Can the Atheistic Worldview Answer 18 Questions of Fundamental Human Experience? Is Atheism An Effective Explanation for what we observe in the Universe? This is a video response to my atheistic friend, Michael, who recently began a dialogue with me regarding the evidence for the Christian Worldview. In this video, I respectfully respond to the answers he gave me, and try to … [Read more...]
Graceling: On Monsters and Grace
Publishers Weekly listed Graceling,the debut novel from Kristin Cashore, in its Best Book of the Year list in 2008. Since then, Cashore has published a sort-of prequel called FIre and a sequel titled Bitterblue. Here's Wikipedia's list of awards: Graceling was shortlisted for the ALA's William C. Morris YA Award, is an ALA Best Book for Young Adults, was a Cybils finalist … [Read more...]
Faith, Hope and Poetry: Theology and the Poetic Imagination by Malcolm Guite (book review)
For as long as people have written, sung, and told stories about God, literature has been a means by which the Holy Spirit has moved individuals to draw closer to Christ. However, the role of the imagination in apologetics and theology has received, until lately, little attention from Christian scholars and apologists. Fortunately, this situation is now being remedied by a … [Read more...]
New Atheism and its Challenge to Prove the Existence of God
New Atheist and physicist, Victor Stenger, laments that most atheists don’t challenge and ridicule religious belief. Therefore, he lays out several put-up-or-shut-up challenges for theists. (However, he seems to have Christians in mind.): • Many of the attributes associated with the Judaic-Christian-Islamic God have specific consequences that can be tested empirically … [Read more...]
On the Importance of Terminology: Species and Speciation
This post is focused on two terms used in discussions about the history and origins of life. The terms “species” and “speciation” are used extensively to demonstrate that modern evolutionary theory, neo-Darwinism (a.k.a. “molecules to men” via natural processes alone) is a fact. Similar to the previous post I would like to inoculate the lay reader from being bullied by the … [Read more...]
Ideas are Powerful: A Little Virus Can Take Control of an Entire Body
Ideas are powerful. Some ideas are so coercive that they can transform our entire worldview. The Galatians had been “running well” (Gal. 5:7). However, they fell under the influence of a powerful, coercive idea. Along with trusting Christ, the Galatians succumbed to the belief that they had to also become Jews and follow the law in order to be saved. Rather than contributing … [Read more...]
Analytical Apologetics: AA for the Inebriated Mind
“Don’t be surprised to find out that there are atheists and agnostics in your midst,” Ted said to me. He'd been railing against the evils of organized religion. I got the impression he expected some kind of shocked reaction from me. But he didn't get one. He’d already said he was a humanist, and I knew the two kind of go together. Besides, I’m not horrified over atheists. I … [Read more...]
Can Religion Be Tested for Truth?
Most of the time, I'm not too fond of using the term "religion". I normally prefer to use "worldview" because it is more clear about what all a belief-system entails. However, for this post, I will use the term common for the question posed in the title: Can religion be tested for truth? Many years ago, I would not have even thought to ask if religion can be tested for truth. … [Read more...]
Cataloguing the Historical Anachronisms in the Qur'an
Muslim apologists often contend that the Qur'an is free, in its entirity, from contradiction, inconsistency or historical inaccuracy. I have seen many Muslims assert that the historical and scientific accuracy of the Qur'an was what impressed them about this book and convinced them that Islam is true. Previously on this blog, I have addressed Muhammad's wildly inaccurate … [Read more...]
Book Review: Sam Harris' Lying
“The 9th commandment defended” is my four words review of Sam Harris’ 26 paged book “Lying”. Harris succeeded to convince me “that lying, even about the smallest matters, needlessly damages personal relationships and public trust”. Harris is simply at his best in this noteworthy essay to which I, as a Christian theist, do concur with him in all areas but one major issue, namely … [Read more...]