Introduction The objection of Christians being intolerant or narrow-minded is one of the more popular charges thrown down when discussing some of the moral issues of our day. Christians in many cases, are painted with broad strokes to be the "horse with blinders on its eyes, limiting its vision of the world; or that of an ostrich with its head buried in the sand, completely … [Read more...]
ISLAM – RELIGIOUS PRACTICES (PART 3)
6. Islamic Head Dress: Seen as a sign of female oppression by outsiders and a few insiders too, the headdress of Muslim women make them stand out. "The (really) rough rule of thumb for where these headdresses are popular is Hijab: Roughly used everywhere in some form. Many times a generic word for head covering. Al-Amira: A hijab found in Arabic countries and those … [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...]
The Penalty For Apostasy According to Islam
Tariq Ramadan, an Islamic scholar and writer, wants us to believe that Islam does not demand a death penalty for apostasy. Although he concedes that the ahadith reports Muhammad to have said "Whoever changed his Islamic religion, then kill him," (Sahih Al-Bukhari volume 9, book 84, no. 57) and other words to similar effect, Ramadan argues that such a penalty was to be applied … [Read more...]
All You Need Is Kill/ Edge Of Tomorrow
All You Need Is Kill, Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s widely praised breakthrough novel, was nominated for Japan's Seiun Awards, published in Japanese and English, and adapted to manga beginning this past January. Warner Bros. is bringing it to a theater near you on June 6 as Edge of Tomorrow, featuring Tom Cruise as yet another unlikely Japanese warrior (for more info, see The Last … [Read more...]
Abdu Murray and Grand Central Questions, Part 2
We continue our discussion with Abdu Murray about his new book Grand Central Question: Answering the Critical Concerns of the Major Worldviews (IVP, 2014). (Part 1 of discussion.) Murray is an attorney, a former Muslim, and an experienced apologist, and his book examines the critical questions of human existence in light of some of today’s major worldviews. CAA: There are a … [Read more...]
Abdu Murray and Grand Central Questions, Part 1
We recently had the opportunity to talk with Abdu Murray about his new book Grand Central Question: Answering the Critical Concerns of the Major Worldviews (IVP, 2014). Murray is an attorney, a former Muslim, and an experienced apologist, and his book examines the critical questions of human existence in light of some of today’s major worldviews. This is part one of our … [Read more...]
On Miracles and Historiography: Can The Supernatural Ever Be The Best Explanation?
Anyone who has engaged in or interacted with any public discourse on the subject of miracles in the New Testament (especially the resurrection) will have encountered this objection: How can an historian infer that a miracle is the best explanation of historical data, given that supernatural phenomena are, by their very nature, extremely improbable? One might grant that the mass … [Read more...]
Eastern Religious Views versus the Judeo Christian View of God
Introduction Not too long ago, I received a text message from one of our students in our Student ministry at church. His text was asking for my thoughts regarding a friend at school, who was tinkering with the idea of leaving Christianity for Buddhism. One of the things I learned from that early morning text, was that doing apologetics was sometimes like that of a "first … [Read more...]
ISLAM – Religious Practices (Part 2)
The Five Pillars of Islam (contd.) 4. Alms giving Zakat, the Islamic equivalent of tithes is one of the pillars of Islam. "One of the most important principles of Islam is that all things belong to God, and that wealth is therefore held by human beings in trust.The word Zakat means both 'purification' and 'growth'. Our possessions are purified by setting aside a proportion … [Read more...]