Does the personhood of foetuses give them right to life? Does that right to life override women’s rights to control what happens in and to their bodies? In A Defense of Abortion, Judith Jarvis Thomson argued that even if we grant that foetuses are persons and thus have a right to life, it does not follow that they have the right to use the pregnant women’s bodies. Thomson's … [Read more...]
Council of Nicea (325 AD)
[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 first ecumenical Council of Nicea was called by Emperor Constantine (the Great, or the First) around 20May or 19June to circa 25Aug 325. The primary issue was over the Arian heresy. We have the 20 canons … [Read more...]
Belief in God as Properly Basic: An Explanation
With respect to holding certain beliefs about things (e.g., the existence of God, the existence of minds other than your own, etc.) we often hold to a criterion of knowledge regarding the grounds for the truth of the belief. Hence, let us ask for example, what might be the justifying grounds for say, believing that God exists? Is there evidence that supports the … [Read more...]
Can Science Answer All Questions?
In the movie Contact? Ellie told her father that she loved him, but she couldn't prove it scientifically. That’s because science can't do that sort of thing. Science can't show that two people love each other. Science is simply a tool that we utilize to uncover facts about the observable universe. So here’s a fun fact: Science is not omniscient. It cannot answer all our … [Read more...]
"I'm OK you're not OK" – Understanding religious exclusivism
Christians claim that Jesus spoke the truth about God. Jesus, in turn, claimed “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:7 NIV). This certainly comes across as very exclusive. Jesus, however, founded just one of many world religions. Can we take his exclusive claims seriously? Doesn’t the great plurality of world religions … [Read more...]
Living Sacrifice's "Nietzsche's Madness": Metal and the Moral Argument
Living Sacrifice, a four piece metal band from Arkansas, has been around for the past two decades. One of the first openly Christian bands to gain acceptance and popularity in both the Christian and secular markets, the band has never been the one to play for safe lyrical topics or themes - some having potent apologetic content. … [Read more...]
Bradley Monton: The Hated Atheist and ID Sympathizer
There are many who despise atheist professor of philosophy, Bradley Monton, author of Seeking God in Science: An Atheist Defends Intelligent Design, and even want to see him fired. He explains: The degree to which I have been attacked is actually pretty ludicrous. I gave a public lecture on intelligent design here at the University of Colorado, and a number of the school’s … [Read more...]
On Inerrancy and Inspiration
[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 (Evangelical Protestant) doctrine of Inerrancy pertains to the original autographs in their original languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek). The doctrine states the originals (which are lost) were free from error or … [Read more...]
Defending the Trinity
[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 doctrine of the Trinity is a cornerstone doctrine for the Christian faith. Although it is sometimes seen to be a contradiction, this could not be further from the truth. This accusation is often leveled because … [Read more...]
Elysium: Fighting For Paradise
According to Brittanica Online, "Elysium, also called Elysian Fields or Elysian Plain, in Greek mythology, originally the paradise to which heroes on whom the gods conferred immortality were sent... In Homer’s writings the Elysian Plain was a land of perfect happiness at the end of the earth.. In the earlier authors, only those specially favored by the gods entered Elysium and … [Read more...]