My "Does God Exist?" debate with Dr. Ronda Chervin - now available on Youtube!

My recent recorded "Does God Exist?" debate (held on August 19, 2012 vs. Dr. Ronda Chervin) which was recorded for a special episode of the NEPA Freethought Society Podcast is now available on Youtube. A remastered high-quality downloadable and streamable audio-only file is scheduled to be released as a podcast on the first Wednesday of September. This was my second recorded debate of this kind.



Dr. Chervin presented variations of Aquinas' third and fifth ways in her opening statement.
I presented the evidential problem of natural evil, Stephen Law's 'Evil God Challenge,' and the problem of theological fatalism.

Thanks to all who supported, promoted, and watched the debate. Jason Gogola (behind the camera) and Karla Porter (the debate's moderator) helped with the organization and worked hard to make this happen. An extra special thanks goes out to my opponent, Dr. Chervin, for providing a good debate.

Comments, questions, and feedback -- always encouraged -- can be posted here. I will be participating in events like this in the future, so constructive criticism will help improve the quality of debates like this. Consider also sending e-mail and thanks to Dr. Chervin at ChervinRonda (at) gmail (dot) com. Feel free, also, to sound off on the event's Facebook page which still has ongoing discussion!

I will be dedicating some upcoming blog posts concerning this debate in which I will further develop the arguments I presented, restate and expand my objections to my opponent, and comment on some issues which were raised in the question and answer session. Stay tuned by following the blog label 'NEPAGodDebate' and keeping watch on my blog.

An interesting note which should be known...
At a point in the question and answer session, moderator Karla Porter was asking questions which were not delivered by persons in the live chat. For whatever reason, the chatroom crashed and -- while it was still open -- questions were not easy to read considering the blinding speed of the chat. In the future, we will ask that questions be sent via another medium instead. I appreciate, though, that so many people viewed! Crashing the chatroom is a good sign of interest :)

Information on participants:

Ronda Chervin received a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Fordham University and an MA in Religious Studies from Notre Dame Apostolic Institute. She is a widow, mother, and grandmother. Ronda converted to the Catholic Faith from a Jewish, though atheistic, background and has been a Professor of Philosophy and Theology at Loyola Marymount University, the Seminary of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and Franciscan University of Steubenville. She is an international speaker and author of some fifty books about Catholic thought, practice and spirituality. Ronda is currently a Dedicated Widow of the Holy Eucharist forming a small community of dedicated widows. Dr. Ronda is currently teaching philosophy at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut. Her website can be found at www.rondachervin.com.

Justin Vacula received bachelor's degrees in Philosophy and Psychology, a minor in Professional Writing, and the distinguished W.A. Kilburn Memorial Award for Philosophy from King's College. Justin Vacula is an outspoken atheist, activist for the separation of church and state, a speaker, writer/reporter, blogger, and host of the NEPA Freethought Society Podcast. He is currently enrolled in Marywood University's graduate-level Mental Health Counseling program. Vacula holds leadership roles as the co-organizer, spokesperson, and a board member of the NEPA Freethought Society. Justin has appeared on various radio shows, television networks, and podcasts. Vacula will be speaking at the upcoming September 28-30 Atheist/Humanist conference in Harrisburg. His website can be found at www.justinvacula.com.

Karla Porter works with organizations that want to achieve employer of choice status, are interested in attracting candidates who will develop into employee brand advocates that drive growth and continued success, embrace diversity, desire a culture of innovation and excellence, want to enrich the community, and reward superior performance with celebrity. Porter is one of four organizers behind the upcoming NEPA BlogCon 2012 conference at Luzerne County Community College taking place on September 29. Her website can be found at www.karlaporter.com.

Speech: "Reframing the Discussion" - Humanist Association of Greater Philadelphia

I was invited to speak for the Humanist Association of Greater Philadelphia on 6/24/12. I've finally uploaded the speech to Youtube. I was initially considering uploading this speech as an episode of the NEPA Freethought Society Podcast which I host, but due to the bi-weekly release schedule and many episodes recorded but not yet released, I uploaded on Youtube. This speech is an interactive one; instead of me speaking for 45 minutes, audience members offered questions for discussion during the speech. Enjoy!



Here is the speech's blurb:

"Secular individuals face many challenges when disputing supernatural-based belief systems and reaching out theists of various stripes. Problems may arise during any sort of conversation or transmission of information because many people -- rather than looking at conversation and disagreement as a positive learning experience -- see disagreement, even when respectful, as a negative thing which should be avoided. Secular individuals should benefit from countering these ideas by modeling positive conversational skills and being respectful in discussions with those who disagree on various issues while still employing an effective hard-hitting approach regarding challenging of ideas. Respectful disagreement can be had and should be encouraged by secular individuals who hope to educate others and challenge others' beliefs."

A-News Podcast: Episode 5

I was recently a special guest -- along with Bridget Gaudette of Secular Woman -- on episode five of the A-News Podcast hosted by Brian Allen and Lee Moore. Go to the A-News website to listen/download.

Discussed was Christian cannibals, Chick-Fil-A, Secular Woman, the Skepchick blog network, my upcoming debate with Dr. Ronda Chervin, recent controversy in the secular community, William Lane Craig, Santa Claus, and more. Enjoy.

Religious Campuses panel - SSA 2012 annual conference

I was invited to be one of the four panelists for the 'Religious Campuses' panel at the Secular Student Alliance's 2012 annual conference. I spoke about my experience as an atheist at King's College (the Catholic university I attended for undergraduate studies) and Marywood University (the Catholic university I am currently attending as a graduate student).


In addition to the expected informative nature of this unique panel discussion, many laughs were had by the audience. One of the funniest moments of the panel discussion, at least on my behalf, might have been my recounting an interesting experience [around the 28-minute mark] in which I -- a vegetarian -- objected to the 'hostage situation' concerning King's College dining services facilities locking meat products in coolers during Lent (forbidding employees from preparing and serving meat products apparently was not enough).


This panel was an interesting opportunity for me to speak about something quite different than what I usually address; instead of writing and/or talking about philosophy, church/state issues and activism, and the other 'usual stuff,' I spoke of my experience as an atheist on religious campuses and my attempts to start SSA groups. There isn't too much on this blog about my efforts to start an SSA group at King's College (I should have better documented this) and there are few posts relating to my efforts at Marywood University.

Here's the Youtube description of the panel/video:

SSA Board President [Evan Clark] moderates this panel on the challenges posed to SSA affiliated student groups at religious college campuses. Justin Vacula of Marywood University, Branden King, Harrison Hopkins of Presbyterian College, and Andrew Tripp of DePaul University offer up their own stories and some advice to other students in similar situations.

Questions from moderator and audience (paraphrased)
 (4:18) Why did you attend a religious university?
 (6:15) What inspired you to start a Secular Student Alliance group?
 (8:55) How did you start to form an SSA group? How did your school react?
(16:25) Who have been your biggest allies concerning the formation of your SSA groups?
(22:17) Once your groups were accepted or denied, what was the reaction?
(30:40) What advice do you have for students who want to start SSA groups?
(34:28) How do you find atheistic students to help you form groups?
(36:40) What were the responses of other student groups on campuses?
(40:52) What portion of what you do is currently focused on education and de-conversion? Ideally, what portion of efforts do you think should be focused on education and de-conversion?

Full audio and some text from my HACS talk

On July 17 of 2012, I appeared as a special guest for a philosophy class titled "Atheism and the New Atheism" for students at Holy Apostles College and Seminary - an evangelical Catholic university in Connecticut. More details are here. I delivered an opening speech and participated in a question and answer session which followed. The entire event lasted one hour and thirteen minutes.

As promised, the full audio of the event was released and has been made available to the public thanks to Dr. Mahfood. Stream the audio here or download the ZIP file here. The audio is unfortunately spotty at points. I may release a re-mastered version of the audio at a later date.

A text version of my speech can be read here:
Holy Apostles College and Seminary Atheism and New Atheism Speech

Timestamps:
     (0:00 - 0:25)          Introduction by Dr. Mahfood
     (0:25 - 0:47)          Opening prayer by Dr. Chervin
     (0:48 - 1:50)          Introduction of Justin Vacula by Dr. Mahfood
     (1:50 - 17:50)        Opening speech from Justin Vacula
     (17:51 - end)          Question and answer session

Some of the questions and sentiments (paraphrased) in the question and answer session:
(18:13) Do you use science to determine what is true and false?
(20:33) What good reasons would be sufficient [for you to believe in God]?
(23:30) Do you only believe in something when all the contrary arguments have been resolved?
(27:06) Is there an objective standard for belief or do you have a personal standard?
(29:08) Do you believe something can be universally true?
(30:16) Are you dogmatically opposed, given your commitment to naturalism, to supernatural explanations?
(37:20) Would a supernatural experience lead you to belief in God?
(39:00) Are you looking for hard evidence to believe in God?
(40:52) What about faith?
(42:05) Discussion about the problem of natural evil and omni-attributes
(46:55) Theodicy: This is a fallen world/God's goodness was evident, but is no longer
(49:20) Theodicy: There is a good that supersedes an evil world. Perhaps suffering leads to good beyond   this earth? Perhaps suffering is just a prelude to the afterlife?  
(52:00) Theodicy: Evil serves a purpose. We see examples in this world in which suffering is required to achieve certain ends.
(54:00) Omni-attributes seem to be a different matter from God existing.
(55:48) Are you an agnostic?
(59:40) Theodicy: Eternal happiness, in light of limited suffering in this world, seems not to be a problem.
(1:01:43) What about metaphysical arguments for God's existence?
(1:04:00) Your philosophical studies seem to start with the Enlightenment. What about before that?
(1:10:45) How do you know that your reason without faith fulfills you?

Appearance on ApartmentJ podcast

I was an unexpected guest on the July 6th episode of the ApartmentJ podcast with Brian Allen and Reap Paden. Initially, I called Reap for a chat and was unaware of him recording on Brian's podcast...so I ended up chatting for the podcast.

I start talking around the 22 minute mark concerning the discussion of women in the secular community, sexual harassment at skeptic/atheist conventions, and more.

Around the 56 minute mark -- after I discovered that I was on a comedy podcast and the discussion turned -- I spoke about one of my favorite documentaries (Zoo). Following was discussion about pornography, sex (those immoral atheists!), hoverboards, beer, an alleged 'fart cure,' and 'do this or die' scenarios.

                                                      

Enjoy this not safe for work podcast :)

Radio appearance discussing upcoming college talk

Reap and I at American Atheists' 2012 Annual Convention

I appeared on the June 27, 2012 episode of Reap Sow Radio to discuss my upcoming speaking engagement for a college-level philosophy course at Holy Apostles College and Seminary -- a fully-accredited evangelical Catholic university -- titled "Atheism and New Atheism." For my initial comments and more information about this upcoming speaking engagement, read the corresponding blog post on the matter that has also been reproduced on the Freedom From Religion Foundation's website. 

Download or stream the episode here.
(Warning: NSFW - Some language)

I start talking about the class and much more-- for about twenty minutes -- around the 35 minute mark.

Enjoy...and check out Reap's podcast, "The Angry Atheist," which has more than 85 episodes -- a new atheist in almost every episode -- featuring Todd Stiefel, Peter Boghossian, my friend Trinity, Bridget Gaudette of the new Secular Woman group, Friendly Atheist Hemant Mehta, Emily Dietle, my friend and fellow NEPA Freethought Society member Karla Porter, D.J. Grothe, and many more! I was even on in June 2011! [Sorry, can't get everyone here.]

Speaking for Atheism and New Atheism class at evangelical Catholic university

[June 28 Update:
I appeared on a radio show to discuss the upcoming talk. Feel free to listen.]


[July 17 Update:
The full audio, and more information, is available here.]

I received a unique opportunity from Dr. Sebastian Mahfood [a professor who holds a Master's in philosophy and a doctorate in post-colonial literature and theory] of Holy Apostles College and Seminary -- a fully-accredited Catholic school in Connecticut offering graduate and undergraduate programs -- to be a guest speaker for a class in the latter part of July titled "Atheism and New Atheism" representing, of course, an atheistic perspective.

Here is a course description for the class:

PHTH 619 - Atheism and New Atheism (Dr. Ronda Chervin & Dr. Sebastian Mahfood, O.P.)
The first part of the course will deal with the many forms (literary, analytic, scientific, existentialist, Freudian,  Marxist, etc.) of atheism that began to flourish in the 19th century and gained ground in the 20th century. This will provide the context for the second part of the course, which will focus on how the new atheism is confronting today's world in the attempt it is making to secure political power in its assault against faith. The course will provide adequate ways in which Catholic leaders might respond to this onslaught.

This seems like a welcome challenge :)

I will be giving a twenty-minute talk in which I will talk about -- at the very least -- my background as a Roman Catholic, the story behind my deconversion following my second year of undergraduate studies, being an atheist at Catholic universities, my reasons for being an atheist [and why I think arguments for belief in any gods are insufficient to warrant belief], why I am public about my non-belief and dedicate much time to the 'atheist movement,' and why I think self-reflection and conversation with those whom you disagree is very important.

Following my twenty-minute talk, I will directly engage with students in a thirty-minute question and answer session in which I will answer questions concerning my twenty-minute talk and -- I suppose -- what the students have learned in class and/or otherwise have heard from other atheists.

The talk and the Q & A will be released to me soon after the talk and Q and A takes place. I will then release the talk and Q & A to the public by placing it online in some manner (likely, with help from the NEPA Freethought Society Podcast's producer, Jason, as an extra episode).

This will be taking place on July 17.

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I spoke to Dr. Mahfood on the telephone for about an hour and thought the discussion surrounding his class, his intentions to have me as a speaker, and more was very productive. His class -- as I expected following my discussion with him-- is not Biblically-based (in regards to arguments for God's existence and related matters), but rather is grounded in non-Biblical philosophical arguments. While we obviously disagree on the conclusions we reach through our evaluation of arguments (and disagree at least in matters of metaphysics), it is nonetheless refreshing that Dr. Mahfood and I -- and how the class is run -- are on the same page in many ways...much unlike some religious people who seem to believe propositions because it makes them feel good or because they are useful and truth relativists I often encounter.

This will be a wonderful chance to interact with students in an evangelical college, challenge my own beliefs, and present my perspective to an audience that is much different than those I have addressed in the past. I haven't heard of prominent atheists who have received an opportunity like this -- to be a guest speaker for a college-level course while presenting an atheistic perspective -- but if you have, please feel free to comment and provide information for how these interactions went.

I very much value discussions I have with theists and -- when adequate opportunities present themselves -- have those discussions. In this case (and others), I hope to expose others to ideas they may not have been exposed to, 'put a human face' on ideas, and learn something from the people who have ideas opposed to my own. I lament that conversations amongst those who disagree often don't happen for various reasons including, but not limited to, people viewing disagreement as disrespect [and not having the discussion], problematic ideas about diversity, failing to value truth, etc. Conversation, I think, needs to be reframed. It would also be best, I think, for discussions or interactions like these to not be adversarial as my friend Dr. Peter Boghossian stresses (we're on the same page on this issue).

This interaction will allow for me for represent an atheistic perspective but it of course will not be representative of the way every atheist thinks; individuals have different manners of presentation, reasoning for being an atheist (if that is even the case), backgrounds, values, etc. The only thing that unites atheists is lack of belief in any gods. Personally, I come from a more philosophical perspective and offer -- what I hope -- an intelligent defense of atheism that often might not be the case that is a result of my philosophical pursuits and interaction with theologians, priests, ministers, etc during undergraduate studies at a Catholic university. While I don't represent everyone, I hope that you will like -- if you are an atheist -- having me as someone 'on your side' representing an atheistic perspective.

Hopefully all goes well! As always, feel free to comment and offer your thoughts.

[This post has been featured as a post on FFRF's blog.]

NEPA BlogCon Updates

Yesterday, following the NEPA BlogCon Launch Party, the official website for NEPA BlogCon -- at which I will be speaking on September 29 of 2012 -- went live. I will be on the 'Using Media Effectively Panel' discussing the behind-the-scenes work regarding the NEPA Freethought Society Podcast. Here is more information from the website:

Podcasts, video, and photos can enhance your blog and make it dynamic – but are you using these tools effectively? Learn from experts in podcasting, video, and photography on how to best utilize your media to achieve blogging success. Panel includes media moguls Justin Vacula, Colin Devroe, and Mike Burnside.

The schedule:



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More about the event from the NEPA BlogCon's 'about' page:

What is the event?

NEPA BlogCon is a (potentially annual) day long conference that’s so much more than your average “Hey, let’s talk about blogging,” event. If you’re looking to learn the REAL scoop behind what makes the blogosphere the place to be nowadays, then this is the event for you. Besides offering you a chance to network with your fellow post slingers, NEPA BlogCon will include panels and sessions related to blogging and Internet things. Don’t worry if you’re not old hat – NEPA BlogCon is for bloggers of all walks of CMS. Not a blogger? This may be the perfect event to get your start with.

Who is the event for?

NEPA BlogCon is for everyone. Seriously. We welcome everyone to come learn about blogging and storytelling through the Interwebz. So, if you’re an Internet and IT pro who wants to network with other techy types, register! We’d love to meet you. Consider yourself to be a wordsmith with a passion for the publish button? Yep, we’re all about that too. Come join us! 

There will be panels for bloggers with varying levels of experience, including beginner and advanced track sessions. In addition to a day of educational sessions, attendees will get cool perks like a rad t-shirt, lunch, other cool swag, and the chance to win some neat door prizes! Oh yes, and did we mention that it’s a great way to meet other people who share your passions?

Who is running the event?

The event is being spearheaded by the “Fearsome Foursome.” Read more about us here!

Why are you having the event?

We love NEPA. Sure, some may think it’s cool to hate on the 570, but that’s not how we roll. We truly enjoy being part of our community and we want more awesome events like this to pop up. After all, this is a pretty big area – why not encourage new, exciting, and big ways of thinking? 

We love blogging, social media, and videos of cats enough that we decided we wanted to put our brains together and collaborate on something big where we could share what we love. Really big. Superfantastic big. And thus, NEPA BlogCon was born. 

In addition to sharing our love of bloggy goodness, we also wanted to help out our community. There are so many wonderful organizations here that need our help, so we decided to make NEPA BlogCon a not-for-profit event. This year, NEPA BlogCon will benefit The Arc of Luzerne County and the NEPA Veterans Multicare Alliance. 

Big ideas and big hearts in NEPA. That’s what it’s all about.

Upcoming Appearance - NEPA BlogCon Launch Party - 6/22/12

I'll be attending NEPA BlogCon's launch party which is taking place this Friday -- June 22 -- from 5:00PM to 7:00PM at the River Grille in Plains, PA. This launch party, free and open to the public, will be a fun-filled event with bloggers and writers such as myself from the Northeastern Pennsylvania region. Come for fun, food, drinks, fellowship, and free prizes! A $5 donation which will benefit local charities (The Arc of Luzerne County and the NEPA Veterans Multicare Alliance) is suggested.

As you might have guessed, I will be representing my blog here at www.justinvacula.com and the NEPA Freethought Society Podcast. I will be speaking at NEPA Blogcon -- the convention itself -- on September 29 at Luzerne County Community College - tentatively on a panel discussion regarding podcasting.

RSVP and find more details about this event on the associated Facebook page. I hope to see you Friday!

See, also, an article published in The Weekender regarding the upcoming launch party and convention.

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The NEPA Freethought Society Podcast -- hosted by Justin Vacula and Rodney Collins -- explores atheism, religion, and philosophy from a secular perspective. Episodes include topical discussions, interviews and discussions with special guests, and a debate between an atheist and a Methodist minister.

Podcasts are produced by Jason Gogola and are currently being released on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month in a downloadable format. Episodes announced in advance are also broadcasted via Livestream and allow for viewer interaction via Skype through the handle NEPAfreethought.

Access the podcast by viewing individual episodes on this page or via iTunes. Subscribe via RSS feed, 'like' the podcast's page on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and feel free to share the podcast with friends. Send comments, questions, and suggestions to podcast@nepafreethought.org.

Presentation - 11/10/11 'The Luzerne County Holiday Display Incident

I was invited to speak at PA Nonbelievers' 11/10/11 meeting in Lemoyne, PA.

In my presentation, "The Luzerne County Holiday Display Incident," I discussed the church/state battle I was involved with in 2009, the importance of secular activism, my hate mail, and much more.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the 'incident,' I filed a church/state complaint in 2009 regarding a religious holiday display at the Luzerne County, PA courthouse. I quickly became "the third most hated person in Luzerne County" (according to a local DJ), received a tremendous amount of hate mail from the community at large including persons whom I attended college and high school with, and ultimately was successful in upholding church/state separation.

Thanks so much to the receptive audience at to PA Nonbelievers for having me.

Video to come!

PowerPoint URL:
https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AUrJ2NxBfCDbZGhzNjdrcmNfMGNxcnZwY2M2