“The Incarnation declares that God loves us, isn’t scared of us, and wants us to be unafraid of him. So how do we declare these truths to the masters of suspicion in our age? The deconstructing, disoriented, disengaged skeptic,” writes … Continue reading The Spiritual Discipline of Deconstruction
The New York Times recently published a story about a well-known pastor’s son who had deconverted and was using social media to criticize the faith he once — and his father still — confessed. I read the story with conflicting … Continue reading The Anatomy of Deconversion | Book Review
Publishers harvested a bumper crop of atheist book in 2006 and 2007. Letters to a Christian Nationby Sam Harris, The God Delusionby Richard Dawkins, Breaking the Spellby Daniel C. Dennett, and God Is (Not) Greatby Christopher Hitchens come readily to mind, among many others. Each of these book claimed in one way or another that belief in God was intellectually deficient, a matter of faith rather than reason. The philosophers who contributed to Two Dozen (or So) Arguments for Godbeg to differ. They think there are good reasons to believe that God exists. In Episode 155 of the Influence Podcast, I … Continue reading Two Dozen (or So) Arguments for God | Influence Podcast
Over at The Gospel Coalition, Chris Castaldo reminds us that how we Christians see God impacts how others see our God: The parable [of the prodigal son] ends there. Unlike the earlier stories, there is no explicit lesson from Jesus. We don’t know whether the formerly lost son’s big brother joins in the celebration, though it is clear that he should. The point, you see, is not bowing to some crabbed notion of fairness, but losing ourselves in God’s grand graciousness. Will the son forsake his pride and jealousy and become more like his gracious father? Will the Pharisees and … Continue reading What Legalists and Atheists Cannot Understand: Grace
REVIVAL WATCH: “Pentecostal Renewal Transforms Rwanda after Genocide.” A MORMON TAKE ON BAPTISM IN THE SPIRIT: “Choose a life of constant refinement.” LET’S HOPE NOT! OR HOPE SO? “The Next Billy Graham Might Be Drunk Right Now.” CAN A FALSE TEACHING BE FALSIFIED? “Scientologists in feud over leader.” Because he has strayed from the teachings of L. Ron Hubbard… ATHEIST REDUCTIONISTS, THAT IS: “Reductionists on Parade.” See also “Against Atheist Cant.” WOULD YOU RATHER CLIMB A HILL OR TAKE A N.A.P.? “Atheists Face Uphill Climb With New Political Party.” BECAUSE NOTHING RUINS SOMETHING LIKE POLITICS DOES: “Saving Happiness from Politics.” … Continue reading The World Wide Religious Web for Wednesday, January 4, 2012
In this episode of Uncommon Knowledge, Peter Robinson interviews David Berlinkski about his book, The Devil’s Delusion: Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions. Continue reading David Berlinski on Atheism and Its Scientific Pretensions
“A Very Christian Atheist.” About George Orwell. I liked this quote from Orwell in particular: …when one’s belly is empty, one’s only problem is an empty belly. It is when we have got away from drudgery and exploitation that we shall really start wondering about man’s destiny and the reason for his existence. One cannot have any worthwhile picture of the future unless one realises how much we have lost by the decay of Christianity. _____ “Breaking Up with God: I Didn’t Lose My Faith, I Left It.” I’m interested in these kinds of stories because my doctoral research is … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Monday, June 13, 2011
CNN Poll: Majority in U.S. say bin Laden in hell. The rest have read Love Wins. Jackson Lears critiques atheism, specifically Sam Harris, from the port-side of the political spectrum. On Harris’s view of science: To define science as the source of absolute truth, Harris must first ignore the messy realities of power in the world of Big Science. In his books there is no discussion of the involvement of scientists in the military-industrial complex or in the pharmacological pursuit of profit. Nor is any attention paid to the ways that chance, careerism and intellectual fashion can shape research: how … Continue reading The World Wide (Religious) Web for Friday, May 6, 2011
What we know influences how we live. For example, I know that my father’s side of the family has a history of heart disease. I also know that my weight, diet, and exercise regime will either exacerbate whatever genetic predisposition I have toward heart disease or alleviate it. So, I choose to lose weight, eat healthy, and exercise regularly. What I know influences how I live. The interplay between knowledge and behavior takes center stage in 1 Corinthians 8:1–11:1, where Paul argues with the Corinthians about food sacrificed to idols. To a significant degree, Paul agrees with the Corinthians’ theology—what … Continue reading What We Believe about God and Idols (1 Corinthians 8:4–6)
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