The problem: If God is good and all-powerful, why would he allow evil and suffering, and send people to hell? Here are 3 things to consider. 1. Unconditional love is impossible if suffering and evil are impossible. God, like a good father, allows us to learn from our mistakes, rather than dysfunctionally protecting us from them by a) preventing us from making them, or b) … [Read more...]
Leviathans and Zombies: Social Contracts and the Walking Dead
AMC's The Walking Dead has provided an interesting (and at times gruesome) venue with which to revisit some of the more significant questions about life. I have been blogging my way through The Walking Dead and Philosophy, a fascinating book that has so far addressed issues of logic (zombies like the Walkers are not possible) and the nature of humanity (but philosophical … [Read more...]
A Different Argument from Morality
The Moral Argument I don’t like the traditional version of this argument that argues from the moral law to a moral law-giver: Traditional Argument from Morality Premise 1: There is an objective moral law. Premise 2: Every law implies a law-giver. Conclusion: Therefore, there is a moral law-giver. The most important problem with this argument is, if God is not just making … [Read more...]
How to Use Pop Culture as a Community Apologist
I’ve been contributing to a series at the Christian Apologetics Alliance with the goal of encouraging people to become “community apologists.” The purpose of the series is to help the local church develop an intellectual defense of Christianity by raising up, in every community, “someone with an interest in apologetics who will make themselves available to teach apologetics in … [Read more...]
Poll: What grounds objective moral truth?
Choose one option from this poll: What grounds objective moral truth (think “human rights”)? The good is a construct of God, man or nature. God wills the good in accordance with his loving nature. Nothing, there are only constructs which do not obligate. Or, in other words: The good is a construct of God, man or nature—the good is created (made up). God wills the … [Read more...]
The true meaning of Christmas
Christmas, whatever its true date, is when God became one of us, so that when the time came, he could demonstrate, by dying for us, that he loves us despite our works, whether they are good or sin. He came to demonstrate that his unconditional love motivates choosing good works over sin, rather than the other way around: good works motivating unconditional love (which would be … [Read more...]
Breaking down the moral argument
I harp on about the moral argument for theism, some think. That’s only because I think it’s an under-appreciated argument that has a lot more going for it than most of its critics believe. Here I want to lay out a simple version of the argument, explain why I think it works and how to defend it. A very simple version of the moral argument, probably the most common that I see, … [Read more...]
Hilary Clinton, Human Rights, Gay Rights, and God
Secretary of State, Hilary Clinton, is evidently not a moral-relativist or a multi-culturalist. She has stated that “gay rights are human rights, and human rights are gay rights,” and she’s so sure about this that she’s imposing this equation on the rest of the world. This means that human rights - moral absolutes – ought to take precedence over the laws and traditions of the … [Read more...]
The Lie: Its Usefulness and its Cost
We resent laws and restrictions. They get in our way. Consequently, many understandably resented the orders to evacuate their homes prior to Sandy’s uninvited visit, and stayed put. However, many had to pay a price for their choice. Many also resent the teachings of Scripture as an unwanted intrusion. We cringe with contempt when we hear about God’s judgment for sin. For … [Read more...]
The New Atheism and Five Arguments for God
Reprinted with the gracious permission of William Lane Craig. Are there good arguments for God’s existence? Have the so-called New Atheists shown that the arguments for God are no good? Copyright © 2010 by Christ on Campus Initiative (CCI) It’s perhaps something of a surprise that almost none of the so-called New Atheists has anything to say about arguments for God’s … [Read more...]