I get the impression that many people think capitalism only serves nefarious ends. That somehow capitalists only get wealthy by somehow draining the wealth of someone else. But this is only so if you count the dollars in each's hand at the end of the transaction. Often times we don't consider the … [Read more...]
Petty theft and white lies
September 27, 2012 by 12 Comments
I'm fairly confident that many readers will think I'm making a mountain out of a molehill on this, and perhaps I am. But I think it's small transgressions which are part of the larger moral problem, maybe. Anyone of even questionable character can refrain from stealing large valuable things. But … [Read more...]
If there’s no “Gay Agenda”, then why…
September 24, 2012 by 17 Comments
I have been told time and time again that there is no "gay agenda". I will concede that the average supporter of same-sex marriage is not an activist pushing an agenda. But it's difficult to believe this agenda doesn't exist when middle school students are inculcated with what appears to be the … [Read more...]
The freedom to offend religious sensibilities
September 21, 2012 by 5 Comments
Popular Atheist Sam Harris has commented on the recent uprisings in the Middle East against American Embassies with some glib but true observations: (SamHarris.org) -- The latest wave of Muslim hysteria and violence has now spread to over twenty countries. The walls of our embassies and consulates … [Read more...]
WWJD about the Muslim uprisings?
September 18, 2012 by 88 Comments
Sometimes when confronted with a difficult moral decision which might require action, people ask themselves "what would Jesus do?". I think it's a good question, but I don't think it's answered accurately very often. Perhaps the confusion lies in what might seem to be conflicting messages. What … [Read more...]
The headlines of September 11th
September 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
Eleven years since the hijacked airliners razed the World Trade Center buildings. The event was so sobering, its unifying effect on all Americans was powerful. And to a degree, most Americans still feel the sense of national camaraderie, especially on its anniversary. Below is a small sample of … [Read more...]
Please keep my family in your thoughts this week
September 11, 2012 by 11 Comments
My wife's mother, Mary, passed away suddenly yesterday afternoon. She hasn't been well for some time, but not sick either which made her death a surprise to our family. My father-in-law died only three years ago; he and my wife were very close. And unfortunately, his death is still very fresh for … [Read more...]
Drew Peterson and the New Testament
September 7, 2012 by 43 Comments
Drew Peterson, a former Illinois police officer, has been convicted of murdering his third wife, Kathleen Savio. While a man being convicted of murder isn't normally noteworthy on a blog such as this, Peterson's case is. Peterson was convicted based nearly entirely on witness testimony, and much … [Read more...]
What If God Removed Evil
August 31, 2012 by 17 Comments
Human suffering and evil is perhaps the most powerful of all the arguments against the existence of God. Having reflected on this complaint in the past, even in it's most convincing form, I find the problem of evil to be an emotional reaction more than a reasoned objection. Personally, I don't … [Read more...]
The Same Jesus
August 30, 2012 by Leave a Comment
The Jesus who said don't judge, and preached love and forgiveness, was the same Jesus who said that He was the only way to God; unless you believe that, you'll die in your sins; people need to stop sinning; Christians need to tell you about Him; and marriage is between a man and a woman. Just … [Read more...]
When Conscience And Society Butt Heads
August 28, 2012 by 25 Comments
Morality seems to be quite a contentious subject among those who debate it. People seem to not like it very much when someone with differing views on what is moral and what isn't is perceived to be trying to force it on you or society as a whole. Whether a person or a group's vision of a moral … [Read more...]
Hostility Toward Religion In America
August 27, 2012 by 11 Comments
For years religious Americans -- specifically Christians -- have been complaining that the government has been increasingly hostile toward religious expressions of their faith at the behest of a small group of angry people who find such expressions repugnant. More often than not the incidents … [Read more...]
Mormons at the door
August 24, 2012 by 87 Comments
My regular readers know how much I like to argue and debate. Perhaps this is also why I so enjoy when door-to-door missionaries come knocking on my door whether it's Mormons or Jehovah's witnesses. The other day LDS missionaries who had come once before while I wasn't home returned. They were two … [Read more...]
Manufacturing Offense
August 22, 2012 by 43 Comments
If one thing about society as a whole perturbs me more than any other, it is the constant threat of offence. For someone who cares whether they unintentionally offend someone, they must maneuver through euphemisms every time they voice their opinion on a controversial topic. As for myself, I don't … [Read more...]
How to miss the point
August 21, 2012 by 13 Comments
From Think On These Things blog and it couldn't have come at a better time. People have valued reasoned, fair disagreements and good listening skills for far too long. It is high time we dispense with those boring and outdated formalities! After all, why respect the laws of logic when you can enjoy … [Read more...]
Is Christianity really the problem?
August 20, 2012 by 80 Comments
Judging by the outrage and accusations of persecution being perpetuated by Christians who are on a mission to institute a theocracy, you'd think there was a serious epidemic of Christian tyranny afoot. But let's be honest, is Christianity really the problem? (FreeBeacon) -- A prominent Saudi … [Read more...]
Another Question For Atheists
August 16, 2012 by 48 Comments
Most Atheists who are willing to discuss why they believe God doesn't exist will say there isn't any -- or enough -- evidence to convince them He does. The little evidence which an Atheist may concede exists doesn't meet the threshold to abandon their atheism. Regardless of what I or other … [Read more...]
Ten Things I Wish Jim Rigby Knew…
August 14, 2012 by 193 Comments
1. If Jesus did not mention a subject, it cannot be essential to his teachings. Aside from being a complete non-sequitur, Rigby fails to make some important distinctions about certain details of Christian belief. Jesus did have something to say on the nature of marriage in Mark 10: that it was made … [Read more...]
Nones on the rise?
August 13, 2012 by 32 Comments
Is it just me, or do Atheists seem to excite rather easily? With every release of a news story citing some survey reporting the rise of those self-identifying as unaffiliated, Atheists seem to feel a [false] sense of validation. Like the trend in the US, people in Ireland are forsaking their … [Read more...]
My concerns about Roman Catholicism
August 9, 2012 by 33 Comments
Every so often when the discussion of which religious groups "qualify" as Real Christians®, Roman Catholicism will eventually be brought up. Though the Bible allows for leeway in regards to some aspects of religious practice (Romans 14), too much variation inevitably places a religious … [Read more...]
Sifting Reality 
Who said what…