Consider the skeptical claim that “religion only serves to provide an empty hope that helps us manage our fears.”[1] God is a placebo. This all too common sentiment deserves a careful response, if only because of its proven rhetorical power to both discourage believers and bolster unbelievers against belief. Naturally as a Christian I agree that most religions offer false … [Read more...]
Are We Ready to Deny Objective Morality? 3 Implications of Doing So…
The idea that we’re living in a culture of relativism seems to be uncontested and accepted without question. Post-modernists and relativists assume that we've progressed past the rigid constraints of ‘truth’, ‘falsity’, ‘reason’, and other oppressive concepts that actually undergird the fabric of rationality in the universe. However, I’m not convinced that we are truly living … [Read more...]
On Hell
[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: Hell is known as a lake of fire and also outer darkness in the Bible. This is a place where the wrath and anger of God is going to be poured out on sinners in full after judgment. There will be weeping and gnashing … [Read more...]
Great Expectations and the Office of "God"
Does God exist? That, of course, depends on what you mean by “God”. Philosopher Paul Moser suggests, “Much contemporary discussion of God’s existence suffers from consideration of an inferior counterfeit.”[1] The search for God often aims too low. For example, one may look for the First Cause or Designer of the universe. One may instead wonder whether an all-powerful Sovereign … [Read more...]
The Problem of Evil & Suffering
[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: The problem of evil usually refers to the issue of how an all-good, all-powerful and all-knowing God could exist given the evil in this world. The logical/incompatibility version says that it’s logically … [Read more...]
Unstoppable
When a young friend died at the tender age of 15, Kirk Cameron was left wrestling with the perennial faith-breaking questions, Why does God allow suffering? Why do bad things happen to good people? Matt had lived a full 2/3 of his young life with cancer. His parents were good people. They loved God, even as they had to watch their son slip away. Kirk loved God too, but he had a … [Read more...]
America After 9/11: Is Religion Evil?
Attitude Adjustment How did 9/11 change America’s attitude toward religion? A recent post on CNN’s Belief Blog says: “Before 9/11, many atheists kept a low profile. Something changed, though, after 9/11. They got loud… Criticism of all religion, not just fanatical cults, was no longer taboo after 9/11.” Indeed. Around the 10-year anniversary of 9/11, American Atheists hit the … [Read more...]
Can You Step Into Your Opponent's Shoes?
I was recently reading a discussion on Facebook about the various passages in the Bible that are used by atheists to claim that the God of the Bible is immoral. All sorts of claims swirled around. Jesus commanded us to murder children. God was a premeditated murderer. For the most part, it was a group of atheists ganging up on one or two theists, and unfortunately the only … [Read more...]
God and Evil: The Case for God in a World filled with Pain – a book review
God and Evil (GAE), published this year through Intervarsity Press, is a book that deals with possibly the hardest questions humanity faces no matter one’s religion. Why is there suffering? Why is there evil and pain? And if God exists and he is good, how can we reconcile this with the evil we see and experience? The reality that people have wrestled with these questions for … [Read more...]
Sympathy for the Devilish: A Review of Joe Hill's "Horns"
Most people believe that Ignatius Martin Perrish raped and killed his girlfriend, Merrin. Ig didn’t do this, but since that tragedy he has steadily spiraled into chaos. He wakes up one morning after a drunken binge to discover horns growing out of his head. It makes a twisted kind of sense. The horns are just a visible reminder of what is arising deep inside. He has the power … [Read more...]