Apologetics is a branch of Christian theology that helps give reasons for the truthfulness of the Christian faith/worldview. The word “Apologia” means “to give reasons, make a legal defense” (Acts 26:2; 2 Tim. 4:16; 1 Pet 3:15). The apostles approach to spreading the message of the Gospel is characterized by such terms as “apologeomai/apologia” which means “to give reasons, … [Read more...]
Was The Gospel of Mark Forged?
Was the Gospel of Mark a fake? That’s something you might hear liberal scholars ask, not just about Mark, but about many of the New Testament documents. In fact, in a book called Forged, Bart Ehrman said that “the vast majority of these apostolic books were in fact forged” (p.218). For example, he says The Gospel of Mark really wasn’t written by Mark. Instead, later scribes … [Read more...]
Creatures Point to Christ
Death always seems to be a negative or morbid subject. Whatever connotation it may have, the only thing significant about it is that it is real - i.e., we are going to die one day. As Blaise Pascal put it into words: "When I consider the short duration of my life, swallowed up in the eternity before and after, the little space which I fill. . . I am frightened, and shocked at … [Read more...]
Culture and Biblical Literacy
Hollywood is beginning to realize that there are incredible financial benefits for making Christian movies. It isn’t rocket science. A large part of our population at least identifies as Christian, and you know that when you produce a Christian movie, churches and youth groups everywhere will be renting out movie theaters to bring everyone to the show. As a business, you have … [Read more...]
Breaking Down the 'We're all Atheists' Objection
Introduction Several months ago, I went to a local "religious freedom" rally here in Fredericksburg. The rally was commemorating Thomas Jefferson's Religious Freedom amendment, with a parade from downtown to the Religious Freedom monument and included a host of speakers. The keynote speaker was William J. Murray, the son of the late Madalyn Murray O'Hair. Marching in the parade … [Read more...]
Islam – Religious Practices (Part 4)
This is the fourth and final installment on this topic. In this post you will be introduced to Islamic conversion, circumcision, Jizya and Halal food. 12. Conversion: Islam is a one way street. A person is "free" only to convert to Islam but not out of it. The punishment in many Islamic countries in accordance with the sharia law is death. Yes, Islam in its purest sense … [Read more...]
Days of Future Past: Do Our Choices Matter?
“So many battles waged over the years... and yet, none like this. Are we destined to destroy each other, or can we change each other and unite? Is the future truly set?” – Charles Xavier X-Men: Days of Future Past is a story about free will and human nature. It’s many other things as well – an excellently crafted movie, an equal rights parable, a commentary on human atrocities, … [Read more...]
#EndFathersDay: Where the Twitter Trend Gets Fathers Wrong
With the arrival of Father’s Day this Sunday, Twitter has unleashed a new hashtag that has primarily to do with the disgust of male patriarchy and the lack of consideration for single mothers and/or same-sex couples on this day. The hashtag? “#EndFathersDay.” According to one tweet, “#EndFathersDay because it’s a slap in the face to single mothers everywhere.” Although there is … [Read more...]
A Look at Acts 17: Can Apologists Follow Paul’s Example in Today’s Culture
When it comes to apologetics, Acts 17 has always been one of my favorite chapters of the Bible. I have used it in the attempt to motivate others to learn about apologetics which is the rational defense of the Christian faith. The question at hand is whether the culture is the same today as it was in Paul’s day. Also, does Paul’s approach work for Christians today? First, a … [Read more...]
Does One Need To Investigate Every Religion Before One Can Conclude That Christianity Is True?
Recently, I had a conversation with a friend concerning epistemology (how we come to know certain ideas to be true) and religious propositional claims. My friend asked me how I could be so confident that the evidence supports Christianity when I have not investigated every other religion to find out whether they have any evidence going for them. This is a common talking-point … [Read more...]