An Evangelical Perspective
Theology, Science, Ethics,
plus a little woodworking and photography just for the fun of it
The Latest
The Promise of Adoption
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he...
Announcements
Book Release: “The Myth of Scientific Certainty”
The Myth of Scientific Certainty REVIEW COPIES ARE AVAILABLE A book for the Christian working in the natural sciences but faces some conflicts with the issue of naturalism. A book for the Christian apologist who wants to answer some of the difficult questions on...
Book Review
Movie Review: West Side Story
Last evening we went to see the new West Side Story, directed by Steven Spielberg. It was an interesting experience. The choreography was outstanding. This movie was able to work with larger available “real estate” that a stage play (and an almost-direct adaptation of...
Movie Review: Free Guy
We were told the movie was fun. So, we went to see it last evening. Free Guy is what you get when you combine The Matrix, Inception, and The Truman Show in a blender and wait for whatever might come out. It contains all of their core components. Most of them are...
Christianity & Society
A Short Course
A short course in Critical Theory: 1) Any hierarchy represents a power structure 2) All power structures are to be dismantled 3) These power structures may be identified by breaking down the hierarchy to see what drives it. This is deconstruction and it with the...
Deconstructing Deconstruction
Deconstructing Deconstruction What Is It and Why Is It Important? For the past several years the popularity of Critical Race Theory and some of its companion ideas have become popular topics of discussion. They are also, at times, popular whipping boys for...
How is the Evangelical Church Breaking Apart?
A response to Peter Wehner's article in The Atlantic. There’s trouble a-brewin’ in churches today. Yes, there’s division. Some of the division is good and is needed to provide some doctrinal house-cleaning. We’ve invited all sorts of heresies into church life these...
Ethics
A Time for Discussing Christian Ethics
Recent events involving legislation in New York and Virginia are part of our national conversation on the question of life and related matters. These are certainly not insignificant matters. In that light we will be entertaining a discussion group to look at these...
Book Review: How to be a Stoic, Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life
How to be a Stoic, Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life, Massimo Pigliucci, Basic Books (NY) 2017. Introduction In the 20th century the “west” succumbed to the infiltration of skepticism to the masses. In past centuries it was generally limited to academic...
Can Artificial Intelligence Be Held Morally Responsible?
It seems at first that morality is always being coded. The idea that a vehicle should stop and avoid an impact describes the computer’s duty.
Crafts
The Novice Woodworker
Or, Getting out of the “Not Really Good Enough” Rut I have been at it about 6 years now. As a hobby it can be rewarding. It is always satisfying to see a quality piece finished for home, family, or friends. You know the sensation. It is more than just a feeling. It...
Making Utility Look Good
This week's woodworking project: Canning shelves. 2x4 (inexpensive white lumber) posts were first cut square. Then the width was face-jointed, followed by adding a shaped corner with the router. The dados allowed a shelf to be held up without the need for extra...
Theology
How is the Evangelical Church Breaking Apart?
A response to Peter Wehner's article in The Atlantic. There’s trouble a-brewin’ in churches today. Yes, there’s division. Some of the division is good and is needed to provide some doctrinal house-cleaning. We’ve invited all sorts of heresies into church life these...
The Problem of “Woke” Theology
Introduction I’ve been a Christian 52 years this Summer. Since coming to Christ in the Summer of ’69, in my early teens, my life in Christ has been a fascinating ride. I’ve been in both fundamental and modern evangelical fellowships, engaging in local church,...
Calendar
Athanatos Festival, August 2-4, 2018
I'll be there discussing the concerns of Christians in science and apologetics. See you there!
Events
I plan on being at the EMNR conference 2017. "Apologetics: Handmaiden to Evangelism and Discipleship" At the New Hope Community Church in Palatine, IL on April 28-29, 2017. See you there!
Apologetics
Stephen Law’s Empirical Apologetic for Atheism
The question of morality, of good and evil, is an artifact that fits better with the providential existence of God. The question of pain and pleasure, of being red in tooth and claw, fits better with naturalistic materialism. The skeptic borrows the language of the Christian to the detriment of his argument.
Thoughts on Natural Law and Evangelical Apologetics
The question I ask is a simple one: How do we know? How can we find natural laws that apply to all of humanity? Certainly, universal consensus is not the same as transcendent existence?
Crazy Rich Asians, an Apologetic Perspective
Caution: Spoiler Alert! This movie is fun. It's a romantic comedy (or romcom as they say today). It's about a cohabiting couple (living in the US) visiting his best friend's wedding in Singapore and spending time with his rich family. I mean rich like crazy rich. Of...
Education
Is Critical Race Theory Compatible with Christianity?
That’s the challenge posed by Bradley Mason here. His challenge is clearly stated: It has become nearly a truism for many Christians that Critical Race Theory (CRT) is incompatible with the gospel or Christianity, though none so far have met the burden of proof...
Recommended Reading List
There are books and there are books. For the Christian who wishes to understand the world around him/her it is important to get a handle on both the history and the philosophy of the past that has contributed to where we are at. Then the Christian can respond to the...
Ministry
The Promise of Adoption
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he...
Acts 19 Evangelism
While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul passed through the interior and came to Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you became believers?” “No,” they answered, “we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.”...
Politics
Two Collapses in One Week
This past week a nation collapsed: Afghanistan. This past week a political ideology collapsed: Wilsonian global governance. Management of other nations by whatever means does not work. That's not peace. Just as about a century ago the political ends of postmillennial...
The Trump Years, a Review
To say that the last four years have been interesting is the greatest of understatements. President Trump has done things that no other president could or would do. Some of the things he did no other President would want to do. But whatever your opinion these have...
Science
Will Science Its Find Limits? Christian Ethics & the Question of Scientism
Is there a place for interaction between science and theology? I try to take a different direction here and pursue an approach different from the common arguments. The idea of non-overlapping magestieria is too simplistic and subject theology to science or science to theology is too provincial. There are other options and I’ll explore one of them.
The Systematic, Evangelical Mind
This is standard for all orthodoxies. No naturalismist constructs an apologetic for YEC, OEC, or TE. They just don’t. These are called “belief systems.” It seems silly to have to say that, but it seems Mr. Enns missed something really basic.
Essay
Our Libertarian Problem
“Cogito ergo sum,” or “I think, therefore I am” finds the identification of self in one’s ability to think. This is more than just a philosophical speculation. It represents the independence of the individual apart from creation and apart from dominant ecclesiastical and governing authorities. You became free because your mind was free.
UNATHEISM – An Apologetic Applied to the Street Epistemologists
Introduction Peter Boghossian’s recent book A Manual for Creating Atheists has caused a bit of a stir. This new atheist-type has proposed combination of arguments and strategies for motivating people to leave religious belief behind. He does not care of it is...