Who likes to argue? Depends what you mean. Unfortunately, apologists use words which could give people the wrong impression: “Apologetics” sounds like apologizing. “Defense” sounds like training for hand-to-hand combat. And “argue” sounds like the thing you hate doing with your family on the way to church! … [Read more...]
An Easter Meditation inspired by Counting Crows
Ravi Zacharias told this story in a radio podcast to illustrate where western culture is with regard to belief and worldview: Two Australian sailors were on leave in England and decided to go out to the pubs. After a long night of drinking, they were both very drunk and had to get back to their ship. By this time it was early morning and a heavy fog had settled in. They got … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Thermodynamics
After leaving atheism for theism more than 40 years ago, I’m answering some of the most-asked questions from atheists: What happened to me? Did I lose my mind? Was I on drugs? How can an atheist possibly become a theist? Was I just a bad atheist? Is that what happened? … [Read more...]
"Moral Bioenhancement" and Academic Blindness
David DeGrazia, professor at George Washington University, has written a peer-reviewed paper for the Journal of Medical Ethics on "Moral Bioenhancement" (MB). The suggestion is to "encourage or require" advanced technologies, including genetic and embryonic "selection" to enhance the moral status of the human race. I learned about this through William Briggs's excellent … [Read more...]
Neurotheology and the New Atheists
The Neurotheological Argument Against God "Neurotheology" is a term used by Dr. Andrew Newberg to describe the relationship between the brain and religious experience. In fact, many neuroscientists have performed studies claiming to find the part of the brain responsible for religious belief and experience. One approach is to use a single-photon emission … [Read more...]
Does Truth Exist and Is It Knowable? – Pt. 1
(pt.1 of 4) Does Truth exist? Even if it does, can we know it? Are we in the dark like Kant said that we are? Should we be absolutely skeptical as Hume told us we should be? This is Lesson #3 of our "Reason To Believe" Video Apologetics Class. Here we will begin to discuss the all important question of truth, and whether it can be known at all. We will be examining the claims … [Read more...]
My Word Is My Bond
The basis of all human transactions is trust. Trust that others will keep their word and do what they said they will do. Let me rephrase: in a well-functioning society the basis of human transaction is trust that other people will keep their word. In a society where some use power or force to get what they want, or others deceit, there will be considerable costs to us as … [Read more...]
Crossing the Most Dangerous Line: How some bioethicists undermine human value
Our point is only that there is nothing bad about death or killing other than disability and disabling. (Sinnott-Armstrong and Miller, cited below) The authors also do not agree with the term euthanasia for this practice [after birth abortions] as the best interest of the person who would be killed is not necessarily the primary reason his or her life is being terminated. In … [Read more...]
If Atheists Exist, God Does Not?
The following is an interesting argument presented to me by a friend. The originator of the argument is unknown to me at this time, but seems to be an acquaintance or friend of a friend of a friend. In any case, it is interesting, and I evaluate it below. D1: God is defined as omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent D2: Revelation is Gods disclosure of Himself to His … [Read more...]
A Transgender Child?
The other day, as I was catching up on news from the NFL combine, I came across a headline that caught my attention, "Transgender child banned from girls' bathroom". "Coy Mathis, 6, was born a male but has presented as a female since she was 18-months-old, her mother Kathryn Mathis told talk show host Katie Couric." I was confused and it was not about who used what bathrooms. … [Read more...]