Saturday, February 5, 2011
Faithful Thinkers: Can We Be Good Without God?
Faithful Thinkers: Can We Be Good Without God?
FacePalm of the Day #54 - Debunking Christianity: Quote of the Day
Christianity is not a worldview. A worldview is larger than one's religious beliefs. It encompasses everything a person accepts as true. So there are probably as many worldviews as there are people.
If a person can compartmentalize what they believe away from everything else that they think is true then their religion isn't really part of their worldview. Christianity isn't something you do on Sunday. It should affect everything you think and do. IT should have an affect on your values and perceptions...not just what you say you believe. You can't have a worldview divorced from your religious belief. Many of us in the West think it's possible and it's not. Complete Separation of Church and State is a joke if you think that laws and justice is not informed by religion. This is one of the reasons why Muslim societies do not understand the west. For them, their religion is a lifestyle and informs everything they do - in theory. It should be for us as well.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails—given by one shepherd. 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil. - Ecclesiastes 12:11-14
Debunking Christianity: Quote of the Day
Friday, February 4, 2011
Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Hope of Israel
Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: The Hope of Israel
History of the Crusades with Matt Philipps MP3 - Apologetics 315
This audio comes from Todd Wilkin's Issues, Etc program. This is a five-part series going over the history of the crusades with Associate Professor of History Dr. Matt Phillips of Concordia University-Nebraska. This interview covers:
• Origins & The First Crusade
• The Second Crusade & Papal Politics
• The Third Crusade
• The Fourth Crusade & Pope Innocent III
• St. Louis & the 13th Century Crusades
Follow the link for the single mp3.
History of the Crusades with Matt Philipps MP3 - Apologetics 315
Thursday, February 3, 2011
5 Greatest Challenges to Christianity that Apologetics Can’t Answer – Part 2 | Athanatos Christian Apologetics Ministry
In neither of the two cases in this post can ‘apologetics’ do anything. This boils down to a collections of attitudes common in the Church at large, and these perhaps can be boiled down to something very simple: the simple refusal to obey what the Scriptures plainly say. And apologetics will never be able to make people do what it is they say they believe should be done.
I agree with him. I highly recommend the entire post.
5 Greatest Challenges to Christianity that Apologetics Can’t Answer – Part 2 | Athanatos Christian Apologetics Ministry
Blogger Buzz: Introducing Blogger Android App
Blogger Buzz: Introducing Blogger Android App
Clay Jones Interview: The Crusades - part 3 - Apologetics 315
Another in a series of goodies!
Today's interview is the third and final in a series of three short podcasts (see part one here, two here) dealing the atrocities committed in the crusades, Luther's insights on the crusades, the idea of a Christian nation, and the complex lessons of the crusades.
Clay Jones Interview: The Crusades - part 3 - Apologetics 315
Answering Muslims: Refuting three common Muslim misconceptions about Christianity
1. Did the Apostles believe Jesus to be insane?
2. Did Jesus portray Christianity as a violent religion?
3. Did Paul the Apostle encourage deception?
Many Christians find these questions almost silly to ask, however they are stumbling blocks for many to Jesus. Removing such stumbling blocks is what Apologetics is all about. I thank for post this.
Answering Muslims: Refuting three common Muslim misconceptions about Christianity
Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: 1,500-Year-Old Church Found In Israel
Dr. Claude Mariottini - Professor of Old Testament: 1,500-Year-Old Church Found In Israel
Answering Muslims: Fifteen-Year-Old Hena Begum Dies after Receiving 100 Lashes
Qur'an 24:2—(As for) the fornicatress and the fornicator, flog each of them, (giving) a hundred stripes, and let not pity for them detain you in the matter of obedience to Allah, if you believe in Allah and the last day, and let a party of believers witness their chastisement.
Yes, it is similar to the laws given to us through Moses
“‘If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress are to be put to death. - Leviticus 20:10
I think it's important to point something out about both texts. Even if you disagree that extra-marital sex should be punished this severely you must also recognize that both participants - men and women should bear responsibility. Not just the woman. There is a lot of information missing in Hena Begum's case. Was she raped? From what I can tell about the part of the world, it wold not have mattered if she was raped or wanted it. Another source says she was raped by her cousin who is 40 years old. Was her cousin also given the same penalty of 100 lashes? I don't think that she deserved what happened to her. Nor do I think that she deserved to die even if she chose to be in the act freely. The thing I want to call attention to is that adultery and fornication are wrong because of how it damages the people who engage in it. God prohibited sex outside of marriage because it is better for us not because he doesn't want us to enjoy sex. It was illegal according to both the Qur'an and the Books of Moses to punish adultery only by punishing the woman. This is why Jesus did not condemn the woman who was brought to him who was caught in adultery. The religious leaders who brought her was only interested in trapping Jesus into either breaking the Law or stoning her. He turned the tables and although he didn't condemn her, Jesus told her to sin no more. This is what Jesus came for and we are all like that woman. We deserve to be stoned and to die in our sins, but Jesus came that we can live - not that we can keep sinning.
2 At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4 and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5 In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?” 6 They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.
But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. 7 When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8 Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.
9 At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. 10 Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?”
11 “No one, sir,” she said.
“Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.” - John 8:2-11
I think this is the best was of dealing with such situations. Love the sinner and shun the sin - not ignoring it.
Answering Muslims: Fifteen-Year-Old Hena Begum Dies after Receiving 100 Lashes
Bangladeshi teen dies from sharia lashing after reportedly being raped
Has Science Made Belief In God Obsolete? - apologetics - blip.tv
Has Science Made Belief In God Obsolete? - apologetics - blip.tv
THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Responding to AbusiveAnthitheist's, "Questions for theists who advocate TAG"
THE APOLOGETIC FRONT: Responding to AbusiveAnthitheist's, "Questions for theists who advocate TAG"
Why are you an atheist? : Pharyngula
The godless raged at me on youtube and twitter, thanks to the recent broadcast of my talk in Montreal. I have a tangent in that talk where I deplore Dictionary Atheists, going so far as to say I hate those guys, because they're so superficial. Apparently some people identify with shallow atheism, because they took it personally and got rather upset.
I had to think about this. Should I back down and apologize, and maybe revise my opinion of this subset of the atheist community? Have I gone too far?
Nah. Obviously what this calls for is an escalation. I think I need to summarize all the things about atheism that bug me, and that I wish people would stop doing. There simply aren't enough atheists angry at me now. So let's get to it and piss everyone off! It'll be fun! Here's a list.
I agree with Meyers that he should not apologize. It is shallow to not be able to articulate why you take a position you hold and criticize others.
In that Montreal talk, I explained that there is more to my atheism than simple denial of one claim; it's actually based on a scientific attitude that values evidence and reason, that rejects claims resting solely on authority, and that encourages deeper exploration of the world. My atheism is not solely a negative claim about gods, but is based on a whole set of positive values that I will emphasize when talking about atheism. That denial of god thing? It's a consequence, not a cause.
Of course I disagree that Meyers has valid and good reasons for his atheism, but at least it amounts to more than "I don't believe God exist." He also wrote:
"I just believe in one less god than you do". OK, I don't hate this one. There is actually a germ of a valid point in there: disbelief in itself is good and normal social practice, and even the most zealous theist actively disbelieves in many things. That's a good point to make in a world where people cite blind faith as a virtue.
And here is an important point that I can't fully agree with. I agree that our culture has watered down "Faith" to be blind. It's thought of as believing in things that one has no evidence to believe at best and contradicts facts at worst. This may be what some people think and teach faith is but it is not how the Bible describes faith or admonishes us to have. Blind faith cannot save you. Wow! Something else we agree on.
But that's the only point that can be made from it, and it has its own perils. It implies many things that are not true. The theist you're arguing with did not go through a process where he analyzed his beliefs logically, and excluded 99% of all gods by reason and their lack of evidence; in fact, he probably never in his life seriously considered any of those other faiths (he is 99% Dictionary Atheist, in other words). He came to his personal faith by way of a series of personal, positive (to him!) predispositions, not by progressive exclusion of other ideas, and he's simply not going to see the relevance of your argument. Would you be swayed if someone pointed out that you disbelieve astrology, homeopathy, tarot, witchcraft, and palmistry, and he has simply gone one step further than you, and also disbelieves in evolution?My Question is how does he know that all theists have never looked at other religions and progressive ly excluded other ideas? How does he know that I have not searched other ideas and found them wanting? Why would he assume that no one has truly searched and knows why they are Christian instead of a Hindu, Buddhist, Mormon, Jehovah Witness, Wiccan, Astrologist, Norse, Greco-Roman, Verdun, or Muslim? It can't be just because my Mommy is a Christian. I disagree that naturalism is a better explanation of reality. Lame indeed.
Similarly, you did not go through a list of religions, analysing each one, and ticking them off as unbelievable. I certainly didn't. Instead, you come to the table with an implicit set of criteria, like evidence and plausibility and experimental support, and also a mistrust of unfounded authority or claims that are too good to be true, and they incline you to accept naturalism, for instance, as a better explanation of the world. Turning it into a quantitative debate about how many gods we accept, instead of a substantial debate about the actual philosophical underpinnings of our ideas, is kind of lame, I think.
I admit I also Liked Meyer's conclusion:
I could probably come up with a few more peeves — I am genuinely a world-class expert in finding fault — but let's stop there. My main point is that one general flaw in many atheists is a lack of appreciation for why they find themselves comfortable with that label, and it always lies in a set of sometimes unexamined working metrics for how the world works. You are an atheist — take pride in what you do believe, not what you deny. And also learn to appreciate that the opposition hasn't arrived at their conclusions in a vacuum. There are actually deeper reasons that they so fervently endorse supernatural authorities, and they aren't always accounted for by stupidity.I like this because Meyers inadvertently underscores the problem with atheism: a negative claim is all most atheists have. Both sides also make the mistake of underestimating the reasons why the opposite side holds the views they hold. It's not that they more stupid than you and if they knew as much as you doesn't mean they would change their mind (they may know more than you do).
Why are you an atheist? : Pharyngula
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
5 Greatest Challenges to Christianity that Apologetics Can’t Answer – Part 1 | Athanatos Christian Apologetics Ministry
5 Greatest Challenges to Christianity that Apologetics Can’t Answer – Part 1 | Athanatos Christian Apologetics Ministry
My Common Sense is Tingling - Debunking Christianity: "Don't Spank That Monkey" App Courtesy of XXX Church ;-)
Such a guilt producing message! Okay, Okay, sexual addictions can be very serious, but WTF is this! What's wrong with masturbation? Anyone? Anyone? Will it make you go blind or something? And what's wrong with lust? It's biology baby. Christians will forever have problems with sex. They don't know what to do with it except deny, deny, deny. I've written about this before.
Looking at history, yes, the church has denied sexual fulfillment of people and making it seem that God does not want people to be sexual fulfilled although he gave us those desires. This is not the same thing as "lust". Isn't sex supposed to be more than just fulfilling biology? Although the church has done a disservice on teaching on sex for years - making it seem like sex is dirty and immoral in and of itself, this is not the picture that the Bible gives us for the place sex should be in our lives. God isn't against sex, he just wants us to truly enjoy it in its fullness. Since he gave them to us, wouldn't it make sense that God would know what we should do our feelings so we don't destroy ourselves and each other? All I am calling for is some common sense applied consistently.
Debunking Christianity: "Don't Spank That Monkey" App Courtesy of XXX Church ;-)
The Role of Evangelism in the Church
The Role of Evangelism in the Church
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Dr. White on Janet Parshall's Show: The Forgotten Trinity
The Forgotten Trinity Interview 6/16/99
Click here to order Dr. White's book, The Forgotten Trinity.
Dr. White on Janet Parshall's Show: The Forgotten Trinity
Black History Month & Comics: Two Great Tastes That Go Together [Op-Ed] - ComicsAlliance | Comics culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews
David Brothers will be blogging all month on Black History concentrating on the the writers and artists who have positively had an impact on portraying African-Americans. I'm excited because he is a great writer and I am a fan of the medium. Brothers wrote:Jack Kirby, the guy who almost every superhero comic owes its visual language to, created, co-created, or used a host of black characters. Black Panther, Vykin the Black, the Black Racer, the Falcon, Princess Zanda, Flippa Dippa, and Shilo Norman are all Kirby creations and cooler than cool. Kirby didn't have to create so many black characters, but he did. He made a point of it, as near as I can tell.
Read More: http://www.comicsalliance.com/2011/02/01/black-history-month-and-comics-two-great-tastes-that-go-together/#ixzz1ClmEb5e7
I agree. I've been reading Kirby's work on the Black Panther from the 1970's and I like it a lot. I can't wait to see more of Brother's articles.
Black History Month & Comics: Two Great Tastes That Go Together [Op-Ed] - ComicsAlliance | Comics culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews
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