(Continued from Part 1) Justification is the concept that provides our belief with the assuredness of its truth. People believe things for reasons, which provide the warrant for their belief. Without these reasons, you do not have knowledge, although you could get lucky in your belief. Guessing is not knowledge. If a belief is justified, then we have the right to believe … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Archaeology 5
As an atheist I believed in what I could see, not in what I could not see. The “natural” was something I could see – the “supernatural” was not. So, the archaeological finds that supported various aspects of the historicity of the Old Testament impressed me. Even though most of the ancient discoveries were located in museums around the world, being able to see photos of the … [Read more...]
Is Jesus the ‘Exclusive’ Way/Truth?
[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: In John 14, Jesus spoke about many rooms in his Father’s house, and that [Jesus] would be preparing a place for his disciples and that they know the way to where he is going. Then Thomas asked, “...How can we know … [Read more...]
The Forbidden "L-Word"
Everybody knows there are certain words that we just shouldn’t use. They are filled with hateful connotations and histories that simply cause far too much offense at their mere utterance. One of these, of course, is the “L-word.” What’s that you say? What is the “L-word?” Why, “lifestyle,” of course. According to same-sex marriage advocate and blogger Kimberly Knight, … [Read more...]
Who Designed the Designer?
[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 question “Who created God?” (or sometimes, “What created God?”) is a common question posed by agnostics and atheists in internet discussion forums. After all, if we can follow the chain of causes all the way … [Read more...]
Sex and Civilization
With the West massively committed to redefining sex, marriage and the family, it might be fruitful to see if any of these innovations have already been tried and what has been history’s verdict regarding them. Brian Fitzpatrick suggests that the most “definitive work on the rise and fall of civilizations, was published in 1934 by Oxford anthropologist J.D. Unwin." In Sex and … [Read more...]
Undesigned Coincidences: Part 5
A life as rich in travel and relationships as Paul’s was, documented both by his letters and by the history of the book of Acts, affords many opportunities for undesigned coincidences to emerge—so many, in fact, that it is worth pausing to see some of the evidence that Acts was not written by someone who had Paul’s letters before him. Leafing through 2 Corinthians, we notice … [Read more...]
Ask the Alliance: How and where do I start learning which religion is true?
:::Ask the Alliance Question #5::: Question submitted by Robyn: "I'm struggling with making a commitment to learning why any religion is true. One of the main things I think I'm struggling with is that finding a religion to be true would require me to make some huge changes. Do you have any advice on how to start and where to start?" Note: We attempted to contact Robyn using … [Read more...]
Why Can't We All Be Right?
Most of you are probably familiar with CS Lewis and his famous dichotomy. “Christianity, if false, is of no importance, and if true, of infinite importance. The only thing it cannot be is moderately important.” Of course, we all understand the implications of such a statement. If Christianity is false, then the way that it describes the universe is essentially invalid and … [Read more...]
Certainly Agnostic
By James W. Miller When I offer an apologetics seminar that I call “Know Why You Believe,” I find that the skeptical attendees have a preferred label for themselves. “So I’m an agnostic,” says the first person to raise his hand, and that is the preface to his question. A few others nod their heads eagerly. I’m not sure if I believe him or not. But I’ve finally come up with … [Read more...]