“... God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent, because He has fixed a day in which He will judge the world in righteousness through a Man whom He has appointed, having furnished proof to all men by raising Him from the dead.” Now when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some began to sneer, but others said, “We shall hear you again concerning … [Read more...]
Minimal Facts Method
[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: The “minimal facts approach” argues for the resurrection of Jesus based on its ability to explain the relevant historical facts that are “strongly evidenced…[and] granted by virtually all scholars on the … [Read more...]
Resurrection Apologetics: Starting with Paul’s Letters
Introduction In discussions about the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus, it is common to start with the Gospels. But in my opinion, I think it is best to back up and start with Paul. After all, Paul’s writings are the earliest records we have for the resurrection of Jesus. Paul, who was a very competent rabbi who was trained at the rabbinic academy called the House of … [Read more...]
On Hell
[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: Hell is known as a lake of fire and also outer darkness in the Bible. This is a place where the wrath and anger of God is going to be poured out on sinners in full after judgment. There will be weeping and gnashing … [Read more...]
God or Godless? A Book Review
Special thanks to Baker Books for the free copy to review. This book has a very interesting premise. Instead of a book with one long debate about whether or not God exists, this book contains twenty short debates on a variety of topics, everything from whether or not life has meaning apart from God and whether science is a substitute for religion to whether or not God cares … [Read more...]
Does the evidence matter, or is it mere distraction?
What miraculous event would remove all doubt that God exists? I spent some time as an atheist in my early-to-mid twenties. I knew there was no convincing evidence for God's existence. I didn't buy the "God says it, I believe it, that settles it," mantra, or the "Faith takes over where reason leaves off" stand-by. I still don't, even after becoming a Christian. Now I know the … [Read more...]
Arguments from Other Minds
[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: (Alvin Plantinga) It is just as difficult to prove other minds exist as it is to prove the Mind of God. Since other minds exist, it is conceivable that God exists and God is the source of the mind. Scripture for … [Read more...]
Arguments from Consciousness
[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: A particularly interesting argument for God’s existence stems from the human consciousness. When a person describes the human consciousness, one is describing not only the awareness of a particular person, … [Read more...]
How to Examine Worldviews
[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: What is a worldview? A "worldview" refers to "what we see of reality," "world" here meaning not just this planet , but universal truth. Worldview is a partial synonym for "religion," in what sociologist … [Read more...]
Book Review: The Making of An Atheist
The Making of an Atheist by James Spiegel is a short book on the non-rational reasons that people may have for rejecting the existence of God. It was of interest to me because it doesn't address intellectual reasons, but emotional reasons. The book talks about the psychology of atheists. The book is divided into five chapters and is a mere 128 pages, so it makes for a quick … [Read more...]