I have written two prior treatments of Christian philosophers' usefulness in apologetics* and here I wish to add another to the list: French philosopher Blaise Pascal (1632-1662). Pascal is widely known for his work in mathematics and science, although his recognition and focus on religion and philosophy wouldn't come until later in his life. In 1654, where not too long before, … [Read more...]
Why Does God Allow Evil?
Day of Evil The 9/11 terrorist attacks kicked off a change in the overall tone of conversations about religion. Outspoken “New Atheists” like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett and the late Christopher Hitchens gained a huge following from people who were critical of the Judeo-Christian conception God. Why Does God Allow Evil? Besides just slamming religion in general, … [Read more...]
Why should I believe something?
People believe all sorts of things. Some believe in aliens, while others don’t. Some believe in global warming, while others don’t. Some believe in evolution, while other's don't. Some believe in a God or gods, while others do not. Why the disagreement, given there are certainly people of good intention and intellect on either side of many important issues? Why should we … [Read more...]
On Behalf of Demea: Hume’s Problem of Evil
“Epicurus’ old questions are yet unanswered.” Said Philo, David Hume’s skeptical character, in Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779). “Is he [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? then is he impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then is he malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?”(D 10.25) In part 10 and 11 of the Dialogues, Hume explored the … [Read more...]
The Argument of the Shadows
In June, 2002, in the wake of the September 11th terrorist attack, 25-year-old Pat Tillman abruptly left a multi-million dollar contract with the Arizona Cardinals and enlisted in the US Army. He declined all interview requests, asking to be looked upon as any other soldier. Nevertheless, the news turned him into a national phenom overnight. Two years later, he was shot and … [Read more...]
Church in crisis: a message every Christian needs to hear
It isn't much of a secret anymore that the church in the West is in crisis. If you haven't read one of the many church-produced or sociological studies, you've probably noticed it just by watching the news or looking around at society. But why is this the case? How did we get here and, more importantly, how do we fix it? … [Read more...]
Understanding the arguments in God’s not Dead: Part III of III
In part one we looked at Professor Radisson's arguments in detail, and in part two we dug into Josh's first and second lectures to his class. In the final part we will discuss the final talk, and the importance of Philosophy for Christians. Josh's third lesson begins with the problem of evil and suffering. This is one of the most difficult questions for the Christian to … [Read more...]
Ask the Alliance: What about animal pain and the violence in nature?
::Ask the Alliance #10::: Does God permit torture? Question submitted by Steve: Have any apologists spoken about the problem of animal pain (nature being "red in tooth a claw")? It is hard to understand the violence of the natural world (which includes us) in relation to the character of God. Is the violence of nature strictly a result of the fall? How do the theistic … [Read more...]
God, Love & Evil
The standard response to the traditional problem of pain and suffering, after Alvin Plantinga’s contributions1, is that there is a morally sufficient reason for a being that is God to permit or bring about instances of pain and suffering. If it is possible, not necessarily true nor believed by (a)theists, that a being that is omnicompetent has a morally sufficient reason to … [Read more...]
OT Wrath Versus NT Love?
[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: In the Old Testament, God is often perceived as wrathful while in the New Testament, Jesus (who claimed that He and the Father were united in all things) is perceived as loving. Such an alleged dichotomy … [Read more...]