Author Archives: Heather Mac Donald

Uh-oh. Democrats pray, too.

Posted on December 8, 2008 by Heather Mac Donald

Union leaders hope that a Detroit bail-out gets a divine nudge .

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What’s Wrong with Falwell?

Posted on December 7, 2008 by Heather Mac Donald

I just heard Kevin Phillips on CSPAN-2 denouncing the Religious Right on the ground, inter alia, that “Jerry Falwell interpreted a hurricane as proof of God’s wrath.”  “How ridiculous is that?” asked Phillips, or something to that effect.  To the … Continue reading →

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How Much Religious Falsehood Is Acceptable?

Posted on December 6, 2008 by Heather Mac Donald

 I am returning to the Ed Feser exchange because it relates to a question I have been pondering about sophisticated Catholics and other Christians.    I had asked Mr. Feser if he could suggest an experimental design to test the efficacy … Continue reading →

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Superstition Watch: Among the Unbelievers

Posted on December 4, 2008 by Heather Mac Donald

New York’s young and hip seek assistance from fertility candles and “magickal seals.”  The New York Times’ fashion editors are intrigued.  A friend buys a “dressed” candle and lands an acting gig.   “Coincidence?”

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Mr. Feser’s “serious arguments for religion”

Posted on December 3, 2008 by Heather Mac Donald

Ed Feser continues to argue for the scientific and rational basis of religion:  If you really think that denying that religion is “unscientific” amounts to endorsing lame exercises in pop apologetics like the Templeton prayer experiment, then I’m afraid you’re … Continue reading →

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A model of rational critique?

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Heather Mac Donald

 Jonah Goldberg posts the “appalled” Ed Feser on secular conservatives.  Apparently Mr. Feser thinks of himself as the opposite of “smugly unreflective and dogmatic.”  Readers can decide for themselves.   I will respond to just one of Mr. Feser’s un-smug, non-dogmatic … Continue reading →

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Religion and Morality: The Home Front

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Heather Mac Donald

I’m curious: how often do parents in religious households back up the command: “Stop hitting your brother!” with the addendum, “which a close reading of the interaction of the Fifth, Sixth, and Eighth Commandments would suggest is prohibited”? Or even … Continue reading →

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Religion and moral decline, contd.

Posted on November 29, 2008 by Heather Mac Donald

A reader suggests that one needs to examine the same society over time, rather than comparing different societies, to test whether the waning of religious belief and fervor leads to moral decay. So let’s look at the West over the … Continue reading →

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Religion and Moral Behavior

Posted on November 28, 2008 by Heather Mac Donald

Jerry Muller’s excellent Public Interest article, linked by Hume, references the ubiquitous “social utility” argument for religion: “belief in ultimate reward and punishment leads men to act morally.” The disappearance of religious belief, religion advocates argue, will produce individual and … Continue reading →

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A secularist’s thoughts on Thanksgiving

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Heather Mac Donald

Michael Novak recently asked me: “Am I right in saying that atheists have no one to thank, [unlike] Jews and Christians [who] do thank and praise God for so many good things?” In light of our national holiday tomorrow, I … Continue reading →

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