This is something to consider in relationship to these objections to the objective truth of Christianity: 1) Claiming that Christianity is "the" truth steps on other people's toes. 2) Science doesn't even know the answers, and yet you claim to. 3) Like saying chocolate is your favorite icecream, faith equals opinion. These are the options regarding objective truth: … [Read more...]
Investigating young-Earth evidences (for those who reject Christianity as young-Earth)
This document is copyright 1999 and 2000 Matthew S. Tiscareno. Full permission is given to reproduce or distribute this document, or to rearrange/reformat it for other media, as long as credit is given and no words are added or deleted from the text. Is there really scientific evidence for a young earth? For the past several decades, the question of the age of the Earth has … [Read more...]
Resolving Euthyphro's Dilemma
The dialogue known as Euthyphro is recorded by Plato and took place between Euthyphro and Socrates, as Socrates was nearing the time of his trial and execution in 399 B.C.. The famous Euthyphro Dilemma at 10a is only part of this dialogue. We need to distinguish between the dialogue (Euthyphro), which starts out asking for the definition of the Good (a matter of epistemology), … [Read more...]
Why is apologetics so important?
All the polls in the past few years show a rapid increase in those who have left their religion, and a rapid decrease in church attendance. Robert Putnam and David Campbell presented research showing "young Americans are dropping out of religion at an alarming rate of five to six times the historic rate (30 to 40 percent have no religion today, versus 5 to 10 percent a … [Read more...]
Converting from Atheism — 7 years ago today
I spruced up the old testimony for Brian Auten's Former Atheist Project on Apologetics 315, just in time for my approaching born-again birthday. If you're a former atheist, Brian would love to hear your story--and so would I :) Mine begins here... Before I became an atheist, I had grown up in church, a preacher’s kid who prayed to receive Christ when I was four. I never … [Read more...]
William Lane Craig on the compatibility of evolution and theism
The first half of the 20 minute podcast, William Lane Craig shares his thoughts on theism's compatibility with evolution. :) The second half is also good, on the fear of death. . … [Read more...]
Genuine Faith Is Never Blind
I grew up believing that reason can only take you so far--after that, faith takes over. In one sense this belief is true: Intellectual faith/belief, if it isn’t blind, comes ‘after’ good evidence. However, in the sense that faith persists independent of reason or even in spite of evidence to the contrary (the sense preferred by New Atheists) this belief is false. One cannot … [Read more...]
JC Lamont's "Prophecy of the Heir" on the problem of judgment
Over the summer I read JC Lamont's Prophecy of the Heir, and not included in my review and author interview is mention that my absolute favorite thing about this book is how Lamont unapologetically, yet with the prowess of an apologist, answers the problem of the harshness of judgment. In the review, I do mention that Michael’s loyalty to the Prince is challenged mainly by his … [Read more...]
Philosophers' Carnival…
...is out, and includes my submission Does Grounding Moral Truth in God’s Nature Violate Hume’s Is-Ought? Thanks, Nick :) Submit to the next carnival here. . … [Read more...]
Does grounding moral truth in God’s nature violate Hume’s is-ought?
The short answer is, no, only if you try to justify that truth by referring back to God’s nature. Here is the long answer. It is possible to blend Hume’s is-ought distinction in Ethics with Plato’s justified-true-belief theory of knowledge. A catchy name for it is the Ought-Is-Belief theory of knowledge, moral or otherwise. … [Read more...]