A common objection to Christianity is that there's supposedly a fundamental conflict between the biblical and scientific stories of the origin and development of the universe, the Earth, life, and so on and so forth. John Walton, ((John Walton has a Ph.D. in Hebrew and Cognate Studies from the Hebrew Union College–Jewish Institute of Religion, Cincinnati, … [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...]
“I Just Believe,” the Anti-Intellectual Faith Barrier to a Reasonable Faith
A few weeks ago following a worship service, I had an opportunity to speak with a potential member for our Ratio Christi club at the University of Mary Washington. The conversation moved from discussing Ratio Christ toward a discussion concerning her spiritual beliefs and convictions. Talk about a divine appointment. She was at church for the first time in a long time, and … [Read more...]
Investigating young-Earth evidences (for those who reject Christianity as young-Earth)
This document is copyright 1999 and 2000 Matthew S. Tiscareno. Full permission is given to reproduce or distribute this document, or to rearrange/reformat it for other media, as long as credit is given and no words are added or deleted from the text. Is there really scientific evidence for a young earth? For the past several decades, the question of the age of the Earth has … [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...]
Existentialism, The Knowledge of God, and The Task of Theology
The knowledge of God, it is claimed, comes to us as a gift, and to indicate its distinctiveness by the word ‘revelation’ is simply to remain true to the phenomenological analysis of belief in God, for such belief testifies that it arises through God’s making himself known to us, rather than through our attaining to the knowledge of him.Of what kind is the knowledge of God, … [Read more...]
The Deity of Christ and why this Matters
In the official Watchtower publication, Should You Believe in the Trinity, Jehovah’s Witnesses proclaim that: Jesus had an existence in heaven before coming to the earth…the Bible plainly states that in his pre-human existence, Jesus was a created spirit being, just as the angels were spirit beings created by God. … [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...]
Reason #1 Christianity is Unique: It is Verifiable
Is there anything that makes the Christian worldview unique? Are there features of Christianity that set it apart from the world's religions? (1 of 5) There are many features of Christianity that set it apart as absolutely unique and one of a kind in all of the world's beliefs systems. One of the interesting features of the Christian worldview is that it can be tested through … [Read more...]
Did Jesus Claim To Be Divine? (Answering Islam)
When Christians try to share the Gospel with Muslims, they often encounter some resistance because Islam teaches that Jesus was a prophet of God, just like Abraham, Moses, Jonah, etc. "Christ, the son of Mary, was no more than a messenger; many were the messengers that passed away before him." (Surah 5:75) Then, when Christians try to show that Jesus claimed to be more than a … [Read more...]