Arguably, Isaiah 7:14, prophesying a “virgin” giving birth, is the most contested verse in the Old Testament. Although Matthew unequivocally states that this prophecy was fulfilled by the birth of the Messiah, the Hebrew Scriptures seem to indicate that there was a fulfillment during the life of King Ahaz. Although this might seem like a contradiction, these two perspectives … [Read more...]
Open Forum Response: “Is it Possible to Come to Moral Decisions Using Logical Reasoning Alone?”
A Quick Introduction. Not long ago, I had the privilege of speaking to a Christian student group at Christopher Newport University. The topic for the evening was “The Problem of Evil and Suffering.” Much of material for the talk came from the piece I wrote on "The Three Faces of Evil and the Christian Response." This posting emerges from a question I received during the Q … [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...]
C.S. Lewis and the Myth of Creation (Part 1)
This is Part 1 of 3 Posts on C.S. Lewis' view of Creation, Genesis 1, and Evolutionary Theory. It is the contention of this writer that one of Lewis' most overlooked theological aspects was his view on how Genesis 1 operated on a theological and mythical level. This is an exploration of his views on the topic and will conclude that Lewis' own views actually denounced reading … [Read more...]
Is God A Mystery?
Many people think that God is basically mysterious. This is both a pop sentiment, like, "OMG! God is like, so, you know, mysterious! I mean, God is GOD, so that's BIG!" And it seems to be the careful explanation of sophisticated thinkers. For instance, a famous hymn by William Cowper begins with the stanza: God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His … [Read more...]
Responding to a Jewish Objection: “Is Belief in the Incarnation Idolatry?”
Introduction Over the years I have had the opportunity to have plenty of discussions with Jewish people about whether Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. As usual, the objection that to believe in Jesus as a divine figure as a deity is idolatry. For starters, I advise reading the book The Jewish Gospels: The Story of the Jewish Christ” by Daniel Boyarin which shows that the belief … [Read more...]
Fallacy Friday: Ad Populum (Appeals to Popularity)
This week I am going to look at the ad populum fallacy. Ad populum is Latin for “appeal to the people”. This fallacy occurs when a person argues that a particular claim is true because a large number of people accept it. Put crudely it contends that a position is true because it is popular – a majority of people, or a majority of one’s peers accept it. Appeals to what others … [Read more...]
Darwin's Quantum Leap
Early in 2009, the International Year of Darwin got underway in Shrewsbury, England, the birthplace of Charles Darwin. As part of the celebration marking both Darwin’s 200th birthday and the 150th anniversary of the publication of his seminal work, On the Origin of Species, a sculpture was unveiled in Shrewsbury’s Mardol Quay Gardens. Nearly forty feet high, sixty feet long, … [Read more...]
New Kids' Website For Atheism Evangelism
The American Humanist Association has launched a website called "Kids Without God" aimed at promoting and glorifying atheism. It abounds in the usual fallacies (seriously, haven't these folks ever taken Logic 101?) and is blatantly evangelistic. The slogan across the bottom of the home page reads: "Welcome to Kids Without God, a site for the millions of young people around … [Read more...]
Archangel: Jesus of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses are taught that Jesus is archangel Michael (Jude 9) since He speaks “with the voice of archangel”. Watchtower’s “Aid To Bible Understanding? ” claimed: Scriptural evidence indicates that the name Michael applied to God's Son before he left heaven to become Jesus Christ and also after his return. Michael is the only one said to be the "archangel” […] At 1 … [Read more...]