Skeptics Society founder Michael Shermer explains why Darwin matters, how believing in God is the same as believing in astrology, and why it doesn't take divine faith to experience something bigger than ourselves.

Believing in God is the same as believing in astrology? When did astrology lead a nation of several million out of a hostile country, through a wilderness, and appear to them on a mountain? When did astrology miraculously and obviously deliver a people numerous times? When did astrology give precise and clearly fulfilled prophecies hundreds of years in advance? Where do atheists get characters like Shermer, anyway?

However, I have to agree with the last part of his comment. I'm sure theists aren't the only ones who have been hit by semis.

Shermer's training is in psychology and the history of science. I don't doubt that he's competent in both, but his prejudices seem to get the better of him. There's another great example of that in his current Skeptic magazine (discussed here; see also Scott Gilbreath's response).

His credibility is not on the upward swing–not with this kind of nonsense going on. Yet SciAm still features him.

I'd point out that Shermer was an Evangelical Christian for a number of years. As far as I can tell from his writing, he's no Christian-basher (unlike what's-his-name in Minnesota), so I don't know why anyone would suggest he "wouldn't recognize good theology if I spammed him with it."

Is this the same Shermer who wrote The Joys of Life Without God?

When I met him, I didn't want to get bogged down in the details of his defense. Shermer, 51, is executive director of the Skeptics Society, bold debunkers of all things supernatural; a columnist for Scientific American; and author of a bunch of readable books about why people flock to God or astrology.

I actually agree with him… Creationism is bad science and even worse theology.

Spam away!

What a romantic that Michael Shermer must be! Women must really dig it when he tells them "Wow, you look like you could produce a lot of fit offspring well suited for survival! Care to engage in some attachment and bonding?"

"hey baby! What engage in a little lateral gene transfer?!!!?

Or, a Christian could hug Shermer and say "God loves you, and so do I!" Darwin would approve!

Yeah, but don't forget that 'love' (or as Shermer calls it - "attachment and bonding") is just an evolved survival mechanism!:wink:

What a romantic that Michael Shermer must be! Women must really dig it when he tells them "Wow, you look like you could produce a lot of fit offspring well suited for survival! Care to engage in some attachment and bonding?"

Makes me want to go hug a Christian and say "Hey, man, Darwin loves you!!!"

Or, a Christian could hug Shermer and say "God loves you, and so do I!" Darwin would approve!

"The watchmaker God of intelligent-design … is just a genetic engineer slightly more advanced than we are. An omniscient and omnipotent God must be above such humanlike constraints."

I'm curious how he discovered that a God must be like that. Did he poll the field?