Does God allow evil and suffering? Yes. Can you look me level in the eyes and tell me what some people do to hurt little kids is not evil? No. Evil is real, but how can someone who doesn’t exist allow anything? Yes. If evil is real, then good is real. But if good is real, what being do you know who is always good? But here we are again. Would a good God allow evil and … [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...]
The Argument of Tears
A typical crowd of tourists, seniors, and schoolchildren on field trips was mulling around the large lobby of the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. when a young man, wearing full military dress and carrying a cello, walked toward a chair curiously placed in the center of the large room and sat down. He took up his bow in one hand, stretched his … [Read more...]
Apologetics through the Dystopian
I enjoy dystopian novels. However, it isn’t just a bizarre interest of mine. Right now, people are flocking to the movie theaters to see Catching Fire or swarming the bookstores to pick up Allegiant. In generations past, you could pick up Lord of the Flies or even Fahrenheit 451 to see a depiction of a world gone wrong. In the past, I have thought of these novels more as an … [Read more...]
Darwin 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. Abigail Mann's contribution, “Competition and Kindness: The Darwinian World of the Hunger Games,” offers some insight into how this series looks when viewed through the lens of Darwinian theory. I will do my best to adequately represent … [Read more...]
Another Apologetic Paradigm Shift?
Apologetics is experiencing somewhat of a revival. Well, maybe a better term might be "rehabilitation." While the stereotype of the apologist as a well-coiffed white male who can bring an atheist to his knees through the power of his arguments alone is still very much alive (with good reason), there is a small minority of people (including myself) who tentatively embrace the … [Read more...]
Ender's Game: A Review
If the awards given to Orson Scott Card’s Ender’s Game are any indication, he has written a novel that may well become part of the canon of science fiction: Nebula Award for best novel in 1985 Hugo Award for best novel in 1986 Nominated for a Locus Award in 1986 American Library Association's "100 Best Books for Teens." Margaret A. Edwards Award in 2008 It’s been … [Read more...]
Imaginative Apologetics
[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: Imaginative apologetics is basically what it sounds like: using or piquing one's imagination to teach or do apologetics. By far the most famous example is C.S. Lewis' works of fiction of which the Narnia … [Read more...]
Living Sacrifice's "Nietzsche's Madness": Metal and the Moral Argument
Living Sacrifice, a four piece metal band from Arkansas, has been around for the past two decades. One of the first openly Christian bands to gain acceptance and popularity in both the Christian and secular markets, the band has never been the one to play for safe lyrical topics or themes - some having potent apologetic content. … [Read more...]
Elysium: Fighting For Paradise
According to Brittanica Online, "Elysium, also called Elysian Fields or Elysian Plain, in Greek mythology, originally the paradise to which heroes on whom the gods conferred immortality were sent... In Homer’s writings the Elysian Plain was a land of perfect happiness at the end of the earth.. In the earlier authors, only those specially favored by the gods entered Elysium and … [Read more...]