“Discoveries of the last half of the 20th century have brought the scientific community to the realization that our universe and our planet in the universe are so remarkably unique that it is almost impossible to imagine how this could have happened accidentally, causing many agnostic scientists to concede that indeed some intelligent creative force may be required to account … [Read more...]
The Importance of Set Theory to Apologetics
Argumentum ad mathematicum Growing up as a young lad, I had an interest in mathematics. This interest waned a bit, starting in pre-calculus (doing summation the long way just doesn’t jibe well with time constraints). Nevertheless, apologetics has brought me back to studying the basics, as it were, of mathematics. Increasingly, those arguing for the truth of Christianity … [Read more...]
Clearing up Cosmos
A Review of The Unofficial Guide to Cosmos: Fact and Fiction in Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Landmark Science Series Douglas Ell became an atheist as a youth because of misinformation handed down in the name of science. It took him thirty years “to climb out of the atheist hole.” Sadly, Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, the 2014 series brought to you by Neil deGrasse Tyson, Family Guy’s … [Read more...]
Scientific Mythologies: How Science And Science Fiction Forge New Religious Beliefs
James A. Herrick's Scientific Mythologies: How Science and Science Fiction Forge New Religious Beliefs offers a fascinating look at the interplay between fiction and reality. Sci-fi literature has had more of an impact on scientific research than one might expect. Rather than being a purely logical endeavor, science is sometimes fueled by - and often distorted by - what … [Read more...]
Søren Kierkegaard: A Christian Thinker
In my previous treatment of Kierkegaard (S.K., hereafter) as a relevant Christian thinker of our day, I drew upon basic themes in S.K. to illuminate an apologetic for the imagination, so to speak. One of these basic yet classic themes in S.K. was "truth as subjectivity." For such a phrase, S.K. has (wrongfully) been acclaimed a relativist, or a fideist. But my goodness! S.K. … [Read more...]
Is Doubt The Opposite Of Faith?
One of the greatest things that I ever learned from an atheist was that there was value in questioning authority, in doubting. Doubt is not always a bad thing. Doubt is not the opposite of faith. In fact, it is by doubting that all of us have come to discard certain beliefs, while embracing others. In a way, we can’t have faith without doubting something else first. … [Read more...]
Why Do We Believe The Gospel?
By Jon Bolie Introduction When it comes to the matter of faith, there is only one legitimate definition; knowing that something is true and trusting in that fact. You cannot have faith that is 'blind'. Now, you may not understand everything about God (we don't... we have limited [finite] minds, while God's is infinite), but we can know something. The Reason The reason the … [Read more...]
Godbuster: A Debate With Elliot George
This week I engaged in a radio debate with an atheist on Unbelievable on Premier Christian Radio (which you can listen to here). My interlocutor was a British atheist, a retired biology teacher who goes by the pseudonym Elliot George. In his book, Godbuster, George attempts to dismantle theistic belief. I knew when I saw the front cover that the book was unlikely to be … [Read more...]
Is Intelligent Design A Circular Argument? A Response to Matt Dillahunty
On Sunday night, I called into the Atheist Experience, an atheist TV show based out of Austin, Texas. It is a weekly call in program, airing every Sunday at 4:30 till 5:30pm Central and can be viewed on ustream. The recording of my discussion with Matt Dillahunty from Sunday night (I am the first and longest caller) can still be found online (mp3; video). It is unfortunate … [Read more...]
Cosmos, Giordano Bruno, and Getting it Right
I wanted to like the reboot of Cosmos. Really, I did. Despite the patronizing materialism that kept cropping up in the old show, Carl Sagan covered some great subjects and excited the minds of a generation. Some of his most famous lines can still send a chill down my back. And today, at a time when cosmology is changing so rapidly that all astronomy textbooks more than a … [Read more...]