When I read in the New York Times that there was an atheist debating app for the iPhone and iPod Touch, I knew that I just had to have it. And then, a thought hit me: Why not review it for the public?
Interestingly enough, the NYT article states that the app is $1.99. But when I purchased it from the Apple Store, it had jumped up to $2.99: no doubt a result of the publicity the article had given it. I was more than happy to shell out the $2.99 to review it for all of you — all 3 or 4 of you who may read this.
Upon first loading the app, we are brought to a menu with three big choices: Skepticism, Atheism, and Humanism. I’ll let the app’s developer explain it:
Skepticism helps us learn to think critically — leading many of us to Atheism, which in turn can lead one to come to realize Humanism. At least, that’s how it works for me.
Each of the three sections contains a list of talking points to aide any humanist, skeptic or atheist in an often inevitable debate with a fervent believer.
Under Humanism, we are shown a number of topics relating to humanity, from talking points regarding evolution and morality, to information about the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Humanist Manifesto. In the “Evolution” section, for instance, we are given the question, “Do you think we all just evolved?” The app then advises the reader to never back down from this question, and explains the science of evolution, from the scientific consensus being 99.99%, to what the word “theory” means in science, to the two main reasons why most people reject evolution.
And that’s all on just the first page.
The “Evolution” section goes on to explain how DNA itself shows that we are related to all other life, how natural selection works, why evolution needs to be true in order for vaccinations to work (which they do), and even how life started.
Yes, folks, that’s all just in one topic, in one section of the app.
Atheist Pocket Debater is rich with helpful facts, thoughtful explanation, actual science, exposing of logical fallacies, and much, much more. Any atheist, nonbeliever, skeptic and humanist should absolutely have this app, for at the very least, it serves to educate the reader even more in various topics, to ensure that his or her knowledge has no gaps, no holes, and is strong enough to withstand even the harshest of fundamentalist backlash.