"We are all atheists to other religions, we [atheists] just take it one step further." The phrase initially has some kind of shock value, and then it gets you thinking. As a Christian, it may have you thinking, "Wow, I never thought of it that way... maybe there is something to this 'atheism' thing." As an atheist, it may have you saying "Yeah, you Christians are just as … [Read more...]
The Discrepancies of Bart Ehrman Examined
In his debate against William Lane Craig on “Is There Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus?” Bart Ehrman gives a laundry list of alleged discrepancies in the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection (transcript here). Ehrman argues that the Gospels are not reliable as history because of these discrepancies. Detailed examination, however, will show that Ehrman’s alleged … [Read more...]
The Devil’s Delusion by David Berlinski – A Book Review
Bias. In order to undercut an unpleasant argument, just claim that prejudicial self-interest blinds another person from seeing the error of their ways. So what to make of Dr. Berlinksi, with a Ph.D. from Princeton and time spent as a postdoctoral fellow in mathematics and molecular biology at Columbia University, who opens his critique of the New Atheists by claiming: Here it … [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...]
Humanizing The Humanist
Science is definitely an area of our society placed on a pedestal. Why shouldn’t it be, any fields of scientific research has yielded some great discoveries and essential inventions. Without the studies of physics, mathematics, and computer science I could not be communicating with you through the internet right now. However, the term science in the broadest sense is being … [Read more...]
Is There a Religion of None?
Someone once said, “Give me the making of the songs of a nation and I care not who writes its laws.”[1] In his book Can Man Live Without God, Ravi Zacharias gives the context of this quote, stating that these words “not only divulge a major cultural access point to our contemporary mind-set, but also acknowledge the extraordinary control of song lyrics upon the moods and … [Read more...]
Friedrich Nietzsche was NOT a Nihilist
It would be an appropriate evaluation of Nietzsche to state that his mere calling for the übermenschis a teleological claim. To call for redemption of something and to set a standard model is a purposeful and meaningful proclamation. The desire appears to be motivated by the very thing Nietzsche is often accused of, nihilism. Nietzsche was in despair over the implications of … [Read more...]
A Reponse to Phil Snider: Highlighting A Secular Response
When something goes "viral", it's a good idea to pay attention. Here's the newest viral sensation: a Missouri pastor, speaking at a city council meeting, opens up his speech by taking a stance against gay marriage - or so everyone thought. In a stunning turn of events, he closes the speech by saying that his speech up until that point consisted of quotes from preachers gone by … [Read more...]
Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction by Dr. Edward Craig
A REVIEW The A Very Short Introduction series of books, published by Oxford University Press, is helpful for gaining inroads into unfamiliar topics. These books are usually in the 120-150 page range and cover a myriad of topics, with new ones being published even today. In this review, I will take a look at Dr. Edward Craig’s Philosophy: A Very Short Introduction. Craig is a … [Read more...]
You Say the Bible Advocates Slavery?
Recently I saw a skeptical friend of mine share a slogan very similar to this one. It makes a very powerful point, reducing to the absurd any notion of getting morality out of the pages of the Bible. On one hand the Bible seems to be condemning a loving relationship between two members of the same-sex, while at the same time endorsing such a reprehensible act as kidnapping … [Read more...]