Thursday, August 31, 2017

Charles Spurgeon on the Study of God

"It has been said by someone that the proper study of mankind is man.  I will not oppose the idea, but I believe it is equally true that the proper study of God's elect is God; the proper study of a Christian is the Godhead.  The highest science, the loftiest speculation, the mightiest philosophy, which can ever engage the attention of a child of God, is the name, the nature, the person, the work, the doings, and the existence of the great God whom he calls his Father."1

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad




Footnote:

1. Charles Spurgeon, Sunday Morning Sermon, Jan. 7, 1855 as quoted by William Lane Craig and J.P. Moreland in Philosophical Foundations of a Christian Worldview, p. 501.

Related Posts

Charles Spurgeon on Desiring for Others to be Saved

Charles Spurgeon on Intelligent Faith

Book Preview: Five Proofs of the Existence of God by Ed Feser

Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Book Preview: Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell

About the Authors

Josh McDowell

As a young man, Josh McDowell considered himself an agnostic. He truly believed that Christianity was worthless. However, when challenged to intellectually examine the claims of Christianity, Josh discovered compelling and overwhelming evidence for the reliability of the Christian faith. After trusting in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, Josh’s life changed dramatically as he experienced the power of God’s love. After his conversion, Josh committed his life to telling a doubting world about the truth of Jesus Christ. After studying at Kellogg College, Josh completed his college degree at Wheaton College and then attended Talbot Theological Seminary, graduating magna cum laude with a Masters of Divinity. Working with Campus Crusade for Christ and founding the youth outreach, Josh McDowell Ministry, Josh has shared the gospel with more than 25 million people in 125 countries. He is the author or co-authored of 147 books.

Sean McDowell

Dr. Sean McDowell is a gifted communicator with a passion for equipping the church, especially young people, to make the case for the Christian faith. He connects with audiences through humor and stories while imparting hard evidence and logical support of a biblical worldview. Sean is an assistant professor in Biola University’sChristian Apologetics program and the resident scholar for Summit California. A regular speaker for organizations like Focus on the Family, the Chuck Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and Youth Specialties, among others, Sean is the author, co-author, or editor of over eighteen books and is a frequent guest on radioshows like Family Life Today and Point of View.

About the Book

The modern apologetics classic that started it all is now completely revised and updated—because the truth of the Bible doesn’t change, but its critics do. With the original Evidence That Demands a Verdict, bestselling author Josh McDowell gave Christian readers the answers they needed to defend their faith against the harshest critics and skeptics. Since that time, Evidence has remained a trusted resource for believers young and old. Bringing historical documentation and the best modern scholarship to bear on the trustworthiness of the Bible and its teachings, this extensive volume has encouraged and strengthened millions. Now, with his son Sean McDowell, Josh McDowell has updated and expanded this classic resource for a new generation. This is a book that invites readers to bring their doubts and doesn’t shy away from the tough questions.

Features Include:

• Thoroughly revised and updated from the previous edition

• Now co-authored by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell

• All-new chapters defending against the latest attacks from Christianity’s critics

• Designed to be a go-to reference for even the toughest questions

• Offers thoughtful responses to the Bible’s most difficult and extraordinary passages

• Expansive defense of Christianity’s core truths, including the resurrection of Jesus Christ

To learn more about this updated and expanded classic, go here,

To order your copy, go here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Related Posts

Blog Post: Did the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Exist? by Sean McDowell

Book Review: The Fate of the Apostles by Sean McDowell

Video: The Atheist Challenge by Sean McDowell

Tuesday, August 29, 2017

Classic Debate: Jesus' Resurrection- Fact or Figment? featuring William Lane Craig and Gerd Ludemann


This debate from 2002 is very interesting.  Ludemann explains why he believes the best explanation of the facts surrounding Jesus' resurrection is the hallucination theory.  Craig responds.  There is also an interesting Q and A that follows.

Enjoy!

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Related Posts

How Many Angels Were at Christ's Tomb?

Bart Ehrman on the Earliest Christian Claims about Jesus

Video: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? by William Lane Craig

Monday, August 28, 2017

Free LifeWay Apologetics Workshop

I was pleased to see that our local (Hagerstown, MD) Lifeway Christian Bookstore is offering a free Apologetics Workshop on Tuesday, Sept. 12 at 10 am-11 am and 6 pm to 7 pm.

They describe the event as follows:

"How do you articulate your beliefs to a nonbeliever or even someone doubting their own faith? That's a challenge facing all Christians, and it's one we're tackling with our next in-store workshop.  Come to understand more about your faith, so you'll be better equipped to defend and share it.  FREE workbooks to the first 75 customers at each store."

You can click here to learn more about the event.  Also, you can check if your area store is also hosting this event.

On that day, the CSB Apologetics Study Bible and the CSB Study Bible for Students will be available for 50% off!

There will be other in store and online specials during the event.

We encourage you to take advantage of this free event!

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Related Posts

Coming Soon: The Revised Apologetics Study Bible for Students

Article: Is the Old Testament Reliable? by Chad A. Gross

The Four Functions of Apologetics by Kenneth Boa

Sunday, August 27, 2017

Friday, August 25, 2017

Haven Ministries: The Case for Christ



Former journalist professing atheism turns Christian.  For many in the world of apologetics, when they hear this phrase, Lee Strobel immediately comes to mind.  But he is not the only one!  Charles Morris, speaker and president of Haven ministries, also traveled a similar path from secular media to Christian radio.  

Recently, Morris had Lee Strobel on as a guest to talk about his journey from atheism to Christianity. His book, The Case for Christ, was used as the basis for the movie released late last year.  It is also now available on DVD.  

You can find the Haven Today series, "The Case for Christ", by going here.








Thursday, August 24, 2017

J.I. Packer on the Purpose of the Christian Life


"We have been brought to the point where we both can and must get our life's priorities straight.  From current Christian publications you might think that the most vital issue for any real or would-be Christian in the world today is church union, or social witness, or dialogue with other Christians and other faiths, or refuting this or that -ism, or developing a Christian philosophy and culture, or what have you.  But our line of study makes the present-day concentration on these things look like a gigantic conspiracy of misdirection.  Of course, it is not that; the issues themselves are real and must be dealt with in their place.  But it is tragic that, in paying attention to them, so many in our day seem to have been distracted from what was, is, and will be the true priority for every human being- that is, learning to know God in Christ."1

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Footnote:
1. J.I. Packer, Knowing God (London: Hodder & Stoughton, 1973), 314.

Related Posts

Quote: J.C. Ryle on Godly Living

William Lane Craig on the Relationship between Doctrine and the Holy Spirit

Don't Forget to Live...

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Advocates High School Curriculum with Sean McDowell


Advocates considers what it means to hold firm to biblical convictions and still engage in humble dialogue with the culture around us. Join Sean McDowell, a leading apologetics and worldview author, and AwanaYM in this new high school curriculum series that will be released for fall 2017.

Learn more here.  

There is also a curriculum available for middle school students.  You can find out more about that here.

To checkout more of Sean McDowell's work, go here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Related Posts

Book Review: The Fate of the Apostles by Sean McDowell

Blog Post: Did the Twelve Apostles of Jesus Exist? by Sean McDowell

Can I Get a Witness? by William Lane Craig and Sean McDowell

Tuesday, August 22, 2017

Book Preview: Five Proofs of the Existence of God by Ed Feser

About the Author

Edward Feser, Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Philosophy at Pasadena City College in Pasadena, California. Called by National Review"one of the best contemporary writers on philosophy," he is the author of The Last Superstition: A Refutation of the New Atheism, Aquinas, Scholastic Metaphysics, By Man Shall His Blood Be Shed, and many other books and articles.

His website is here.

You can checkout his blog here.


About the Book


Five Proofs of the Existence of God provides a detailed, updated exposition and defense of five of the historically most important (but in recent years largely neglected) philosophical proofs of God's existence: the Aristotelian proof, the Neo-Platonic proof, the Augustinian proof, the Thomistic proof, and the Rationalist proof.

This book also offers a detailed treatment of each of the key divine attributes -- unity, simplicity, eternity, omnipotence, omniscience, perfect goodness, and so forth -- showing that they must be possessed by the God whose existence is demonstrated by the proofs. Finally, it answers at length all of the objections that have been leveled against these proofs.

This book offers as ambitious and complete a defense of traditional natural theology as is currently in print. Its aim is to vindicate the view of the greatest philosophers of the past -- thinkers like Aristotle, Plotinus, Augustine, Aquinas, Leibniz, and many others -- that the existence of God can be established with certainty by way of purely rational arguments. It thereby serves as a refutation both of atheism and of the fideism which gives aid and comfort to atheism. 

You can get your copy here.  

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Related Posts

Bertrand Russell and a Universe without God

Physicist Paul Davies on the Laws of Physics

Understanding the Cosmological Argument

Sunday, August 20, 2017

Saturday, August 19, 2017

Worldview and Apologetics in the News

7 Things You Need To Know About The Charlottesville Violence And White Supremacist Terror Attack

Charlottesville and the Deep Roots of Extremist Violence

On Origin of Life, Synthetic Chemist James Tour Delivers Chastisement to Jeremy England

Richard Dawkins Offers Advice for Donald Trump, and Other Wisdom

People Say the Bible Doesn’t Talk About Transgenderism. It Does.

If We’re Tearing Down White Supremacy, Start With Planned Parenthood

FAITH FILE: This Agnostic Proved The Impossible. Or Did He?

Patricia Heaton blasts CBS over report about Iceland's Down syndrome abortion rates

In direct challenge to Trump, Iran's president says it could restart its nuclear program 'within hours'

Christian Leaders Respond to Charlottesville White Supremacy March and Attack

Letter from Berlin: The Lessons of History and the Heresy of Racial Superiority


America’s Suicide Crisis: Dying for Lack of Hope

Denounce Anti-Semitism Whenever It Appears

A.N. Wilson: It’s time Charles Darwin was exposed for the fraud he was

Mown down as they shopped: Elderly couple run over in ISIS van attack on Barcelona that killed THIRTEEN and injured more than 100 before suspect fled on foot

Several killed in Spain anti-terror operation after Barcelona attack

Christian Operation Using Balloons to Get Scripture into Hands of North Korean Christians

Whoa, Bethsaida! Archaeologists May Have Found Peter's Home Town

Iceland is Eradicating Down Syndrome Babies
Courage and Godspeed,
Chad


Last week's edition is here.

Friday, August 18, 2017

Al Mohler on the Hersey of Racial Superiority

"...Christians must see much more than the lessons of history, though we dare not miss them. We must see claims of racial superiority–and mainly that means claims of white superiority–as heresy.

That is not a word we use casually. Heresy leads to a denial of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the eclipse of the living God as revealed in the Bible. A claim of white superiority is not merely wrong, and not merely deadly. It is a denial of the glory of God in creating humanity—every single human being–in his own image. It is a rejection of God’s glory in creating a humanity of different skin pigmentation. It is a misconstrual of God’s judgment and glory in creating different ethnicities.

Most urgently, it is a rejection of the gospel of Christ–the great good news of God’s saving purpose in the atonement accomplished by Christ. A claim of racial superiority denies our common humanity, our common sinfulness, our common salvation through faith in Christ, and God’s purpose to create a common new humanity in Christ.

You cannot preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and hold to any notion of racial superiority. It is impossible."1

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Footnote:

Related Posts

Common Objection #29- "Christianity is Racist."

Sermon Audio: The Fuse of Racism by Pastor Steve Spuler

Racism and Abortion

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Book Preview: Why Does God Allow Evil? by Clay Jones

About the Author

Clay Jones (DMin) is an associate professor of Christian apologetics at Biola University and the Chairman of the Board for Ratio Christi, an international university apologetics ministry. Previously he hosted the nationally syndicated talk radio program Contend for Truth and served on the pastoral staff of two large churches. Clay and his wife, Jean E., live in Southern California.

About the Book

If God is good and all-powerful, why doesn’t He put a stop to the evil in this world? Christians and non-Christians alike struggle with the concept of a loving God who allows widespread suffering in this life and never-ending punishment in hell. We wrestle with questions such as…

- Why do bad things happen to good people?
- Why should we have to pay for Adam’s sin?
- How can eternal judgment be fair?

But what if the real problem doesn’t start with God…but with us?

Clay Jones, a professor of Christian apologetics at Biola University, examines what Scripture truly says about the nature of evil and why God allows it. Along the way, he’ll help you discover the contrasting abundance of God’s grace, the overwhelming joy of heaven, and the extraordinary destiny of believers.

Book Endorsements

"I have read a number of books on the problem of evil, but this is one of the very best yet produced. Professor Clay Jones fearlessly and deftly addresses all the hard questions head-on with rational responses to them.  There is no ducking of issues.  Moreover, Jones skillfully weaves theology, biblical studies, and philosophy into a coherent, well-integrated book that is suited for both the scholar and the layperson.  I highly recommend it."

—J.P. Moreland, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, Talbot School of Theology, Biola University; author of The Soul: How We Know It's Real and Why It Matters


"Dr. Clay Jones doesn't shy away from tough subjects.  Instead, he tackles them with honesty, diligence, and resolve. In Why Does God Allow Evil? he engages one of the most difficult questions facing believers and skeptics alike.  His treatment is God-honoring, straightforward, and accessible. If you're looking for a resource that acknowledges the severity of evil and the gravity of sin while taking the justice and grace of God seriously, get this book!"

—J. Warner Wallace, senior fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, Adjunct Professor of Apologetics at Biola, author of Cold-Case Christianity

"If you are looking for one book to make sense of the problem of evil, this book is for you.  Clay Jones brings a lifetime of reflection to this difficult issue.  He speaks with honesty and realism, and yet offers genuine hope.  Both believers and skeptics will benefit from Why Does God Allow Evil?"

—Sean McDowell, PhD, Biola University professor, speaker, author

You can learn more about the book here.

You can get your copy here.

Learn more about Clay Jones and his work here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Wednesday, August 16, 2017

Video: Why Does Anything Exist at All? by William Lane Craig


Dr. William Lane Craig was invited to speak at the Worldview Apologetics Conference hosted at Westminster Chapel in Bellevue, WA in April of 2017.

In this lecture, Dr. Craig expounds on Leibniz's contingency argument for why anything at all exists. The presentation is followed by a Q&A session.

Leibniz's argument, as defended by Dr. Craig, is as follows:

1. Everything that exists has an explanation of its existence, either in the necessity of its own nature or in an external cause.

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.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Related Posts

An Edited Version of the Leibnizian Cosmological Argument

Video: Leibniz’ Contingency Argument

The Taxicab Fallacy

Monday, August 14, 2017

Abortion Stunts Feminist Progress


Brian Fisher of Human Coalition writes the following in the subject blog post:

Abortion hasn’t solved the problems women have faced throughout human history, and modern feminists are remiss to fantasize that unrestricted access to abortion could solve any problems today.

Read his reasons for why he thinks so here.

Stand firm for Christ and firm for the preborn,
Chase

Sunday, August 13, 2017

Saturday, August 12, 2017

Friday, August 11, 2017

Better be good for goodness sake?




Recently, I had the opportunity to take part in a brief dialogue regarding morality on social media.  Normally, I do not engage in commentary responding to someone’s blog, but I felt a sense of obligation because of what was said and the implications if this is what that person truly believes. 
The comments were in response to a blog post entitled “9Ways Atheist Moms are Different from Religious Moms.”  The post is not really what caught my attention.  I honestly can’t remember much from what I read other than there was a lot of interesting language used. 

What I remember is a comment in response to the blog basically saying that teaching your children about hell is child abuse.  Now I would agree that teaching the concept of hell as a scare tactic to get them to accept your belief is not the right approach.  But what struck me most about the comment was that someone who I would describe as an atheist was making a moral judgement on someone’s behavior.  On atheism, how can one make a moral judgement when objective moral values and duties do not exist?

I posed this question as a comment and was referred to an article from the NY Times entitled Good Minus God.  I read the article and noticed that it was written by philosopher Louise Antony.  I recalled that Antony had debated Willliam Lane Craig with the question being Is God Necessary for Morality?  I listened to the debate and much of what Antony presented in the debate was restated in her NY Times piece. 

Dr. Antony believes that “good” is independent of God.  If it is not, then one is faced with the dilemma that it is arbitrary as it is dependent upon what God commands. For example, if God said it is good to eat children, we would have to accept that as good because God said so. This "problem" is commonly referred to as "Euthyphro's Dilemma," named after a character in Plato's socratic dialogue on the subject of goodness.

But as Dr. Craig clearly points out, this problem is actually a false dilemma.  This is because there is a third option, this being that God wills something because He is good.  And since goodness is part of His nature, God is the anchor for objective morality.  Therefore goodness is not independent of God.

This does not mean that non-believers cannot live good a good life.  I know many people who do not claim to be Christians but live decent lives.  The question is, how can you define what good is without God?

The impression I got from Dr. Antony is that we as humans just recognize that good exists.  We can observe this when we see sentient beings suffer.  We don't need God to tell us that suffering is not good.  

Let me give an example why I believe this explanation is problematic.  In March of 2017, Teen Vogue published an article entitled "Planned Parenthood Videos Explain Abortion Process."  These videos make abortion look like a safe and fairly harmless procedure.  Contrast this with the horrific images you see in this abortion video (about 3 minutes and 26 seconds in).  On Dr. Antony's view, why is it not obvious for every human being to see that defenseless babies being tortured and ripped apart is murder?  I believe this shows a fatal flaw in the belief that good can exist without God.  On atheism, morality is arbitrary.   

However the theistic worldview, with God as the anchor of goodness, clearly appears to be the better explanation for objective moral values and duties.  
  

Additional Resources:

Reasonable Faith Video  The Moral Argument: Good without God?
Reasonable Faith Podcast- A Debate on the Moral Argument


God Bless,


Thursday, August 10, 2017

Ted Wright on the Old Testament and Archaeology

"In truth, the Old Testament is actually a reliable source of accurate historical information. The science of archaeology helps us to understand the Bible better, and the Bible also helps us understand what we discover in the ground. That being said, the Old Testament is also not merely historical chronicle either. It is nothing short of God’s Epic story of love and redemption for the people of Israel as well as all of humankind. The stories recorded in the OT were true in the past, and they are just as true today."1

To learn more, checkout Wright's article 10 Significant Old Testament Archaeological Discoveries.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Footnote:

Related Posts

Featured Resource: Epic Archaeology

The One Minute Apologist Interviews Ted Wright on the Exodus

Article: Was There an Exodus and Conquest? by Ted Wright

Wednesday, August 09, 2017

Article: Is the Old Testament Reliable? by Chad A. Gross

I was recently given the opportunity and honor of contributing to the new Apologetics Study Bible for Students.  Below is my article.

The Old Testament was originally written in Hebrew (with a few chapters penned in Aramaic).  It contains thirty-nine books written from about 1400-400 B.C.  The scribes who copied and preserved the text were careful and extremely thorough.  Effective safeguards were implemented as part of a painstaking process to ensure the accurate transmission of the text.  Scribes developed numerical systems to insure an accurate copy: they counted the number of lines, letters, and words per page of the new copy and then compared it to the original.  If differences were present, the copy was destroyed; they had to start over.

The strongest confirmation for the reliablity of the Old Testament text came with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947 at Qumran.  Until that time, skeptics clung to the hope that an older text would be found that would demonstrate that the text had been significantly altered and corrupted. However, the opposite happened.  For example, an entire manuscript of Isaiah was found dating to approximately 75 B.C.  When Old Testament scholars compared it with the earliest existing copy of Isaiah know at that time (dating to A.D. 1008-09), the results were staggering.  They concluded ninety-five percent of the text had been copied and passed down accurately over a period of almost 1,100 years!  The other five percent- comprised of mere slips of the pen- consisted only of misspelled words and absent letters.

While many skeptics have dismissed the historicity of various Old Testament figures, places, and events, archaeological discoveries continue to vindicate the biblical record and silence its critics.  Some of the key biblical figures attested by discoveries include King David, patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, King Solomon, and King Nebuchadnezzar.  Key places proven include the cities of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, Zoar, and Zeboiim mentioned in Genesis 14.  Also discovered are the entire kingdom of the Hethites that was once thought to be mythological and the site of Solomon's temple.  Moreover, ancient finds have authenticated some events recorded in the Old Testament.  One example involves the walls discovered at the site of Jericho; there a think layer of soot indicates the city was destroyed by fire as described in Joshua 6:24.  Further discoveries have demonstrated these walls fell outward, which is noteworthy when one considers that attacked city walls fall in the opposite direction.  This anomaly would have provided invaders a ramp to easily enter the city- precisely what Joshua 6:20 reports.

Finally, and perhaps most significantly, Jesus clearly believed the Old Testament is historically reliable.  Perhaps in anticipation of future skepticism, Jesus affirmed as true many passages that modern day Bible skeptics deny.  He affirmed the historicity of Adam and Eve (Mt. 19:4), the Noahic flood (Mt. 12:39), and the story of Jonah being swallowed by a great fish (Mt. 12:40).  He also referenced the Old Testament canon in Matthew 23:35 when he mentioned the span of time from the death of Abel (Gn. 4) until the death of Zechariah (2 Ch. 24).

On the grounds that the Old Testament text has been accurately preserved; that discoveries in archaeology have confirmed many of the people, places, and events recorded in its pages; and that Jesus himself taught the Old Testament as real history, the Christian can be confident the Old Testament is indeed historically reliable.

To learn more about this helpful resource, go here.  To order your copy, go here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Related Posts

Old Testament Law and the Charge of Inconsistency

How We Got the Bible: The Apocryphal Books

Moral Objections to the Old Testament by Peter J. Williams

Tuesday, August 08, 2017

Book Preview: Our Deepest Desires by Gregory E. Ganssle

About the Author

Greg Ganssle (PhD, Syracuse) is professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. He is the author of several books, including A Reasonable God: Engaging the New Face of Atheism and Thinking About God, and he is the editor of God and Time.

About the Book

As human beings, we are created with desires.

We all long for meaningful relationships, lives that reflect goodness, engagements with beauty, and the freedom to pursue our lives with integrity. But where can our restless hearts find fulfillment for these universal longings?

Philosopher and apologist Greg Ganssle argues that our widely shared human aspirations are best understood and explained in light of the Christian story. With grace and insight, Ganssle explains how the good news of Jesus Christ makes sense of—and fulfills—our deepest desires. It is only in the particular claims of the Christian faith, he argues, that our universal human aspirations can find fulfillment and our restless hearts will be at peace.

Reviews

"Our Deepest Desires is a little gem of a book, written with the clarity and wisdom of a seasoned teacher. Learned yet accessible, Ganssle takes his readers on a fresh tour of life's big questions by tracking ways the claims of Christianity connect up with fundamental human longings. This may be our new Mere Christianity, and it will surely inspire conversations worth having."

- Eric Gregory, professor of religion and chair of the council of the humanities, Princeton University

"Christian philosophers and apologists have spilled much ink defending the truth of Christianity—rightly so, given the rise of New Atheism and other movements that call into question Christianity's plausibility. What has been widely neglected, however, is showing the desirability of Jesus and the gospel. In this brilliantly written book, Gregory Ganssle shows how the Christian story makes sense of our deepest longings—for love, beauty, truth, goodness, and freedom. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in finding a story that is both true to the way things are and true to the way things ought to be."

- Paul M. Gould, assistant professor of philosophy and Christian apologetics, Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas

You can order your copy here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Related Posts

Should Christians Not Study Philosophy?

Atheist Quentin Smith on Philosophical Theism

What is Philosophy of Religion?

Monday, August 07, 2017

Abortion and Viral Videos

Clinton Wilcox of the Life Training Institute responds to a recent viral video; a video which is a response to Ben Shapiro's arguments against abortion. The "arguments" in this video that Wilcox responds to are the following:

If you believe abortion is murder and it should be outlawed accordingly, you must support all women having miscarriages being investigated for a possible negligent homicide, the same way you would want a person involved in running over someone else with their car investigated for negligent homicide.

Would we be comfortable allowing a woman at increased risk for miscarriage to get pregnant? 

Would people be comfortable with a woman trying to get pregnant who has a high risk of miscarriage, since they would not be comfortable with someone drunk getting behind the wheel of the car?

You can read Wilcox's response here.

Stand firm in Christ, and stand firm for the preborn,
Chase


Sunday, August 06, 2017

Friday, August 04, 2017

Counterpoints: John Gray and John Lennox on Evolutionary Success and Truth

Atheist Philosopher John Gray: “The human mind serves evolutionary success, not truth.”1

Professor John Lennox: "But what about Gray’s own mind…one must suppose, according to Gray, that his writing this sentence [“The human mind serves evolutionary success, not truth”] serves evolutionary success.  Well, it certainly would appear to serve the success of evolutionary theory, if it were true.  But then Gray has undermined the very concept of truth, and so has removed all reason for us to take him seriously.  Logical incoherence reigns once more."2

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Footnotes:
1. John Gray, Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia (Farrar, Straus and Giroux: London, 2007), 26 as quoted by Tanya Walker here.
2. John Lennox, Gunning For God: Why the New Atheists Are Missing the Target (Lion Hudson: Oxford, 2011), 108. as quoted by Tanya Walker as well.

Related Posts

Resource: Faith + Evolution

The Magic Wand of Evolution

Video: Evolution- A Theory in Crisis by Dr. Thomas Woodward

Thursday, August 03, 2017

Greer Heard Forum: Robin Collins - "God and the Fine-Tuning of the Universe for Discovery"


"On Friday, February 21st, 2014, philosopher and theologian, Dr William Lane Craig, was invited by the Greer Heard Forum to debate Dr Sean Carroll, an atheist theoretical physicist. The topic of debate was, "God and Cosmology: The Existence of God in Light of Contemporary Cosmology." The rigorous debate was concluded by a lengthy question and answer period with the audience.  The debate video can be found here.

On Saturday, Dr Robin Collins, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy and chair of the Department of Philosophy at Messiah College in Grantham, Pennsylvania, spoke on the topic "God and the Fine-Tuning of the Universe for Discovery." [1]

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Footnote:

Wednesday, August 02, 2017

William Lane Craig on the "Many Worlds" Hypothesis as a Backhanded Compliment to Design

"The current debate over fine-tuning has now become a debate over the many worlds hypothesis.  In order to explain fine-tuning we're being asked to believe not merely that there are other unobservable universes, but that there is an infinite number of such worlds and that they randomly vary in their fundamental constants and quantities.  All this is needed to guarantee that a life-permitting universe like ours will appear by chance in the ensemble.  The many worlds hypothesis is really a sort of backhanded compliment to the design hypothesis.  For otherwise sober scientists would not be flocking to adopt so speculative and extravagant a view as the many worlds  hypothesis unless they felt absolutely compelled to.  So if someone says to you, 'The fine-tuning could have happened by chance!' or 'The improbable happens!' or 'It was just dumb luck!' ask him, 'Then why do the detractors of design feel compelled to embrace an extravagance like the many worlds hypothesis in order to avoid design?'"1

For those unfamiliar with the Design Argument, go here.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

Footnote:
1. William Lane Craig, On Guard, p. 118.

Related Posts

Is Our Universe Simply the Winner of a Universe Lottery?

How a Dice Can Show that God Exists? by Justin Brierley

Article: Can Multiverse Theories Explain the Appearance of Fine Tuning in the Universe? by J. Warner Wallace

Tuesday, August 01, 2017

Book Preview: Between One Faith and Another by Peter Kreeft

About the Author

Peter Kreeft (PhD, Fordham University) is professor of philosophy at Boston College where he has taught since 1965. A popular lecturer, he has also taught at many other colleges, seminaries, and educational institutions in the eastern United States. Kreeft has written more than fifty books, including The Best Things in Life, The Journey, How to Win the Culture War, and Handbook of Christian Apologetics (with Ronald Tacelli).

About the Book

How do we make sense of the world's different religions?

In today's globalized society, religion is deeply intertwined with every issue we see on the news. But talking about multiple religions can be contentious. Are different faiths compatible somehow? And how can we know whether one religion is more true than another?

In this creative thought experiment, Peter Kreeft invites us to encounter dialogues on the world's great faiths. His characters Thomas Keptic and Bea Lever are students in Professor Fesser's course on world religions, and the three explore the content and distinctive claims of each. Together they probe the plausibility of major religions, from Hinduism and Buddhism to Christianity and Islam. Along the way they explore how religions might relate to each other and to what extent exclusivism or inclusivism might make sense.

Ultimately, Kreeft gives us helpful tools for thinking fairly and critically about competing religious beliefs. If the religions are different kinds of music, do they together make harmony or cacophony? Decide for yourself.

Courage and Godspeed,
Chad

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