Yesterday I came across this interesting article in the journal RNA on the subject of pseudogenes. The majority of scientific papers I read typically would be of no interest to the average person. This one however sparked my interest because of its relationship to a number of exciting areas. Not just in science, but also in theology and religion. This paper (titled … [Read more...]
Undesigned Coincidences: Part 4
There are certain parts of Paul’s letters that we typically pass over in silence. The long lists of greetings, in particular, are flyover territory for expository preachers. “Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, ...” The congregation is probably snoring already. And yet such passages can, on occasion, furnish us with beautiful examples of coincidence without … [Read more...]
Importance of Bible Reading
Most Christians realize that the Bible is very important to the Christian faith. So much so, in fact, that this often leads to handling the Bible in some strange ways. For example, we might take a particular sentence (verse) and memorize it, yet use it out of context. There are sometimes strange views of how the Bible was produced (ie: dictation). Christians might venerate a … [Read more...]
Christ Fulfills Prophecies
[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: Introduction One of the most prominent themes throughout the Bible is the kingdom of God. The framework of Israel’s existence and self-understanding was formulated from God’s covenant with Israel and Israel’s … [Read more...]
Are You Committed To Truth?
In so many of my interactions with people, I have found that they have already made a commitment one way or the other to certain worldviews and are looking for intellectual reasons to either maintain that commitment or escape another commitment. I know people who are ready to accept any worldview except for X and others who are committed to accepting any form of worldview Y. … [Read more...]
The Argument from Design Stated
We see one of the most famous presentations (though not the first) of the Argument from Design in William Paley’s Natural Theology (1802). William Paley (1743-1805) was an English philosopher of religion and ethics and had written several essays regarding Christian apologetics, such as his Truth of the Scripture History of St Paul he wrote in 1790. However, his most notable … [Read more...]
Do We Have a Soul? (Conclusion)
(Part 1, Part 2, Part 3) (I conclude my case for the soul) Two last objections to the existence of the soul are related to science. First, the predominant scientific theory of origins is evolutionary theory; in that we are the product of wholly physical processes through chance and time. On this view there is no room (or need) for immaterial substances. On strict … [Read more...]
7 Tips on Engaging Skeptics Like Paul Did in Athens [Part 3]
7 Cultural Engagement Tips from Acts 17 Today, I’m closing out my series of 3 cultural engagement posts called “7 Tips on Engaging Skeptics Like Paul Did in Athens.” In parts 1 and 2, I shared 5 simple lessons from Paul’s time in Athens: Care About People Prepare for Insults and Interest Find a Point of Contact Help Them Connect the Dots Recognize the Potential for Truth … [Read more...]
Standing in the Light – Four Considerations for Defending the Faith
While driving, I had a chance to listen to an Apologetics 315 podcast featuring an interview with Peter Kreeft. If you have not subscribed to the Apologetics 315 podcasts, I strongly suggest that you do so if you have any interest in Christian apologetics. Brian Auten does an outstanding job of interviewing apologists in a way that is informative yet avoids technical … [Read more...]
Convince Me There’s A God – Archaeology 4
As any good atheist would have done more than 40 years ago, I ridiculed the history of Israel as recorded in the Old Testament of the Bible. How could anyone believe what the Jews wrote about their national history when they were just trying to promote their own brand of ”religion?” Why should I believe them? The problem with that line of thinking, I discovered, was what to … [Read more...]