Darius or Cyrus? “That very night Belshazzar, king of the Chaldeans, was slain. And Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.” Daniel 5:30-31 Daniel wrote that Darius the Mede received the Kingdom of Babylon, but Herodotus wrote that Cyrus received it. Who is right? In the last part of our series we looked at how archaeological discoveries from … [Read more...]
Option C: The Time-Salvation Paradox
There is one aspect about God and our understanding of Him that I felt compelled to write about. This one area has divided Christians for centuries, and that is the subject of God's sovereignty in relation to man's free will. Now, I know this is a topic which has been perpetually argued, but it is because of this fact that I had felt so passionate about the subject. I would … [Read more...]
Should Christians Favor the Death Penalty?
Love and Christianity are apparently synonymous. If love is innate in Christianity, how should Christians view the death penalty? Pew Research Center reports 1 that Judaism and Buddhism oppose the death penalty. Hinduism holds no clear stance. Islam favors the death penalty. American atheists and agnostics are split almost equally on the death penalty. Pew … [Read more...]
Expert Testimony: The Existence of God, the Problem of Evil, and the Facts on the Bible
One of the respected methods by which truth claims may be verified is by expert testimony. Expert testimony is offered in court cases to assist in the search for truth. In the same way, expert testimony from respected individuals in human history may offer voracity to the truth claims of the Christian faith. True faith, Christian faith is grounded in hard facts and … [Read more...]
Would Discovery of Aliens Destroy Christianity?
Not all Christians may believe in the prospect of discovery of alien life, but all Christians should offer reasonable responses to honest questions. One such question is whether discovery of alien life would hurt Christianity. … [Read more...]
Neil Gaiman’s Interworld Trilogy: Heroes And Cautionary Tales
I was first introduced to the writings of Neil Gaiman through Neverwhere, a dark, moving, parallel universe fantasy that takes place beneath the streets of London. As I further explored his writing, I found him to be constantly creative, often profound, and entirely capable of writing books for both adult and youth audiences (American Gods and The Ocean at the End of the Lane, … [Read more...]
Book Review: Relativism- Feet Planted in Mid-Air- Parts 3, 4, and 5
Last month I began a review of Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air (soft cover, Kindle, GoodReads) by Frank Beckwith and Greg Koukl. In that portion I summarized the authors' explanation and critique of moral relativism in the first two parts of the book. This month I will dig into the connections the authors see between relativism and education and public policy and … [Read more...]
Did Jesus Exist? (Part 2: Pliny the Younger and Suetonius)
In my previous article, I addressed the subject of Jesus’ existence. While a full and robust case can be made by appealing to the New Testament (NT) documents (see Evidence Unseen “Part Four,” 2013), here we will only appeal to the hostile witnesses of history from outside of the NT. In this article, we will consider the evidence from the Roman governor Pliny the Younger and … [Read more...]
Should Christians Practice Yoga?
Yoga is rapidly gaining popularity. Yoga (Transcendental Meditation – TM [1] is understood as a path of union with the divine in Hinduism. Yoga is any type of exercise (physical, mental or spiritual) that promotes an individual’s journey to a union with the divine. Should we practice yoga because it’s popular? … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Archaeology 27
“The handwriting is on the wall.” The next time you hear someone use that phrase, ask them where it comes from. Many people have no idea it comes from the Book of Daniel. “In the same hour the fingers of a man’s hand appeared and wrote opposite the lampstand on the plaster of the wall of the king’s palace; and the king saw the part of the hand that wrote … Then the fingers of … [Read more...]