At any given time, I am reading a non-fiction book and a work of fiction literature. I never choose one based on the other, but occasionally I am surprised by a marked correlation between the two. That very thing happened to me over the past two weeks as I read The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett and The End of Christianity by William A. Dembski. … [Read more...]
…But I Know Something You Don't Know
As an apologist, I often dialogue with non-believers on the evidence for the philosophical, historical, and scientific veracity of the Christian faith. While I have the utmost confidence in the various lines of evidence that beautifully converge to support the case, the most important and persuasive evidence is, by its very nature, inaccessible to the non-believer. It is … [Read more...]
European Witch Hunts and the Christian Church Part 2
This post is part 2 of 3. Part 1 can be read here. The Realities of the Witch Hunts The period of European witch hunts is generally defined as the four centuries between 1400 and 1800. Perhaps in part because of the intriguing, sensational nature of the subject, witch hunts have been blown well out of proportion in terms of their prevalence and victim estimations. According … [Read more...]
European Witch Hunts and the Christian Church Part 1
“A man or a woman who is a medium or a necromancer shall surely be put to death. They shall be stoned with stones; their blood shall be upon them.” –Leviticus 20:27 Few topics have suffered the plight of revisionist history as severely as the European witch hunts. Christian fanaticism is often blamed for the atrocities that took place in the name of snuffing out witchcraft, but … [Read more...]
Science and Christianity–How Should They Relate?
An acquaintance asked me an interesting question the other day: "How should we respond when someone says they are skeptical of Christianity because of its low view of science?" It isn't surprising to me that such accusations are still being made towards Christianity. Historical myth and misconceptions that support such an idea run rampant in our society. For instance, there … [Read more...]
New Kids' Website For Atheism Evangelism
The American Humanist Association has launched a website called "Kids Without God" aimed at promoting and glorifying atheism. It abounds in the usual fallacies (seriously, haven't these folks ever taken Logic 101?) and is blatantly evangelistic. The slogan across the bottom of the home page reads: "Welcome to Kids Without God, a site for the millions of young people around … [Read more...]
Is One Lost Soul More Valuable Than Another?
Over the past few years, I've had increasing numbers of friends and acquaintances becoming involved in foreign missions. I find great blessing in offering practical and prayerful support to their assignments; I greatly admire their obedience to God in answering the call to be fishers of men in poor, often dangerous areas of the world--places where false religion abounds and the … [Read more...]
Understanding the Calling of the Apologist
There seems to be a widespread misconception, even within the church, that the ambition of Christian apologists is to argue nonbelievers into submission to the truth of Christianity. I admit that up until a few years ago, I even held a version of this idea myself. I thought that if your arguments were "good enough," the person they were aimed at would hit their knees in … [Read more...]
Review: Seven Days That Divide the World by Dr. John Lennox
In Seven Days that Divide the World: The Beginning According to Genesis and Science, John Lennox addresses the science and theology relevant to the age-of-the-earth debate. This is a controversy that continues to escalate within the church, as young-earth advocates claim that acknowledgement of biblical authority and inspiration requires a young-earth interpretation of … [Read more...]