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Apologetics
2011-03-29 22:43:00 I was struck by this post, called An Open Apology, which Joe also read in church this week. He essentially proposes that the best form of apologetics is apologizing – demonstrating that God is real by apologizing up front for the things people have done in his name, rather than by careful reasoning and arguments ...
Those Five New Points of Calvinism
2009-08-26 18:23:00 Almost everyone reading my blog is familiar with the acrostic TULIP as standing for the five points of Calvinism. Probably most of you know what each point stands for: Total Depravity, Unconditional Election, Limited Atonement, Irresistible Grace, Perseverance of the Saints. Then the number goes down as to who knows what each point means. I ...
What is Man?/What is Sin?
2008-11-17 17:10:00 Here is another two titles in the series that we are studying in my home group going through Wayne Grudems Book: Christian Beliefs 'twenty basics every Christian should know': All scripture quoted is NIV. What is Man? After God created the plants and animals on earth he created the pinnacle of his creation: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground. (Genesis 1:27-28) God did not create us because he was lacking or needing anything. He was not lonely, nor did he need someone or something to praise and glorify Him. But he still chose to create us and we do give him glory. everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made (Isaiah 43:7) This fact is supposed to giv...
What is God Like?
2008-10-12 22:00:00 Here is the second in a series we have been looking at in my Cell Group. Again taken from The Wayne Grudem book: Christian Beliefs 'twenty basics every Christian should know': All scripture quoted is NIV. As Scripture is the highest source of information about itself so is God the highest source of information about Himself since any higher source would be above God and God wouldn?t be God. So what does God say about himself in scripture? God Exists Scripture simply assumes God exists. The first verse of the Bible ? ?In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth? (Genesis 1:1). Scripture also tells us that all persons have a deep sense that God exists, that they are his creatures and He is their creator. Romans 1:19 ?since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them?. Although many today deny He exists because as Paul says in Romans 1:25 ?They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served created things r...
What is The Bible - A Study
2008-09-25 11:11:00 Below is the first in a series of studies we are doing in my Cell Group taken from the Following book Wayne Grudem - Christian Beliefs 'twenty basics every christian should know':What is the Bible?If we are looking at any single Christian belief it should be based on what God says about the subject. So as we start the series on some basic Christian beliefs it makes sense to start with the basis for those beliefs, God?s word, the Bible. Q: What are your views of scripture? What is it? Q: Why is it important that the Bible be the basis for our beliefs? The Bible speaks thoroughly about itself and it tells us what God thinks about his very words. This can be broken down into four general categories: Authority, Clarity, Necessity and Sufficiency. The Authority of the BibleAll the words in the Bible are God?s words. Therefore to disbelieve them or disobey them is to disbelieve or disobey God himself. Many passages in scripture begin with ?Thus says the Lord? (Exodus 4:22, Joshua 24:2, ...
Five Steps to More Effective and Persuasive Apologetics
2008-09-16 10:01:00 Because of the various religious and non-religious worldviews in our society, it has become necessary to have some knowledge of apologetics. For those that do not know what apologetics is, it is the study or method of defending your faith through reason. There are a vast amount of resources on the Internet that deal specifically with apologetics, but information is not enough. Apologetics is somewhat of an art, and in order to be effective, you have to know how to argue, prepare, and conduct yourself. 1. Know your audienceThe foundation of an apologetic discussion is knowing who your audience is. This little bit of information makes or breaks an argument. All too often you see Christians argue from a biblical point of view with members of another faith, or with atheists and agnostics. In reality, that is about as effective as trying to fit a round block through a square hole. For example, if you are Christian, and a Muslim is debating with you about a religious issue, would you reg...
By: Fanatholic
Five Steps to More Effective and Persuasive Apologetics
2008-09-16 10:01:00 Because of the various religious and non-religious worldviews in our society, it has become necessary to have some knowledge of apologetics. For those that do not know what apologetics is, it is the study or method of defending your faith through reason. There are a vast amount of resources on the Internet that deal specifically with apologetics, but information is not enough. Apologetics is somewhat of an art, and in order to be effective, you have to know how to argue, prepare, and conduct yourself. 1. Know your audienceThe foundation of an apologetic discussion is knowing who your audience is. This little bit of information makes or breaks an argument. All too often you see Christians argue from a biblical point of view with members of another faith, or with atheists and agnostics. In reality, that is about as effective as trying to fit a round block through a square hole. For example, if you are Christian, and a Muslim is debating with you about a religious issue, would you reg...
By: Fanatholic
Five Steps to More Effective and Persuasive Apologetics
2008-09-16 10:01:00 Because of the various religious and non-religious worldviews in our society, it has become necessary to have some knowledge of apologetics. For those that do not know what apologetics is, it is the study or method of defending your faith through reason. There are a vast amount of resources on the Internet that deal specifically with apologetics, but information is not enough. Apologetics is somewhat of an art, and in order to be effective, you have to know how to argue, prepare, and conduct yourself. 1. Know your audienceThe foundation of an apologetic discussion is knowing who your audience is. This little bit of information makes or breaks an argument. All too often you see Christians argue from a biblical point of view with members of another faith, or with atheists and agnostics. In reality, that is about as effective as trying to fit a round block through a square hole. For example, if you are Christian, and a Muslim is debating with you about a religious issue, would you reg...
By: Fanatholic
Son of Hamas Leader Converts to Christianity
2008-08-13 20:12:00 Read the fascinating story of the son of a Hamas leader who converted to Christianity. FoxNews interviews him on his conversion, his thoughts about Islam and Christianity. (HT: Free From the Box) May many more Muslims come to the truth of Jesus Christ, and the freedom provided by the Cross. ...
PZ Myers and Hubris
2008-06-08 00:13:00 Atheist PZ Myers, who has an extremely popular blog, a fact which continually surprises me, has made a comment in this blog entry that shows he is the modern embodiment of Satan’s war on God. After describing the book of Genesis as a “little scrap of piss-poor poetry that half this country wants to make the ...
Homosexual Agenda?
2008-06-07 13:30:00 I picked on him yesterday, too. Now I’m picking on him again. Odder Stories has this post, which I partially agree with: Anyone who is gay, knows gay people or has an ounce of common sense should realize that the Gay Agenda myth is ridiculous. . . . But those who preach the idea of a ...
?Odder Stories? Accuses Me of Racism
2008-06-06 19:22:00 How, as a Christian apologist, do I gauge how well I’m doing? By this verse: If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (Jn 15:19, emphasis added) I ...
Terrible Advice from Atheist Revolution
2008-06-05 22:08:00 VJack from Atheist Revolution has given some terrible advice about witnessing to atheists. He says not to do it. I advocate ignoring that advice completely. VJack says: I know your church says you are supposed to do this and that you’ll win friends and magic Jesus points for your efforts. I know your bible makes you ...
Atheist No More: Antony Flew
2008-05-29 02:10:00 Antony Flew has been one of the world’s most influential atheists. Recently, he published a book explaining how and why he has changed his mind. He now acknowledges God. For a great review of his book, and explanation of the arguments that eventually conquered Flew’s resistance to theism, check out this superbly written piece ...
We?re Back in Business at God is REAL!
2008-05-25 23:52:00 I’ve started posting again at God is NOT Imaginary with my answer to Brain’s so-called “refutation” of Pascal’s Wager. Click here to read it!
An Apologetics For Zionism
2008-05-24 11:21:00 This comment was left on my site by a fellow who called himself "Apologist for Zionism". He makes some very interesting points on here. We have dealt with his notion that every ethnic group deserves a state on this blog previously. Non-territorial nations certainly do not deserve a state at all, unless someone wants to donate one to them.These comments are interesting because in many ways they are straight of out of Theodor Herzl himself. Herzl has been accused by anti-Zionists of being a Jewish anti-Semite, and he was a serious critic of the Jews. He felt that Jews and Gentiles could not live together and he felt that the fault was equally divided between the two groups.He originally favored Jewish assimilation, but after the Dreyfus Affair in France in the late 1800's (this shocked many people because they thought that anti-Semitism in France was history by this time) he changed his mind and figured that the only way forward was for Jews and Gentiles to live in permanent separati...
By: Robert Lindsay
Women in the Bible
2008-05-20 03:31:00 Many people charge the Bible with denigrating women. I’ve written and podcasted about how the Bible only elevates women. But I realize that I’ve missed something important–the concept of servant leadership. Ephesians 5:22, the famous “Wives, submit to your own husband as to the Lord” verse, the apostle Paul seems to be denigrating women. ...
Theodicy: God is Good
2008-05-19 05:46:00 In an article entitled “Good God?“, atheist Peter Singer addresses some usual answers that Christians forward when faced with the question of why evil exists if God is good. His answers reveal much about the shallow reasoning that atheists display when pondering the tough questions. I will discuss his answers. Singer starts by reasoning the following: ...
We Missed You, Jeff!
2008-05-07 05:14:00 Jeff Haws, the proprietor of The Atheocracy, is always a pleasure to answer for several reasons. First, he’s much friendlier than his counterparts. He is nothing but professional and polite. Second, he’s a journalist. He’s doing what I want to do for a living, so I can take a page out ...
Day 2a: Unshakable Faith Conference
2008-05-03 18:47:00 The high point of the first half of day 2 of Unshakable Faith was Dr. William Lane Craig’s presentation of Leibniz’s argument for the existence of God. It goes like this: Everything that exists must have a cause, either as an intrinsic necessity or from some external source. If the universe has a cause, it must be ...
Day 1: Unshakable Faith
2008-05-03 03:15:00 It is day one of the Unshakable Faith Conference put on at Landmark Cincinnati. The pastors hope that this will become an annual event, but they don’t think that they can top this first year. I’m inclined to agree. First on the menu this evening was Dr. Norman Geisler presenting a talk that the program title ...
Final Objection to Predestination
2008-04-28 09:00:00 I’ve posted much on the topic of predestination lately. I have posted a general definition here, on its definite nature according to the counsel of God’s will here, and finally on the two-edged sword of double predestination here. The two primary objections to predestination are the hyper-Calvinist error of double predestination, and the ...
Scientology Hard at Work Suppressing Its Critics
2008-04-19 06:42:00 Recently, reports have circulated that actor Jason Beghe, a former Scientologist, has denounced his religion. Beghe is reported as saying that “Scientology is destructive and a rip off.” He goes on to say “[Scientology is] very, very dangerous for your spiritual, psychological, mental, emotional health and evolution. I think it stunts your evolution. If Scientology ...
Did I Contradict Jesus?
2008-04-16 18:52:00 Christian, the keeper of the blog Free Thinking Joy, has accused me of contradicting Jesus: In my remarks about the Ten Commandments, I have come to the conclusion that their real content can be summarized as “Treat others as you would like to be treated by them”, also known as the Golden Rule. Jesus, as quoted ...
Ten Commandments for Atheists, pt. 2
2008-04-15 23:13:00 The ironically named Christian, proprietor of Free Thinking Joy, asserts that the Ten Commandments are perfectly compatible with atheism. It is absurd on its face to think that any of the first four commandments, which center on man’s relationship to God, could be followed or even understood by atheists. Christian’s analysis is flawed, as ...
Ten Commandments for Atheists
2008-04-15 09:17:00 “I guess that most atheists may not be aware of the fact that they observe the Ten Commandments better than many observant Jews and Christians,” says Christian, keeper of Free Thinking Joy. Let’s examine his post and see if that is true or if Christian is blowing smoke. 1. You shall have no ...
Double Predestination?
2008-04-14 19:42:00 My church attendance has been absolutely lousy. Normally, I work an opening shift on Sunday–which means that I go in at 6:00 am and I’m off at 4:00 pm. This is not a good Sunday work schedule for a church goer, since it means that I’m working right through the service. This Sunday, however, ...
R.C. Sproul
2008-04-14 09:01:00 Christians In Context has been doing a series of “theologian trading cards,” where they take popular theologians and put their faces on baseball card-like graphics. Then they explain a little bit about who the theologian is and what he has done. The most recent entry into the series is a theologian that I respect very much, ...
Catholic Superstition
2008-04-12 09:53:00 Catholicism seems to lend itself well to superstition. Reference the St. Joseph statue. A Catholic bookstore near my house sells these little novelty statues of St. Joseph with instructions that if you bury it on the property that you’re trying to sell, it will beseech St. Joseph to help the sale along. Two articles ...
Update on Monique Davis
2008-04-12 09:28:00 Illinois Representative Monique Davis, whose Christian witness has been forever tainted by misplaced remarks about atheists and atheism, has done what a Christian should do in her shoes–she apologized. Instead of a public apology, Representative Davis apologized directly to the one she offended. Personally, I think that this shows great humility on Davis’s part. It ...
Fear
2008-04-11 20:26:00 The recent comments made by Illinois State Representative Monique Davis reveal an unfortunate deep-seated fear that many Christians have regarding atheists. Representative Davis berated an atheist and told him that he had no right to testify due to his lack of belief in God. She even called the philosophy of atheism “dangerous” and said that ...
Faith Healing
2008-03-27 07:39:00 God is not a gumball machine–you can’t just pop in a prayer, turn a cosmic crank, and expect God to answer the prayer in exactly the way that you expected Him to. God promises to listen to prayer, and listen only. Despite the dramatic hyperbolic language (such as Mark 11:24 and others) used by ...
Reader Comment
2008-03-18 19:00:00 In a comment posted here, a reader named Daniel F. writes: I grew up in a devout very loving Christian family. I love my family, but the Christanity stuff fortunately did not stick. As I grew up, I noticed a lot of Christians were definite in their conviction, but confused on the details. I appreciate ...
Rook Hawkins is Right: I Write for a Specific Audience
2008-03-13 21:01:00 Rook Hawkins makes this claim right off the bat: Cory has written a very interesting blog article in response to my positions. He has written to his reader?s satisfaction, and although he makes grandiose claims, he should be applauded by known apologists such as Josh McDowell and Lee Strobel for the erudite quality of his response. ...
Quest for the Historical Jesus
2008-03-05 19:02:00 Liberal scholarship has agreed on one point and one point alone: the Jesus of history is not the Jesus presented in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Rook Hawkins, co-founder and self-styled ancient texts expert of the Rational Response Squad, has utilized this as the starting point for his article, “Which Jesus: ...
On Doctrine
2008-03-04 04:13:00 My good friend Caleb posted an interesting but profoundly misguided entry on his MySpace Blog. In this entry, Caleb has formally rejected all religious doctrine in favor of sola scriptura. This is a dangerous view to hold. People who adhere to extremist views of sola scriptura run the danger of sinking into heresy without realizing ...
Contextual Limits of ?ALL? and the Limited Atonement
2008-02-29 22:25:00 A reader with the pseudonym Edge7 left a comment in regard to the brief section on the Limited Atonement in this post. This assumes that verses like 1 Timothy 2:3, 5 and 1 John 2:2 confound the Calvinist position that the Atonement saves only the elect. These verses, combined with John 3:16, seem ...
Predestination: Anything But Arbitrary *UPDATED*
2008-02-26 19:41:00 I think that an obvious objection to predestination is that the election is, by its nature, unconditional. Most people take that to mean random or arbitrary. If that were so, then it logically leads to fatalism. You then end up with the following thought process: Why go and preach the gospel as we ...
Rook Hawkins
2008-02-26 05:15:00 Rook Hawkins, co-founder and ancient texts expert of the Rational Response Squad, has been writing a lot of stuff lately that I wish I had the time to respond to. Unfortunately, I have to take the time to pick and choose the projects that mean the most to me. Rook has written two pieces, “Which ...
The Most Controversial Letter In TULIP
2008-02-26 04:34:00 When I first started studying Calvinism, I thought that the most controversial element of the TULIP was the “L”–Limited Atonement. This is summed up in the Westminster Confession of Faith III.6: Wherefore, they who are elected, being fallen in Adam, are redeemed by Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in ...
Is Hell the Best Way to Evangelize?
2008-02-24 06:11:00 I would have to say that talking to people about Hell is one of the worst ways to evangelize people. We live in a society that is very, very uncomfortable with the idea of judgment and even less comfortable with the idea of having to serve a sentence. The “sentence” in this case is eternity ...
Fifth Marian Dogma Letter
2008-02-23 05:56:00 Five Roman Catholic Cardinals have written a letter to the other members of the College of Cardinals urging additional support in the form of signatures asking Pope Benedict XVI to define the fifth and final Marian dogma. The suggested wording is thus: Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of man, gave to humanity from the Cross his mother ...
King James Only Research Center
2008-02-20 22:28:00 Introducing my newly redesigned King James Only Research Center. I’m really excited about the redesign. The site is now a normal website rather than a website-wannabe using blog software. The site is very user-friendly with simple built-in navigation. And it includes a site blog, where I hope to blog about additions to the site and other KJV-only ...
The Jewish Philosopher Profoundly Misunderstands Atheists
2008-02-18 18:22:00 I still believe in the Bible when it tells me that only a fool says that there is no God (Ps 14:1). Regular readers know that I am no defender of atheism. Unfortunately, a post by a religious Jew has recently come to my attention as part of my series on refuting Kelly O’Connor of ...
Irony
2008-02-17 03:28:00 I find it extremely ironic that Kelly O’Connor of the Rational Response Squad takes offense to a Christian making a statement against her philosophical beliefs, but then goes on to write that atheists are under no obligation to respect the beliefs of others. The proof is in the pudding. First, Kelly acts offended at this statement ...
Kelly and Rook are at It Again!
2008-02-16 08:34:00 In my newest edition of the Rational Responders Newsletter, they tell us Kelly O’Connor, always ready with the atheist response, has written “the most destructive blow dealt to Christians so far” in her recent post, “Damn Right I’m Angry,” part 1 and part 2. Kelly addresses two writers, Marty Fields and Jacob Stein, who have ...
VJack on Judges, Ruth, and 1 Samuel
2008-02-14 02:54:00 Vjack, the proprietor of Atheist Revolution, continues his series on reading the Bible from cover to cover. And so I continue my series which critiques his critique of the Bible. This post finds us on the book of Judges, Ruth, and 1 Samuel. VJack sympathizes with Gideon when he exclaims, Please, sir, if the LORD is with ...
I Called It! I Called It!
2008-02-12 04:19:00 In a previous post, I made the following claim: Atheists, agnostics, and skeptics believe that God should still be doing large and visible miracles every day so that we can see and believe that He exists. Most deny any miracles occurred in the past. So I?m left to wonder if it would make any difference if ...
When Atheists Attack
2008-02-10 05:58:00 Matt, from Matt’s Notepad, has taken me on in the comments section of this post about historical inaccuracies in the Bible, the Christ Myth, and Biblical contradictions. I’ve decided to split off and answer the comments in the blog because this last comment is a long one and will require more space than I’m ...
The Portable Atheist: Percy Bysshe Shelley and Mark Twain
2008-02-07 02:53:00 Christopher Hitchens’s book The Portable Atheist is a collection of “essential” writings for unbelievers. I’m currrently posting some of my miscellaneous thoughts about the various works in the book as I read them. According to Hitchens, Percy Bysshe Shelley was a victim of the theocracy that once ruled Oxford and Cambridge universities. He wasn’t allowed to ... |
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