Answering some questions posed to athiests

Yesterday, I responded to a series of questions for theists, answering as I would have back when I was a theist with growing doubt.  This post responds to some recent questions that matt (over at the Well Spent Journey blog) has posed for atheists: “Twelve Questions to Ask an Atheist.”  Some of these questions are actually relevant to the kind of issue that I often discuss here.  As before, I will quote the question or perhaps an abridged version, before answering.  I suggest that you also visit matt’s original post where he poses the questions.

Quantum mechanics and God

Does QM have anything to do with God?  Physicist Stephen Barr apparently thinks it does, and expresses that view in “Does Quantum Physics Make it Easier to Believe in God?” at the BQO site.  Personally, I think he is talking nonsense.

Barr even admits to some difficulties with arguing what his title says:

Not in any direct way. That is, it doesn’t provide an argument for the existence of God.  But it does so indirectly, by providing an argument against the philosophy called materialism (or “physicalism”), which is the main intellectual opponent of belief in God in today’s world.

On Wilkins on metaphysical determinism

John Wilkins has an interesting post, titled “Metaphysical determinism“, and this post will consist of some rambling comments on John’s post.

I’ll start by saying that I agree with much, but not all, that John says.  I’ll be commenting mostly where I disagree, but I hope the reader will understand that there is a lot of agreement.  I am making this a post here, rather than a comment on John’s blog post, because I think it will help show where I disagree with some of the conventional wisdom.