Traditionally I am not one to write on the New Atheists, but one individual in particular has always been of keen interest in my studies regarding atheism, science, religion, and topics akin to the like. There is plenty of literature in response to the New Atheists and their anti-religious claims, with even more literature regarding an exhaustive analysis of each individual’s … [Read more...]
Omnipotent God and The Paradox of the Stone
The concept of an omnipotent being, namely a being with maximal perfection with respect to power, is sometimes believed to involve a contradiction. The most popular reductio ad absurdum case against the existence of omnipotent being is known as “the paradox of the stone.” The paradox unfolds as follows: 1. If God exists, then He is omnipotent 2. If God is omnipotent then God … [Read more...]
Popularity And The Word: The Truth of the Matter
I have been witnessing an alarming trend lately among people I know or people I have been reading about and, while it is an issue we in the apologetics circles know all too well, the trend needs some addressing. Lately, people have been compromising on some of their beliefs in the face of so called “scientific evidence.” We have all heard somebody say, “The Bible and … [Read more...]
The Problem of Evil: Impact of theology. Part 3 of 3
Part 1 Part 2 The Impact of Theology (The rest of this article is a bit of an aside over the internal debate between Calvinism and Arminianism within Christianity, but is pertinent to the problem of evil discussion.) A bit more should probably be said about the debate within Christianity between the Calvinist and Arminian views (while noting that either thwart the atheist’s … [Read more...]
Could atheism be a properly basic belief?
Could people have a properly basic belief that God does not exist so that they do not need any other arguments or evidence for that belief in order to be justified in holding it? A recent conversation reminded me of what is now a rather old argument in relation to the question of belief in God (old in terms of twentieth century arguments anyway). Essentially, the issue was … [Read more...]
The Problem of Evil: Is it a problem? Part 2 of 3
Part 1 Is it a problem? Evil is certainly a challenge for anyone, including Christians, to answer sufficiently. However, we can show that it potentially fits within the Christian worldview, and I believe it fits well (especially compared to other worldviews). In other words, it is a challenge, but I don’t think it is ultimately a problem. Remember, while you as a Christian … [Read more...]
The Problem of Evil: Whose problem is it? Part 1 of 3
The ‘problem of evil’ in Christian apologetics is and has been one of the top apologetic issues throughout history. Many have pointed to the attacks on 9/11 (September 11, 2001) as a turning point in our generation concerning this issue. The ‘New Atheists’ (Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, etc.) began writing their – soon to be popular – books not long after this event. For the … [Read more...]
Confessions of a functional atheist
One of the accusations against Christians is that we have a psychological need to believe a fantasy. In other words, the atheist thinks that we make up a belief in God to provide comfort against the unknown. Our belief in God is like whistling as we pass through the graveyard. It doesn't provide any real benefit but it makes us feel better. Honesty requires that I get … [Read more...]
Understanding the Meaning of "Faith"
Introduction. The other day I was involved in a conversation with a group of men at a Men's Breakfast at our church. One of the discussions we were working over was the meaning of this word, "faith." The definition of faith is very much misunderstood by Christians and maligned by skeptics, depending on which side of the conversation one finds themselves. Allow me explain what … [Read more...]
To Tell Truth From Error: The Church's Teaching Responsibility
We don't know how to tell truth from error, and it's time for the church to take responsibility. The Roman Catholic Church in New York is promoting Jesus Christ as "The Original Hipster." I saw that on the news not long ago, just a day after I found out an online poll by Prospect magazine had Richard Dawkins being named the world's top thinker.Neither of these speaks well for … [Read more...]