If you've poked around at my blog at all then you'll know that I am always on the lookout for great stories of people interacting with others from which we can learn lessons. This story blew my mind. Frankly this is pretty much a case study in getting things exactly right! This will be a bit of a longer blog post because there are just so many things to discuss and so many … [Read more...]
The Resurrection Of Jesus According To The Watchtower
Back From The Grave In a list of harmful teachings by the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the one I’m about to speak about is the most harmful one concerning the Christian faith. It’s about the resurrection of Jesus. As Paul declares, that if Jesus had not risen, then our faith is in vain (1 Cor. 15:14). Though the Watchtower say they teach that Jesus resurrected from the … [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...]
How To Read Atheists' Blogs
A noble apologist is driven by an active love of God that seeks deeper knowledge of God. Faith seeking understanding. If you are Christian’s apologist bloggers who wishes to effectively communicate your worldview in a language, beliefs, values, symbols, traditions and practices that are already familiar to atheists, then reading atheists’ blogs could be the key and a treasure … [Read more...]
Sin, Technology, and the Well-Being of Society
Necessity is the mother of invention but so too is theology. Let me try to explain in a round-about way. At an Ethical Culture Society discussion group, the leader asked us all to give our prognosis regarding the West. While we all saw serious signs of wear-and-tear, most of the respondents were surprisingly confident about the West’s prospects for recovery. My response was the … [Read more...]
The Main Problem with the Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant
The parable of the blind men and the elephant "has crossed between many religious traditions and is part of Jain, Buddhist, Sufi and Hindu lore." One version goes like this: "A number of blind men came to an elephant. Somebody told them that it was an elephant. The blind men asked, ‘What is the elephant like?’ and they began to touch its body. One of them said: 'It is like a … [Read more...]
Resolving Euthyphro's Dilemma
The dialogue known as Euthyphro is recorded by Plato and took place between Euthyphro and Socrates, as Socrates was nearing the time of his trial and execution in 399 B.C.. The famous Euthyphro Dilemma at 10a is only part of this dialogue. We need to distinguish between the dialogue (Euthyphro), which starts out asking for the definition of the Good (a matter of epistemology), … [Read more...]
An Encounter with Jehovah's Witnesses
It was a bright and cold December morning and I was up to my elbows in bread dough when my doorbell rang. The dog barked at full volume, and my preschool daughter zipped past me as I brushed the flour from my hands and followed her to the door. There waited a tall, professionally dressed, blond young woman, smiling confidently as if she were arriving for a job interview. She … [Read more...]
Debate in Apologetics: Secondary Issues of Primary Importance
Since it began Christianity has been involved in debates. From Jesus’ encounter with the Sadducees to dealing with early heresies on down to the present day, Christians have encountered arguments against their worldview. Learning to deal with external arguments is a central task of the Christian apologist. There are however many doctrinal issues that are arguably internal … [Read more...]