YouTube - "Holy Animation!"

Here is another interpretation of Jesus' Resurrection.

YouTube - "Holy Animation!"

YouTube - Some Facts about Jesus Christ's Resurrection

Jesus really did rise from the dead, bodily, with all power in His hand!

YouTube - Some Facts about Jesus Christ's Resurrection

YouTube - The Passion of the Christ Last Scene

'Nuff Said!

YouTube - The Passion of the Christ Last Scene

Apologetics 315: Sunday Quote: William Lane Craig on the Resurrection

Brain Auten has posted a great quote from William Lane Craig regarding the Resurrection. I love it.

"These three great facts--the resurrection appearances, the empty tomb, and the origin of the Christian faith--all point unavoidably to one conclusion: The resurrection of Jesus. Today the rational man can hardly be blamed if he believes that on that first Easter morning a divine miracle occurred."

- William Lane Craig, quoted from "Contemporary Scholarship and the Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus Christ".

Check out his post for more great resources for learning about and defending the Resurrection.

Apologetics 315: Sunday Quote: William Lane Craig on the Resurrection

The Genesis Genealogies | Reasons To Believe

I found a great article about genealogies in the Bible. Many of us assume that they are complete  and this has led to many well-meaning people to assume that we can use the genealogies in Genesis 5 and 11 to calculate the age of the earth. This has led to the criticism that the Bible says the earth is 6000 years old which cannot be corroborated scientifically. This is huge. People use this to reject the Bible - a supposed contradiction with science. There is no contradiction. No where does the Bible say the earth is 6000 years old and in order to calculate the age of the earth you have to assume that the genealogies are complete and several other assumptions. The Bible does not give us enough information to figure out the age of the earth. Bottom line. Therefore to reject the Bible because some Christians think the earth is 2000 years old is stupid., The article explains genealogies in historical and cultural context very well.

The Genesis Genealogies | Reasons To Believe

The Jesus Movie

The Movie!

Apologetics 315: Gary Habermas vs. Arif Ahmed Debate MP3 Audio

Brian Auten has a gain provided a valuable debate. In this one Gary Habermas again defends the resurrection. I'm begging to grow . I thought that it was weakness when Christian debates do not defend scripture when scripture is not the subject of the debate. Ahmed seemed to bait Habermas into trying to defend miracles in the Bible instead of really trying to stick to explaining why the Resurrection makes no sense. Hebermas debated well. I like him. I think his point is good: you can't just throw out an explanation just because it's not likely to you. Brian also pointed to a link containing videos of the debate. I can't easily stream them so I will just copy the links into this post.

• Debate at Cambridge University  NEW!
  Sponsored by the Inter-Collegiate Christian Union
  Motion: The House Believes That Jesus Rose Bodily From the Dead
  For The Motion: Dr. Gary Habermas
  Opposing the Motion: Dr. Arif Ahmed
  Held March 13, 2008
  PART I (5 MB) :|: PART II (5 MB) :|: PART III (5 MB)
  PART IV (5 MB) :|: PART V (5 MB) :|: PART VI (5 MB)
  PART VII (5 MB) :|: PART VIII (5 MB) :|: PART IX (5 MB)
   
   

Apologetics 315: Gary Habermas vs. Arif Ahmed Debate MP3 Audio

Egyptology News: Evidence for the Ten Plagues of Egypt at time of Ramesses II

I read a great article giving natural explanations for the 10 plagues leading to Israel's Exodus out of Egypt.

The Telegraph (Richard Gray)

Researchers believe they have found evidence of real natural disasters on which the ten plagues of Egypt, which led to Moses freeing the Israelites from slavery in the Book of Exodus in the Bible, were based.

But rather than explaining them as the wrathful act of a vengeful God, the scientists claim the plagues can be attributed to a chain of natural phenomena triggered by changes in the climate and environmental disasters that happened hundreds of miles away.

They have compiled compelling evidence that offers new explanations for the Biblical plagues, which will be outlined in a new series to be broadcast on the National Geographical Channel on Easter Sunday.

Archaeologists now widely believe the plagues occurred at an ancient city of Pi-Rameses on the Nile Delta, which was the capital of Egypt during the reign of Pharaoh Rameses the Second, who ruled between 1279BC and 1213BC.

The city appears to have been abandoned around 3,000 years ago and scientists claim the plagues could offer an explanation.

Climatologists studying the ancient climate at the time have discovered a dramatic shift in the climate in the area occurred towards the end of Rameses the Second's reign.

I don't have a problem with natural explanations for the plagues, but I don't think the explanation fits the evidence given in Exodus for two reasons; It does not explain why Goshen, where the Israelites,  did not experience the same plagues as the rest of Egypt. And two how do they account for the speed and near simultaneity of these events? The bottom line is Israelites did not free themselves, but God did it for them.

Egyptology News: Evidence for the Ten Plagues of Egypt at time of Ramesses II

Resurrection Debate: William Lane Craig vs Robert Price

Robert Price does not believe Jesus was resurrected or that the Bible is reliable or trustworthy. However he seems like a nice guy and can't so easily be dismissed as a writer or a debater. Price is wrong on quite a few points but at least he is consistently wrong.  This is why I like this debate from 1999. William Lane Craig is an awesome scholar and a great debater. I think that Dr. Craig did a great job.  James White will be debating Price coming up soon.  He is reviewing this debate on his web cast March 23 and March 30.



http://www.bringyou.to/CraigPriceDebate.mp3

Apologetics 315: Phil Fernandes vs. Robert Price Debate MP3 Audio - Is Jesus the Savior?

Here is a great debate from Apologetics 315. I think that this gave me more respect for Phil Fernandez. It took guts to go into such hostile territory: The Infidel Guy. The host was really biased towards Robert Price. Fernandez did great - clear and concise. Price does not believer the Bible is factually true. His arguments and Richard Carrier are similar. Price comes out nicely and he did not seem like horrible person. I found the whole thing very interesting. At the outset it seems like one who would deny Jesus' existence was crackpot, but Price is not easily dismissed. Price is wrong, but we can't just dismiss him. He twists scriptures and assumes that they can't be trusted.

Apologetics 315: Phil Fernandes vs. Robert Price Debate MP3 Audio - Is Jesus the Savior?

Brennon's Thoughts: Necessary and Sufficient Conditions vis a vis God and the Human Will

Brennon recently posted a great post about "Necessary and Sufficient". I am putting my comments in bold. Brennon's words are not bolded. In discussing these matters with Brennon I am crystallizing my understanding. Let's see if we can force it further.

One particularly notorious determinist and I are discussing our different views on God's relation to the events in creation. He thinks that God has made any and every even that happens necessary by divine decree. I hold to libertarianism and think that God created free creatures whose actions are causally distinct from God in some circumstances.

I agree that our actions are causally distinct from God. I don't understand where does the Bible say we are free creatures while we are are dead in sin - slaves to sin. We are not free. If we were free the we could say that we  can choose never to sin.

I claim his view seems to implicate God in all sin. He asserts that I don't escape this problem because since I believe that God foreknows all things, He foreknew that the only way sin would happen would be to create free creatures, and that implicates God in their sin. As I argued in my response to James Swan (found here) this is not the case. It is logically inappropriate to transfer the responsibility for the sins of independent creatures to God simply because He foreknows them.

It's not just not that God foreknows  everything that can and does happen. God does not stop certain acts. If he can stop an action but doesn't, then how is it inappropriate to ascribe some responsibility to God. We also know that God takes credit for some of the bad things that befall people for judgment. 

 ⁵ I am the LORD, and there is no other;
       apart from me there is no God.
       I will strengthen you,
       though you have not acknowledged me,
 ⁶ so that from the rising of the sun
       to the place of its setting
       men may know there is none besides me.
       I am the LORD, and there is no other.
 ⁷ I form the light and create darkness,
       I bring prosperity and create disaster;
       I, the LORD, do all these things. -Isaiah 45:5-7

 And  God takes no responsibility for other events. 

  ³⁰ " 'The people of Judah have done evil in my eyes, declares the LORD. They have set up their detestable idols in the house that bears my Name and have defiled it. ³¹ They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I did not command, nor did it enter my mind. ³² So beware, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when people will no longer call it Topheth or the Valley of Ben Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter, for they will bury the dead in Topheth until there is no more room. - Jeremiah 7:30-32

Therefore I don't think we can make a hard fast rule about what God is responsible for and what God isn't responsible for. 

Consider this example that I used in response to this: If no one invented the airplane, then 9/11 wouldn't have occurred. Hence: 9/11 causally depends on the invention of the airplane. Therefore Wilbur and Orville Wright caused 9/11.

The problem with this example is the Wilbur and Orville had no way to stop 9/11 and God could have.  therefore how could  God not be responsible?  God had a purpose.  We don't know what all of that purpose is and therefore we can't blame him or charge Him with error because we don't know all God had in mind. We need to trust God..

Or consider this example: The inventor of the automobile probably foresaw the potential tragedies that could come about from smashing a couple tons of steel into someone, but he obviously thought that the greater good that would come from having such a convenient form of transportation was worth it. He likewise can't be blamed for the negative future consequences that occurred because of the automobile's invention, even though he knew they most likely would occur.

Again the inventor of the automobile could not stop any of those consequences because he has no control over what people do with his invention. However God can and sometimes does intervene. God is under no obligation to intervene when and how we think he should. God is good and everything He does is good because all things work together for the good of God's people. (Romans 8:28-29). 


I think a better example is Iron Man (although fictional). Tony Stark invents amazing and powerful weapons and takes it upon himself to make sure his creation are stopped from being misused to hurt other people.  I think that is what God does. When there is suffering and pain, God allows it, although he has the power to stop it,  to bring about purposes  out of the council of his own will.

⁷In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace ⁸that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding. ⁹And he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, ¹⁰to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment—to bring all things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ.
 ¹¹In him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, ¹²in order that we, who were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. - Ephesians 1:7-12

This is where recognizing the difference between necessary and sufficient conditions come in. The creation of free creatures is only a necessary condition for evil. Those free creatures did not have to sin, but in order for them to sin they would have to be free. On the determinist end, however, God's decrees become the sufficient condition for sin. All that is needed for necessitated creatures to sin is the simple decree made by the determiner. The determiner is therefore the responsible party, since they are the one who has made all these events necessary, even sin.

Again, where in the Bible does it say that we are free? It says we are only free in Christ (Romans 5;6;7;8). Adam did not have to sin. But that is not true for us. Added to the fact that we have scripture pointing out that sins and events are necessary in order for God's will to be fulfilled.

²⁶From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. ²⁷God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. ²⁸'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' - Acts 17: 26-28

This does not mean that  we don't do things against God's will, only that God's will ultimately be the reality that we experience because all things will conform to his will. I would say that make everything that God has determined necessary and sufficient.

But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.- 2 Corinthians 2:9

Brennon's Thoughts: Necessary and Sufficient Conditions vis a vis God and the Human Will

Monergism vs. Synergism Debate Part II

Today, James White and Michael Brown did the second part of the debate. Dr. Brown and Dr. White discussed: Luke 13:34-35 (Deut 5:28-29) Ezek 18:21-32 (Jer 3:19-20; Ezek 22:30-31) I John 2:1-2 (2 Pet 2:1). This is awesome!

Mon ergism vs. Synergism Debate Part II

Gary Habermas on Jesus of Nazareth

Here is great video in which Gary Habermas answers questions about his methodology and why the Resurrection is a good answer for the historical data that we have. It's really great!



Gary Habermas on Jesus of Nazareth

Danielle Belton's The Black Snob - The Snob Blog - President Obama: Gettin' Stuff Done Whether You Like Or Not!

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Here is Jon Stewart's take on most recent events!

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Tenacious O
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Reform

Danielle Belton's The Black Snob - The Snob Blog - President Obama: Gettin' Stuff Done Whether You Like Or Not!

Apologetics 315: Is Christianity True? Essay Series Foreword by Chris Reese

Here is the forward to the online collect of essays being made available by Brain Auten of Apologetics 315.

Apologetics 315: Is Christianity True? Essay Series Foreword by Chris Reese

Apologetics 315: Essay Series: Is Christianity True?

I have been blessed. Brian Auten of  Apologetics 315 is putting together an ebook and a series of articles written be many bloggers about why Christianity is true. Brain asked me to contribute an article. I am thrilled to be involved.  Follow the link to his blog to see a list of all the bloggers  and the titles of their post.

Apologetics 315: Essay Series: Is Christianity True?

Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? Craig vs Carrier - Redux

This was an interesting debate. William Lane Craig was a great as always. I like his Resurrection arguments. I have to admit that Richard Carrier is completely wrong. My only criticism of Craig is that I wish that he would spend more time defending the Bible when his opponent challenges the Bible's validity. Carrier spends his time arguing that the Gospels are merely symbolic fiction. I can't see how he is making a solid case at all. The most egregious to me is equating the Lazarus in the parable of "Lazarus and the rich man" in Luke with the Lazarus Jesus raised from the dead in John. He says the man in the parable is a fiction to prove a point: that dead person coming back from the dead would not be believed. Then Carrier argues that John made up Lazarus so that a man can come back from the dead negating Luke. Many problems with this. "Lazarus" was a common name...why assume that they were supposed to be the same person? Why assume that the Lazarus in the parable was made up? A parable does not presuppose a fictional story. The two men were very different. Lazarus in the parable was poor. The Lazarus who was in John was well-to-do...he had money and influence. Another point is we have no idea what Lazarus said or talked about when he came back. Ib did a post on this before but now I will post the video to go along.









Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? Craig vs Carrier - Part 1

World War II - German Sniper Training Film

Cover of Sniper Training

How did the Nazis train their snipers? With a propoganda laden training film of course!




World War II - German Sniper Training Film

Charlie Rose - Bill Maher / Christopher Hitchens

Image via Wikipedia

I found this episode of Charlie Rose's program where in a single episode he interviewed both Bill Maher and Christopher Hitchens. Maher's segment dealt with politics, culture, and comedy - especially the war in Iraq. Hitchen's segment dealt with the war in Iraq and Atheism. The interviews were done while Bush was still President. Nothing new or exciting in the interview, just more of what we have come to expect from these guys.




Charlie Rose - Bill Maher / Christopher Hitchens

THE INTERSECTION | MADNESS & REALITY: Barack Obama signs Student Loan reform bill, and Negroes are happy

Image via Wikipedia

Barack Obama has signed into law reforms and measures intended to help poor people afford college and help those of us trying to pay back student loans! Not everyone is happy about it. They complain more example oif the government trying to take over. The problem is this was a major problem. What else could have or should have been done? I don't know what is going to happen when the government passes a law i don't like or disagree with, but i'm sure it will happen soon.

In both speech and substance, Tuesday's event offered a preview, casting the healthcare law as part of a bigger Democratic plan to help American families against monied interests who have profited in their time of economic distress. Just as Democrats fought the insurance companies to reform health care, the president said, they put an end to the role of banks in the college loan process.

"We can't afford to waste billions on giveaways to the banks" when American competitiveness depends on the fortunes of its students, Obama said.

The White House estimates that the changes in the lending program will general $68 billion in savings over the next 10 years, money that can be used to help expand the Pell Grant program.

The new law will also put a cap on college graduates' annual loan payments, so that they only have to pay back 10% of their income.

Here is a humorous take.



Obama signs student loan reforms into law
THE INTERSECTION | MADNESS & REALITY: Barack Obama signs Student Loan reform bill, and Negroes are happy

Iron Sharpens Iron: Derek Thomas: Union With Christ: In Eternity Past, Historical Reality & Eternity to Come

I found this particular episode timely, considering that it's almost Easter. This reminded me that the reformed position offers a lot to help to understand what happens to a person when God saves them. this was a great interview.

Iron Sharpens Iron: Derek Thomas: Union With Christ: In Eternity Past, Historical Reality & Eternity to Come

Is This the Real Face of Jesus Christ? - ABC News

There was a documentary that aired Tuesday, March 30th that chronicled a year-long project analyzing the image on the Shroud of Turin and using computer animation to make a 3D image of the man. Many people believe the shroud is what Jesus was buried in and the image is Jesus.  I liked the program. It covered the history of the Shroud and the science behind the project.







Here is a trailer for the program

The Real Face of Jesus on HISTORY 3/30
Uploaded by HistoryChannel. - Classic TV and last night's shows, online.


Is This the Real Face of Jesus Christ? - ABC News

YouTube - The Dawkins Delusion

Image via Wikipedia

What if the logic that Richard Dawkins uses in his book The God Delusion were applied to himself. This is a great parody video! What if Richard Dawkins does not exist?




YouTube - The Dawkins Delusion

Islam and Christianity A Common Word: The Prophet Muhammed (saw) and Blackness

Here is an interesting post about African Americans and Islam. I will just offer the information contained and just comment no question God used Islam and black Muslims to bless this world.





The Prophet and Blackness

Islam and Christianity A Common Word: The Prophet Muhammed (saw) and Blackness