Whole Gospel To Whole World
As you recall from part 1, I argued that it is more rational to believe that morals originated from an intrinsically valuable, intelligent Creator (commonly known as God) than for morals to have emerged evolutionarily through a valueless, non-intelligent, cause-effect physical process. To defend this argument, I suggested three criteria that every valid ethical system... Continue Reading →
Before I argue that God is the best explanation for moral values, I want to first clear up four misconceptions that people have regarding morality. You do not have to believe in God to perform moral actions. An Atheist can give his wife flowers on Valentine's Day, be a crying shoulder for a friend, or give... Continue Reading →
Dr. Kaiser, an Old Testament scholar from Brandeis University writes: “What many fail to understand is that slavery in biblical times was very different from the slavery that was practiced in the past few centuries in many parts of the world. The slavery in the Bible was not based exclusively on race. People were not... Continue Reading →
There are two types of evil and suffering in the world. Moral evil as a result of free choices (murder, violence, greed) and suffering as a result of natural disasters (tornadoes, tsunamis, volcanoes). Since moral evil is a result of independent choices that humans make, it's possible to convince a skeptic that it's not God's fault. However, how... Continue Reading →
Alvin Plantinga, an American analytic philosopher, and professor at the University of Notre Dame argues that it's logically possible for God to be all-powerful and all-loving and still allow moral evil in the world. His main contention is called "The Free Will Defense." Here is his argument. "A world containing creatures who are significantly free... Continue Reading →
1. Accidental suffering and evil - A pastor was cutting his front lawn. He looks up from his task just in time to see his neighbor back out of the garage--right over his three-year-old son, who had been hidden from the rearview mirror. The pastor runs over to assist the panicked father while they take... Continue Reading →
Before our son was born, my wife and I would read books, articles, and watch videos about the growth and development inside the womb. I recall week 2, where he was only the size of a sesame seed and his heart was beginning to beat for the first time. At week 15, our son was the... Continue Reading →
The seven deadly sins have been depicted by writers, artists, and pop-culture throughout history, from Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy to the 1995 thriller movie Seven starring Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman. These works claim the following as the seven deadly sins: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, and pride. Though these sins are grievous to the... Continue Reading →
Religious or not, humans have a natural inclination to interpret reality. This is called their worldview. One's worldview is important because it answers the 4 basic questions concerning life: What is ultimate reality? What is a human being? What happens to a person at death? How do we know right from wrong? In this article, I... Continue Reading →
Conform to Jesus 