Public philosophy in defense of democracy
Separation of Church and State—Freedom of Conscience—Freedom of Religion—Freedom from Religion—Keeping Religion Out of Government—Fighting Christian Nationalism—Fighting Religious Extremism—Philosophy and Public Policy—Supporting the First Amendment—Philosophy of Religion
Freedom of religion is a fundamental aspect of liberty, the pursuit of happiness, and the dignity of being human.
Freedom of religion is under threat—in the United States and around the world—from religious nationalists, religious extremists, theocrats, fascists, and others, including the merely greedy who pursue their own selfish interests by manipulating the masses through religion.
This blog is part of an effort to combat religious nationalism and religious extremism, to promote freedom of conscience by giving it a robust defense for our times. It aims to inspire people who want to think and talk about the various things it means to be human. This is philosophy for the public at the intersection of politics and religion.
Some of the big topics here include
whether and how we can have knowledge of the supernatural
the extent to which religious ideas do or (spoiler alert) don’t belong in government
the philosophy behind the ideals of religious toleration and the separation of church and state
applying that philosophy to law and politics in the current era
My approach is philosophical (ranging across metaphysics, epistemology, philosophy of science, ethics, political theory, philosophy of religion, and more). Since these topics often intersect with the law, politics, and modern culture, I discuss them, too.
On this site, you will find blog posts authored by me (Bill Vanderburgh, Professor of Philosophy at California State University, San Bernardino) as well as links to other resources to help in the fight against Christian Nationalism and the religious encroachment on public life.
