Often I am told that science should be the ultimate arbitrator of truth. While it would be nice if this were true it just does not hold up under scrutiny. Science would need to be the final authority on all matters and while that might be a nice thought, it can't stand under its own weight. We should believe only what can be scientifically proven. But is such a statement … [Read more...]
Jonathan Maberry's Rot and Ruin: Honor, Idealism, and the Monsters Within
“When writers tell a story about monsters, we’re usually using them as a vehicle in order to tell a story about our own world.” - Jonathan Maberry The horror genre is becoming increasingly cerebral, at least in terms of how zombies are being used (World War Z, Warm Bodies, and The Walking Dead). Jonathan Maberry's Rot and Ruin series is a welcome addition to the list. He uses … [Read more...]
The New-er Atheists: Two movements battle for heart and mind
The term ‘New Atheist’ is beginning to get a bit old already. It is still relatively new, chronologically, at least in relation to centuries of classical atheists. The movement seems to have arisen, or at least gained popularity, after the events of 9/11 (2001) in the USA. It was characterized by a shift towards the use of rhetoric, emotion, fear, and embodied very ‘religious’ … [Read more...]
Antitheism and Krauss' Wager
Laurence Krauss- The Antitheist Recently in a discussion with Justin Brierly (Unbelievable?) and Rodney Holder, Lawrence Krauss made an interesting statement (podcast: 58:01): "You talk about this god of love and everything else. But somehow if you don't believe in him, you don't get any of the benefits, so you have to believe. And then if you do anything wrong, you're going to … [Read more...]
Creation Ex Materia? – Part 2
Part 1 Ostler’s approach suffers from many problems. First, it is a critical mistake to appeal to etymology to determine word meaning. For example, the word “nice” is derived from the Latin word nescius, which means “ignorant.”[i] The etymology of a word is not a statement of its meaning but rather its history.[ii] Second, the word bara is never associated with … [Read more...]
Are There Two Different Creation Stories in Genesis?
A Tale of Two Stories Ever met someone who said you shouldn’t trust the Bible because of contradictions in the text? I remember talking with a skeptic I’ll call “Julie” while travelling to Northern California from down south. I don’t remember how the conversation began, but I do remember that she was pretty sure that we couldn’t trust anything written in the Bible. Why? She … [Read more...]
How Should People Have Religious Conversations?
Have you ever tried talking to someone about religion? Have you shared your thoughts and opinions on man, where he’s going, and where he should be? or his relation to God, if He exists? The conversation can sometimes be frustrating and the atmosphere tends to be awkward once its all over. One prime example I remember was when I was discussing the meaning of life with someone I … [Read more...]
What is Man?
What is Man? "What is man that You remember him, the son of man that You look after him? You made him little less than God and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him lord over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet." Psalm 8:4-6 By far, my favorite subtopic in Christian apologetics is human ontology. That's fancy philosopher-speak for the study of … [Read more...]
Who Is Peeta? Identity, Persistence, and the Hunger Games
The Hunger Games and Philosophy provides an excellent springboard from which to dive into some key themes in this incredibly popular trilogy. In "Who is Peeta Mellark? The Problem of Identity in Panem," Nicolas Michaud uses Peeta's post-torture persona to look at the problem of personal identity. I will do my best to adequately represent her argument, as well as provide a … [Read more...]
Free-will and choice confusion
I'm writing this article as a plea for Christians and skeptics alike, but especially theologians and apologists, to use the term 'free will' more carefully. I hear mistakes and mis-speaks so often that it has become one of my pet-peeves. I'm also hoping that providing a bit of detail on the distinction will positively impact our theological and apologetics discussion. This … [Read more...]