Comments on: Book Review: UFOs, Ghosts, and a Rising God http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html NIGHTTIME IS FOR DREAMING. DAYLIGHT IS FOR ACTION. Mon, 23 Jan 2012 12:09:52 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Chris Hallquist http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html#comment-51920 Chris Hallquist Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:29:31 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1144#comment-51920 Okay, first of all, MOST OF THE TYPOS HAVE NOW BEEN FIXED. Also, David, thanks for the tip on text-to-speech software. Okay, first of all, MOST OF THE TYPOS HAVE NOW BEEN FIXED. Also, David, thanks for the tip on text-to-speech software.

]]> By: Some disappointing bigotry from Adam Lee : The Uncredible Hallq http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html#comment-51846 Some disappointing bigotry from Adam Lee : The Uncredible Hallq Thu, 19 Nov 2009 21:18:47 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1144#comment-51846 [...] I like Adam. Among other things he wrote a very nice review of my book. Liking him makes me reluctant to call what he wrote bigoted, and in some ways what he wrote is [...] [...] I like Adam. Among other things he wrote a very nice review of my book. Liking him makes me reluctant to call what he wrote bigoted, and in some ways what he wrote is [...]

]]> By: Paul http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html#comment-50831 Paul Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:32:32 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1144#comment-50831 <blockquote>Thanks for the review. I'll wait for the 2nd edition, when all the typos have been fixed. As for the mythicist snub, I think it's refreshing to find a recent atheist book on the historical Jesus which does not endorse Jesus mythicism. For all the merits I find in Doherty's book (and website), I am not convinced he's made his case.</blockquote> How is one supposed to make a case against an event where there are no corroborating, contemporary primary sources? The lack of first century CE extra-biblical mention of such a ground-shaking figure as Jesus is a weakness for the historical Jesus, not for the myth hypothesis. The burden of proof you are trying to place seems backwards.

Thanks for the review. I'll wait for the 2nd edition, when all the typos have been fixed. As for the mythicist snub, I think it's refreshing to find a recent atheist book on the historical Jesus which does not endorse Jesus mythicism. For all the merits I find in Doherty's book (and website), I am not convinced he's made his case.

How is one supposed to make a case against an event where there are no corroborating, contemporary primary sources? The lack of first century CE extra-biblical mention of such a ground-shaking figure as Jesus is a weakness for the historical Jesus, not for the myth hypothesis. The burden of proof you are trying to place seems backwards.

]]> By: David Ellis http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html#comment-50699 David Ellis Tue, 06 Oct 2009 19:27:02 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1144#comment-50699 A small bit of advice for people wanting to publish their work at a small press that cannot afford a lot in the way of proofreading. Install text-to-speech software on your computer (there are many free ones you can download, I use Natural Voice) and listen to your book spoken aloud. It won't catch every mistake but many of them you would tend to miss with a visual inspection are glaringly obvious. A small bit of advice for people wanting to publish their work at a small press that cannot afford a lot in the way of proofreading.

Install text-to-speech software on your computer (there are many free ones you can download, I use Natural Voice) and listen to your book spoken aloud. It won't catch every mistake but many of them you would tend to miss with a visual inspection are glaringly obvious.

]]> By: Chris Hallquist http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html#comment-50696 Chris Hallquist Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:28:32 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1144#comment-50696 Thanks, Adam, for the review. You're right that the press is too small to be able to afford a proofreader. The upshot of the small press, though, is that they're using a print-on-demand system, meaning there are no "editions" of the book and errors can be corrected as they're found. So Qohelet, if you just wait a while before buying a copy of the book, say until you've polished off whatever's currently on your reading list, a good chunk of the errors will have been corrected by then, even though we won't have announced an official "second edition." Thanks, Adam, for the review. You're right that the press is too small to be able to afford a proofreader. The upshot of the small press, though, is that they're using a print-on-demand system, meaning there are no "editions" of the book and errors can be corrected as they're found. So Qohelet, if you just wait a while before buying a copy of the book, say until you've polished off whatever's currently on your reading list, a good chunk of the errors will have been corrected by then, even though we won't have announced an official "second edition."

]]> By: D http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html#comment-50689 D Mon, 05 Oct 2009 22:18:59 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1144#comment-50689 I was barely able to read this. I kept getting mental pictures of a big green philosopher sitting in an armchair, shouting, "HALLQ DOUBT," at the very top of his lungs between calm, reflective puffs on his mother-of-pearl inlaid meerschaum. Not crazy, I promise! I'm reminded of Penn & Teller's bit on Elvis, stating how we've got a full autopsy report, news articles including obituaries, and yet there are people who refuse to believe that Elvis is dead. Even in cookbooks published in the same century, there is profound disagreement on how precisely to prepare the King's beloved fried chicken. In the twenty-first century, we can't even tell the King's true chicken from false chicken, less than a hundred years later - imagine trying to discover the true recipe for Elvis' fried chicken two thousand years later! I was barely able to read this. I kept getting mental pictures of a big green philosopher sitting in an armchair, shouting, "HALLQ DOUBT," at the very top of his lungs between calm, reflective puffs on his mother-of-pearl inlaid meerschaum.

Not crazy, I promise!

I'm reminded of Penn & Teller's bit on Elvis, stating how we've got a full autopsy report, news articles including obituaries, and yet there are people who refuse to believe that Elvis is dead. Even in cookbooks published in the same century, there is profound disagreement on how precisely to prepare the King's beloved fried chicken. In the twenty-first century, we can't even tell the King's true chicken from false chicken, less than a hundred years later - imagine trying to discover the true recipe for Elvis' fried chicken two thousand years later!

]]> By: jtradke http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html#comment-50686 jtradke Mon, 05 Oct 2009 19:54:46 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1144#comment-50686 <blockquote>He discusses the modern parallel of UFO abductions,</blockquote> One interesting point in Carl Sagan's <i>The Demon-Haunted World</i> was about how modern UFO abduction stories closely mirror older stories of incubi and succubi visiting various horrors upon dreamers.

He discusses the modern parallel of UFO abductions,

One interesting point in Carl Sagan's The Demon-Haunted World was about how modern UFO abduction stories closely mirror older stories of incubi and succubi visiting various horrors upon dreamers.

]]> By: Alex, FCD http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html#comment-50683 Alex, FCD Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:20:49 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1144#comment-50683 <blockquote>(I've always wondered, does he get more skeptical when he gets angry?).</blockquote>And, if so, did he become a solipsist when Fox canceled <i>Firefly</i>?

(I've always wondered, does he get more skeptical when he gets angry?).

And, if so, did he become a solipsist when Fox canceled Firefly?

]]> By: Qohelet http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html#comment-50682 Qohelet Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:16:57 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1144#comment-50682 @Ebon, Thanks for the review. I'll wait for the 2nd edition, when all the typos have been fixed. As for the mythicist snub, I think it's refreshing to find a recent atheist book on the historical Jesus which does not endorse Jesus mythicism. For all the merits I find in Doherty's book (and website), I am not convinced he's made his case. @Eshu James Randi's Flim-Flam and Martin Gardner's books on skepticism would be what you're looking for. @Ebon,

Thanks for the review. I'll wait for the 2nd edition, when all the typos have been fixed. As for the mythicist snub, I think it's refreshing to find a recent atheist book on the historical Jesus which does not endorse Jesus mythicism. For all the merits I find in Doherty's book (and website), I am not convinced he's made his case.

@Eshu
James Randi's Flim-Flam and Martin Gardner's books on skepticism would be what you're looking for.

]]> By: Reginald Selkirk http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html#comment-50680 Reginald Selkirk Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:55:16 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1144#comment-50680 <i>Another bit I particularly liked: to drive the point home, Hallquist quotes a Christian magician, Andre Kole, who defends the historicity of Jesus' miracles even while complaining that people tend to misremember his shows and believe he performed far more impressive tricks than he actually did! [p.75]</i> Have I got a book recommendation for you! In the early chapters of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/fakers-Danny-Korem/dp/0800711300/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1254747002&sr=1-5" rel="nofollow">The Fakers</a> by Danny Korem and Paul D. Meier (1980, ISBN-10: 0800711300), magician Danny Korem skeptically covers various topics (dowsing, psychics, etc) with each chapter ending in a variation of "it's a pity that people fall in with this phony cr*p because it distracts them from the real magic of God." The last few chapters are dedicated to wacky theories about the preservation of the Old Testament being supernaturally guided. It's a hilarious combination. Another bit I particularly liked: to drive the point home, Hallquist quotes a Christian magician, Andre Kole, who defends the historicity of Jesus' miracles even while complaining that people tend to misremember his shows and believe he performed far more impressive tricks than he actually did! [p.75]

Have I got a book recommendation for you! In the early chapters of The Fakers by Danny Korem and Paul D. Meier (1980, ISBN-10: 0800711300), magician Danny Korem skeptically covers various topics (dowsing, psychics, etc) with each chapter ending in a variation of "it's a pity that people fall in with this phony cr*p because it distracts them from the real magic of God." The last few chapters are dedicated to wacky theories about the preservation of the Old Testament being supernaturally guided. It's a hilarious combination.

]]> By: Eshu http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/10/ufos-ghosts-and-a-rising-god.html#comment-50679 Eshu Mon, 05 Oct 2009 12:25:18 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=1144#comment-50679 I'd certainly consider reading this, mostly for the spiritualist background material. I think it's an especially clever tactic to introduce these skeptical debunkings first before moving on to Christianity. Can anyone suggest a book which covers (only) these mediums and spiritualist investigations by the skeptics of yesteryear? I'd certainly consider reading this, mostly for the spiritualist background material. I think it's an especially clever tactic to introduce these skeptical debunkings first before moving on to Christianity.

Can anyone suggest a book which covers (only) these mediums and spiritualist investigations by the skeptics of yesteryear?

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