The dialogue recorded at this link is a fabulous example of doing many things right in a conversation with somebody you disagree with. Peter Kreeft was taking a class that was being taught by a homosexual activist. Kreeft hoped to chat with his professor (whom he calls "Art") about his views, striving to open and clarify their respective views on the subject. Kreeft is right to … [Read more...]
Reason and Intuition – Chicken and Egg
I’ve been wrestling a lot, lately, with the proper relationship between reason and emotion. Part of the motivation for this conflict in my own mind is because I know people who gravitate to one or the other of these, and they often look down upon whichever of the two they do not gravitate toward. But I find myself drawn to aspects of both, and repulsed by the overemphasis of … [Read more...]
Craig, Law, and Evil God: Oh My!
The debate between William Lane Craig and Stephen Law has sent what amounts to shockwaves through the Christian community. Law’s “Evil God” argument is certainly interesting. These are some thoughts and criticisms about Stephen Law’s Evil God argument. The argument is: 1. If gratuitous good exists, then Evil God does not exist. 2. Gratuitous good exists. 3. Therefore, Evil God … [Read more...]
Teaching Effective Apologetics for Small Time Periods
So you think you have what it takes to be an apologist? You’ve mastered the arguments, and you’re ready to go? Well, using apologetics effectively involves not just making formal, lengthy arguments, but also the ability to condense those arguments down into everyday conversations. Sometimes God presents opportunities which only last for a few minutes. It is important as … [Read more...]
Koukl talks to a waiter
I enjoyed listening to the opening part of Greg Koukl's show Stand to Reason some time ago. You can find it by scrolling down to November 18, at this link. Very briefly, Koukl had a fascinating chat with a waiter, but the conversation simply didn't go anywhere! They talked about all kinds of interrelated stuff that was all connected to the big questions of life, but they didn't … [Read more...]
Community Apologetics – one model
This month the CAA has featured a series of articles on community apologetics. I throw my hat into the ring with this little piece describing the history of a community apologetics group I am involved in. Past Back in 2009 the original "Atheist bus ads" came to Calgary, Canada. They were placed throughout much of Europe and North America. You may remember them, "There probably … [Read more...]
Apologetics and Retaliation
Recently I have been thinking about retaliation and it's connection to apologetics. If you are talking with someone who is hostile, aggressive, or uncivil, what does one do? It's rare when I write on apologetics that 1 Peter 3:15-16 doesn't come up, and it is going to do so again. Specifically, it is at the end of verse 15 that I wish to highlight: 15 But in your hearts honor … [Read more...]
Becoming an Ambassador, part 1
As a Christian apologist I am haunted by the desire to share what I have learned about the Christian worldview. As someone immersed[1] in this field I am also confronted with the observation of Solomon, What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. Is there anything of which one can say, “Look! This is something new”? It … [Read more...]
Book Review: Cold Case Christianity
Introduction Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels (Paperback Kindle, Audiobook) is one of the latest books to examine the evidence for the reliability of the New Testament. Detective Jim Wallace was an atheist before he began putting Christianity to the same tests that he places witnesses and suspects to in his investigations of … [Read more...]
Piers Morgan and Rick Warren
Here's an interesting little snippet of an interview between Piers Morgan and Rick Warren on the Bible's teachings about homosexuality and whether it should be "amended" (not clear what that means). I found a couple of things interesting. Morgan is right to observe that these conversations need to be respectful and that they have a habit of turning poisonous. He would seem to … [Read more...]