Saturday, February 28, 2009
James White: skeptical of the Oscars, Sean Penn, same-sex marriage and the cult of Phelps
Posted by panta dokimazete at 4:24 AM 2 comments
Friday, February 27, 2009
Did God "create" evil? Thoughts from a Christian Skeptic...
Natural "evil" and sin "evil" are 2 different things - Natural is a result of sin, since no natural calamity could affect us, pre-Fall.
Also - sin and evil is not good, therefore is not-God or not-of-God. It is the state of absence (willfully on the part of the created or Creator) of God's immediate sustaining loving influence and abiding loving presence. This state is only possible in the natural creation (temporally) and Hell (eternally).
The introduction of this state to the natural Creation has a pervasive and corruptive influence, initiated by the creature and allowed by the Creator to serve the greater good, namely to glorify God through glorifying the Son as Judge, Savior and Redeemer.
Evil, while not-of-God, is still bounded and directed by God to serve the purpose of God's plan for creation. Remove His constraining loving presence and the Creation would be as Hell.
This, to me, explains how Christ was still God, even when the Father forsook Him. Christ was God in the sense He was still connected to the Godhead by the presence of God's justice, but removed from the presence of the Father's love. Christ "bore the brunt" of this absence though suffering - the temporal effect was the death of His mortal body - the eternal effect was the suffering of the eternal uncreated Son for the redemption of the created elect.
All that to say, God does not "create" evil anymore than an absence of light "creates" darkness, but both states are under His sovereign control, like an artist controls the effects of light and darkness to create a work of art.
Posted by panta dokimazete at 6:18 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Skeptical of National Geographic: Update to the Gospel of Judas
It should be no surprise to folks that are familiar with National Geographic and their singleminded determination, truth nonwithstanding, to drive the atheistic naturalistic worldview.
Do you remember the furor over the recent discovery of an ancient manuscript entitled The Gospel of Judas? The media reported that the document presented Judas as a good guy who turned Jesus over only because Jesus told him to. The reports implied that the church had gotten it wrong over all these centuries, that Judas was no sinister betrayer but a leading disciple to whom Jesus imparted special knowledge. The media coverage indicated that we would now have to re-evaluate our knowledge of Jesus. The translation became a best-seller and National Geographic, which was behind the publication of the text, made a TV documentary on the subject.
But have you heard the rest of the story? The media that hyped The Gospel of Judas has not been as vigilant in reporting how scholars have been shooting down all of these claims, to the point of accusing the National Geographic of “scholarly malpractice.” The Chronicle of Higher Education, though, has shown how genuine scholarship got hijacked by media sensationalism, pop-culture superficiality, and commercial temptations.
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The National Geographic translators rendered the text so that it read the opposite of what it actually said. Apparently, even the Gnostic heretics who wrote this document did not think much of Judas.
full article here
Posted by panta dokimazete at 5:08 AM 1 comments
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Josh McDowell Book: Evidence for the Resurrection: What It Means for Your Relationship with God
Josh McDowell has a new book being released on the resurrection...
The book, Evidence for the Resurrection: What It Means for Your Relationship with God, views the historical resurrection of Jesus Christ through relevant apologetics in a way that is designed to answer crucial life questions people face every day in today’s culture.
"While the resurrection promises us a new and perfect life in the future, God loves us too much to leave us alone to contend with the pain, guilt and loneliness of our present life," says Josh McDowell.
The direction mentioned in the last paragraph appears to be good methodology given the state of society, the conditions youth often experience, as well as the emphases of current generations.
Posted by All Things Reformed at 6:21 AM 0 comments
Friday, February 20, 2009
Boy marries dog to ward off tiger attacks
Posted by Puritan Lad at 5:13 AM 1 comments
Darwin Believers Hide Fears of Intelligent Design Behind a Wall of Denial and Ridicule
Good Article by Casey Luskin.
"Most Darwinists involved in the public debate today have one, and only one goal: To stifle free debate on this subject and thereby discourage you, the public, from scrutinizing the scientific evidence for yourself.
Over the years, Darwinists have evolved a variety of strategies to accomplish these goals. We see each of these strategies in play in the op-eds and comments by Darwinists in this present forum on U.S. News and World Report. I'll discuss how my opponents on this forum use the strategies of (1) Ridicule, Demonization, and Character Assassination; (2) Equating Darwin-Skeptics with Religion; (3) Persecute Darwin-Skeptics; and (4) Pretend There Is No Scientific Controversy Over Evolution in order to try to dissuade you, the reader, from thinking for yourself on this subject."
Read More...
Posted by Puritan Lad at 5:01 AM 6 comments
Thursday, February 12, 2009
New Bahnsen Apologetics Web Series
I just saw where AnswersinGenesis, with Covenant Media Foundation is beginning a New Apologetics Web Series with Greg Bahnsen, Ph.D.
This should make for some good reading.
Posted by All Things Reformed at 5:55 PM 22 comments
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Perspective on Darwin Celebration and Science
Why haven’t the achievements of other great scientists ever captured the global imagination—scientists like Sir Isaac Newton, Louis Pasteur, James Maxwell, Albert Einstein or Gregor Mendel?
Because Darwin 2009 is not about science. Look at who’s cheering.
So it is not about science. It’s a global campaign against God. Darwin and science are just tools.
Quotes taken from The 2009 Darwin celebrations
Well put.
Posted by All Things Reformed at 9:26 AM 0 comments
Monday, February 09, 2009
Catholic Indulgences - Christian Skepticism
In recent months, dioceses around the world have been offering Catholics a spiritual benefit that fell out of favor decades ago — the indulgence, a sort of amnesty from punishment in the afterlife — and reminding them of the church’s clout in mitigating the wages of sin.
Quote taken from For Catholics, Heaven Moves a Step Closer
Catholics - Do not be deceived. Remission of sins comes not through indulgences, but through Jesus Christ alone (via his substitutionary atonement).
One must be ignorant of both Scripture and church history to "buy" this lie. (pun intended!)
Act 8:20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money
Luke 13:3 "I tell you...except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."
John 3:36 "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the WRATH of God abideth on him."
John 14:6 "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father(God) but through Me(Jesus)”
Eph 2:8-9 ""For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from youselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast."
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Type rest of the post here
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Posted by All Things Reformed at 12:23 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Ben Stein gets to see the Power of the Scientific Inquisition Up Close and Personal
wow - does this validate the premise of Expelled, or what?
Updated: Ben Stein responds to the University of Vermont debacle.
(UVM President)Fogel said he had invited Stein — a comedian, lawyer, commentator and financial columnist — to speak about the economy, as Stein had done at another speech at UVM last spring. Fogel said he had been “vaguely aware” of the Stein’s opinions on other subjects.
“Mr. Stein has also expressed opinions on subjects unrelated to economics, most notably with respect to evolutionary theory, intelligent design, and the role of science in the Holocaust,” Fogel said in a statement to the UVM community Monday. “Those views are highly controversial, to say the least.”
Stein called the university’s response to the furor “chicken **** (CS ed:dung), and you can quote me on that.”
Yeah!
Posted by panta dokimazete at 1:43 PM 1 comments