Video: Eyewitnesses to Jesus? New Evidence for the Authenticity of the Gospels featuring Dr. Peter J. Williams

In this video, Dr. Peter J. Williams explores new evidence that the gospels are based on eyewitness accounts.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Not the God of the Gaps, But of the Whole Show

Click here to read this brief article by Oxford Professor and Christian Apologist John Lennox.

God Bless,

Article: Unstringing the Violinist by Greg Koukl

In this featured article, speaker and author Greg Koukl addresses what he calls "one of the most compelling arguments ever offered in favor of abortion on demand."  It is the "violinist argument" put forth by Judith Jarvis Thompson.

It is as follows:

"I propose, then, that we grant that the fetus is a person from the moment of conception. How does the argument go from here? Something like this, I take it. Every person has a right to life. So the fetus has a right to life. No doubt the mother has a right to decide what shall happen in and to her body; everyone would grant that. But surely a person's right to life is stronger and more stringent than the mother's right to decide what happens in and to her body, and so outweighs it. So the fetus may not be killed; an abortion may not be performed.

It sounds plausible. But now let me ask you to imagine this. You wake up in the morning and find yourself back to back in bed with an unconscious violinist. A famous unconscious violinist. He has been found to have a fatal kidney ailment, and the Society of Music Lovers has canvassed all the available medical records and found that you alone have the right blood type to help. They have therefore kidnapped you, and last night the violinist's circulatory system was plugged into yours, so that your kidneys can be used to extract poisons from his blood as well as your own. The director of the hospital now tells you, "Look, we're sorry the Society of Music Lovers did this to you—we would never have permitted it if we had known. But still, they did it, and the violinist now is plugged into you. To unplug you would be to kill him. But never mind, it's only for nine months. By then he will have recovered from his ailment, and can safely be unplugged from you.

Is it morally incumbent on you to accede to this situation? No doubt it would be very nice of you if you did, a great kindness. But do you have to accede to it? What if it were not nine months, but nine years? Or longer still? What if the director of the hospital says, "Tough luck, I agree, but you've now got to stay in bed, with the violinist plugged into you, for the rest of your life. Because remember this. All persons have a right to life, and violinists are persons. Granted you have a right to decide what happens in and to your body, but a person's right to life outweighs your right to decide what happens in and to your body. So you cannot ever be unplugged from him." I imagine you would regard this as outrageous, which suggests that something really is wrong with that plausible-sounding argument I mentioned a moment ago."

How would you respond?  Checkout Koukl's response here..

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

An Apologetic from Ecclesiastes: Does Anything Make Sense? by Stuart McAllister

In this article, Stuart McAllister of  Ravi Zacharias International Ministries writes how the book of  Ecclesiastes is an essential resource to ponder questions such as: What is the nature of reality? What is it (existence) all about? What is the purpose of life (if any), and to what should  we try to give answers?

In summary, the article provides five "lessons" in describing the Ecclesiastes apologetic approach:

Lesson One:  The Art of Effective Diagnosis

Lesson Two: The Limits of Reason, Rationality, and Analysis

Lesson Three: Life from an Earthly Perspective Often Seems Pointless

Lesson Four: The Necessity of an Answer

Lesson Five: Accept and face the limits of knowledge


You can find the article here.


God Bless,

Sunday Praise: Creed by Third Day and Brandon Heath

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Feature Blog Articles from Uncommon Descent

Uncommon Descent is a great place to keep up with all the latest news as it relates to intelligent design, evolution, origins and current events.

A few posts worth checking out are:

Atheists want to banish the Big Bang because it promotes theism- a romp through the history

Is Atheism Rationally Justifiable?

Naturalism, Intelligent Design and Extraordinary Claims

New Intelligent Design Curriculum: "Discovering Intelligent Design"

Courage and Godspeed,

Chad

Is Jesus the Only Way to God?

This week, my discovery group will be finishing up our study of  On Guard, written by William Lane Craig.  The last chapter focuses on refuting religious pluralists' objections to Christian particularism.

If you do not have access to the book, I recommend the article by Dr. Craig entitled  How Can Christ be the Only Way to God?  The article can be found here.

God Bless,

Featured Resource: Essential Apologetics Powerpoint Series

Brian Auten of Apologetics315 has teamed up with The Powerpoint Apologist and they are offering 12 free powerpoint presentations that will be released monthly.

Permission is granted to download, modify and use these for you own apologetics presentations.  They do ask that you retain the final two slides that feature the Powerpoint Apologist and Apologetics315.

The first 3 powerpoint presentations in the series are as follows:

• Why Apologetics?  Download here.
• Why Believe Anything?  Download here.
• Why God?  Download here.

For more powerpoint presentations from the Powerpoint Apologist, see here.  I cannot recommend these excellent presentations enough!

For more from Apologetics315, go here.

Courage and Godspeed,

Chad

Article: Why Apologetics Has a Bad Name by Sean McDowell

In this featured article, apologist Sean McDowell gives an honest assessment of what the "problem" with apologetics is.

An outline of the article is as follows:

How Apologists Give Apologetics a Bad Name

• Apologists often overstate their case
• Apologists often do not speak with gentleness, love and respect
• Apologists are often not emotionally healthy
• Apologetics is often done in a cold, mechanical and rationalistic manner
• Apologists are often intellectually elitists  

How People's Understanding of Christianity and Culture Gives Apologetics a Bad Name

• Apologetics is about the mind, but faith is considered about the heart
• Apologetics is considered irrelevant in our Postmodern Culture

What Needs to Happen Next

This is a great article that should give the reflective apologist pause.

You can find it here.

Courage and Godspeed,

Chad

Video: The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument featuring Dr. William Lane Craig

The Leibnizian Cosmological Argument is as follows:

1. Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence.

2. If the universe has an explanation of its existence, that explanation is God.

3. The universe exists.

4. The universe has an explanation of its existence.

5. Therefore, the explanation of the universe's existence is God.

William Lane Craig unpacks this argument in the following short videos:

For more of Dr. Craig's work, go here.

For more videos featuring Dr. Craig, see here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Sunday Praise: O Praise Him by David Crowder Band

"Praise the Lord!  Praise the Lord, O my soul!  I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being."  - Psalm 146:1-2

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Featured Blog: Tough Questions Answered

Tough Questions Answered is a blog maintained by Bill Pratt.  This resource is an excellent place to get clear, concise answers to questions about Christianity and how it interacts with science, philosophy, history and ethics and the articles take no more than 5 minutes to read!

Check out Tough Questions Answered here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Video: Separation of Church and State featuring Professor of Law John Eastman

In this short video (4:51), Professor of Law John Eastman explains where the idea of the "separation of church and state" originated and the effects this view has had in the United States.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad 

Free E-book and Audio Book: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis

Truth according to Scripture has made available an online E-book and audio book of C.S. Lewis's classic work Mere Christianity.

You can find them both here.

Also, we have added Mere Christianity to our Free Apologetics E-book Library which can be found here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Video: Selling Apologetics to Your Pastor featuring William Lane Craig

For more videos featuring Dr. Craig, go here.

For more of Dr. Craig's work, go here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Article: Is There Any Evidence for the Soul? by J. Warner Wallace

In this featured article, author and speaker J. Warner Wallace defends the existence of the soul.

He writes:

"This concept of dualism, the recognition of two co-existent realms and realities, is critical to our faith as Christians. If dualism is NOT true (the opposite view is often called ‘monism’ or ‘physicalism’) then there is no realm in which God exists, we have no souls designed for salvation and life with God, and there is no life beyond this one. That’s why the examination of the TRUTH of dualism is so important."

In this article, Wallace addresses some of the following topics:

• Can we prove it (the soul) with science?
• Evidence from the Law of Identity
• The differences between the brain and the mind
• The differences between the body and soul
• Evidence for an immaterial, unseen reality

Check out the entire article here.

To checkout more of Wallace's work, go here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Featured Resource: Compelling Truth

Compelling Truth is a ministry of GotQuestions.org that strives to "present the truth of the Christian faith in a compelling, relevant and practical way."

This resource addresses numerous topics such as:

• The Truth about God
• The Truth about Sin
• What is the Real Truth about Jesus Christ and Why It Matters
• Salvation: Is it real?...What's the Truth?
• Is the Bible True?
• The Truth about Eternity

You can check out Compelling Truth here.

Courage and Godspeed,

Chad

Historian Will Durant on the Life, Character and Teachings of Jesus Christ

Will Durant stands with his pupils.

“That a few simple men should in one generation have invented so powerful and appealing a personality, so lofty an ethic, and so inspiring a vision of human brotherhood, would be a miracle far more incredible than any recorded in the Gospels. After two centuries of Higher Criticism the outlines of life, character, and teaching of Christ remain reasonably clear, and constitute the most fascinating feature in the history of Western man.” 

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Footnote:

1. Will Durant, renowned historian who devoted his life to the study of records of antiquity, Caesar and Christ, in The Story of Civilization, vol. 3, 1944, p. 557.

HT: Always Be Ready

Article: Atheism's Universe is Meaningless and Valueless by J.W. Wartick

In this featured post, J.W. Wartick contends that what follows from atheism is a meaningless and valueless universe.

His argument is as follows:

1) On materialistic atheism, all we are is matter in motion.

2) There is no objective reason to value matter moving in way A over matter moving in way B

3) Therefore, on materialistic atheism, there is no value or meaning

You can see how he supports the premises here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Video: What Skepticism is Good For featuring Dallas Willard

Philosopher Dallas Willard died May 8, 2013.  I gleamed much from his teachings.  He taught me that logical consistency is a significant factor of one's moral character.  Moreover, he shared wonderful insights in his work about what it means to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.  Finally, and most important of all, he taught me to see Jesus as a logician and "the smartest man who ever lived."

While I never had the opportunity to meet him, I am grateful for his ministry and life.  Welcome home Dr. Willard!

In the above video, Dr. Willard discusses belief in the age of skepticism and the usefulness and danger of doubt in our society.

You can find Dr. Willard's work here.

You can see his books here.

J.P. Moreland reflects on the life of Dr. Willard here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Video Lecture: Why I'm Not an Atheist by Ravi Zacharias

Whether you agree with Ravi Zacharias or not, he is always one to challenge your thinking.  Here is a lecture he gave at Princeton University entitled, "Why I'm Not an Atheist."

Enjoy!

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Video: Frank Turek vs. David Silverman Debate: Which offers a better explanation for reality–Theism or Atheism?

Christian apologist Frank Turek, author of I Don't Have Enough Faith To Be An Atheist, recently debated atheist spokesman David Silverman, the President of the American Atheists, on the topic- Which offers a better explanation for reality--Theism or Atheism? 

This debate was held on April 18, 2013 at Broadmoor Baptist Church in Shreveport, LA.

Apologetics315 has the audio here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Audio: Come Reason Podcasts- Answering Atheist Arguments against God

Lenny Esposito of Come Reason Ministries recently featured a four part podcast on his blog dealing with popular atheist objections and how to answer them.

Here are the four parts:

• Answering Atheist Arguments Against God (Pt. 1)
• Answering Atheist Arguments Against God (pt. 2)
• Answering Atheist Arguments Against God (pt. 3)
• Answering Atheist Arguments Against God (pt. 4)

To subscribe to the Come Reason Podcasts, go here.

Courage and Godspeed,

Chad

Video: God or Atheism- Which is more Rational? featuring Peter Kreeft

For more of Dr. Kreeft's work, go here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Jeffrey Burton Russell on the Compatibility of Science and Christianity

"If it were true that Christianity and science were incompatible, there would be no Christians who were respected scientists.  In fact, about forty percent of professional natural scientists are practicing Christians, and many others are theists of other kinds.  Fewer than thirty percent are atheists...in universities, more Christians are found in the natural sciences than in any other fields."

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad





Footnote:

1. Jeffrey Burton Russell, Exposing Myths about Christianity, p. 147, 2012.

Featured Resource: Sententias- Dialogues Concerning Philosophy, Theology and Science

Sententias is the blog of Max Andrews, who is a philosophy graduate student.  

He writes:

"My thesis is on the fine-tuning argument from cosmology and physics in multiverse scenarios.  I have lectured in logic, existentialism, metaphysics, epistemology, the philosophy of science, theological liberalism, neo-orthodoxy, personhood, free will and determinism, theological fatalism, axiology, moral argument for the existence of God, various cosmological arguments for the existence of God, fine-tuning argument for the existence of God, and the problem of evil."

Max regularly features excellent articles, Q and A questions and general thoughts about the above topics and more.

A few interesting offerings from Max include:

• If God Does Not Exist Then Nothing is Wrong

• The Reverse Ontological Argument

• Sam Harris' Equivocation on "The Good"

• Materialism and the Philosophy of Mind

• Kalam and the Flying Spaghetti Monster

Sententias is a great place to have your thinking challenged!  You can check it out here.

Courage and Godspeed,

Chad

Video: Inhuman- Undercover in America's Late-Term Abortion Industry - Arizona

in-hu-man (adj)

1. lacking human qualities of compassion and mercy; cruel barbaric

2. not human in nature or character

Learn to defend the lives of the unborn here.

"For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb" [Proverbs 139:13].

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Article: What If Atheism Really Is Just a "Lack of Belief in God?" by Carson Weitnauer

In this featured article by Carson Weitnauer of the Reasons for God blog, Weitnauer persuasively deals with modern atheists who have attempted to re-define atheism as simply a "lack of belief in God" and explains what the consequences are for doing so.  

He writes:

"Many atheists claim that the proper definition of atheism is, as Austin Cline of the Atheism channel on About.com states, “simply the absence of belief in gods.”

But if atheism is a lack of belief and not a positive affirmation of what is real, good, and true, then the atheist immediately runs into serious problems."

You can find the article here.  Wintery Knight also has a great post on this topic that can be found here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Audio Interview: Dr. Craig Keener on Miracles

In this featured audio, Dr. Craig Keener of Asbury Theological Seminary, provides numerous examples of credible miracle reports from antiquity to the present.  He also addresses many of the common objections to miracles.

You can listen here.  Further, you can checkout Keener's The Credibility of the New Testament Accounts here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad