The word “heresy” typically invokes a negative response toward the accuser (intolerant, bigoted, or ignorant) instead of the false belief it refers to. This is most likely due to past historical events such as the Inquisition or the Salem witch trials that remind us of the dangers of heresy-hunting. This blog will address the proper definition of heresy and the importance of … [Read more...]
Is The Ontological Argument Valid? – Conclusion
[I continue (Part 1 and Part 2) my assessment of the ontological argument by looking at modal versions of it and finally a conclusion.] These modes of being (necessity and contingency) have led to a resurgence of the ontological argument by modern philosophers. Norman Malcolm (1911- ) has attempted to make the persuasive force for the ontological argument more transparent by … [Read more...]
Is the Ontological Argument Valid? – Part 2
(I continue from Part 1 last month into Aquinas' response to the argument.) Almost two hundred years later, St. Thomas Aquinas (1224-1274) rejected the ontological argument; he believed that God’s existence was self-evident in itself, but not to us. Aquinas asserted that we cannot know God’s essence directly, but only through his effects, thus all valid arguments for his … [Read more...]
Is the Ontological Argument Valid?
The ontological argument has fascinated philosophers for centuries in attempting to prove God’s existence from the concept of God. The argument does not appeal to any facts of experience, but solely on the implications of conceiving of God a priori. This differs from other a posteriori arguments for God’s existence such as the cosmological (creation), teleology (design), or … [Read more...]
Does the Mosaic Law Apply to Christians? (Conclusion)
(I continue a possible solution to this question from part 1 last month) Before moving to a possible solution, it is pertinent to understand the purpose of the Mosaic Law in the Old Testament. First and foremost, the Law did not confer salvation. There was a causal relation between keeping God’s laws and blessing (cf. Exodus 20:12, Leviticus 18:5), but this in no way imparted … [Read more...]
Does the Mosaic Law Apply to Christians?
Approximately thirty-five hundred years ago, God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mt. Sinai and soon after, other commandments followed. These together formed what is called the Mosaic Law. It consisted of six hundred and thirteen laws (or commandments) that were both positive (“you should”) and negative (“you should not”) and are contained in the first five books of the … [Read more...]
Creation Ex Materia? – Conclusion
Part 1 - Part 2 (I conclude my critique of creation ex materia) Fourth, we will address one inductive argument using scientific evidence for the beginning of the universe. In the middle of the nineteenth century, several physicists discovered the Second Law of Thermodynamics by noticing that all processes within a closed system tend toward a state of equilibrium.[i] This … [Read more...]
Creation Ex Materia? – Part 2
Part 1 Ostler’s approach suffers from many problems. First, it is a critical mistake to appeal to etymology to determine word meaning. For example, the word “nice” is derived from the Latin word nescius, which means “ignorant.”[i] The etymology of a word is not a statement of its meaning but rather its history.[ii] Second, the word bara is never associated with … [Read more...]
Creation Ex Materia?
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”[i] From this and other passages, the Bible tells us that God created all things ex nihilo (out of nothing) and orthodox Christianity has always interpreted these verses this way. In other words, God did not use any pre-existing material, but rather the space/time universe came into being simply by divine fiat. But, … [Read more...]
Faith and Reason (Conclusion)
(Continued from Part 1) Justification is the concept that provides our belief with the assuredness of its truth. People believe things for reasons, which provide the warrant for their belief. Without these reasons, you do not have knowledge, although you could get lucky in your belief. Guessing is not knowledge. If a belief is justified, then we have the right to believe … [Read more...]