1. Supernatural Beliefs - Discover the easily memorable 3 major categories for the arguments regarding belief and disbelief for the existence of gods — those of Gap, Behavioural and Philosophical. Be the person that can keep track of where and how the discussions/arguments are heading. Also examine the idealized 8 characteristics and personhood issues and for how they (badly) relate to godhood and emotions. A brief (13) FAQ’s will also be included as to how they can each be answered per a 30 second elevator talk answer.

2. Gap Arguments - Review the known/proven events that still require explanation from science and for those that definitely do not. How much do we know about the origin & organization of the universe per matter, energy and entropy? What is matter, energy and entropy? What about the appearance of life? And finally, we discuss how people (purposefully?) mix the arguments per evolution with the previous arguments about matter and life. Which of these need more science and how that can be explained in a manner that makes good sense. Finally, a brief examination of the Michael Shermer's Creationist Progression from the Flat Earthers to the Theistic Evolution "theories".

3. Behavioural Arguments - Discussing purported events and human predispositions and how they often are in serious error and why this happens and gets amplified so often. What are the reasons behind why personal experience often influences us to such a strong degree over what other evidences that should be more apparent? How important is the existence of altruism, beauty & genius to the argument that gods exist when the evidence comes in? And finally, what does provincialism per geography and time demonstrate per how the human mind works — and how likely there are or are not gods?

4. Philosophical Arguments - Why would a god set up and have so much hidden knowledge about its nature? Does the evil in the world warrant not believing in a god? And finally, do we really want to believe given the enormous problems that it entails — Pascal’s Wager (with an expanded “List of 17” showing the extreme wastefulness and substantial drawbacks of religion). Examine and try to condense these to a more compact set of categories. Discuss the many current issues within the context of real day-to-day problems of many of those that we know.

5. Believing Well - Review a summary/analysis and suggested weighting of the 9 arguments in regards to actually including degrees of probability. Let's try to give religion the benefit of the doubt and see how it fares even then. Steelman the arguments. Discuss why everyone's weightings are often so different. Examine the overall problems of religion and generally how to live with it per societal and family issues.

6. Women - Discuss the role of women (as well as other marginalized people) within various religions of the world. Examine why women have historically (and even now) tended to accept it more than men do and the problems that they end up with because of their resultant positions within many churches, particular the more fundamentalist ones. Look at some solutions to make more inroads into changing this. For instance, should there be laws banning certain clothing or religious symbols? How has current laws created other associated problems in the world?

7. Giving "Grace" - How to construct the appropriate words per food or whatever at a family gathering when within a somewhat religious setting. Who should give it and how to avoid offence and promote unity and communication. How do we find ways to avoid conflict yet not lose the arguments that religion has no problem in saying that secularists should leave things well alone? Can some Street Epistemology help? If so, how much is warranted?

8. Comparative Religions - Discussions — even with other faiths being brought in to give their point of view. Trying to understand how they see the world. Possible faiths: Adventists, Baptists, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (the Mormons), Christian scientist, Confucianism, Disciples of Christ, Eastern Orthodox, Episcopalians, Hinduism, Islam - Shiite Moslems, Islam - Sunni Moslems, Jehovahs Witness, Judaism, Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, Roman Catholic, Quaker (Religious Society of Friends), Shintoism, Taoism, Unitarians, United Church of Christ…

9. L.D.S. - the Mormans - How seemingly fringe beliefs can be so successful. What is the appeal? What we can learn from them? And what are the major weaknesses of this rather strong and insular fundamentalist group? Should one wish to offer reasons to them for deprogramming? In particular, the Book of Abraham is a very interesting item to discuss per how it was handled and what one can learn from same when brought up.

10. Jehovah's Witnesses - What they and similar religions really believe and what are the principal problems that they have in maintaining membership in an increasing secular world. Can they survive in the age of the internet? Could this be considered child abuse or is that an extreme perspective? What other religions share the core aspects of the JW's?

11. Evangelizing - Should we speak up strongly and often for one's beliefs? Should we go out of our way to change other people's beliefs or just let things go? What are the drawback for not doing same? How different is it if one is in a different culture and country with different laws even? When is it appropriate to do so and with which people? What preparation should one have and how should it be done effectively? Can we rely on simply having books and the internet to do all the work?

12. Comparative Beliefs - There are a ton of interesting dogma's out there — atonement, baptism, when established, source authority, type of god, heaven/hell, scripture, godhead, salvation, life after death, marriage, miracles, non-believer placement, pre-existence of man, purpose of life, resurrection, revelation, sacrament, satan, 2nd coming of Christ, rapture, vicarious work for the salvation of the dead, virgin birth, immaculate concept, views on science, politics, power, membership. What do we need to know? Can we categorize these so that it is easier?

13. Comparative Political Beliefs - Discuss how Marxism, Stalinism, North Korea and China managed or still manages to keep their citizens misinformed. And it may be worth a discussion of some rather hidden beliefs per our own Western conservatism and liberalism whereas sometimes even they almost appear as a personality religious cult.

Preface & Introduction

TOOLS - Topics

REALITY - Evolution - Topics

REALITY - God - Topics

LIFE - Topics