“I know life is hard, I think everyone knows that in their hearts, but why does it have to be cruel, as well? Why does it have to bite?” _________________________________________________________________________________________________ There’s something about Stephen King’s writing that gets to me. Yes, he has a very grim view of the world. The darkness in his universe is … [Read more...]
Paul – Apostle or Fraud (Part 6)
In the last part of our study, we saw disciples of Christ sending Saul (Paul) from Jerusalem to Tarsus for his safety. That led to a time of peace for the believers throughout all Judea, Galilee and Samaria. “And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.” (Acts 9:31) Luke, the human author of Acts, then turned his attention … [Read more...]
Quickly Answering Memes
A staple for skeptics of religion on social media is the use of memes: pictures with captions that quickly elucidate an argument or display a contradiction in doctrine or Scripture. Most arguments against Christianity can be articulated in a sentence or two, but it takes a 1,000 word article to unpack. That isn't universal, however. To wit, I have selected three memes I … [Read more...]
Introduction to Islam – Part II – Religious Beliefs
The religious beliefs of Islam include the concept of God, their creed, the prophethood of Hazrat Mohammed, the uniqueness of the Quran and the worldview aspects of Islam. These and a few more topics are discussed briefly in this post. GOD : In Islam, God is called Allah. The word Allah means God. It is derived from Arabic. Islam is a monotheistic religion in the absolute … [Read more...]
Are Christians Intellectually Lazy?
By James W. Miller I guess I find myself stunned every time I hear it, but I heard it again recently. “Christians settle for God as their explanation for everything because they’re intellectually lazy.” Commonly the background experience of the speaker is one of growing up surrounded by an acculturated religion for which people have comfortably settled. She has come to the … [Read more...]
Dissecting ‘One God Less’ Meme
“I contend we are both atheists,” signed Stephen F. Roberts, “I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.” Roberts is believed1 to be the person who crystallized and popularized this increasing reechoed sound bite when he began signing his online post with it in … [Read more...]
To Find God: An Existential Argument for the Passionate
When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them. (Revelation 8:1-2) In Western literature and especially film, we encounter certain philosophical motifs that toy with man's existential situation, as it were. From Ingmar Bergman's The Seventh Seal to … [Read more...]
Gnosticism 2.0 – Knowing that one knows God
Normally on this blog I focus on issues that should be of interest to skeptics, people who are not convinced that God exists or that Christianity is a belief system to be taken seriously. Today I’d like to instead discuss Christianity directly. Lately as I’ve read the Bible some interesting themes have popped out, particularly in the book entitled 1 John. To those who are … [Read more...]
What Is The Biggest Obstacle To The Apologetics Movement?
Image credit:www.genwhymovement.com Right now is a great time to be an apologist. We are living in a period of time where apologetics is booming, both in academic and everyday life. It's never been easier to get your hands on material that can strengthen your faith and empower your evangelism, and the time to utilize these resources has never been more urgent. With the rise … [Read more...]
UnWholly
In Unwind, Neil Shusterman gave us a brilliantly disturbing look at a culture in which parents can have teenage children “unwound” – a process which kills them as every part of their physical body is separated and given to someone else. Shusterman introduced some weighty concepts in Unwind: Do we have souls? Do people have intrinsic worth? What makes human life … [Read more...]