From Christianity Today: Staring into the Abyss by Dinesh D'Souza. The subtitle for the article is, "Why Peter Singer makes the New Atheists nervous." Atheists like Richard Dawkins argue that we can have morality without God. And I acknowledge that many atheists are very moral people. But is their morality based on their atheism, or …
Category: Christianity
Church death
We have books and seminars on church growth. Christianity is growing rapidly in places like China and parts of Africa. Christ has given us a commission to take the gospel to all nations, and we expect the fulfilment of this Great Commission. But churches also die. Local churches die. In church history, we see entire …
Interactive denomination maps
The Association of Religion Data Archives has an interactive map showing the distribution of a large number of Christian denominations and other religious groups over time. Here are three maps showing the growth of my denomination, the Evangelical Free Church of America from 1980 to 2000: Maps are available for many denominations and groups, ranging …
Bad arguments for Christianity
C. Michael Patton at Parchment and Pen has 14 Examples of Really Bad Apologetics. There are many good arguments (apologetics) for the truthfulness of Christianity: Historical evidence for the resurrection Historical evidence for the reliability of Scriptures Philosophical arguments for the existence of God, such as the cosmological argument Some of the bad arguments for …
Amazing Grace
I don't watch very many movies, but I watched a great one with my family tonight: Amazing Grace. This is the story of William Wilberforce, the English Member of Parliament who fought for years to outlaw the slave trade in the British Empire. Here's what I thought about as I reflected on the movie: The …
Living the Cross Centered Life
I recently finished reading Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney. Here are some quotes: In the midst of our various responsibilities and many possible areas of service in the kingdom of God, one overarching truth should motivate all our work and effect every part of who we are: Christ died for our sins. …
Darwin’s birthday #2
What drives more scientists away from Christianity, evolution, or young-Earth creationism? I don't know the answer, but I suspect that both have significant roles. Some forms of evolutionary philosophy drive scientists (and others) away from Christianity. The New Atheists, such as Richard Dawkins, claim that evolution makes it intellectually feasible to be an atheist. To …
A sad story
I came across this sad, but very believable, comment on The Internet Monk today: When I was a kid I spent part of my time in a Christian private school. I remember they used to send my home with “archaeological evidence” of the ark being discovered in various places and I would spend hours at …
Letter from Birmingham Jail
Today is Martin Luther King, Jr. Day here in the United States, a day to honor the slain civil rights leader, to celebrate how far we have come, and to reflect on how far we still have to go as a nation. Here's some suggested reading: "Letter from Birmingham jail." It is a succinct overview …
Day-age time chart
One of the most prominent old-Earth creation organizations is Reasons to Believe, headed by astronomer Hugh Ross. Ross is an advocate of what is known as the day-age interpretation of Genesis 1-2. In the day-age theory, the days of Genesis 1 are not literal 24-hour days, but represent vastly longer periods of time. Ross advocates …
Atheist: Africa needs God
A London Times article by Matthew Parris: As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God Subtitle: Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa's biggest problem - the crushing passivity of the people's mindset A few excerpts: Now a confirmed atheist, I've become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in …
National Geographic — irresponsible dismissal of a valid historical document
I have been a reader and collector of National Geographic since childhood. I am able to overlook some of their biases, which lead from time to time to sloppy journalism on the part of the magazine, such as the Gospel of Judas fiasco. Here is another NG piece of sloppy/biased journalism regarding religion: the cover …
Continue reading National Geographic — irresponsible dismissal of a valid historical document
Happy New Year with a Bonhoeffer quote
A Dietrich Bonhoeffer quote: I believe that God can and will bring good out of evil, even out of the greatest evil. For that purpose, he needs men who make the best use of everything. I got this from the Internet Monk, who adds these comments: By all reports, Bonhoeffer made the best use of …
Bible reading in 2009
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105 ESV) They received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. (Acts 17:11 ESV) New Years Day is coming in two weeks, and many make a resolution to read in the …
Cizik Resigns
From Christianity Today: Richard Cizik Resigns from the National Association of Evangelicals Richard Cizik resigned Wednesday night as vice president for governmental affairs of the National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) during a week of growing uproar over his comments that he is shifting his views on same-sex unions. "Although he has subsequently expressed regret, apologized, …
Life Together quotes #2
Last week, I gave a few quotes (here) from the first two chapters of Life Together, by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran pastor who was executed by the Nazis in the final days of World War 2. Here are quotes from the rest of the book: Chapter 3 -- The Day Alone But silence before …
A Christ-centered message
The preaching at the church we have been attending in Denver, Red Rocks Fellowship, has been consistently good. Here are two excerpts from today's sermon preached by Pastor Jack McCullough, which was on the birth of Jesus from Matthew 1:18-25. Someone has said this: "If our greatest need had been information, God would have sent …
The Porpoise Driven Life
Oh my... HT: Extreme Theology
Life Together quotes
I'm re-reading Life Together by Dietrich Bonhoeffer, subtitled "The Classic Exploration of Faith in Community." At 122 pages, it is not a long book, but it is a gem. I know that Bonhoeffer was a bit liberal theologically, but the Christ-centeredness of his writings puts to shame much of what goes on in Evangelicalism today. …
Ten arguments for God’s existence
Theologically, I know that I believe in God because, by his grace, he has drawn me to himself. No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. (John 6:44). I find apologetics (the rational defense of the faith), however, to be exceedingly useful, including the philosphical arguments for God's existence. …
GeoChristian 