November 1, 2016

“You’ll learn a lot about science and a lot about scripture from this light-hearted yet serious-minded look at the Bible.”
—Steven Pinker, Johnstone Professor, Harvard University

About the Book

Fundamentalist Christians often use the Bible as a guide to the natural world, which inevitably leads them to reject much of what modern science says about the universe. But what if we were to use modern science as a guide to the Bible? What might a scientific reading of the Bible tell us not only about religion's claims, but also about nature and our place in it? If God really did part the Red Sea, how might he have engineered such a feat? If Jesus really did raise Lazarus from the dead, under what circumstances might it have happened? In this witty and informative book, science writer Clay Farris Naff brings the miracles of the Bible into sharp focus through the lens of modern science. Whether you're a religious skeptic or a true believer, you'll find what comes into view is mind-bending, thought-provoking, and even amusing—and you'll likely be left even more amazed and entranced by the universe we live in.

About the Author

Clay Farris Naff is the science and religion correspondent for Humanist magazine. An award-winning journalist and author, he has been a Tokyo correspondent for United Press International, a freelance reporter for National Public Radio, a science-and-religion columnist for the Metanexus Institute, and a freelance writer for Newsweek, Earth Magazine, and Scientific American, among other publications. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska.

Details

ISBN: 9781634311540
Format: paperback
SRP: $15.95
Page count: 240 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: September 2018

"In this debate on the central Christian doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus, the two chief scholars represented here, Craig Blomberg and Carl Stecher, speak capably and knowledgeably in favor of the major opposing positions. Additional respondents enhance the discussion. The opponents are nonetheless amicable and attempt to understand and make allowances for positions that are not their own, which always contributes to greater understanding. For those who appreciate dialogue as a means of clearing away poorly articulated views, this dialogue is a good place to either begin or for further study. Though I have always favored the resurrection position, the communication must continue for greater clarification and decision-making."
—Gary R. Habermas, Distinguished Research Professor & Chair, Department of Philosophy, Liberty University

About the Book

Is there enough evidence to believe Jesus rose from the dead, or must such a judgment be based only on faith? Can the resurrection story be considered a fact of history, or should it be viewed as an ahistorical account? Two renowned professors, atheist Carl Stecher and Christian Craig Blomberg, engage in a groundbreaking new debate on these very questions. Other experts on the resurrection, atheist Richard Carrier and Christian Peter S. Williams, comment on the outcome. Presenting new approaches to these centuries-old questions and taking into account the latest scholarly research, Resurrection: Faith or Fact? is a must-have not only for all those following the resurrection question—but also for those skeptics and Christians alike who are interested in determining for themselves the truth behind this foundational doctrine of the Christian faith.

About the Author

Carl Stecher is a professor emeritus at Salem State University, a recipient of a Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, and a frequently published voice on the topics of educational policy and religion. Craig L. Blomberg is Distinguished Professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary in Littleton, Colorado and author of 25 books. He holds a Ph.D. in New Testament from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. Richard Carrier is the author of Sense and Goodness without God, On the Historicity of Jesus, The Scientist in the Early Roman Empire, and many other publications. Peter S. Williams is an assistant professor at Gimlekollen School of Journalism and Communication, NLA University, Norway.

Details

ISBN: 9781634311748
Format: paperback
SRP: $17.95
Page count: 296 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: April 2019

“Rigorous depth of research is Carrier's trademark, employed here to great effect. He presents a wealth of evidence and a spectacular look into the surprising variety and richness of science and technology in Roman times. Achievements as varied as astronomical computers like the Antikythera Device, the beginnings of surgical anesthetics and antiseptics, robotic theater performances and cuckoo clocks, hand crossbows and automatic weapons, and so much more. Carrier illuminates a world on the edge of scientific revolution, but ultimately denied by fate. He shows the triumph of Christianity brought with it open hostility to the scientific values necessary for progress to continue, leading us into a dark millennium, ending only when Western civilization could weaken Church power enough to defy it, and return to the values of the pagans of yore.”
—David Fitzgerald, author of The Mormons and Jesus: Mything in Action

About the Book

In this extensive sequel to Science Education in the Early Roman Empire, Dr. Richard Carrier explores the social history of scientists in the Roman era. Was science in decline or experiencing a revival under the Romans? What was an ancient scientist thought to be and do? Who were they, and who funded their research? And how did pagans differ from their Christian peers in their views toward science and scientists? Some have claimed Christianity valued them more than their pagan forebears. In fact the reverse is the case. And this difference in values had a catastrophic effect on the future of humanity. The Romans may have been just a century or two away from experiencing a scientific revolution. But once in power, Christianity kept that progress on hold for a thousand years—while forgetting most of what the pagans had achieved and discovered, from an empirical anatomy, physiology, and brain science to an experimental physics of water, gravity, and air. Thoroughly referenced and painstakingly researched, this volume is a must for anyone who wants to learn how far we once got, and why we took so long to get to where we are today.

About the Author

Richard Carrier, PhD, is a philosopher and historian of antiquity, specializing in contemporary philosophy of naturalism and Greco-Roman philosophy, science, and religion, including the origins of Christianity. He blogs regularly and lectures for community groups worldwide. He is the author of numerous books, including Sense and Goodness without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism and On the Historicity of Jesus. For more about Dr. Carrier and his work see www.richardcarrier.info.

Details

ISBN: 9781634311069
Format: paperback
SRP: $29.95
Page count: 640 pages
Trim size: 6 x 9
Pub date: September 2017