Pascal’s Wager isn’t an argument for God’s existence, even though it’s often misunderstood to be one. It’s a cost benefit analysis between believing in or rejecting God. Skeptics, I believe, are far too dismissive because I don’t think its weight is realized. The wager holds no power for skeptics … [Read more...]
Skeptics and Atheists aside, most people can accept -- even if they don't like it -- that God takes life. When it comes to our loved ones, it doesn't matter how much time we had with them, we could have -- should have -- had more. But when it comes to life and death, some causes of death we seem … [Read more...]
This is really for one kind of reader: Atheists. Often a skeptic will cite some particular Christian, or group of Christians and hold them up as a representative sample of Christians and Christianity. There also exist sects of people who claim for themselves the label of "Christian" yet are … [Read more...]
I hear the term "fundamentalist" tossed around as though it's some kind of pejorative. It's as if being a fundamentalist of whatever stripe is a bad thing. When I hear the term, I'm not automatically associating the label negatively. It seems to me that a fundamentalist, is someone who believes … [Read more...]
That's the question I offer to skeptics who blame God for the number of professing Christian denominations. "God", they say, "is a terrible communicator if no one can agree on what it says. After all, God should have made it unconfusable". To this complaint I always request a citation for a … [Read more...]
Taking into consideration how substantial Christianity's impact on the world has been, I think everyone needs to be able to answer this question. If Christianity is true, then answering this question accurately is even more consequential. Skeptics: do you at least concede that knowing exactly who … [Read more...]
Broadly speaking, skeptics rarely differentiate between the world's religions. When it comes to the real or perceived evils done in the name of religion, or by religious adherents they're one in the same. This is especially true when discussing Islamic terrorism or the Crusades and Inquisition. … [Read more...]
Yesterday morning whilst enjoying my breakfast at my favorite restaurant, a friend of mine made a comment in response to something (I don't recall what) that God is all forgiving, all merciful, and all loving. I actually hear this a lot. It's usually offered as a rejoinder to my claims that some … [Read more...]
Regardless of the subject matter, all communication needs to be interpreted. Someone with my convictions, how I should be going about interpreting the Bible is vitally important. Let me explain what I mean since it might not be evident. I'm not talking about what a particular passage means, as … [Read more...]
A group of North Carolina clergy are challenging their state's constitutional prohibition on same sex marriage on religious grounds. They claim the prohibition violates their right to practice their religion freely as guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Constitution. (Charlotte Observer) -- A … [Read more...]
It’s not right that people would go to hell just for not believing in the right God. We all know a good and moral God would't condemn people to hell just for not believing in him, would he? I hear this a lot, and it demonstrates a misunderstanding of the reason people are condemned in the first … [Read more...]
Is it petty of God that he would condemn people to eternal punishment for the mere crime of not believing in the right God or adhering to the right set of religious doctrines? Now, I don’t lay all the blame on critics wgo think this is the case, per se, but it seems to be a common complaint … [Read more...]
Is a fear of hell a good reason to believe in God -- or become a Christian? It is accused that simply fearing hell is not a good enough reason to convert. I get it. But I also see a few reasons to be critical of this objection. First, I don't think it's true that very many Christians believe in … [Read more...]
This comment was given in response to a local news agency reporting on the United Methodist Church formally charging a minister for presiding over his son's same-sex wedding. Does Catherine really think God is pleased as punch with her every thought and deed? You know what? I think she does. It's … [Read more...]
Some Skeptics reject God's standard of right and wrong. They say what God declares to be morally permissible in some cases is repugnant; and in other cases what God says is immoral is itself wrong to declare as such. It is therefore wrong, they say, to judge people on such a flawed system of … [Read more...]
Ok, I literally hate when people ask the question, "do you believe in a literal interpretation of Genesis?" I think there is an ingrained tendency to narrow one's focus too much, to the point where you develop tunnel vision and either refuse, or fail to accept that there is more than one way take a … [Read more...]
Editor's Note: This is a continuation in a series of posts between Adam Robles and John Barron on the doctrines of Reformed Theology. This is not debate per se, and we are not following a particular format. Because of this, as new posts are published they may seem incomplete. You should read the … [Read more...]
One common complaint against Christianity is the doctrine of exclusivism. The teaching that there is only one true God and only one true religion is something some people just find objectionable. Whether they find this to be arrogant, narrow-minded, elitist, or worse; they think the idea that … [Read more...]
I have heard it asserted by skeptics that God was a tool invented by someone or a group of someones in an effort to control the masses. I'm not sure this makes much sense to me, it never has. It's a great 'what-if' story, but it's little more than speculation. That doesn't make it a false claim, … [Read more...]
For all the protest from Atheists that a place such as an eternal hell exists, has it occurred to them that hell serves a good? It brings justice to those who commit evil. Is that really a bad thing since I don't think I've heard anyone complain that murderers, rapists, and child molesters might be … [Read more...]
Sifting Reality 
Who said what…