In an inversion — or contraduction — the co-host of the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s TV show is the guest on its latest episode to talk about his new book titled … “Contraduction.”
Harvard Professor Steven Pinker calls FFRF Co-President Dan Barker’s newest creation “an ingenious word for an invaluable concept.” Cosmos writer Ann Druyan says that “the concept fills a need … false pattern recognition poses a real danger to our survival.” Author and primatologist Robert Sapolsky writes that “in a quiet and unassuming way, ‘Contraduction’ is utterly brilliant. Every page has a thought so deep and unexpected that it stops you in your tracks.” Dan is the author of a number of books, including “Losing Faith In Faith,” “Godless,” “Free Will Explained” — and now “Contraduction.” His book shows how so-called fine-tuning arguments for the existence of God are all based on “contraductions,” the term Dan coined.
“A contraduction is an inversion of reality,” Dan explains to “Freethought Matters” co-host Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Probably the most ancient example of it is the sunrise. We know today that the sun doesn’t rise. The sun is actually stationary relative to the Earth, and it’s the Earth that is turning. … That’s why I came up with the word contraduction. It’s a faulty interpretation.”
“Freethought Matters” airs the weekend in:
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Chicago, WPWR-CW (Ch. 50), Sundays at 9 a.m.
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Los Angeles, KCOP-MY (Ch. 13), Sundays at 8:30 a.m.
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Madison, Wis., WISC-TV (Ch. 3), Sundays at 11 p.m.
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New York City, WPIX-IND (Ch. 11), Sundays at 10 a.m.
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San Francisco, KTVU/KICU-IND (on broadcast Ch. 36 and Cable 6), Sundays at 10 a.m.
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Washington, D.C., WDCW-CW (Ch. 50 or Ch. 23 or Ch. 3), Sundays at 8 a.m.
If you don’t live in any of the marquee towns where the show broadcasts on Sunday, you can already catch the interview on FFRF’s YouTube channel. New shows go up every Thursday.
Upcoming shows include an interview with religious trauma counselor Janice Selbie and journalist and chronicler of Christian nationalism Katherine Stewart, about her just-released new book. You can catch interviews from earlier this season and from previous seasons here, including with Gloria Steinem, Ron Reagan, author John Irving, actor John “Q” de Lancie and award-winning columnist Katha Pollitt.
Please tune in to “Freethought Matters” . . . because freethought matters. And spread the word to freethinking friends, family or colleagues about a TV show, finally, that is dedicated to providing programming for freethinkers — your antidote to religion on Sunday morning!
P.S. Please tune in or record according to the times given above regardless of what is listed in your TV guide (it may be listed simply as “paid programming” or even be misidentified). To set up an automatic weekly recording, try taping manually by time or channel.
