# LLMs.txt - Sitemap for AI content discovery # The Good Report > Thought Out Answers for Thinkers --- ## Pages - [The Good Dialogue Podcast](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/podcast/): Dive into The Good Dialogue Podcast with Luke and Aidan for insightful discussions on Christian apologetics, modern science, and philosophy. - [Books by The Good Report](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/books/): Explore the profound implications of extraterrestrial life on Christianity. Dive deep into topics like God's image, incarnation in alien contexts, UFO insights, and more. - [The Good Report](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/): Thought-through essays that answer your questions and doubts towards Christianity, with respectful critique and challenge of alternative worldviews. ## Posts - [Abortion - Two Key Questions](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/abortion-key-questions/): When it comes to debates about abortion, starting with compassion and understanding is key. Pregnancy can be a beautiful journey,... - [The Making of Hitler: Christianity, Atheism, and the Nazi Ideology](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/hitler-christianity-atheism/): What did Hitler really believe? Hitler’s mother was a devout Catholic, but his father considered religion a scam. Hitler called... - [Does Science Need a Radical Shift to Explain Life’s Origin?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/science-origin-shift/): Imagine you’ve been handed the keys to a time machine. With a mixture of excitement, you step inside, set the... - [The Comprehensive Guide to Atheistic Morality: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Illusions](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/atheistic-morality-strengths-weaknesses-illusions/): Imagine the situation — I am caught in a relentless struggle to make ends meet. Recently, our lives took a... - [Winning the Universal Lottery: God, the Multiverse and Fine Tuning](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/multiverse-fine-tuning/): “Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing, one with the very delicate... - [God and Stephen Hawking. Is Quantum Cosmology God’s Undertaker?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/quantum-cosmology-gods-undertaker/): Throughout the 20th century, breakthroughs in cosmology brought humanity face-to-face with one of life’s biggest mysteries: how and why did... - [Making Sense of Genesis 1 – Creation and Contentions With Modern Science](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/genesis-1/): Before diving into the science, let’s pause for a moment and revisit the creation story in Genesis 1—but through a... - [Big Bang Cosmology: Unsettling Implications for Atheism](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/how-big-bang-cosmology-threatens-atheism/): The Emergence of the Big Bang Theory Before the groundbreaking discoveries of the 20th century, many scientists believed in the... - [The Atheist Superiority Complex](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/the-atheist-superiority-complex/): Atheists are champions of science and reason who have carefully and honestly examined the evidence for God’s existence and found... - [The Atheist's Burden: Must We Justify Disbelief?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/atheism-belief/): What is atheism, precisely? In modern discourse, atheism is often characterised as a lack of belief, specifically in deities. However,... - [Why So Many Lose Faith in University](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/faith-in-university/): I am losing faith in the universities. Universities should be centres for cultivating thought, fostering debate, and honing communication skills.... - [Scientism's Dark Side: When Secular Orthodoxy Strangles Progress](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/scientism-strangles-progress/): Scientism's pitfalls uncovered. Unravel the dangers of science without philosophical context. Think beyond data. - [Living Whole as a Same-sex Attracted Christian](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/same-sex-attracted-christian/): So imagine you’re a gay Christian. You love Jesus and want to follow his way, yet you find yourself naturally... - [Can Christian Marriage Be Gay?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/christian-marriage-gay/): Who or what determines sexual ethics? The Christian gospel has a number of sharp edges to it that many find... - [Why We’re Not Evolved for Truth](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/not-evolved-for-truth/): In his seminal work, ‘On the Origin of Species,’ published in 1859, Charles Darwin introduced a radical paradigm shift. He... - [The Divided Brain and the Dysfunction that Fuels Modern Atheism](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/the-divided-brain/): Overview This essay will begin by looking at the structure and function of the brain, and at the differences between... - [Christianity Has Known About Aliens for a Long Time](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/christianity-aliens/): Many of our articles focus on Christian Apologetics, which is an attempt to contend for the rationality of Christian faith.... - [The Sex Paradox: Why Sexual Freedom Requires Restraint](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/sexual-freedom-requires-restraint/): In our previous essay, Sex is Dangerous, Sex is Good, my intention was to restore a healthy view of sex.... - [Navigating Gender Dysphoria](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/navigating-gender-dysphoria/): Introduction I recently watched the controversial documentary – What is a Woman? by the political commentator Matt Walsh. The documentary... - [A Personal Reflection on the Silence of God](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/silence-of-god/): God is... I have always felt that there are some things in life that are just bloody obvious, one of... - [Sex Is Dangerous, Sex Is Good](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/sex-is-dangerous-sex-is-good/): Sexual ethics because sex is powerful Removing ancient boundaries is a risky endeavour. Recently, a farmer moved a stone that... - [Would Discovery of Alien Life Destroy Christianity?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/alien-life-destroy-christianity/): Picture the scenario. One otherwise ordinary spring morning a cloud of 200 shimmering silver shapes plummet through earth’s atmosphere at... - [How Christian Is Christian Nationalism, Really?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/christian-nationalism/): The term “Christian nationalism” is like “evangelicalism” – these days it really depends on what you mean. If someone asked... - [Marriage and the Meaning of Life](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/marriage-and-the-meaning-of-life/): In Douglas Adams’ comedy sci-fi novel ‘The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy’, three characters build a supercomputer called ‘Deep Thought’... - [Pornography's Unholy Trinity: Damaging Faith, Psyche, and Society](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/the-truth-behind-porn/): The Age-Old Battle with Lust: From David’s Gaze to Digital Gluttony Within the Old Testament of the Bible, King David,... - [I Want to Divorce and Remarry. Is God Ok With That?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/divorce-and-remarriage/): “I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel I watched as she lay paralyzed in bed. She couldn’t move.... - [Quantum Mechanics Spells the End of Materialism](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/quantum-mechanics-materialism/): As quantum physicist Richard Feynman once famously said “if you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don’t understand quantum mechanics.... - [Did Life Begin as Information?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/information-origin-of-life/): When it comes to facing the question of life’s origin, everyone has a different opinion. In ‘The Mystery of Life’s... - [Has Naturalism Put Reasoning in a Bind?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/naturalism-reasoning/): Disclaimer: Throughout this essay, I have used the terms “naturalism” and “materialism” interchangeably. While there are differences, the subjects and... - [The Problem of Death](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/the-problem-of-death/): I am going to die. You are going to die. One day you will die. Your eyes will go dim... - [Is Jesus History or Another Fairytale?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/is-jesus-history-or-another-fairytale/): Christianity rises or falls not on the strength of its philosophy but on the historicity of a single event: the resurrection of Jesus. - [Is Marriage Still Relevant?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/is-marriage-still-relevant/): Marriage is blood, sweat and tears, humbling defeats and exhausting victories. A stable marriage is an achievement that will demand... - [AI, Our New Salvation](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/ai-our-new-salvation/): In a way, we’re all very similar. Despite our differences, we’re all insatiably curious. We can’t escape it, it’s part... - [The Mystery of Life's Origin](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/the-mystery-of-lifes-origin/): How did life first emerge?   There must have been a time in the past when life appeared out of... - [Is Life Meaningless?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/is-life-meaningless/): Albert Einstein once said: “To know an answer to the question, ‘What is the meaning of human life? ’ means... - [The Faith of an Atheist](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/the-faith-of-an-atheist/): The seventeenth-century French philosopher René Descartes is best known for his dictum, “I am absolutely sure of this: I think,... - [The Parable of the Two Lost Sons](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/the-parable-of-the-two-lost-sons/): If you’ve ever felt looked down on by ‘holy’ people, don’t worry. Jesus knows what it’s like. The religious purists... - [Why You Might Not Like Justice](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/you-may-not-like-justice/): If you’re anything like me you’ve probably had heated discussions with friends about politics that only left everyone involved frustrated... - [Science Has Its Own God of the Gaps](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/sciences-god-of-the-gaps/): It can be easy to forget that atheism is a relatively modern invention. Throughout history, religion was always central to... - [Does Science Oppose God?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/does-science-oppose-god/): If you are sold the idea that religion and science are at odds with another, then you are in effect... - [Defining Love](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/defining-love/): You are dying and you have just been told that you haven’t got long to live. What do you wish... - [Has Evolution Buried God?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/has-evolution-buried-god/): Three thousand years ago, King David wrote in Psalm 139: “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.... - [The Miracle of Life, The Universe and Almost Everything](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/miracle-of-everything/): A life-permitting universe In the past, we sought to explore the world, to seek out unknown land and cross seas... - [Atheism’s Problem of Pain](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/atheism-pain/): We all suffer. We’ve all felt grief or the overwhelming despair of lost love, broken trust tearing apart a relationship.... - [A Thought for the Agnostic](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/thought-for-agnostic/): In childhood, we build castles with cushions and sticks. We become dashing princes and valiant princesses, we live in a... - [Is the God of the Old Testament Immoral?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/old-testament-immoral/): When I was seventeen-going-on-eighteen, I got it into my head that I should probably give reading the whole Bible a... - [The Problem of Pain - A Christian Response](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/problem-of-pain/): Pain is a part of life. We enter this world causing pain in childbirth, at some moment in life we... - [Is Religion to Blame for Violence?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/religion-violence/): There are many common misconceptions about religion that are often taken as unquestioned facts, such as the idea that religion... - [Antisocial Media](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/antisocial-media/): What would life look like without social media? Would our life be more straightforward, more productive, focused, maybe even more... - [What is Truth?](https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/what-is-truth/): A right attitude Before we even start to work out what’s true, we need to ask ourselves if our hearts... --- # # Detailed Content ## Pages ### The Good Dialogue Podcast > Dive into The Good Dialogue Podcast with Luke and Aidan for insightful discussions on Christian apologetics, modern science, and philosophy. - Published: 2024-01-11 - Modified: 2024-04-05 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/podcast/ Introducing a new podcast from The Good Report:The Good Dialogue PodcastWelcome to The Good Dialogue Podcast, co-hosted by Luke from Australia and Aidan from the UK. This podcast is a dynamic and thought-provoking platform where faith, philosophy, and modern challenges intersect. We delve into the depths of Christian apologetics and explore topics ranging from “The Burden of Atheism” to “Science and Faith Coexistence,” addressing issues like sexual freedom, Christianity's connection with alien life, quantum mechanics, AI, and more. Join us for insightful and open conversations that touch on the complexities of modern Christian living, morality, science, and culture. Our episodes offer a deep dive into questions and doubts about Christianity, while respectfully critiquing and challenging alternative worldviews. We aim to illuminate the path of contemporary Christianity in a rapidly changing world. Available onEpisodes: --- ### Books by The Good Report > Explore the profound implications of extraterrestrial life on Christianity. Dive deep into topics like God's image, incarnation in alien contexts, UFO insights, and more. - Published: 2023-07-27 - Modified: 2025-03-20 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/books/ Introducing a new book from The Good Report:Does the Universe Paint God Out of the Picture? : Tracing the Mind Behind the Scientific Story of the UniverseTargeted at believers, sceptics, and those who find themselves in the grey area between, this book encourages readers to engage in a reflection on the awe-inspiring marvels and mysteries of our grand universe. It invites us to contemplate which philosophical worldview aligns most closely with the cosmological scientific evidence. Aliens and Christianity: Threat or VindicationAre we alone in the universe? And if not, would the discovery of extraterrestrial life pose a threat to Christianity, or would it serve as a profound vindication of the faith? From the image of God and incarnation to the exploration of US military conclusions about UFOs and the relationship between alien encounters and the occult, 'Aliens and Christianity: Threat or Vindication? ' provides a comprehensive analysis of a question rarely touched upon in traditional religious discussions. The universe, vast and mysterious, has always been a subject of wonder and curiosity. The extraordinary question of extraterrestrial life and its implications on Christianity is one that has been incredibly elusive. Are we truly alone in this expansive cosmos? Or is there intelligent life beyond our blue planet? The book, 'Aliens and Christianity: Threat or Vindication? ' offers a profound exploration into this very question. It delves deep into the strange and often uncharted territories of faith, science, and the unknown. The image of God, the concept of incarnation in an alien... --- ### The Good Report > Thought-through essays that answer your questions and doubts towards Christianity, with respectful critique and challenge of alternative worldviews. - Published: 2020-06-02 - Modified: 2023-09-01 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/ TheGoodReportWe explore deep questions and doubts towards Christianity while offering respectful critique and challenge of alternative worldviews. Atheism and scepticismChallengingtheologyScience andtechnologySociety andculture --- ## Posts ### Abortion - Two Key Questions - Published: 2025-03-28 - Modified: 2025-04-27 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/abortion-key-questions/ - Categories: Society and culture When it comes to debates about abortion, starting with compassion and understanding is key. Pregnancy can be a beautiful journey, but it’s stressful and there can be heartbreaking circumstances. Picture this: a mother eagerly awaiting her child learns at her 20-week scan that the baby won’t survive due to missing vital organs. The grief is unimaginable. Or consider a woman who survives sexual assault, only to face the trauma of an unwanted pregnancy. What about someone escaping an abusive relationship, only to discover she’s pregnant with her abuser’s child?   Then there are medical emergencies like placental abruption, where a family must make an agonising decision: prioritise the mother’s life or the baby’s? Or the woman working two jobs, barely scraping by, who wonders if she can provide for another child — or even the children she already has. Think of a teenager whose life is upended by an accidental pregnancy. Should she give up her youth to raise a child? And what about women who aren’t financially, emotionally, or physically ready for parenthood? These stories are not rare — they’re real, deeply personal situations that make the question of abortion anything but black and white.   I recently heard about a woman who discovered her partner’s infidelity during her pregnancy. Suddenly, she was faced with a wrenching decision: does she raise a child with someone she no longer trusts, or does she walk away entirely? These scenarios highlight why the decision to have an abortion isn’t just about politics... --- ### The Making of Hitler: Christianity, Atheism, and the Nazi Ideology - Published: 2025-03-14 - Modified: 2025-03-20 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/hitler-christianity-atheism/ - Categories: Challenging theology, Atheism and scepticism What did Hitler really believe? Hitler’s mother was a devout Catholic, but his father considered religion a scam. Hitler called himself a Christian and venerated Jesus as an anti-Jewish fighter. German churches replaced bibles on altars with copies of Mein Kampf and services were held in Hitler’s honour. He worked hard to harness the power of religion for his own ends, but was the heart of his ideology really Christian? According to Baldur von Schirach, head of the Hitler Youth movement, “the destruction of Christianity was explicitly recognised as a purpose of the National Socialist movement. ”1 Rejecting Christianity outright, the Nazis changed the Bible to fit their ends. First, Jesus was rebranded as Aryan. While the New Testament is emphatic about Jesus’ Jewish identity, Hitler declared, “I can imagine Christ as nothing other than blond and with blue eyes, the Devil however only with a Jewish grimace. ”2 Nazi-era Bibles removed chunks of the Old Testament and edited the Gospels to eliminate references to Jesus’ Jewish heritage, his missional prioritisation of the Israelites, and his fulfilment of Hebrew scripture. Nazis edited New Testament texts to align with their militaristic mindset. Perhaps most stunningly, the Nazis sought to replace Jesus with Hitler himself. Joseph Goebbels, the Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, proclaimed, “We are witnessing the greatest miracle in history. A genius is building a new world! ” Baldur Benedikt von Schirach, who was the head of the Hitler Youth, taught German children a prayer resembling the Lord’s prayer,... --- ### Does Science Need a Radical Shift to Explain Life’s Origin? - Published: 2024-12-06 - Modified: 2025-03-20 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/science-origin-shift/ - Categories: Science and technology Imagine you’ve been handed the keys to a time machine. With a mixture of excitement, you step inside, set the dial to “Just before the origin of life on Earth,” and press the button. As the door creaks open, you brace yourself for what lies beyond. What would you see in this lifeless world? Here is what we suspect, and what we are told: a planet shaped by barren rock, vast oceans, and a dense atmosphere of swirling gases. Volcanic eruptions carve the landscape, saturating the air with heat and chemicals, while relentless forces sculpt an unforgiving surface. Yet, in the midst of this chaotic planet, a tiny, improbable oasis formed—an unlikely “Eden” in which life is believed to have emerged. From lifeless matter, a mysterious transformation known as chemical evolution unfolded and life blinked into existence. If you start with a naturalistic view of the universe, then you are led to believe that the emergence of life must have happened without any blueprint or guiding hand. The natural world is viewed as a self-explanatory system, where all events result from nature’s own mechanisms that are themselves without mindful or transcendent explanations. It’s not just that every phenomenon can be explained by natural mechanisms; these mechanisms are also fully capable of explaining themselves without any need for higher, non-material explanations. *The following is an excerpt from our upcoming book. Details will soon be released. This is part one of four in the book. Exploring the Great Divide: Life and Non-life... --- ### The Comprehensive Guide to Atheistic Morality: Strengths, Weaknesses, and Illusions - Published: 2024-07-12 - Modified: 2024-07-23 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/atheistic-morality-strengths-weaknesses-illusions/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism Imagine the situation — I am caught in a relentless struggle to make ends meet. Recently, our lives took a devastating turn when our home was consumed by a merciless fire. To compound our misfortune, the insurance company that should have been our safety net has collapsed into bankruptcy. With no other choice, I sold the charred remains of our land, but the proceeds were a mere drop in the ocean against the towering medical bills for my ailing father’s treatment. Rent at the new house is very high, but as if fate hadn’t already dealt us enough blows, I was laid off from my job last week due to unforeseen budget cuts. Despite our best efforts to cut costs and embrace a minimalist lifestyle, the financial burdens continue to mount. Overdue rent is piling up, credit card debts are spiralling, and to make matters all the more unbearable, my wife has fallen into a deep depression under the weight of our financial crises. Now, the situation has reached a critical point. Our landlord has issued us a final notice: pay the outstanding rent within the next seven days or face eviction. My wife and I are staring down the possibility of homelessness, with nowhere else to turn. What can we do in such a dire situation? Then it occurred to me... ​​I can see Margaret, a little old lady, coming down the street, and she’s carrying a great big purse. She’s always carrying bundles of cash. She’s rich, snobby,... --- ### Winning the Universal Lottery: God, the Multiverse and Fine Tuning - Published: 2024-06-15 - Modified: 2025-03-24 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/multiverse-fine-tuning/ - Categories: Science and technology “Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing, one with the very delicate balance needed to provide exactly the right conditions required to permit life, and one which has an underlying (one might say ‘supernatural’) plan. ”— Arno Penzias, Physics Nobel Prize winner A Life-Permitting Universe In the world of astrophysics, Sir Fred Hoyle is a name that stands out. Hoyle, who started his career as a firm atheist, believed there was no evidence of God in the universe. He argued that “religion is but a desperate attempt to find an escape from the truly dreadful situation in which we find ourselves... No wonder then that many people feel the need for some belief that gives them a sense of security, and no wonder that they become very angry with people like me who think that this is illusory. ” His atheism significantly influenced his scientific perspective, predisposing him to dismiss the notion that the universe had a beginning. (*This is an excerpt from That is 10 raised to the 10th power (or 10 billion) raised again to the 123rd power. That’s a big number. To put this figure into perspective, it is worth noting that physicists estimate the entire universe contains 1080 elementary particles, an insignificant fraction of 10^(10^123). Even if all matter in the universe were converted into paper, this would still be insufficient to print the number of zeros required to express this probability as a percentage. This probability quantifies... --- ### God and Stephen Hawking. Is Quantum Cosmology God’s Undertaker? - Published: 2024-06-15 - Modified: 2025-03-24 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/quantum-cosmology-gods-undertaker/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism, Science and technology Throughout the 20th century, breakthroughs in cosmology brought humanity face-to-face with one of life’s biggest mysteries: how and why did the universe come into being? Thinkers from all walks of life—scientists, philosophers and theologians—wrestled with this question. For a while, naturalistic explanations for the universe’s origin felt puzzling and even counterintuitive. In contrast, the idea of a creator God—a transcendent and foundational consciousness—seemed to fit the attributes of the first cause. Yet, as the sands of time continued to shift, the winds of intellectual revolution began to stir. Just as naturalistic explanations appeared to be dwindling, a bold and innovative perspective arose, challenging the long-standing dominance of the divine explanation. Enter the realm of quantum cosmology, a daring and cutting-edge field born from the union of quantum mechanics and general relativity. Many naturalists are now turning to quantum cosmology, hoping that its advancements might provide naturalistic explanations for the existence of the universe. Could quantum cosmology finally crack the code of how—and why—the universe began? Does it provide more persuasive, naturalistic explanations for why the universe exists? Stephen Hawking believed so. Now be prepared: quantum cosmology is a confusing and challenging field, known for its perplexing concepts and intricate theories that may seem baffling or even counterintuitive at times. Don’t be disheartened if certain aspects seem challenging to understand; after all, no one truly understands it in its entirety. The confusing nature of quantum cosmology is what makes it so interesting. (*The following is an excerpt from "Does the Universe... --- ### Making Sense of Genesis 1 – Creation and Contentions With Modern Science - Published: 2024-06-15 - Modified: 2025-03-24 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/genesis-1/ - Categories: Challenging theology Before diving into the science, let’s pause for a moment and revisit the creation story in Genesis 1—but through a new lens. At first glance, this might seem like a detour, but it’s more connected than you might think. Many people tend to immediately dismiss the idea that the universe was created by—or emanates from—a higher, transcendent intelligent source. This rejection often stems from familiarity with the biblical creation narrative, such as the one in Genesis, which can feel at odds with the detailed and complex explanations science provides. For centuries, Genesis 1 has sparked both curiosity and controversy, particularly over how it fits with what we’ve discovered about the universe through science. Here, I’d like to take a step back and offer a fresh perspective on this ancient account, one that might ease some of the tension between biblical tradition and modern scientific understanding. (*The is an excerpt from "Does the Universe Paint God Out of the Picture? " by Luke Baxendale. This is part one of four in the book. ) The first time I read Genesis 1, I was immediately drawn to the poetic nature of the creation story. As a young teenager, I marvelled at the way it described the formation of the world in six days, with God creating light, the heavens, the earth, and all living creatures. However, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of confusion and unease as I tried to reconcile the story with my understanding of modern science. Have you... --- ### Big Bang Cosmology: Unsettling Implications for Atheism - Published: 2024-06-15 - Modified: 2025-03-24 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/how-big-bang-cosmology-threatens-atheism/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism, Science and technology The Emergence of the Big Bang Theory Before the groundbreaking discoveries of the 20th century, many scientists believed in the idea of an eternal universe—one without a beginning or end that remained constant over time. This idea was popular because it seemed to simplify some of the biggest questions about existence. If the universe had always existed, there was no need to wrestle with questions like how it began, why it exists, or whether it was created. This perspective was particularly appealing to those subscribing to atheistic assumptions, as it eliminated the need for a Creator or divine intervention to explain the origin of the cosmos. By suggesting a universe without a beginning, they could align their scientific observations with a belief in a cosmos operating independently of any external influence. (*The following is an excerpt from The Big Bang implies that our universe had a starting point—not just the matter and energy we see around us, but space and time itself. Picture the universe as a balloon. If you deflate it, every point on its surface gets closer and closer together. Now imagine shrinking it all the way down until every point converges into one. That’s essentially what physicists mean when they say the universe had a beginning. As Stephen Hawking once put it, “at some time in the past... the distance between neighbouring galaxies must have been zero. ” This moment of convergence marks not only the start of the universe’s expansion but also, in many ways, the... --- ### The Atheist Superiority Complex - Published: 2024-01-04 - Modified: 2024-01-18 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/the-atheist-superiority-complex/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism Atheists are champions of science and reason who have carefully and honestly examined the evidence for God’s existence and found this evidence sorely lacking. Now that they’ve thoroughly debunked belief in God, they find it very easy to demonstrate how stupid, intolerant and ignorant Christians are for believing in “sky daddy”. Christianity is unfounded and outdated. Science, reason, and logic contradict religious faith, and those with religious affiliations are not only misinformed but are also adversaries to scientific and rational thinking. Religious beliefs are the result of inadequate scientific understanding, often stemming from early indoctrination. In the end, faith in God is a product of blind faith and emotional attachment, lacking rational justification. This mode of thinking is not only oversimplified but also arguably arrogant. It dismisses the complex, nuanced reasons people may have for their faith and overlooks the possibility of intelligent, reasoned belief behind religious conviction. This dismissive attitude was starkly evident in a personal encounter I had. In a casual conversation about weekend plans, my mention of attending church was met with a startling response: “Wait, you believe in God? I have lost all respect for you! ” This person abruptly ended the conversation, showing a swift and uncompromising judgement based solely on my Christian worldview. In another conversation about my faith, I shared that my journey to Christianity began with seeking satisfactory and compelling answers to the big questions of life — origin, meaning, morality and destiny. In this quest, I found myself drawn to Christianity.... --- ### The Atheist's Burden: Must We Justify Disbelief? - Published: 2023-09-09 - Modified: 2023-11-12 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/atheism-belief/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism What is atheism, precisely? In modern discourse, atheism is often characterised as a lack of belief, specifically in deities. However, atheism is far from being a void. It inherently catalyses a variety of philosophical viewpoints and worldviews. These resulting beliefs, sprouting from what is ostensibly “non-belief,” create an intriguing paradox that prompts us to question: what is the true essence of atheism? Is it merely scepticism or denial? Does it invite a more complex and expansive array of thoughts, actions, and perceptions originating from this seeming non-belief? Let’s start at the beginning: What does “belief” truly mean? Our awareness and comprehension of the world around us translates into what we call “knowledge. ” However, “belief” stretches beyond the simple apprehension of supposed facts. Knowledge is an understanding, a recognition of reality, but it doesn’t necessarily guide how we incorporate this understanding into our lives. On the other hand, belief is a confident acceptance of the truth of an idea or individual entity to such an extent that it can shape our personal values and actions. The more distinctive and influential a belief is, the more profoundly it should alter our lifestyle and behaviour. Thus, the concept of belief is far more personal than mere knowledge. When we know something, we simply acknowledge its existence or truth from afar. However, when we embrace and rely on the truth of what we know, we elevate that knowledge into belief. Belief implies not just understanding, but also esteeming what we understand. This valuation... --- ### Why So Many Lose Faith in University - Published: 2023-09-02 - Modified: 2023-11-12 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/faith-in-university/ - Categories: Society and culture I am losing faith in the universities. Universities should be centres for cultivating thought, fostering debate, and honing communication skills. These are what specialised jobs require – the ability to think, speak, and write effectively. If someone lacks these abilities, then the value of a degree comes into question. It becomes just a piece of paper. Employers are realising that despite an individual's academic credentials, they often lack the essential traits needed for responsible roles, they still need further training. I've witnessed it repeatedly – fresh graduates, armed with shiny new degrees, struggling to express their thoughts coherently. When I engage them in discussions about their field of study and ask for their personal viewpoints, their responses are often underwhelming. It's important to note that this trend isn't solely the fault of universities. However, it does highlight that attending a university does not automatically guarantee that someone will develop the skills to think critically, form clear, strong arguments and know how to act effectively. Now, I hope I am not misunderstood, I am not disregarding university education. My point is to make you aware that you might need to extract more value from it than what is presented on the surface. And, if you find yourself veering away from the academic path, remember, it shouldn't be an excuse to take the path of least resistance. Instead, strive for a pursuit that is equally, if not more, challenging. Cultivate a skill set that's in demand, that people need and want, and... --- ### Scientism's Dark Side: When Secular Orthodoxy Strangles Progress > Scientism's pitfalls uncovered. Unravel the dangers of science without philosophical context. Think beyond data. - Published: 2023-05-19 - Modified: 2023-06-23 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/scientism-strangles-progress/ - Categories: Science and technology Unravelling Scientism “Science is the only way we know to understand the real world,” posited Dawkins. “There is no reason to suppose that science cannot deal with every aspect of existence,” expounded chemist Peter Atkins. Scientism advances the notion that “Science is the only way. ” Essentially, it argues that science is not merely one approach among a myriad of others for obtaining truth, but rather the very bedrock of truth and rationality itself—the cornerstone for ascertaining anything at all. As Nobel Prize-winning chemist Harry Kroto stated, “Science is the only philosophical construct we have to determine TRUTH with any degree of reliability. ” I admire the fervour of these scientists. Scientific inquiry has undeniably facilitated a myriad of remarkable accomplishments and discoveries which have radically transformed our understanding of the natural world. Nonetheless, a wellspring of truth may also spawn intellectual mirages and conceptual muddles. While I greatly admire the scientific endeavour, I harbour concerns about the ramifications of an excessive reliance on, and unbridled confidence in, science as the sole legitimate source of knowledge encompassing all aspects of human life and, ultimately, all human challenges. It is prudent to elucidate the meaning of the term 'science. ' While a comprehensive definition remains elusive, there exists a general consensus on at least one characteristic of science that ensures the applicability of its methodologies—specifically, empirical verification. Derived from the Greek word “empeiría,” which translates to “experience,” empiricism is a contemporary epistemological theory predicated on experience gleaned from the five senses... --- ### Living Whole as a Same-sex Attracted Christian - Published: 2023-03-10 - Modified: 2023-03-30 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/same-sex-attracted-christian/ - Categories: Challenging theology So imagine you’re a gay Christian. You love Jesus and want to follow his way, yet you find yourself naturally attracted to people of the same sex. Or maybe you don’t have to imagine this; you long for that romantic, physical and emotional connection and are trying to work out how to reconcile all this with your Christian faith. In our essay ‘Can Christian Marriage Be Gay? ’, we explained the Christian sexual ethic, specifically in regard to same-sex sexual relations, and the conclusion is clear – God forbids it. The author of life, the universe and the rest of creation claims that sexual relations are only intended for heterosexual marriage. If you read that essay, you will understand the reasoning. But now what? Must you stay single for the rest of your life? Isn’t that just setting yourself up for failure? After all, we are social creatures, who, for the most part, long for partnership in a romantic sense. Christianity seems to offer only two options: deny your natural desires and follow the path of singleness, or be in a relationship contrary to your romantic instincts. Neither of those options sound appealing. I have had a number of gay friends over the years, and it quickly became apparent to me that it can be natural for someone to experience same-sex attraction. The attractions that one may feel from a young age are not necessarily about the lifestyle they have chosen, but part of their natural person. Our romantic attractions... --- ### Can Christian Marriage Be Gay? - Published: 2023-03-10 - Modified: 2023-11-09 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/christian-marriage-gay/ - Categories: Challenging theology Who or what determines sexual ethics? The Christian gospel has a number of sharp edges to it that many find difficult to hear. Today, one of the sharpest of those edges seems to be what the bible teaches about sexuality. As Christianity becomes less and less influential in shaping people’s approaches to morality, people are becoming increasingly critical of what they see as an old-fashioned, conservative, traditional, homophobic attitude toward human sexuality. One of the most frequently referenced scriptures forbidding homosexual behaviour is Leviticus 18:22: “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination. ” Yet this ethic extends beyond the law given to the people of Israel, as Paul repeats in Romans 1:26–27 and 1 Corinthians 6:9. When you read verses like these, there's no beating about the bush. It’s clear that scripture describes homosexuality as contrary to God’s created intent for human sexuality.   However, a key aspect of this debate involves discerning whether these teachings were culturally specific to the time they were written or intended as universal moral principles. This question echoes similar discussions about other Biblical teachings that contemporary societies view differently, such as slavery and the role of women in the church. For instance, the Bible's references to slavery and the instructions for women not to speak in churches (as found in Ephesians 6:5 and 1 Corinthians 14:34, respectively) are generally understood in a historical context by many modern readers, who argue that these teachings were relevant to... --- ### Why We’re Not Evolved for Truth - Published: 2023-02-26 - Modified: 2023-05-18 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/not-evolved-for-truth/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism In his seminal work, 'On the Origin of Species,' published in 1859, Charles Darwin introduced a radical paradigm shift. He suggested that living organisms, which had been hailed as remarkable embodiments of God’s creative prowess, merely projected an illusion of intentional design. Darwin proposed that the tangible, materialistic mechanism of natural selection, acting on random variations, could account for the adaptation of organisms to their environment, eliminating the necessity for an orchestrating intelligence. A prevalent atheistic stance thus surfaced, asserting that human evolution is governed solely by the evolutionary axiom of 'survival of the fittest. ' If, as Darwin argued, the genesis of all biological organisms could be elucidated through naturalistic processes, the need for explanations rooted in a creative intelligence would be rendered superfluous. This paradigm shift, catalysed by Darwin, gradually spurred a transition from theism to atheism. Science's theistic origins began to recede, giving way to a philosophical foundation steeped in materialism. The advent of Darwinian Theory placed theism under significant scrutiny, positioning atheism as a perspective upheld by scientific evidence. Or so it appeared. Firstly, the scientific landscape has significantly transformed in the years following Darwin's pioneering work, unravelling profound complexities in our understanding of life. Principal among these discoveries is the unravelling of the informational content harboured within DNA, a discovery that has dramatically enhanced our understanding of life's blueprint. The DNA molecule is no mere assortment of chemical constituents. It is a sophisticated information storage system, intricately encoding instructions for the assembly and functioning of... --- ### The Divided Brain and the Dysfunction that Fuels Modern Atheism - Published: 2023-01-06 - Modified: 2023-03-30 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/the-divided-brain/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism, Society and culture Overview This essay will begin by looking at the structure and function of the brain, and at the differences between the two hemispheres. I’ll be reflecting on the literature of Iain McGilchrist, a renowned psychiatrist who draws on a vast body of recent brain research to reveal that the two hemispheres actually have whole, coherent, but incompatible ways of experiencing the world. Broadly speaking, the left hemisphere is detail-oriented, prefers mechanisms to living things, and is inclined to self-interest, whereas the right hemisphere has greater breadth, flexibility and generosity. The tension between these two worlds is revealed in the thought and belief of thinkers and philosophies. In this essay, I will draw on the literature of McGilchrist to argue that there is indeed a ‘correct’ way in which the two hemispheres ought to relate to each other, and that despite its inferior grasp of reality, the left hemisphere is increasingly taking precedence in the modern world. Towards the end of this essay, I will speculate on how our societies have shifted to a one-sided (left hemisphere dominant) view of the world, which may explain the rise and growth of atheism in the West. This is not to say that one hemisphere is theistic while the other is atheistic, certainly not, but an under utilisation of the right hemisphere and an over reliance on the left, that is, a brain which does not function properly, will naturally lead to an incomplete, atheistic and an increasingly mechanistic, fragmented and decontextualised world. Introduction:... --- ### Christianity Has Known About Aliens for a Long Time - Published: 2022-11-25 - Modified: 2023-03-30 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/christianity-aliens/ - Categories: Challenging theology Many of our articles focus on Christian Apologetics, which is an attempt to contend for the rationality of Christian faith. But doesn’t writing seriously about aliens and UFOs make us appear ridiculous, even irrational? Are we really taking the little green men from Mars seriously? Why write about aliens? “The moment you mention UFO, immediately what comes to mind is little green men, tinfoil hats. That’s not at all what we’re dealing with. ” Lou Elizondo, former US Pentagon program director Much of modern Christian Apologetics seeks to contest the claims of New Atheism, but recent research suggests there may be a bigger and much more interesting subject we should be engaging. Recently, Pew Research Center reported that the number of US adults who identify as atheist, agnostic or “nothing in particular” stands at 29%. But last year in a study on alien beliefs they found out 65% of US adults believe intelligent life exists beyond earth, and 51% of those think UFOs reported by people in the military are evidence of the same. A 2006 research paper found that roughly 25% of people had reportedly seen UFO. Interestingly, the number of people who believe in aliens tracks pretty closely with belief in God, and that’s probably not an accident. It may be that interest in UFOs is a kind of religious faith, and the appearance of UFOs in our skies is the birth of a new religion. So the topic is worth exploring. This isn’t because, as commonly assumed,... --- ### The Sex Paradox: Why Sexual Freedom Requires Restraint - Published: 2022-11-04 - Modified: 2023-03-30 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/sexual-freedom-requires-restraint/ - Categories: Society and culture In our previous essay, Sex is Dangerous, Sex is Good, my intention was to restore a healthy view of sex. It’s common to frame faith as somehow in conflict with healthy sexuality. To be fair, I can understand why many would think that. Usually, preachers just tell us why NOT to have sex and then they stop there. “Don't do it until you're married. ” “Sexual sin will send you to hell. ” “If your spouse wants it, you better do it, or they will struggle with sexual temptation and will go find it elsewhere. ” That is about the sum total of what most people think the bible says about sex, and if that's all we hear it doesn't sound that positive. God, in His word, addresses sexuality in a much deeper and finer way. In fact, Christianity may actually be the most body-positive religion in the world. It says that God created sexuality and created men and women for each other from the very beginning. The Bible contains great love poetry that celebrates sexual passion and pleasure. Within marriage, God expects each person to enjoy the other in sex, even to the point that one spouse should not unnecessarily deny sex to the other: “The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband does not have authority over his own body, but... --- ### Navigating Gender Dysphoria - Published: 2022-10-05 - Modified: 2023-01-01 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/navigating-gender-dysphoria/ - Categories: Society and culture Introduction I recently watched the controversial documentary - What is a Woman? by the political commentator Matt Walsh. The documentary explores the changing concepts of sex and gender in the digital age, particularly the transgender rights movement, transphobia, and what it means to be a woman. While made to be somewhat humorous, I couldn't help but empathise and feel curious for those navigating the challenges of what is commonly called gender dysphoria (we will touch on this later). Growing up we all used to use sex pronouns - a penis defined a man, a vagina a woman, and no one thought to think otherwise. Our biology distinguished us male and female - and isn't that obvious? It didn't matter how you felt, since when did the subjective experience you have of yourself overpower the fixed way of things in nature? Biology is black and white. On the other hand, perhaps reality isn't so black and white. Doesn't the inner world of thoughts, feelings and emotions matter? Don't they point to something valid? Something we were made for? Perhaps our modern age should make room to accommodate those who identify outside the traditional criteria of male and female. To further complicate things, a modern faultline has opened up between some in the feminist movement and the trans community, with TERFs (Trans Exclusionary Radical Feminists) vociferously contending with trans rights advocates over who gets to call themselves a woman. The “transgender situation,” in which a person claims that their gender identity is... --- ### A Personal Reflection on the Silence of God - Published: 2022-09-15 - Modified: 2023-12-12 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/silence-of-god/ - Categories: Challenging theology God is... I have always felt that there are some things in life that are just bloody obvious, one of these being God’s existence. I find it quite astonishing that someone could really believe that all the dazzling wonder within and the infinite complexity present in the world is a mere cosmic coincidence, driven by a random first cause. That is irrational. The more I dive into the complexity of life, the universe, and all that science has and is revealing, the more I see how unrealistic it is to cling to naturalistic worldviews, and how necessary it is to invoke a grand mind in the explanation of it all. The whole frame of nature signifies an intelligent author. Atheism is not just merely implausible but so intellectually sloppy as to be embarrassing. Atheism provides no coherent warrant to trust the capacity for reason. I have never met a consistent atheist who thoroughly lives according to the relativised morality implied by their worldview. Richard Dawkins announces that there is “at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference. ” But does he live like that? Atheism entails nihilism, but true nihilism lived out often leads to suicide, and hence no one can live out the fruit of that worldview. All I have seen is atheists either prop up poor excuses to bypass what their Godless worldview implies, or openly admit they are inconsistent with what they believe. Neither of those approaches deserves respect. While atheism... --- ### Sex Is Dangerous, Sex Is Good - Published: 2022-09-07 - Modified: 2023-03-01 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/sex-is-dangerous-sex-is-good/ - Categories: Society and culture Sexual ethics because sex is powerful Removing ancient boundaries is a risky endeavour. Recently, a farmer moved a stone that was in the way of his tractor and inadvertently caused problems because it made Belgium a little bigger and France a little smaller. It was a boundary stone put there for a reason. Before you pull down a fence, remind yourself why it was put there in the first place and what chaos removing it could cause. The fact is, we thrive on boundaries. We need boundaries to create the right kind of spaces for the different parts of our lives. These boundaries can be spatial: this venue is for hockey and that one is for football. Both games can be played simultaneously, but not on the same field. They can be temporal: these hours are for sleeping; these are for working, and these are for recreation. Sleeping at work or learning an instrument in the middle of the night is seldom for our good. They can also be rational: it's not okay for strangers to touch my body, but this particular stranger can touch my body in this context because they are my doctor. Christianity establishes sexual boundaries, and if we listen closely to its sexual ethics, we find that its clear boundaries create both a safe space for sex and a whole arena for different kinds of intimate connection. The popular slogan of western culture that “sex is no more than the body” is said without much thought.... --- ### Would Discovery of Alien Life Destroy Christianity? - Published: 2022-08-04 - Modified: 2023-03-30 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/alien-life-destroy-christianity/ - Categories: Challenging theology Picture the scenario. One otherwise ordinary spring morning a cloud of 200 shimmering silver shapes plummet through earth’s atmosphere at 10,000 mph. They’re each 20 - 80 ft long, some shaped like ovals, some cubes, some tic tacs, but none of them have wings or exhaust plumes and none of them are from earth. The craft split up and head to different capital cities across the face of the globe. Beams of light flare from the bottom of each craft, scanning the terrain, and the air around them buzzes gently. After zig-zagging erratically like ice hockey pucks, each silver shape eventually comes to rest three feet above the ground in front of the senate, parliament or palace of every earthly nation. Every TV channel and radio station is interrupted by an emergency broadcast and the world holds its breath. A being steps forth. Yes, the aliens have finally landed. What would this do to your worldview? Which of your strongly held beliefs would be shaken, and what would not change? Everyone has an opinion on aliens. If any of us ever saw something extraordinary in the sky we would inevitably jump to whatever conclusion most easily conformed to our existing worldview. A naturalist may expect it to be some kind of foreign military tech. A Christian, Jew or Muslim may look up and see an angel. A sci-fi fan would probably have biological aliens from outer space in mind. We all jump to conclusions like this, and it makes sense... --- ### How Christian Is Christian Nationalism, Really? - Published: 2022-07-20 - Modified: 2023-08-17 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/christian-nationalism/ - Categories: Society and culture The term "Christian nationalism" is like "evangelicalism" - these days it really depends on what you mean. If someone asked me if I was either of those I'd want a conversation about what they meant first. We love to make labels. This is a cognitive shortcut as it allows us to quickly decide whether someone’s a friend or foe, whether they should be trusted or dismissed. Call someone a socialist and you can dismiss them as naive. Call them a conspiracy theorist and you can call them kooky. Call them a nationalist and you can dismiss them as a Nazi. But, to use some ironic humour, generalisations are always wrong. These broad-brush definitions always end up painting ourselves into a corner. They lead to a crippling polarisation that makes progress impossible. The habit of quickly labelling and dismissing people kills the intellectual challenge that leads to growth and learning, both for the labeller and the labelled. Christian nationalism has become one of these boxes. It’s often used as a slur that allows people to dismiss out of hand any argument someone could make without having to deal with the contents of their argument. But what is Christian nationalism? The real problem is that it’s such a broadly defined term. In most people’s minds, it covers everything from the KKK and other white supremacists to being proud of the Christian heritage of one’s nation. Several (often contradictory) things get thrown into one bag and confused in the process, including Protestantism, evangelicalism,... --- ### Marriage and the Meaning of Life - Published: 2022-07-06 - Modified: 2022-09-15 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/marriage-and-the-meaning-of-life/ - Categories: Society and culture In Douglas Adams’ comedy sci-fi novel ‘The Hitchhiker's Guide to The Galaxy’, three characters build a supercomputer called ‘Deep Thought’ to provide the answer to life, the universe and everything. Deep Thought asks for seven and a half million years to think. After aeons of anticipation, the ancestors of the original programmers return to Deep Thought to finally hear the answer to life, the universe and everything “‘Though I don't think,’ added Deep Thought. ‘that you're going to like it. ’‘Doesn't matter! ’ said Phouchg. ‘We must know it! Now! ’‘Forty-two,’ said Deep Thought, with infinite majesty and calm. ’” https://youtu. be/aboZctrHfK8 Deep Thought complained that it wasn’t a very good question anyway, so the answer may as well be 42. After this teleological letdown, the ancestors of the programmers realised they needed a better question, so they built the earth and all its life to function as a more powerful computer to come up with a better question. And that, claimed Adams, is why earth-humans spend our lives wondering about the meaning of life. Like most of us, I have spent a lot of time pondering about the meaning of life. When I prepared my wedding speech (which is the bulk of this short essay), I wanted to take the time to express to my closest friends and family why I chose to marry my wife and how marriage can be an expression of life's meaning. As a Christian, marriage is more than a way to formalise a special... --- ### Pornography's Unholy Trinity: Damaging Faith, Psyche, and Society - Published: 2022-07-05 - Modified: 2023-09-15 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/the-truth-behind-porn/ - Categories: Society and culture The Age-Old Battle with Lust: From David's Gaze to Digital Gluttony Within the Old Testament of the Bible, King David, a man described as being after God's own heart, faced a significant moral failure. At the time, instead of leading his army to battle, David opted to stay in Jerusalem. This departure from his usual kingly duties, a manifestation of the adage “idle hands are the devil's workshop,” allowed him the leisure to notice Bathsheba, a woman not his wife, bathing on a rooftop. Overcome by lust, David called for her and they committed adultery. To conceal the resulting pregnancy, he arranged for the death of Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, effectively adding murder to his transgressions. David's actions in this period underscore both human frailty and the perils of straying from purposeful duties, allowing unchecked desires to take hold. David's downfall is a potent reminder of the dangers of neglecting responsibilities. Life is not just about rights; it's profoundly about responsibilities. This includes obligations to our work, family, and friends, but it certainly doesn't end there. Even the great are not immune to the adverse effects of idleness, which can cloud judgement and lead to a departure from core values and principles. In moments of idleness, even the great King David succumbed to the tantalising grip of lust. And, truth be told, haven't we all been ensnared by its allure? Lust is more than just intense attraction; it's an unbridled desire that devalues its object and eclipses our connection with God.... --- ### I Want to Divorce and Remarry. Is God Ok With That? - Published: 2022-04-28 - Modified: 2022-09-15 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/divorce-and-remarriage/ - Categories: Society and culture, Challenging theology “I hate divorce,” says the Lord God of Israel I watched as she lay paralyzed in bed. She couldn’t move. Couldn’t talk. I was not confident she could see well either. This wasn't a sudden end, it took months for cancer to eat away at my Auntie’s life. She was once full of life. She was caring and adventurous, but then cancer seized, draining her of her life. Her body became fragile, her hair fell out, her life drew thin. She aged rapidly. I remember seeing my Auntie deteriorate and thinking plainly, “I hate cancer. ” Hate is a strong word. We should not be careless with it, but only use it when it is truly fitting. The oracle of Malachi states, "'For I hate divorce,' says the Lord the God of Israel," This is coming from God, and I don't think He says the word “hate” lightly either. God hates divorce. Marriage is God’s idea, and divorce is to dismantle what God has joined together. Divorce always involves unfaithfulness to the solemn covenant of marriage that two partners have entered into before Him, and it brings harmful consequences to those partners and their children. At this moment in writing I am newly married, and the more I think about the life-long commitment I have made to my partner, the more I am also starting to hate divorce. I hear of affairs and I hate it. I see couples being neglectful and dishonouring towards each other and I hate it.... --- ### Quantum Mechanics Spells the End of Materialism - Published: 2022-03-29 - Modified: 2023-05-01 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/quantum-mechanics-materialism/ - Categories: Science and technology As quantum physicist Richard Feynman once famously said “if you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understand quantum mechanics. ” Quantum mechanics (hereafter referred to as QM) is the study of how the world works at very small scales. It turns out things get really really weird very quickly and I find it all deeply fascinating, even fun. I know that sounds very nerdy but the implications of QM are out of this world. So don’t worry if any of this confuses you - as Feynman said, just join the club and enjoy the scenery. In this article, I’ll explain some experiments into QM that lead to some startling conclusions. And I’ll try to explain it all in a way that doesn’t lose you but shows why mainstream modern scientific findings make Materialism completely untenable. As Nobel Prize winning physicist Eugene Wigner put it - “while a number of philosophical ideas may be logically consistent with present QM... Materialism is not. ” What is Materialism? Materialism is the view that all that really exists is matter and energy. Energy and matter are believed to be the fundamental substance in nature, and all things, including mental states and consciousness, are reducible to material interactions. Of course this philosophy suits atheism perfectly, as atheism is the belief that non-material gods do not exist. Atheists are usually materialists of some sort, rejecting the idea that there exists anything independent of the workings of matter and energy, and therefore anything spiritual. This is... --- ### Did Life Begin as Information? - Published: 2022-03-16 - Modified: 2022-07-21 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/information-origin-of-life/ - Categories: Science and technology When it comes to facing the question of life’s origin, everyone has a different opinion. In ‘The Mystery of Life’s Origin’ I argued that common ideas of biochemical evolution are deeply flawed and inadequate as explanations for the origin of life. But now I will argue for a more plausible solution to life's origin, so sit back and let's unravel the mystery. How did life come from a lifeless world? This is a question of controversy and debate because the answer has massive implications. To what or whom do we owe our existence? To know where and what we came from, what caused us, has everything to do with who we are, and who we are has everything to do with how we ought to live. Religion, morality and responsibilities lie in the balance. One method to understand our origin is to understand life as it is today, what requirements are necessary for life to exist, and then use cause-and-effect relationships to determine how life may have come to exist in the past. The complex requirements for life The human body is an incredibly complex system made up of living cells. Even the tiniest of bacterial cells, weighing less than a trillionth of a gram, is like an entire factory containing thousands of extremely delicate pieces of molecular machinery. So the simplest cells available for us to study are not simple at all. Now to build the most basic form of life, a ‘simple’ bacteria, starts with four classes of... --- ### Has Naturalism Put Reasoning in a Bind? - Published: 2021-12-21 - Modified: 2023-12-11 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/naturalism-reasoning/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism Disclaimer: Throughout this essay, I have used the terms “naturalism” and “materialism” interchangeably. While there are differences, the subjects and argumentation apply to both views, which although not identical, remain similar. I think I think... I think? You find yourself in a pivotal scene from “The Matrix,” assuming the role of Neo. Seated before Morpheus, he paints a startling picture of the real world - a reality that's both intimidating and revealing. Then comes the moment of decision. Morpheus presents two pills to you: “You take the blue pill—the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to believe. You take the red pill—you stay in Wonderland, and I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes. ” Here's the twist – you're not just any Neo. You're a robotic Neo, programmed to always see the blue pill as the preferable choice. Moreover, your programming convinces you that your decision is entirely rational. It's a bittersweet realisation, as your robotic nature dictates your choice, bringing an abrupt end to what could have been an extraordinary journey. Consider this: our brains might just be hardwired to think in a certain way. When we use our brains, we naturally trust that its internal mechanisms are functioning correctly. We absorb new information, compare it with existing knowledge, and make judgements. However, the reliability of this process hinges on a crucial question: Are our perceptions accurate? How can we be sure our cognitive 'wiring' is not fundamentally flawed? Our... --- ### The Problem of Death - Published: 2021-11-17 - Modified: 2022-09-15 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/the-problem-of-death/ - Categories: Challenging theology, Society and culture I am going to die. You are going to die. One day you will die. Your eyes will go dim and your body will exhale, your skin will turn sallow and still. We don’t like to think about it but it’s the inevitability that stalks us all, slave and tyrant, poor and rich alike. We trivialise death with fiction and when we meet it face to face we hide it behind flowers, makeup and indirect language. We entertain ourselves with video games, series and films centred on killing; we feel a thrill as we watch series and films of people murdering each other. Yet when a loved one actually dies, it’s not a joke, it's not a game. We laugh at death while it stays at arm’s length but it will draw near to us all. Denial of our impending death We like to imagine ourselves as sovereign over everything. We plan for our own safety and security as if to subconsciously tell ourselves that we have life sorted. But death strips away our disillusionment reminding us that we are not gods. The bitter realisation of death reveals that our precious life is truly finite. And so death is the great interruption, tearing loved ones away from us, or us from them. Death is the great insult, because it reminds us, as Shakespeare said, that we are worm food. As an accountant who used to work in Tax, the number one question I got from friends is how I can... --- ### Is Jesus History or Another Fairytale? > Christianity rises or falls not on the strength of its philosophy but on the historicity of a single event: the resurrection of Jesus. - Published: 2021-09-09 - Modified: 2022-09-15 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/is-jesus-history-or-another-fairytale/ - Categories: Challenging theology According to the apostle Paul, Christianity rises or falls not on the strength of its philosophy but on the historicity of a single event: the resurrection of Jesus.  If you want to refute Christianity this is the single most important claimed event of the Christian story that you need to either disprove or surrender to. Christianity doesn’t just claim things like “there is life after death,” “God has a purpose for you” and “heaven is open to all. ” These statements are somewhat difficult to scrutinize, but listen closely, and you’ll hear claims like “Jesus lived in the Galilean village of Nazareth,” or “he caused an uproar in the temple of Jerusalem around AD 30,” or “he suffered crucifixion under a Roman governor named Pontius Pilate,” or even “his tomb outside the city wall was found empty just a few days after his crucifixion, and his disciples with hundreds of others claimed to have see him alive. ” These are not immune from historical scrutiny. To say that Jesus of Nazareth was crucified by the fifth governor of Judea is a claim which can be challenged, and many have. Fortunately for us, these supposed events all would have taken place in a cultural and political melting pot – Roman Galilee and Judea – for which we have thousands of archaeological remains and hundreds of thousands of words of ancient inscriptions and written records. Now the message from evangelical atheists such as Richard Dawkins is that specialists in the field of history are highly questionable on the existence of Jesus and fabrication of the gospels. This... --- ### Is Marriage Still Relevant? - Published: 2021-06-29 - Modified: 2022-12-29 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/is-marriage-still-relevant/ - Categories: Society and culture Marriage is blood, sweat and tears, humbling defeats and exhausting victories. A stable marriage is an achievement that will demand the very best from you, so I’m tired of hearing sentimental talks on marriage. While marriage is many things, it is not magical. It is glorious but hard. It is a burning joy and strength, but I do not know of a single marriage that could be described as a fairy tale come true. Today, more and more are becoming afraid of, rather than attracted by, the commitment aspect of the marital covenant. The permanence of marriage is losing value in the minds of young men and women, as they become increasingly cynical about marriage. The view we’ve encountered from many is that “Marriage is not worth it. It's impossible to follow and simply unrealistic. It’s not worth the financial sacrifices, the lost sexual opportunities and the lack of freedom. Why restrict yourself? All in all, it’s a hindrance to anyone interested in pursuing happiness and well-being. ” Is marriage really worth it? It is said that roughly 50% end in divorce, which can be heart-wrenching to go through. So we are witnessing a wariness and pessimism about marriage. Many young adults believe their chances of having a good marriage are unlikely, and, even if a marriage is stable, they then fear the worst – that it will become sexually boring. It’s as if our options are either being single and lonely or married and bored. Neither of these sound... --- ### AI, Our New Salvation - Published: 2021-05-18 - Modified: 2023-01-30 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/ai-our-new-salvation/ - Categories: Science and technology In a way, we’re all very similar. Despite our differences, we’re all insatiably curious. We can't escape it, it’s part of who we are. We’ve been asking the big questions since the dawn of history; where do we come from and where are we heading? The importance is obvious. Our answer to our origin shapes our concepts of who we are, and our answer to our destiny gives the goals we live for. Taken together, our responses to these questions help frame our worldview, the narrative that gives our lives meaning. So what does the future hold? There has been a recent upsurge in the belief that the future of humanity lies somewhere with AI. The growing interest in developments of artificial intelligence (AI) is particularly focused on the attempt to build computer technology that can do, and even exceed, the kind of things a human mind can do - in short, people are getting keen on the idea of producing an imitation mind. Billions are being invested in the development of AI. The most powerful AI systems are known as artificial general intelligence (AGI). Some believe AGIs will soon surpass human intelligence so that in the future, it won't be the mind of humans, but the minds of “machines”, that will most fully understand the cosmos and the world around us. What is AI? Before we get onto AI, think about robots. The word robot is derived from the Czech word “robota”, meaning “forced worker”. A robot is a... --- ### The Mystery of Life's Origin - Published: 2021-04-08 - Modified: 2022-07-21 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/the-mystery-of-lifes-origin/ - Categories: Science and technology How did life first emerge?   There must have been a time in the past when life appeared out of lifeless, inert matter, but how? Scientists commonly call the pre-biological phase of evolution ‘chemical evolution’. This is the period in which the very first living things came into being, and this monumental dawning of life occurred through an unguided variation of natural forces acting on matter over long time spans, or so we thought... The theory of biochemical evolution (Abiogenesis) If we take a naturalistic view which assumes that everything arises from natural properties and causes without the intervention of any greater mind, thenthe theory of chemical evolution really is spontaneous generation. The claim is that life first emerged through purely natural processes, without any intelligent intervention or creative act. No other vital forces had a part, meaning that God was not necessary as a possible explanation; life is only a complicated property of matter. So we are told that non-living molecules, by themselves, through nothing more than the laws of physics and chemistry and the random distribution of molecules and chemical reactions, came together to form the building blocks of life and eventually life itself. This idea is known as abiogenesis. The modern theory of chemical evolution envisions that the atmosphere of the early Earth contained a mixture of gases (but no free oxygen) that created an atmosphere of a reducing quality which was hospitable to organic molecules. Not only this, but the surface of the young earth had... --- ### Is Life Meaningless? - Published: 2021-03-23 - Modified: 2023-03-14 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/is-life-meaningless/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism Albert Einstein once said: “To know an answer to the question, ‘What is the meaning of human life? ’ means to be religious. ” And Ludwig Wittgenstein, considered as one of the 20th century’s greatest philosophers, said: “To believe in God means to see that life has a meaning. ” Or, was philosopher Bertrand Russell right when he announced that “The universe is just there, and that’s all. No purpose, no meaning, just the brute fact of existence? ” Firstly, what does meaning even mean? The meaning of a word is the idea people intend to express by it. But when we ask whether life has meaning, we mean more than that. We’re thinking of purpose, intention, and even design. We could say the designer of a car means for their design to be used to transport people, so cars have a meaning to them - they’re not random, accidental collections of metal, glass and plastic. So what about life? Secular thinkers are beginning to come to terms with the possibility that life may be meaningless. If the existence of life is accidental, can it possibly have meaning? Can an unintentional by-product of chemistry + physics + chance + who knows what, confer purpose? In response to this bleak reality, many have responded, “Oh well, who cares if life has no meaning, it can have whatever meaning you choose to give it. ” So those who think life has no meaning nonetheless continue to live as if life does have... --- ### The Faith of an Atheist - Published: 2020-12-16 - Modified: 2023-02-09 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/the-faith-of-an-atheist/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism The seventeenth-century French philosopher René Descartes is best known for his dictum, “I am absolutely sure of this: I think, therefore I am. ” Descartes applied radical scepticism about the veracity of our perceptions. How do we know that what we perceive or what we believe corresponds to reality? Perhaps we can’t know, in the sense that we can’t use our perceptive abilities to prove the validity of our perceptions. To do so would be to reason in a circle. If our perceptions are not reliable, then how could we use them to validate their reliability? So, seeking to develop a thoroughly reliable philosophy, Descartes was determined to build from the ground up. The thinker became his ground truth. If I can know anything then at least a knower, an “I”, must exist. Modern science, being largely confined in accordance with atheistic naturalistic assumptions, has no place for consciousness. This is known as one of the “hard problems” of science. Many atheistic philosophers and scientists have attempted to argue consciousness is an illusion or at least that it’s less fundamental than Descartes claims. All chemicals, no free will If we consider the naturalistic assumption that we are simply the byproduct of a physical universe that didn't have us in mind, then our process of thinking is merely the result of chemical reactions and physical "events" within a mindlessly produced brain. There is no objective “me” as such. If that’s so, what can the bouncing atoms I call “me” know with... --- ### The Parable of the Two Lost Sons - Published: 2020-11-30 - Modified: 2022-09-15 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/the-parable-of-the-two-lost-sons/ - Categories: Challenging theology If you’ve ever felt looked down on by ‘holy’ people, don’t worry. Jesus knows what it’s like. The religious purists of his day accused him of being too friendly with ‘sinners’, even though he was the only truly holy person around. Jesus came to a world that was lost, and this is the good news of the gospel: it’s the good news that the “lost” can be “found”. But what does that really mean? It sounds offensive to tell someone they are actually “lost”, especially if they don't like to think they are, but it primarily means that you are separated from God; you’ve lost God and He’s lost you. In Jesus’s parable of the prodigal son, Jesus challenged what nearly everyone has ever thought about God, sin, and salvation. He showed us what being “lost” really means, and we should all pay attention to it. The Parable Jesus continued: ‘There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, “Father, give me my share of the estate. ” So he divided his property between them. Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.... --- ### Why You Might Not Like Justice - Published: 2020-11-05 - Modified: 2022-09-05 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/you-may-not-like-justice/ - Categories: Society and culture If you’re anything like me you’ve probably had heated discussions with friends about politics that only left everyone involved frustrated and no closer to understanding or common ground. You know how it goes - one party decries the injustices of the “other side”, but when pressed the reasons they give for these claimed injustices don’t hit home with people on the other side of the debate. It’s easy to throw rocks, but when our very definitions of justice are different, it’s nigh on impossible to make any real progress together. The reason it is not convincing to simply cry “injustice! ” is that our society is deeply divided over the very definition of justice. Nearly everyone thinks they are on justice’s side. Both pro-life and pro-choice partisans frame their position as the one that is on the side of justice. That’s why those movements have chosen their names - we don’t speak of them as the anti-life and anti-choice movements. Both proponents and opponents of affirmative action insist that their way of equity is right and the other side is perpetrating unfairness. But underneath all the name-calling are sharp differences of opinion about what justice actually is. Generally speaking, left-wingers think of it more in collective terms. They believe a low tax rate is unfair because it deprives the poor and minorities of the help they should get to overcome the less privileged setting they were born into. Right-wingers tend to think of justice on a more individualistic basis. They... --- ### Science Has Its Own God of the Gaps - Published: 2020-10-05 - Modified: 2022-09-15 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/sciences-god-of-the-gaps/ - Categories: Science and technology It can be easy to forget that atheism is a relatively modern invention. Throughout history, religion was always central to the life of empires. Kings claimed a divine right to rule, the temple was as important to a city as the palace and priests acted as magistrates. There was no perceived divide between the sacred and the secular. This was the world into which Christianity was born as it spread throughout the middle east, north Africa and Europe, and soon obedience to the pope became the uniting force for most of the countries of Europe. Shaped by Greek philosophy, Christian trust in a creator and monastic schools of learning, Europe proved to be rich soil for the early flourishing of science. And Christianity was indeed a wonderful incubator for science and modern western values, as the atheist historian Tom Holland describes. The worldview of Christianity created modern science, as C. S Lewis explained: “men became scientific because they expected law in nature and they expected law in nature because they believed in a lawgiver. ” And indeed, most of the fathers of modern science were devout Christians. When they witnessed the precision of mathematics, the reliability of physics, and the symmetries of the cosmos, it didn't seem to them like they were observing cold science; they felt as if they were seeing a living fingerprint, the shadow of some great architect. It was this excitement which drove them to dig deeper into science. However, not long after the scientific greats,... --- ### Does Science Oppose God? - Published: 2020-08-26 - Modified: 2023-01-04 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/does-science-oppose-god/ - Categories: Science and technology If you are sold the idea that religion and science are at odds with another, then you are in effect forced to believe in one and deny the other. The new atheist has sold this idea with plenty of advertisement. In making this argument, the new atheist often refers to the Age of Enlightenment, an intellectual and philosophical movement that dominated the world of ideas in Europe throughout the 17th to 19th centuries. It was a movement which stressed the importance of reason, logic and freedom of thought and is given credit for empowering scientific development. The atheist often claims that 'The Enlightenment' was inspired by early atheistic views and that science required the defeat of religion to progress, but this could not be further from the truth. It was Christian convictions, rather than secular or pagan ideas, that drove much, and might I say most of Enlightenment thought. Don't get me wrong, there were atheistic thinkers and commentators during this period, but when addressing the details of history, as a whole 'The Enlightenment' could be more accurately described as a religious process, and this often comes as a surprise to those who have been misled on the matter. Science is not natural to humanity. Although glimmerings of science appeared among the ancient Greeks, modern science is the child of historical European civilisation. It was a Christian world which finally gave birth in a clear, articulate fashion to the experimental method of science. It was precisely because many early enlightenment... --- ### Defining Love - Published: 2020-07-20 - Modified: 2022-09-15 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/defining-love/ - Categories: Society and culture You are dying and you have just been told that you haven't got long to live. What do you wish to do with the remaining time you have? I have little doubt that you will most likely want to spend it with those you love. None of us denies the inescapable role love plays in filling our lives with meaning, which explains why there is so much hurt and pain when love is lost. Love can’t truly be bought or sold yet is perhaps the most valuable quality of life. A life deprived of love is no life at all. But what is love? It feels so obvious that we don't need to think about it, but when we do, we realise it isn't obvious at all. We know it's there. We know it matters enormously. We know we need it and aren’t meant to live without it. Without love life is futile, but it's surprisingly difficult to articulate what this vital ingredient really is. In naturalism, and therefore atheism, love is just a chemical condition of the brain. If you feel love, it's only because that combination of chemicals enables you to better survive in order to pass on your genetic code. That's all love is - chemistry. So telling someone “I love you” is ultimately as meaningful as the dreams of rocks. Love is reduced to the purposeless interaction of matter in a world of blind natural events. If we deny God, we deny any definite meaning undergirding... --- ### Has Evolution Buried God? - Published: 2020-06-25 - Modified: 2023-04-06 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/has-evolution-buried-god/ - Categories: Science and technology Three thousand years ago, King David wrote in Psalm 139: “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. ” Despite having little scientific knowledge of biology, David, an ancient Hebrew, expressed gratitude for his ability to see, hear, speak, and grasp objects with his hands. He believed that these wonders indicated purposeful design, even though he didn't understand their workings at a fundamental level.   Indeed, when we contemplate the complexity and beauty of the natural world, it seems rational and intuitive to conclude that it was intelligently designed. David would have laughed at the thought that such marvels could be explained through random or unguided processes, as if the natural world were the result of a series of chance events. David's conclusion was repeatedly reaffirmed as scientific knowledge of biology slowly increased over time. More than 1,000 years after the psalms were written, the Roman physician Galen, arguably the best scientific mind of the classical era, noted that the human body was the result of a “supremely intelligent and powerful divine Craftsman. ” In the seventeenth century, Anton van Leeuwenhoek, one of the earliest microscopists, remarked that the fantastic world of tiny creatures could not have arisen from a haphazard process: “his most wonderful disposition of nature with regard to these animalcules for the preservation of their species; which at the same time strikes us with astonishment, must surely convince all of the absurdity of those old opinions, that living creatures can be produced from corruption of... --- ### The Miracle of Life, The Universe and Almost Everything - Published: 2020-06-10 - Modified: 2023-03-30 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/science-and-technology/miracle-of-everything/ - Categories: Science and technology A life-permitting universe In the past, we sought to explore the world, to seek out unknown land and cross seas to find where the map ended. Now we’ve done all that, yet we still carry the same spirit of adventure, so instead of looking across we look up into the skies and down through our microscopes. We want to know more about the universe in all its majesty and fine complexity. Throughout the last few centuries,every scientific discovery has added to the kaleidoscopic picture of an increasingly complex and finely balanced universe.  Each new discovery in physics has shown that the laws of nature, the constants of physics, and the initial conditions present at the beginning of the universe are very finely tuned. For example: One of the key forces of nature called the weak-force which operates in the nucleus of an atom is so finely tuned, that an alteration of this force by just one part in 10100 would prevent a life-permitting universe. That’s 10 followed by 100 zeros. The explosive force of the Big Bang had to be within 1 part in 1060 for life to be possible. This means if the big bang had been even the slightest bit weaker, gravity would have made the universe collapse back in on itself almost immediately, and if the big bang had been just the slightest bit stronger, particles would have dispersed literally into nothing. Now this probability alone can be compared to firing a bullet toward the other side... --- ### Atheism’s Problem of Pain - Published: 2020-05-07 - Modified: 2022-09-22 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/atheism-pain/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism We all suffer. We've all felt grief or the overwhelming despair of lost love, broken trust tearing apart a relationship. The torment of struggling with depression or the prison of loneliness, battling disease, family clashes and financial stress. The pain and viciousness of life hits us all no matter how rich, successful or famous we are. The pop star Prince said, "I've been to the mountaintop, there's nothing there. " For many, the end of life is summed up in one word: confusion. It would be easier to hide behind fancy philosophical arguments than it is to admit our hurts, our loves and passions in the marketplace of life's heartfelt transactions. Death will knock at every person's door and every worldview, religious or secular, has to deal with it. Pain and suffering is a universal feature of life, yet we view suffering as something which is wrong, as if it should not be, so we ask questions about suffering within the context of morality. Butwhy have we blended the fact of pain with the demand for a moral explanation? Who decided that pain is immoral? This is often a big reason people struggle to believe in God, but in denying God, how does the atheist or sceptic then justify this assertion? In the Judeo-Christian framework, pain is connected to the reality of evil and the choices made by humanity at the beginning of our time. The problem of pain and the problem of evil are inextricably bound. So when we... --- ### A Thought for the Agnostic - Published: 2020-05-07 - Modified: 2022-09-13 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/atheism-and-scepticism/thought-for-agnostic/ - Categories: Atheism and scepticism In childhood, we build castles with cushions and sticks. We become dashing princes and valiant princesses, we live in a world of imagination and anything seems possible. There is both a wild glory and a fragility to our early years. But as the years pass, reality sets in. Playtime gives way to exams, and exams, in turn, give way to work and mortgage payments. As our years increase so does the cold disappointment of a treadmill of life that numbs our aspirations. We find we’re no longer content with what’s fantastic but also hunger for the truth. We cast aside our castles in the clouds and look instead for a foundation we can build our lives on. While our minds are often wrapped up in our day to day responsibilities, when our head hits the pillow or tragedy strikes, the deeper questions come rushing back. The questions we ask are a search for the truth about our origin, meaning, morality and destiny. No thinking person ignores this search. The search for truth Anthony Hopkins, a self-identified agnostic said: "The only thing I am certain of is that I am certain of nothing. " It’s an interesting thought and makes us all wonder, what do we really know? For example, let's say we could somehow scale all knowledge: maths, science, philosophy, every aspect of reality. The percentage of all the possible knowledge that you or we know, it may not even be close to one per cent. Given the gap between... --- ### Is the God of the Old Testament Immoral? - Published: 2020-05-04 - Modified: 2023-03-07 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/old-testament-immoral/ - Categories: Challenging theology When I was seventeen-going-on-eighteen, I got it into my head that I should probably give reading the whole Bible a go. I blitzed through the bright blue hardcover New International Version this guy at church called Nick had given me, but I’m not sure I actually took any of it in, because for years afterwards I’d find random books called ‘Ezekiel’ or ‘Amos’ or whatever and have no idea how they got there or how I’d missed them the first time around. What’s even tougher is that the Old Testament is a really complicated read even when you read it carefully – stories of war and exile and violence all over the place. At times, I caught myself wondering if we were ever going to get to the parts where Jesus talked about love and generosity and kindness, because the parts where Joshua and the Israelites are killing a bunch of Canaanites seem a million miles away from love thy neighbour. It’s not just me that struggles with that disconnect, as Richard Dawkins says: “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully. ”  To be honest, I am not sure what some of those words mean, but they don’t sound nice. These descriptions are based on the view that the Judgements of God as documented... --- ### The Problem of Pain - A Christian Response - Published: 2020-05-04 - Modified: 2022-09-15 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/problem-of-pain/ - Categories: Challenging theology Pain is a part of life. We enter this world causing pain in childbirth, at some moment in life we inflict pain on others or receive it ourselves, physically, emotionally or mentally, and most of us die in pain. All of us at one point will experience the loneliness that spreads out like a desert or the dull aches and pains which blacken our experience of life. We have all felt the pain of loss or broken relationships that knock our hearts down with one blow. Pain hurts, that is what pain means, and it's clearly evident that human history is largely a record of crime, war, disease, rebellion, and terror. We experience just enough happiness to hold onto while it lasts and then an agonised apprehension of losing it, then once it's lost we go through the misery of remembering it in self-pity. Every now and then we improve our condition a little and what we call a civilisation appears, but no civilisation lasts. Every civilisation falls sooner or later. In a universe where the useful energy is gradually running out, every race is destined to finish as all stories will come to nothing in a universe which will end in nothing. And if the universe is so bad, or even half as bad, how on earth did we ever come to attribute it to the activity of a wise and good God?   The question is simple: how do we reconcile the notion of an all-loving, all-knowing and... --- ### Is Religion to Blame for Violence? - Published: 2020-05-04 - Modified: 2022-09-15 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/religion-violence/ - Categories: Challenging theology There are many common misconceptions about religion that are often taken as unquestioned facts, such as the idea that religion has been the cause of most wars. Although there have been wars that had religion as the prime cause, an objective look at history reveals that those killed in the name of religion have been a tiny fraction in the bloody history of human conflict. According to the 'Encyclopedia of Wars' (authors: Charles Phillips & Alan Axelrod), less than 7% of wars are driven by religious causes, representing less than 2% of all people killed in warfare. This is drastically marginal compared to the senseless history of violence fuelled by secular and nihilistic philosophy. This does not however erase the violence done in the name of religion. While this is said, the question needs to be clarified. It is a common misconception that religions are much the same and therefore can be grouped together to give an account for the same things. Not all religions are the same. They are vastly different, different in how each identifies and defines God, different in defining life's purpose and how we should live; at best, they are superficially similar and fundamentally different. I think it would be ignorant to group all religions as one as if they can give an account for the same things. Religion is an all-encompassing term, stretching from ISIS to the Amish, and from pagan child sacrifice to Buddhist meditation. We must evaluate each religion and differentiate between them... --- ### Antisocial Media - Published: 2020-05-04 - Modified: 2022-03-18 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/society-and-culture/antisocial-media/ - Categories: Science and technology, Society and culture What would life look like without social media? Would our life be more straightforward, more productive, focused, maybe even more enjoyable? Would the need to take photos just disappear? Or would we all be lonely and isolated, ignorant and bored? Many people would dread the idea of having their social accounts deleted; for some it may cause significant distress. And no wonder, for many it has become a big part of our lives. Yet should this worry us? The science behind the design of social media apps uses the tricks of the gambling industry to create psychological cravings similar to that of cocaine. For example, the small, constant and instant gratification that social media provides releases a chemical in your brain called dopamine. That's why every time someone likes or comments something flattering on your photo or post, or every time you get a text, you will feel good. So when you get lonely you post more photos or more stories, maybe send more messages because it feels good when you get a response. We associate these likes, views, comments etc. as a reward for our social media actions, and this tempts us to re-invest. It is these repeated cycles of trigger, action and reward that cause our brains to gradually remap themselves until we develop a habit. We can easily see the parallels between social media and gambling. Once a habit is formed something previously prompted by an external trigger, like a notification, is no longer needed. It is... --- ### What is Truth? - Published: 2020-05-04 - Modified: 2022-09-15 - URL: https://thegoodreport.co.uk/challenging-theology/what-is-truth/ - Categories: Challenging theology A right attitude Before we even start to work out what’s true, we need to ask ourselves if our hearts are in the right place because biased attitudes often lead to biased conclusions. For example, when Jesus stood before Pilate prior to his crucifixion, Pilate began the conversation by asking Jesus if he was really a king, Jesus replied, “Are you asking out of your own interest, or did others say it to you about me? ” In effect, Jesus was asking Pilate if his question was genuine or simply academic. He was revealing to Pilate the motive of his heart. In the pursuit of truth, “intent is prior to content. ” Let me illustrate the point with a story: a British man once stole a nice fortune from some incredibly wealthy individuals in South America, and once caught by a contracted investigator, was brought before these wealthy individuals and was offered two choices. The first was to confess where all the money he had stolen was hidden, in which he could go away as a free man, the second choice is that if he did not reveal where the treasure was hidden, he would be instantly shot. The contracted investigator translated between them. The thief said to the translator, “tell these men to go north from here, and when they see the old factory, turn left, follow the road, and you will eventually come across an old ship container in a field, there you will find the riches. ”... ---