How the naturalistic explanation provides a fairly sturdy foundation for morality @ToddAllenGates

Todd Gates Sources cited:
- "Monkeys Reject Unequal Pay" (Nature, 18 September 2003) -- http://www.emory.edu/LIVING_LINKS/pdf_attachments/BrosnanUnequalPay.pdf

- New York Times article on above study (called "Genetic Basis to Fairness, Study Hints"): http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/18/science/18MONK.html

- "Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are," by Frans de Waal (http://www.amazon.com/Our-Inner-Ape-Primatologist-Explains/dp/1594481962/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283612200&sr=8-1)

Epydemic2020's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILVynPBoYak&

TheoreticalBullshit's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWNW-NXEudk

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

updated 14 years ago

How the naturalistic explanation provides a fairly sturdy foundation for morality

Todd Gates 2010-09-04 | Sources cited:
- "Monkeys Reject Unequal Pay" (Nature, 18 September 2003) -- http://www.emory.edu/LIVING_LINKS/pdf_attachments/BrosnanUnequalPay.pdf

- New York Times article on above study (called "Genetic Basis to Fairness, Study Hints"): http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/18/science/18MONK.html

- "Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are," by Frans de Waal (http://www.amazon.com/Our-Inner-Ape-Primatologist-Explains/dp/1594481962/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1283612200&sr=8-1)

Epydemic2020's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILVynPBoYak&

TheoreticalBullshit's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWNW-NXEudk

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Sam Harriss On the Freedom to Offend an Imaginary God

Todd Gates 2012-09-22 | A reading of Sam Harris's blog post "On the Freedom to Offend an Imaginary God"

(From http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/on-the-freedom-to-offend-an-imaginary-god)

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss religion (most of my videos are based on the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer")

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Sittin on Top of the World (piano & blues harmonica)

Todd Gates 2012-09-22 | What I've been working on while not making videos about religion.

Harmonicas used:
G (cross-harp, key of D)
Bb (cross-harp, key of F)
D (cross-harp, key of A)
C Chromatic, playing in key of Bb
F (cross-harp, key of C)

Piano & blues harp performance & arrangement by Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" and "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames."

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss religion (most of my videos are based on the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer")

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Gods Odd Priorities Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

Todd Gates 2012-05-06 | WARNING: Graphic images from 6:14 - 6:36.

A discussion of "Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust," by Immaculee Ilibagiza, a Tutsi survivor of the 1994 Rwandan genocide. My emphasis will be on the book's subtitle.

Link to my video series "The Problem of Suffering: the 7 Supernatural Answers vs. the 1 Naturalistic"--http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w2pn66VVWk&list=PL2E827A1DF5FDB42C&feature=plcp

Background track at the end: "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" (from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgoWkrGK_yU, a video on my youtube.com/ToddGates musician channel)

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss religion (most of my videos are based on the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer")

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/16014508...

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/...

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

NYC subway blues harmonica

Todd Gates 2012-05-05 | What I've been working on while not making religion videos.

"NYC subway blues harmonica" is based on (1) background music played by Sonny Terry in the movie "Crossroads," (2) Deak Harp's playing in the promo clip of the documentary "Mississippi Saxophone": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IwWWRiWNs0, and (3) my own "connecting" material (and re-interpretations of the Sonny Terry & Deak Harp riffs to make them "fit" together).

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss religion (most of my videos are based on the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer")

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/16014508...

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/...

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

How would God, if He exists, be rated by Human Resources on His managerial skills?

Todd Gates 2011-12-24 | As I was filling out my year-end Performance Review, it made me wonder how the alleged god of theism would be rated by a corporate Human Resources department on His managerial skills in the areas of (1) setting clear objectives for His team, (2) giving consistent feedback to all His reports, and (3) providing a recognizable correlation between performance and rewards.

Background track at the end: my piano/blues harp rendition of Joe Zawinul's "Mercy Mercy Mercy" (taken from my youtube.com/ToddGates musician channel): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-fdw2DMk2Q

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss religion (most of my videos are based on the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer")

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/16014508...

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/...

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Proselytizing about barefoot running

Todd Gates 2011-09-25 | LINKS:

From 'Harvard Science'--"Perfect landing: Study finds barefoot runners have less foot stress than shod ones":
http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2010/01/different-strokes/

From 'Nature'--"Foot strike patterns and collision forces in habitually barefoot versus shod runners": http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v463/n7280/full/nature08723.html

Christopher McDougall's "Born to Run":
http://www.amazon.com/Born-Run-Superathletes-Greatest-Vintage/dp/0307279189/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316885573&sr=8-1

Miscellaneous articles:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barefoot_running

"Beginner's Guide to Barefoot Running": http://www.barefoot-running.us/blog/bare/beginners-guide-to-barefoot-running.html

Barefoot Ted's Beginner Tips: http://www.borntorun.com/pages/barefoot-teds-beginner-tips

" The Complete Beginner's Guide to Barefoot Running": http://zenhabits.net/barefoot-running

"How to Choose Minimalist Shoes": http://www.rei.com/expertadvice/articles/minimalist+shoes.html

The minimalist running shoe that I wear, the RunaMoc: http://www.softstarshoes.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=product.display&Product_ID=1342

"Injury: Top-of-the-Foot Pain": http://gobarefooting.wordpress.com/2010/04/21/injury-top-of-the-foot-pain

And here's a video about the Tarahumara, a tribe in Northern Mexico where people run ultramarathon races (e.g. 50-mile, 100-mile) with almost none of the injuries that typically plague American runners: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnwIKZhrdt4

Christianitys Chaotic Origins Underscore its 100% Human Authorship

Todd Gates 2011-09-11 | Main source for information on the Ebionites, the Marcionites, and the Gnostics: Bart Ehrman's "The Lost Christianities: The Battles for Scripture and the Faiths We Never Knew."

Main source for information on Constantine: Paul Stephenson's "Constantine: Roman Emperor, Christian Victor."

Background track during closing credits: Hoobastank's "Out of Control."

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/16014508...

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/...

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Big Walter Hortons Easy (piano & blues harp)

Todd Gates 2011-07-19 | A brief sample of what I've been working on while not making religion videos.

This is my first blues harp video using two techniques new to me: a method of playing called "tongue-blocking" (as opposed to "lip-pursing"), and using a mic with effect pedals.

Gear details:
Harmonica: "A" Marine Band (playing cross-harp / key of E)
Mic: Shaker Mad Dog
Pedals: Ibanez AD9 Analog Delay and the Lone Wolf Harp Attack.
Amp: Pignose 7-100

My inspiration for learning these new techniques comes from (1) "Hill Country Harmonica" (a harmonica workshop I went to one weekend in May 2011 in Mississippi), and (2) a 40-second section (10:50 - 11:30) from Adam Gussow's video "Harmonica Madness 2: Clarke, Norcia, Guyger, stagecraft, and the Bucks County blues": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEX6QRmhTO4

Link to tabs (as of July 2011, available for a *steal* at $2 for the tabs and $5 for the instructional video): Adam Gussow's http://www.modernbluesharmonica.com/blues_harp_lessons.html

Link to John Grylls's performance of "Easy" (which I used as the background track at the end of this video): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wyb6O3_bEuQ

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Performed on piano & blues harp by Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" and "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames."

My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Atheist responds to Christian who apologizes for unkind Christians

Todd Gates 2011-04-16 | A response to ThePursuitBlog's video 'I AM SORRY: An Apology to Gays, Atheists and More!': http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PzyUQZdjKw

I cover three subjects:

(1) Why I believe the label of "poser Christian" doesn't apply to either the Peace & Love approach or the Fire & Brimstone approach--because both can be justified by scripture (and also why the Fire & Brimstone approach is not necessarily "hateful"

(2) a brief look at how throughout Christianity's history, sincere Christians have read the same bible and taken away radically different messages

(3) my thoughts on why I believe this phenomenon happens: why this one book gives rise to so many clashing interpretations.

Links to mentioned videos:

"On Being a Skeptic--motives & manners": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxMSDLxZAgw

"Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers": http://www.youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates?feature=mhum#p/c/98836853966E1D01/0/l3nhackuoX4
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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Why Zoroastrianism might *not* be one of the religions that influenced the Bibles authors

Todd Gates 2011-03-27 | Links to mentioned videos below. (NOTE: these videos start with the #5 because they are all extensions of Part 5 of 7 to my video series called "Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers.")

5.1: Noah's Ark - a monotheistic version of a polytheistic tale: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9fxvJy9swk&

5.2: Satan's pre-Christian virgin birth stories (playlist): http://www.youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates?feature=mhum#p/c/37AA1EAE07693963/0/e-ymGDRZfOQ

5.3: God sacrifices self to appease self--"barking mad?" (playlist): http://www.youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates?feature=mhum#p/c/C1C78205F373F865/0/SDJ-azGoBt8

5.4: The evolution of the Bible's depiction of the afterlife (playlist): http://www.youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates?feature=mhum#p/c/5FAFC5E9CA448920/0/R6_XJjJiVAY

5.5: The incoherence of Christianity's "Satan": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1p1fqthw7c

Why I'm no longer certain about Zoroastrianism's influence on Christianity:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rkSBb9S-248

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Gospel music, and Platos mistrust of the arts (+ solo piano version of Swing Low Sweet Chariot)

Todd Gates 2011-02-20 | TEXT IN THIS VIDEO:
From Plato's "The Republic":

"Rhythm and harmony penetrate deeply into the mind and have a most powerful effect on it ...

"If [music] is bad . . . [it] feeds [the listeners] as it were in an unhealthy pasture, insensibly doing themselves grave psychological damage."

Plato believed the human soul was composed of three parts:

* Appetite (our immediate urges for the likes of food, comfort, and sex)
* Reason (our rational thought)
* Spirit (the gatekeeper that tries to reconcile the vitality of Appetite with the long-term benefits of Reason, keeping these two forces in check)

Plato saw music (as well as all other forms of art) as a danger in that it can directly stir the emotions of the Appetite, overpowering the other two parts of the soul.

PLATO: [Thus, in the ideal society,] we must issue orders requiring poets to represent good character in their poems or not to write at all; and we must issue similar orders to all artists and prevent them from portraying bad character, ill discipline, meanness, or ugliness in painting, sculpture, architecture, or any work of art, and if they are unable to comply they must be forbidden to practice their art.
(The Republic, 360 BC)

Fast-forward 2,371 years later, and debates about the potential corrupting power of art are ongoing. One of the Christian church's internal debates is about the role that music should play when it comes to reaching new members and retaining current members.

The following are excerpts from the articles "Where We Stand on Music" (from the Calvary Baptist Church's website) and "Is Video Technology in Church Manipulative?" (from ChristianityToday.com):

"Music has been the primary method used in the movement to attract outsiders ... in the so-called 'worship wars' that simmer or rage in churches across the nation and around the world. Yet nowhere in the Bible is music the means of evangelizing unbelievers. That comes by simple verbal proclamation -- the simple declaration of God's Word."

"Music has powers of its own, powers of persuasion and sentimentality that often counterfeit the work of the Holy Spirit."

"Music can be a decision-corrupting influence ... The power of music can create an atmosphere in which people respond solely out of emotion without cognitive understanding."

"The medium itself has a power, a bias, and a meaning regardless of what message you put through it."

"The 'content' of a medium is like the juicy piece of meat carried by the burglar to distract the watchdog of the mind."

QUESTIONS FOR TODD ALLEN GATES: now that you're learning to play gospel piano, do you find that it causes a rejection of rationality? A groundless gravitation toward god? An atrophy of atheism?

TODD: Yes ... but my suspension of disbelief only lasts for the duration of the song. I have no problem turning my Rationality Switch back on once the music's over.

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Piano arrangement of "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot" from "Praise Him with the Gospel - Black Gospel Piano Music Arrangements" by Charles F. Little Jr.

My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Poor arguments for atheism and theism: A review of Glees Grilled Cheesus episode

Todd Gates 2010-10-17 | Glee's "Grilled Cheesus" episode--a review of:

- Sue & Kurt's arguments for atheism
- Mercedes's speech to Kurt when in church
- the lyrics of "What If God Was One of Us"

By Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" and "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames"

LINKS MENTIONED IN THIS VIDEO:

- Why I believe a Creator is more improbable than probable - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLBRdXh0Q4M

- ProfMTH's video "Liberal & Moderate Christianity - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iErLsmU_y4U

- The Problem of Suffering: the 7 Supernatural Answers vs. the 1 Naturalistic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w2pn66VVWk

Two related videos:

- Theists have "answers" to the problem of suffering, but the answers are unconvincing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d76SG4HC0TY

- The problem of suffering: stalemating with the "no cognitive dissonance" Epydemic2020 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viqVF3a--P4

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

5.5 (part 2 of 2): The Incoherence of Christianitys Satan

Todd Gates 2010-10-03 | A discussion of the evidence that the character called "Satan / the devil" in the New Testament is not the same character as "Satan" in the Old Testament, and why I believe that the New Testament's authors' ideas about Satan were influenced more by surrounding pagan religions than by Judaism.

This video is a monologue adaptation from my book, "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic).

LINK TO CUSTOMER REVIEWS ON AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

This video is numbered "5.5" because it's an extension of part 5 of 7 of my video series called "Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers. "Here's an overview of whole series:

1 of 7: a brief overview of videos 2 through 7.

2 of 7: a description of the Socratic Method.

3 of 7: the ground premises that the skeptic needs to establish with the Christian in order to focus on the issue at hand, which is "Are there convincing reasons for me to believe that the Judeo-Christian Bible is the Word of God?"

4 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through scriptures and stories from non-Christian religions. Both agree that the following three characteristics are strong clues that a religion was not created by an Infallible Wisdom, but just made up by quite fallible humans: (1) when a religion a cluelessness about the layout of the universe (its stories describe stars as tiny, the moon as a light, the earth as flat, the sun as orbiting our planet, etc.) (2) it contains laws that are barbaric and reflect senseless prejudices (3) history reveals that the religion was pieced together from ideas and stories from pre-existing religions

5 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through the Judeo-Christian Bible, and examine it by the same critical light just held up to non-Christian religions.

5.1 through 5.5: Further details on the origins of the Judeo-Christian bible--how many of its ideas & stories can be found in religions that pre-date the bible by centuries.

5.1 explains why many of the baffling details within the tale of Noah & the Ark make sense once the story is read as a monotheistic version (in which God is said to be Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Benevolent) of a story that was originally polytheistic (in which the gods were none of the above).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9fxvJy9swk&feature=channel_page

5.2 discusses the pre-Christian religious stories from the Greeks, Romans, and Zoroastrians about unions between gods & mortals, miraculous virgin births, and offspring that were both human and god. It also covers the "Satanic pre-plagiarization" explanations from early Church Fathers Justin Martyr and Tertullian on how the pagans knew about these phenomena centuries before the time of Jesus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ymGDRZfOQ&feature=channel_page

5.3: Richard Dawkins refers to the Christian premises behind the belief that Jesus/God sacrificed Himself to appease Himself as "barking mad." This video looks at each of those premises--Divine Anger, the need for sacrifice, the use of a scapegoat--from the perspective of comparative mythology. The subtitle for this video is "Richard Dawkins meets Joseph Campbell."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDJ-azGoBt8&feature=channel

5.4: the evolution of the afterlife. Stage One - the 37 out of 39 Old Testament books that either don't mention, or even deny, an afterlife. Stage Two - the 2 Old Testament books that say there IS an afterlife. Stage Three - The New Testament, in which the afterlife, complete with Judgment Day & Heaven & Hell, becomes one of Christianity's main selling points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6_XJjJiVAY&feature=channel_page

5.5: A discussion of the evidence that Christianity's "Satan" comes more from pagan religions than Judaism.

6 of 7: a review of some of the common counterarguments from Christian apologists

7 of 7: why I find the Christian apologist's answers unconvincing.

* * * * * * * * * *

My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

5.5 (part 1 of 2): The incoherence of Christianitys Satan

Todd Gates 2010-10-02 | A discussion of the evidence that the character called "Satan / the devil" in the New Testament is not the same character as "Satan" in the Old Testament, and why I believe that the New Testament's authors' ideas about Satan were influenced more by surrounding pagan religions than by Judaism.

Websites / videos mentioned in this video:
http://whatjewsbelieve.org/explanation07.html

The Book of Job: an awkward combination of two separate tales? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJQS-6BEhSI

Why the Bible is a better read from the secular perspective than the religious: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MfscJG2hec

This video is a monologue adaptation from my book, "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic).

LINK TO CUSTOMER REVIEWS ON AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

This video is numbered "5.5" because it's an extension of part 5 of 7 of my video series called "Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers." Here's an overview of whole series:

1 of 7: a brief overview of videos 2 through 7.

2 of 7: a description of the Socratic Method.

3 of 7: the ground premises that the skeptic needs to establish with the Christian in order to focus on the issue at hand, which is "Are there convincing reasons for me to believe that the Judeo-Christian Bible is the Word of God?"

4 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through scriptures and stories from non-Christian religions. Both agree that the following three characteristics are strong clues that a religion was not created by an Infallible Wisdom, but just made up by quite fallible humans: (1) when a religion a cluelessness about the layout of the universe (its stories describe stars as tiny, the moon as a light, the earth as flat, the sun as orbiting our planet, etc.) (2) it contains laws that are barbaric and reflect senseless prejudices (3) history reveals that the religion was pieced together from ideas and stories from pre-existing religions

5 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through the Judeo-Christian Bible, and examine it by the same critical light just held up to non-Christian religions.

5.1 through 5.5: Further details on the origins of the Judeo-Christian bible--how many of its ideas & stories can be found in religions that pre-date the bible by centuries.

5.1 explains why many of the baffling details within the tale of Noah & the Ark make sense once the story is read as a monotheistic version (in which God is said to be Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Benevolent) of a story that was originally polytheistic (in which the gods were none of the above).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9fxvJy9swk&feature=channel_page

5.2 discusses the pre-Christian religious stories from the Greeks, Romans, and Zoroastrians about unions between gods & mortals, miraculous virgin births, and offspring that were both human and god. It also covers the "Satanic pre-plagiarization" explanations from early Church Fathers Justin Martyr and Tertullian on how the pagans knew about these phenomena centuries before the time of Jesus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ymGDRZfOQ&feature=channel_page

5.3: Richard Dawkins refers to the Christian premises behind the belief that Jesus/God sacrificed Himself to appease Himself as "barking mad." This video looks at each of those premises--Divine Anger, the need for sacrifice, the use of a scapegoat--from the perspective of comparative mythology. The subtitle for this video is "Richard Dawkins meets Joseph Campbell."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDJ-azGoBt8&feature=channel

5.4: the evolution of the afterlife. Stage One - the 37 out of 39 Old Testament books that either don't mention, or even deny, an afterlife. Stage Two - the 2 Old Testament books that say there IS an afterlife. Stage Three - The New Testament, in which the afterlife, complete with Judgment Day & Heaven & Hell, becomes one of Christianity's main selling points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6_XJjJiVAY&feature=channel_page

5.5: A discussion of the evidence that Christianity's "Satan" comes more from pagan religions than Judaism.

6 of 7: a review of some of the common counterarguments from Christian apologists

7 of 7: why I find the Christian apologist's answers unconvincing.

* * * * * * * * * *

My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

7 of 7: Using the Soc. Method w/ Christian Proselytizers (scrutinizing apologetic counter-arguments)

Todd Gates 2010-09-26 | This series is an overview of the approach I outline in my book, "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic).

LINK TO CUSTOMER REVIEWS ON AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

An overview of whole series:

1 of 7: a brief overview of videos 2 through 7.

2 of 7: a description of the Socratic Method.

3 of 7: the ground premises that the skeptic needs to establish with the Christian in order to focus on the issue at hand, which is "Are there convincing reasons for me to believe that the Judeo-Christian Bible is the Word of God?"

4 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through scriptures and stories from non-Christian religions. Both agree that the following three characteristics are strong clues that a religion was not created by an Infallible Wisdom, but just made up by quite fallible humans: (1) when a religion a cluelessness about the layout of the universe (its stories describe stars as tiny, the moon as a light, the earth as flat, the sun as orbiting our planet, etc.) (2) it contains laws that are barbaric and reflect senseless prejudices (3) history reveals that the religion was pieced together from ideas and stories from pre-existing religions

5 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through the Judeo-Christian Bible, and examine it by the same critical light just held up to non-Christian religions.

5.1 through 5.5: Further details on the origins of the Judeo-Christian bible--how many of its ideas & stories can be found in religions that pre-date the bible by centuries.

5.1 explains why many of the baffling details within the tale of Noah & the Ark make sense once the story is read as a monotheistic version (in which God is said to be Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Benevolent) of a story that was originally polytheistic (in which the gods were none of the above).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9fxvJy9swk&feature=channel_page

5.2 discusses the pre-Christian religious stories from the Greeks, Romans, and Zoroastrians about unions between gods & mortals, miraculous virgin births, and offspring that were both human and god. It also covers the "Satanic pre-plagiarization" explanations from early Church Fathers Justin Martyr and Tertullian on how the pagans knew about these phenomena centuries before the time of Jesus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ymGDRZfOQ&feature=channel_page

5.3: Richard Dawkins refers to the Christian premises behind the belief that Jesus/God sacrificed Himself to appease Himself as "barking mad." This video looks at each of those premises--Divine Anger, the need for sacrifice, the use of a scapegoat--from the perspective of comparative mythology. The subtitle for this video is "Richard Dawkins meets Joseph Campbell."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDJ-azGoBt8&feature=channel

5.4: the evolution of the afterlife. Stage One - the 37 out of 39 Old Testament books that either don't mention, or even deny, an afterlife. Stage Two - the 2 Old Testament books that say there IS an afterlife. Stage Three - The New Testament, in which the afterlife, complete with Judgment Day & Heaven & Hell, becomes one of Christianity's main selling points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6_XJjJiVAY&feature=channel_page

5.5: A discussion of the evidence that Christianity's "Satan" comes more from pagan religions than Judaism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYgNfKBg4H0&feature=channel_page

6 of 7: a review of some of the common counterarguments from Christian apologists

7 of 7: why I find the Christian apologist's answers unconvincing.

Related videos:
"An abbreviated version of using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaJwTvxAlBM

"Three advantages to questioning 'the Creator's Word' but not 'a Creator' (when speaking w/ theists)": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3lye16mJvQ

"When science contradicts Scripture: how theists cope": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py48Lb495ew

* * * * * * * * * *

My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

6 of 7: Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers (apologetic counter-arguments)

5 of 7: Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers (Christianity vs. foreign faiths)

4 of 7: Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers (why *foreign faiths* are wrong)

3 of 7: Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers (laying the ground premises)

2 of 7: Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers (defining the Socratic Method)

1 of 7: Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers (overview)

Todd Gates 2010-09-26 | This series is an overview of the approach I outline in my book, "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic).

LINK TO CUSTOMER REVIEWS ON AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

An overview of whole series:

1 of 7: a brief overview of videos 2 through 7.

2 of 7: a description of the Socratic Method.

3 of 7: the ground premises that the skeptic needs to establish with the Christian in order to focus on the issue at hand, which is "Are there convincing reasons for me to believe that the Judeo-Christian Bible is the Word of God?"

4 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through scriptures and stories from non-Christian religions. Both agree that the following three characteristics are strong clues that a religion was not created by an Infallible Wisdom, but just made up by quite fallible humans: (1) when a religion a cluelessness about the layout of the universe (its stories describe stars as tiny, the moon as a light, the earth as flat, the sun as orbiting our planet, etc.) (2) it contains laws that are barbaric and reflect senseless prejudices (3) history reveals that the religion was pieced together from ideas and stories from pre-existing religions

5 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through the Judeo-Christian Bible, and examine it by the same critical light just held up to non-Christian religions.

5.1 through 5.5: Further details on the origins of the Judeo-Christian bible--how many of its ideas & stories can be found in religions that pre-date the bible by centuries.

5.1 explains why many of the baffling details within the tale of Noah & the Ark make sense once the story is read as a monotheistic version (in which God is said to be Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Benevolent) of a story that was originally polytheistic (in which the gods were none of the above).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9fxvJy9swk&feature=channel_page

5.2 discusses the pre-Christian religious stories from the Greeks, Romans, and Zoroastrians about unions between gods & mortals, miraculous virgin births, and offspring that were both human and god. It also covers the "Satanic pre-plagiarization" explanations from early Church Fathers Justin Martyr and Tertullian on how the pagans knew about these phenomena centuries before the time of Jesus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ymGDRZfOQ&feature=channel_page

5.3: Richard Dawkins refers to the Christian premises behind the belief that Jesus/God sacrificed Himself to appease Himself as "barking mad." This video looks at each of those premises--Divine Anger, the need for sacrifice, the use of a scapegoat--from the perspective of comparative mythology. The subtitle for this video is "Richard Dawkins meets Joseph Campbell."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDJ-azGoBt8&feature=channel

5.4: the evolution of the afterlife. Stage One - the 37 out of 39 Old Testament books that either don't mention, or even deny, an afterlife. Stage Two - the 2 Old Testament books that say there IS an afterlife. Stage Three - The New Testament, in which the afterlife, complete with Judgment Day & Heaven & Hell, becomes one of Christianity's main selling points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6_XJjJiVAY&feature=channel_page

5.5: A discussion of the evidence that Christianity's "Satan" comes more from pagan religions than Judaism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYgNfKBg4H0&feature=channel_page

6 of 7: a review of some of the common counterarguments from Christian apologists

7 of 7: why I find the Christian apologist's answers unconvincing.

Related videos:
"An abbreviated version of using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SaJwTvxAlBM

"Three advantages to questioning 'the Creator's Word' but not 'a Creator' (when speaking w/ theists)": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3lye16mJvQ

"When science contradicts Scripture: how theists cope": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=py48Lb495ew

* * * * * * * * * *
My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

Vintage 1980s keyboards: Oberheim OB-Xa, Yamaha DX7, Ensoniq Mirage, Moog Source

Todd Gates 2010-08-15 | September 2010 update: this was my "for sale" ad for the keyboards I used back in the 80s (all sold now).

Music:
- improv
- Sesame Street
- Linus & Lucy (Vince Guaraldi)
- Jump (Van Halen)
- Song for my Father (Horace Silver)
- Sir Psycho Sexy bass line (Red Hot Chili Peppers)
- Living for the City (Stevie Wonder)
- I Wish (Stevie Wonder)
- Fugace (Claude Bolling)
- Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple)
- Blue Monk (Thelonious Monk)
- Fugue #10 (Bach)
- Improv
- Opening & ending from "Lucky Man" solo (Emerson, Lake, & Palmer)

Why Im no longer so sure about Zoroastrianisms influence on Christianity

Todd Gates 2010-05-29 | My updated video on this subject is called "Why Zoroastrianism might *not* be one of the religions that influenced the Bible's authors": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_HCu2_dbt0

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Fear of death: the wishful oomph of the god hypothesis

Todd Gates 2010-03-14 | Gospel piano / blues harmonica version of "Will the Circle Be Unbroken."

Piano arrangement from "Praise Him with the Gospel - Black Gospel Piano Music Arrangements" by Charles F. Little Jr.

Afterlife quotes from Stephen Jay Gould's "An Urchin in the Storm," Rebecca Goldstein's "36 Arguments for the Existence of God: A Work of Fiction," and George Orwell's "Animal Farm."

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Re: Veritas48s Five (more) Questions for Atheists

Todd Gates 2010-02-19 | A response to Veritas48's video "Five Questions for Atheists": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m932p6YraHI

Videos cited:

On Being a Skeptic--motives & manners (response to Veritas48's "On Being a Christian Apologist") - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxMSDLxZAgw

The Pre-Religion, and Pre-Human, Roots of Morality - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6jTAV9BJg4

NoelPlum99's "The Roots of Our Morality" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ee5JRkeoMg0

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Veritas48 the Problem of Suffering & the Omniscient Mind Hypothesis

Todd Gates 2010-02-15 | A video response to Veritas48's video "FatGermanBastard and the Problem of Evil": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUUeXH-OmPI

Videos cited:

My prior video response to Veritas48 on "Why I believe the existence of a Creator is more improbable than probable": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PLBRdXh0Q4M

My video on distinguishing that *one* religion authorized by God from all the thousands that just stem from man's creativity, fears, and wishful thinking ("Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers"): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrzGHwycDcc

My video "The Problem of Suffering: the Seven Supernatural Answers vs. the One Naturalistic": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w2pn66VVWk

My first video response to the Christian YouTuber Epydemic2020, "Theists have 'answers' to the problem of suffering, but the answers are unconvincing": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d76SG4HC0TY

My second video response to Epydemic2020, "The problem of suffering - stalemating with the 'no cognitive dissonance' Epydemic2020": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viqVF3a--P4&

My video on why the Book of Job contains the bible's best explanation on suffering—but only when read from the secular perspective ("Why the Bible is a better read from the secular perspective than the religious"): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MfscJG2hec&

Full video of the clip of the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir, called "Church Medley (Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir)": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiJK_bfs1RI

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Why I believe a Creator is more improbable than probable (Presumption of Atheism response)

Todd Gates 2010-01-03 | My response to the "Presumption of Atheism" collaborative project of Veritas48, Telemantros, and DawahFilms.

Veritas48's video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jY1gEXYhfIM&feature=sub
Telemantros' video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g6ijSG3H8c
DawahFilms' video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QNt1xAqQGM8

Links to other mentioned videos:
The Problem Of Suffering: The 7 Supernatural Answers vs. The 1 Naturalistic - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w2pn66VVWk

Three advantages to questioning "the Creator's Word" but not "a Creator" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3lye16mJvQ

EvoBiologist's video "Probability, Abiogenesis, Evolution and Creation": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7TLXkjd-cw&feature=channel

(For an overview on why I find it likely that organized religions came as a result of human rather than divine effort, see my video series "Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrzGHwycDcc)

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Follow-up to my Confessions video

Todd Gates 2009-12-09 | What started it all: my "tagged" video, "Confessions of a Former Glam Rocker": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qaJj36C-hJk

Links to three songs by Raw Angel (the band I played in from 1987-1989):

Cover of "Piece of My Heart": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QdMu1aCSCn4

"Looking for Love": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5XIsXvetdA&feature=channel

"You Crawled Right Under My Skin": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7iIkBR3WsrI&feature=channel

These three are posted on my musician channel, http://www.youtube.com/user/ToddGates

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On the highway to rock superstardom, Raw Angel is just one of many dried up pieces of roadkill. But thanks to the internet, this piece of roadkill now has a memorial on my obscure YouTube channel.

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My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel (mostly piano and blues harp videos)

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258316140&sr=1-2

3 of 3: Why the Bible is better when read from the secular perspective (ex: Book of Job)

Todd Gates 2009-11-16 | One of the ironies of the bible: that when read from the religious perspective, much of it is nonsensical; but when read from the secular perspective (which frees us from having to interpret every single story through a lens in which God is supposed to have infinite knowledge and infinite power and infinite goodness), we can find great literature.

This video looks at the two stories within the Book of Job as an example.

Link to "The Book of Job: an awkward combination of two separate tales" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJQS-6BEhSI

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My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

2 of 3: Why the Bible is better when read from the secular perspective (ex: Book of Job)

Todd Gates 2009-11-16 | One of the ironies of the bible: that when read from the religious perspective, much of it is nonsensical; but when read from the secular perspective (which frees us from having to interpret every single story through a lens in which God is supposed to have infinite knowledge and infinite power and infinite goodness), we can find great literature.

Link to "The Book of Job: an awkward combination of two separate tales" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJQS-6BEhSI

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=pd_bxgy_b_img_b

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

1 of 3: Why the Bible is better when read from the secular perspective (ex: Book of Job)

Todd Gates 2009-11-15 | One of the ironies of the bible: that when read from the religious perspective, much of it is nonsensical; but when read from the secular perspective (which frees us from having to interpret every single story through a lens in which God is supposed to have infinite knowledge and infinite power and infinite goodness), we can find great literature.

Links to mentioned videos:

Eddie Murphy's 1983 "Delirious" clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96s1M8IyrUQ

KalSolarUK's "Jesus Kills a Fig Tree—Go fig-ure! - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zytsOLAaiyo&feature=channel

KalSolarUK's "Cross with Jesus" (in my downloaded excerpt, the audio lags behind the visual: check out Kal's channel for the high-quality original!) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fp52CUgoUs

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1258316099&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

Four reasons why the Bible is not the greatest story ever told

Todd Gates 2009-10-31 | Aspects of great literature that are missing in the Bible:

(1) No compelling reason for the main protagonist (God) to experience conflict

(2) God has no worthy antagonist

(3) Satan is a two-dimensional bad guy

(4) The Bible's characters do not operate at maximum capacity: they fail to solve their problems as cleverly and efficiently as they can

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My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

3 of 3: The problem of suffering - stalemating with the no cognitive dissonance Epydemic2020

Todd Gates 2009-08-02 | My response to Epydemic2020's video Atheistic Questions, Theistic Answers, Agnostic Conclusions.

RE: Why nature's indifference to suffering (natural disasters, wildlife suffering, etc.) clashes with Christianity's notion of a Benign Omnipotent Creator, and the theist's resulting cognitive dissonance.

Sources cited in this series:

Epydemic2020's video The Problem of Evil, Is It a problem? Logical and Evidential Formulations Addressed - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ySUoboxsmI&feature=channel_page

His nine arguments:

(1) God's purpose is not to provide us with easy, convenient lives. Humanity's purpose in life is not happiness, but a knowledge of God and relationship with God (an extension of #3, the "suffering benefits us" argument).

(2) God gives us Free Will, and humans cause evil and suffering.

(3) Suffering benefits us (as expanded upon in arguments 1, 4, and 6).

(4) Suffering helps us appreciate pleasure: here on earth, and especially in heaven (an extension of #3, the "suffering benefits us" argument)

(5) We rebel against God and embrace sin (an extension of #2, the Free Will argument)

(6) Temporary suffering can help us later on (an extension of #3, the "suffering benefits us" argument)

(7) Death is actually a blessing: a transition from this life to the next

(8) Moral evils sometimes cause natural evils (an extension of #2, the Free Will argument)

(9) Humans are too finite to comprehend an Infinite God.

My video response called Theists have "answers" to the problem of suffering, but the answers are unconvincing - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d76SG4HC0TY&feature=response_watch

Epydemic2020's response "Atheistic Questions, Theistic Answers, Agnostic Conclusions" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yypd0kdMGbg&feature=response_watch

My video series "The Problem of Suffering: the 7 Supernatural Answers vs. the 1 Naturalistic" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w2pn66VVWk&feature=PlayList&p=2E827A1DF5FDB42C&index=0&playnext=1

YouTuber Evid3nc3's video "2.0 Deconversion: The God Concept" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12rP8ybp13s&feature=channel_page

John Loftus's "Why I Became An Atheist: a former preacher rejects Christianity" - http://www.amazon.com/Why-Became-Atheist-Preacher-Christianity/dp/1591025923/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249208999&sr=8-1

Lee Strobel's "The Case for Faith: A journalist investigates the toughest objections to Christianity" - http://www.amazon.com/Case-Faith-Journalist-Investigates-Christianity/dp/0310234697/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1249209070&sr=1-1

By Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

LINK TO CUSTOMER REVIEWS ON AMAZON:
http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

My three YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

2 of 3: The problem of suffering - stalemating with the no cognitive dissonance Epydemic2020

1 of 3: The problem of suffering - stalemating with the no cognitive dissonance Epydemic2020

Theists have answers to the problem of suffering, but the answers are unconvincing

Todd Gates 2009-07-20 | A response to Epydemic2020's video "The Problem of Evil - Is It a Problem?"

For a more in-depth look at the variety of supernatural explanations that theists have for suffering, see my video series "The Problem of Suffering: the 7 Supernatural Answers vs. the 1 Naturalistic" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w2pn66VVWk&feature=PlayList&p=2E827A1DF5FDB42C&index=0&playnext=1

Atheist plays gospel/blues piano version of Amazing Grace

Todd Gates 2009-07-05 | Solo gospel/blues piano version of "Amazing Grace."

Performed and arranged by Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer."

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

3 of 3: The Bizarre Hilarious Disturbing Marvelous Things I Learned When I Read the Bible

Todd Gates 2009-06-07 | A review of David Plotz's "Good Book: The Bizarre, Hilarious, Disturbing, Marvelous, and Inspiring Things I Learned When I Read Every Single Word of the Bible" - http://www.amazon.com/Good-Book-Hilarious-Disturbing-Marvelous/dp/0061374245/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1244301829&sr=8-1

Review by Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer."

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

For customer reviews of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer": http://www.amazon.com/Dialogue-Christian-Proselytizer-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450893/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014762&sr=8-1

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2739.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2739s.pdf

For customer reviews of "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames": http://www.amazon.com/Hunting-Gathering-Videogames-Allen-Gates/dp/1601450443/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1257014863&sr=1-2

Link to eBook: http://booklocker.com/books/2672.html

Link to free PDF excerpt: http://assets.booklocker.com/pdfs/2672s.pdf

2 of 3: The Bizarre Hilarious Disturbing Marvelous Things I Learned When I Read the Bible

The Bizarre Hilarious Disturbing Marvelous Things I Learned When I Read Every Word of the Bible

On Being a Skeptic motives & manners (response to Veritas48s On Being a Christian Apologist)

Todd Gates 2009-06-06 | A video response to Veritas48's video about the motives and manners of Christian apologists. My response, in turn, will discuss the motives and matters of those who challenge theism's claims.

Presented by Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

Three advantages to questioning the Creators Word but not a Creator (when speaking w/ theists)

Todd Gates 2009-05-06 | By Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

This video is an addendum to my 7-part series on "Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers."

Here's an overview of complete series:

1 of 7: a high-level look at videos 2 through 7.

2 of 7: a description of the Socratic Method.

3 of 7: the ground premises that the skeptic needs to establish with the Christian in order to focus on the issue at hand, which is "Are there convincing reasons for me to believe that the Judeo-Christian Bible is the Word of God?"

4 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through scriptures and stories from non-Christian religions. Both agree that the following three characteristics are strong clues that a religion was not created by an Infallible Wisdom, but just made up by quite fallible humans: (1) when a religion a cluelessness about the layout of the universe (its stories describe stars as tiny, the moon as a light, the earth as flat, the sun as orbiting our planet, etc.) (2) it contains laws that are barbaric and reflect senseless prejudices (3) history reveals that the religion was pieced together from ideas and stories from pre-existing religions

5 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through the Judeo-Christian Bible, and examine it by the same critical light just held up to non-Christian religions.

5.1 through 5.5: Further details on the origins of the Judeo-Christian bible--how many of its ideas & stories can be found in religions that pre-date the bible by centuries.

5.1 explains why many of the baffling details within the tale of Noah & the Ark make sense once the story is read as a monotheistic version (in which God is said to be Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Benevolent) of a story that was originally polytheistic (in which the gods were none of the above).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I9fxvJy9swk&feature=channel_page

5.2 discusses the pre-Christian religious stories from the Greeks, Romans, and Zoroastrians about unions between gods & mortals, miraculous virgin births, and offspring that were both human and god. It also covers the "Satanic pre-plagiarization" explanations from early Church Fathers Justin Martyr and Tertullian on how the pagans knew about these phenomena centuries before the time of Jesus.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-ymGDRZfOQ&feature=channel_page

5.3: Richard Dawkins refers to the Christian premises behind the belief that Jesus/God sacrificed Himself to appease Himself as "barking mad." This video looks at each of those premises--Divine Anger, the need for sacrifice, the use of a scapegoat--from the perspective of comparative mythology. A subtitle for this video would be "Richard Dawkins meets Joseph Campbell."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDJ-azGoBt8&feature=channel

5.4: the evolution of the afterlife. Stage One - the 37 out of 39 Old Testament books that either don't mention, or even deny, an afterlife. Stage Two - the 2 Old Testament books that say there IS an afterlife. Stage Three - The New Testament, in which the afterlife, complete with Judgment Day & Heaven & Hell, becomes one of Christianity's main selling points.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6_XJjJiVAY&feature=channel_page

5.5: A discussion of the evidence that Christianity's "Satan" comes more from Zoroastrianism than Judaism.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYgNfKBg4H0&feature=channel_page

6 of 7: a review of some of the common counterarguments from Christian apologists

7 of 7: why I don't find the Christian apologist's answers very convincing.

* * * * * * * * * *

This series is an overview of the approach I use in my book, "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic).

For free PDF sample chapters from "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer," see http://www.booklocker.com. (This link will bring you right to the page where you can find the PDF file--just scroll down to #5: http://search.booklocker.com/search-bl.cgi?q=dialogue+with+a+christian+proselytizer&t=&SEARCH=Search )

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

An abbreviated version of using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers

Todd Gates 2009-05-06 | By Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

This video discusses an abbreviated version of my 7-part series on "Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrzGHwycDcc

My thanks to YouTubers templarart and ReligionIsACrutch, as this 2-question version is based their feedback from my 2007 series on using the Socratic Method.

QUESTION 1 OF 2: Do you agree that out of the thousands of religions there have been throughout history, all but one were wrong?

(Proselytizers, by their very nature, will tend to respond with a "yes," and often supplement their reply with the quote from Jesus in John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man comes to the Father but by me.")

QUESTION 2 OF 2: Yet because all these religions can each claim to have the following proofs of Divine Origin:

- pointing to the First Cause argument and the Design argument as proof that their God exists;

- claiming to *know* their religion is God's Truth because of their own spiritual and life-changing experiences;

- their Holy Books contain accounts of miracles, and what they claim are accurate prophecies;

- their religion has thousands or even millions of followers;

- their Faith tells them so;

- their religion tells them that every religion except their own is wrong;

—my second question is, "Why do you think *your* religion is right?"

As most believers will recognize the unconvincing nature of all the above arguments when applied to foreign faiths, this is a quick way of setting up the discussion in a way that theists' skepticism of other religions can be turned around and applied to their own.

Here's an overview of the complete series on "Using the Socratic Method with Christian Proselytizers":

1 of 7: a high-level look at videos 2 through 7.

2 of 7: a description of the Socratic Method.

3 of 7: the ground premises that the skeptic needs to establish with the Christian in order to focus on the issue at hand, which is "Are there convincing reasons for me to believe that the Judeo-Christian Bible is the Word of God?"

4 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through scriptures and stories from non-Christian religions. Both agree that the following three characteristics are strong clues that a religion was not created by an Infallible Wisdom, but just made up by quite fallible humans: (1) when a religion a cluelessness about the layout of the universe (its stories describe stars as tiny, the moon as a light, the earth as flat, the sun as orbiting our planet, etc.) (2) it contains laws that are barbaric and reflect senseless prejudices (3) history reveals that the religion was pieced together from ideas and stories from pre-existing religions

5 of 7: the skeptic and the Christian read through the Judeo-Christian Bible, and examine it by the same critical light just held up to non-Christian religions.

5.1 through 5.5: Further details on the origins of the Judeo-Christian bible--how many of its ideas & stories can be found in religions that pre-date the bible by centuries.

6 of 7: a review of some of the common counterarguments from Christian apologists

7 of 7: why I don't find the Christian apologist's answers very convincing.

* * * * *

For free PDF sample chapters from "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer," see http://www.booklocker.com. (This link will bring you right to the page where you can find the PDF file--just scroll down to #5: http://search.booklocker.com/search-bl.cgi?q=dialogue+with+a+christian+proselytizer&t=&SEARCH=Search )

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

When science contradicts Scripture: how theists cope (part 3 of 3)

Todd Gates 2009-04-20 | By Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

How True-Believing theists cope when science contradicts Scripture: the literalist approach vs. the allegorical approach. (This is a re-make of a video I had made back in Nov 2007, which I had then called "Science, religion, and 'truth' vs. 'Truth'.")

This video is based of the following material from "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer":

* Science and "Truth" (endnote 2)
* Christianity vs. Copernicus and Galileo (endnote 9)
* Faith Alone" vs. "Faith & Facts" (endnote 38)
* excerpts of dialogue between the book's two characters: Chris Proselman, the proselytizer; and "Scott Crates," the skeptic

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic)

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

When science contradicts Scripture: how theists cope (part 2 of 3)

Todd Gates 2009-04-19 | By Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

How True-Believing theists cope when science contradicts Scripture: the literalist approach vs. the allegorical approach. (This is a re-make of a video I had made back in Nov 2007, which I had then called "Science, religion, and 'truth' vs. 'Truth'.")

This video is based of the following material from "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer":

* Science and "Truth" (endnote 2)
* Christianity vs. Copernicus and Galileo (endnote 9)
* Faith Alone" vs. "Faith & Facts" (endnote 38)
* excerpts of dialogue between the book's two characters: Chris Proselman, the proselytizer; and "Scott Crates," the skeptic

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic)

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

When science contradicts Scripture: how theists cope (part 1 of 3)

Todd Gates 2009-04-18 | By Todd Allen Gates, author of "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer"
http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

How True-Believing theists cope when science contradicts Scripture: the literalist approach vs. the allegorical approach. (This is a re-make of a video I had made back in Nov 2007, which I had then called "Science, religion, and 'truth' vs. 'Truth'.")

This video is based of the following material from "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer":

* Science and "Truth" (endnote 2)
* Christianity vs. Copernicus and Galileo (endnote 9)
* Faith Alone" vs. "Faith & Facts" (endnote 38)
* excerpts of dialogue between the book's two characters: Chris Proselman, the proselytizer; and "Scott Crates," the skeptic

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic)

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

YouTuber Traxx01 (and a Thanks! to Nick Gisburne, Largo64, and kalsolarUK)

Todd Gates 2009-03-05 | Check out Traxx01: http://youtube.com/user/Traxx01

And my thanks to:

http://youtube.com/user/Gisburne2000

http://youtube.com/user/Largo64

http://youtube.com/user/kalsolarUK

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic)

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

Part 10 of 10: The Problem of Suffering: the 7 Supernatural Answers vs. the 1 Naturalistic

Todd Gates 2009-02-15 | Overview of entire series:

Part 1: Overview of the supernatural vs. naturalistic explanations for the existence of suffering.

Part 2 discusses explanation #1--that suffering is punishment (from the Western angle that suffering is due to personal sin and/or "original sin").

Part 3 concludes the discussion of explanation #1--that suffering is punishment (from the Eastern angle that suffering is due to due to karma: sins in this life or a previous life).

Part 4 discusses explanation #2--that suffering benefits us--and explanation #3: that suffering must exist for the greater good of Free Will.

Part 5 discusses explanation #4--that the reason for suffering is beyond our finite understanding--and explanation #5: that the perceived world is just an illusion, hence suffering, too, is just an illusion.

Part 6 discusses explanation #6--that the Divine is not All-Powerful. This video focuses on the presentation of this argument as found in Harold S. Kushner's famous book "When Bad Things Happen to Good People."

Part 7 concludes the discussion of explanation #6 (that the Divine is not All-Powerful), and highlights the weaknesses and incoherencies in the philosophy found in "When Bad Things Happen to Good People."

Part 8 discusses explanation #7--that the Divine is not All-Good (includes the views of skeptics, such as Richard Dawkins, who see no trouble reconciling the existence suffering with the fictional character known as the "jealous God" of the Old Testament).

Part 9 concludes the discussion of explanation #7--that the Divine is not All-Good (includes perspective of dualistic and polytheistic religions).

Part 10 discusses explanation #8--that the natural world is indifferent to creature suffering (that it may be part of "nature" for individuals to minimize their own suffering, but there is no overarching supernatural force to either dole out pain or send protection from pain).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This series is a video adaptation of Endnote 32 from "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic).

For free PDF sample chapters from "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer," see http://www.booklocker.com. (This link will bring you right to the page where you can find the PDF file--just scroll down to #5: http://search.booklocker.com/search-bl.cgi?q=dialogue+with+a+christian+proselytizer&t=&SEARCH=Search )

For customer reviews, see http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

The text of this video can be found on the blog site "Clashing Culture" - http://clashingculture.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/the-problem-of-suffering-the-seven-supernatural-answers-vs-the-one-naturalistic-part-1-of-2

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic)

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."

Part 9 of 10: The Problem of Suffering: the 7 Supernatural Answers vs. the 1 Naturalistic

Todd Gates 2009-02-13 | Overview of entire series:

Part 1: Overview of the supernatural vs. naturalistic explanations for the existence of suffering.

Part 2 discusses explanation #1--that suffering is punishment (from the Western angle that suffering is due to personal sin and/or "original sin").

Part 3 concludes the discussion of explanation #1--that suffering is punishment (from the Eastern angle that suffering is due to due to karma: sins in this life or a previous life).

Part 4 discusses explanation #2--that suffering benefits us--and explanation #3: that suffering must exist for the greater good of Free Will.

Part 5 discusses explanation #4--that the reason for suffering is beyond our finite understanding--and explanation #5: that the perceived world is just an illusion, hence suffering, too, is just an illusion.

Part 6 discusses explanation #6--that the Divine is not All-Powerful. This video focuses on the presentation of this argument as found in Harold S. Kushner's famous book "When Bad Things Happen to Good People."

Part 7 concludes the discussion of explanation #6 (that the Divine is not All-Powerful), and highlights the weaknesses and incoherencies in the philosophy found in "When Bad Things Happen to Good People."

Part 8 discusses explanation #7--that the Divine is not All-Good (includes the views of skeptics, such as Richard Dawkins, who see no trouble reconciling the existence suffering with the fictional character known as the "jealous God" of the Old Testament).

Part 9 concludes the discussion of explanation #7--that the Divine is not All-Good (includes perspective of dualistic and polytheistic religions).

Part 10 discusses explanation #8--that the natural world is indifferent to creature suffering (that it may be part of "nature" for individuals to minimize their own suffering, but there is no overarching supernatural force to either dole out pain or send protection from pain).

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

This series is a video adaptation of Endnote 32 from "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic).

For free PDF sample chapters from "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer," see http://www.booklocker.com. (This link will bring you right to the page where you can find the PDF file--just scroll down to #5: http://search.booklocker.com/search-bl.cgi?q=dialogue+with+a+christian+proselytizer&t=&SEARCH=Search )

For customer reviews, see http://www.amazon.com/review/product/1601450893/ref=dp_top_cm_cr_acr_txt?_encoding=UTF8&showViewpoints=1

The text of this video can be found on the blog site "Clashing Culture" - http://clashingculture.wordpress.com/2009/01/25/the-problem-of-suffering-the-seven-supernatural-answers-vs-the-one-naturalistic-part-1-of-2

My four YouTube channels:

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddGates - my musician channel

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Dialogue with a Christian Proselytizer" (a dialogue between a Christian proselytizer and a Socratic skeptic)

- http://youtube.com/user/ToddAllenGates2 - where I discuss the ideas in my book "Hunting, Gathering, & Videogames" (such as "Why do we have to work?" and "Why do we have to use money?" and "How should we define 'success'?")

- http://youtube.com/user/BlasphemyPiano - where I play the background piano accompaniment for songs in Nick Gisburne's book of lyrics "Blasphemy! Anthems for Atheists."