Thoughtful Christianity

Sermon: “God of the Bible vs. God of Philosophy”

Bryan — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 12:00:13 +0000

Did the early church kidnap the god of the philosophers and dress him up in Scriptural clothes? On this edition of Renewing Your Mind, Dr. R.C. Sproul helps us understand the early church’s usage of philosophical language to formulate our doctrine of God.

“God of the Bible vs. God of Philosophy” (26:25)…

Computer Users: Click the play button below
Mobile Users: Click the blue speaker icon below

This sermon and many more can be found at SermonAudio.com

Quick Fact: “Non-Christian Sources For Jesus”

Bryan — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 16:54:28 +0000

Although it might sound strange, some critics have made the bold claim that Jesus never even existed. They claim that because the New Testament documents are biased and therefore cannot be trusted, and that since there are also no non-Christian sources which mention him, that we cannot reliably conclude that Jesus actually existed. However, aside from whether or not the New Testament documents are trustworthy, did you know that there are actually several non-Christian sources which mention Jesus around the same time period as the New Testament?

Facts

As mentioned above, there are actually several non-Christian (some could even be considered anti-Christian) sources that mention Jesus. From ancient historians (Tacitus, Suetonius, Josephus, Thallus), to government officials (Pliny the Younger, Emperor Trajan, Hadrian), to Jewish sources (Talmud, Toledoth Jesu), gentile Sources (Lucian and Mara Bar-Serapion), gnostic sources (The Gospel of Truth, The Apocryphon of John, The Gospel of Thomas, The Treatise on Resurrection), and even some lost sources (The Acts of Pontius Pilate and Phlegon), the evidence for Jesus outside of the New Testament is far from nonextant.

Furthermore, of the numerous non-Christian sources for Jesus, ten of them that mention him were written within 150 years of his life (note that only nine sources exist which mention Tiberius Caesar, the Roman Emperor at the time of Jesus, within that same time period). But these sources do not merely serve to confirm his existence, but they also happen to give us valuable insights on who Jesus was, what type of life he led, etc. In fact, using only the ten known non-Christian sources mentioned above, all of the following can be established about Jesus (note that all are consistent with the New Testament documents):

1. He lived during time of Tiberius Caesar.
2. He lived a virtuous life.
3. He was a wonder-worker.
4. He had a brother named James.
5. He was acclaimed to be the Messiah.
6. He was crucified under Pontius Pilate.
7. He was crucified on the eve of the Jewish Passover.
8. Darkness and an earthquake occurred when he died.
9. His disciples believed he rose from the dead.
10. His disciples were willing to die for their belief.
11. Christianity spread rapidly as far as Rome.
12. His disciples denied the Roman gods and worshiped Jesus as God.

Conclusion

So, regardless of whether or not the New Testament can be trusted, there are several non-Christian sources which confirm the existence of Jesus. As such, the theory that Jesus never existed is plainly unreasonable. After all, how could sources which are entirely non-Christian in nature just happen to coincide with the New Testament records on all of these critical points if the ultimate focal point of those records never even existed?

¹ Geisler, N. L., & Turek, F. (2004). I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (220–223). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.

² Geisler, N. L. (1999). Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. Baker reference library (381–385). Grand Rapids, Mich.: Baker Books.

Quote: William Lane Craig on the Cultural Milieu of the Gospel

Bryan — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 03:17:36 +0000

“The gospel is never heard in isolation. It is always heard against the background of the cultural milieu in which one lives. A person raised in a cultural milieu in which Christianity is still seen as an intellectually viable option will display an openness to the gospel which a person who is secularized will not… [as such] part of the broader task of Christian scholarship is to help create and sustain a cultural milieu in which the gospel can be heard as an intellectually viable option for thinking men and women.”

- William Lane Craig (1949 – Present)

William Lane Craig is an eminent Christian apologist, theologian, and philosopher who is probably best known for his contributions to the philosophy of religion, historical Jesus studies, and the philosophy of time. He is also a well sought after speaker and has engaged in numerous debates around the world defending the truth of Christianity.

Quiz: Documentary Hypothesis

Bryan — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:39:53 +0000

Quiz: What is the documentary hypothesis, where did it come from, and why is it no longer held by most critical scholars?

iPhone app users: Click here to leave your answer

Join the forum discussion on this post

Debate: “Can Historians Prove Jesus Rose From The Dead?” – Licona vs. Ehrman

Bryan — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 20:55:15 +0000

The following is a debate between Michael Licona and Bart Ehrman on the topic “Can Historians Prove Jesus Rose From The Dead?” The debate was held at Southern Evangelical Seminary on April 2, 2009.

An audio version of the debate can also be found here.

“The Forum”

Bryan — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 04:58:03 +0000

Got questions? Or an itching nag for argumentation? Want to engage others in thoughtful discussions on a given topic? If so, be sure to to check out “The Forum”. In an attempt to expand upon and transform the “Discussion Zone” feature of the site, the “Forum” section presents a wide range of topics for reflection including topics that span theology, philosophy, science, culture and more. With so many topics, you are bound to find a place to settle in and start a thoughtful dialogue, and if not, just create your own topic! Simply click the Forum link at the top of the page (or the link below), register as a member, and jump in!

Take me to “The Forum”

Question: “Is the concept of hell incompatible with a morally perfect and loving God?”

Bryan — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 13:25:48 +0000

Question of the Week:

“Is the concept of hell incompatible with a morally perfect and loving God?”

What are your thoughts?

Quiz: Arianism

Bryan — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:19:34 +0000

Quiz: What does Arianism teach, why is it heresy, when was it refuted, and what religious group (or groups) still adhere to it today?

iPhone app users: Click here to leave your answer

Join the forum discussion on this post

Quizzes

Bryan — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 06:48:56 +0000

Whether you are a seasoned theologian looking to refresh your memory or an average layman looking for a challenge, test your knowledge with quizzes covering a variety of topics within Christian theology, philosophy, and apologetics.

The list of featured quizzes can be found below, organized date.

Quizzes:

Quiz #2: Documentary Hypothesis (7/13/10)

Quiz #1: Arianism (6/30/10)

Term to Know: “Open Theism”

Bryan — Sat, 26 Jun 2010 04:53:29 +0000

Open Theism: Theological view claiming that some of the traditional attributes ascribed to God by classical theism should be either rejected or reinterpreted. Advocates typically reject the claim that God is timelessly eternal in favor of seeing God as everlasting, and they believe that though God’s essential character is immutable, God changes in some ways so as to respond appropriately to a changing creation. Most controversially, open theists typically hold that God’s foreknowledge is limited, because of the limitations he has placed upon himself in giving humans free will. Open theists argue that their position is more consistent with the biblical picture of God than is classical theism, which they claim distorted the biblical picture because of Greek philosophical concepts of perfection. Critics charge that open theism does not do justice to divine sovereignty. Open theism has some similaties to process theology, but the differences are significant: methodologically, open theists are committed to a high view of biblical authority; and substantively, they accept the concept of God as a personal agent as well as the miraculous events of the Bible, which are typically rejected by process theologians. Open theists, unlike process theologians, have no particular reason to challenge the traditional conceptual scheme of substances that have properties, some of them essential.¹

See other “Terms to Know”

¹ C. Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 85-86.

Questions

Bryan — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 13:00:59 +0000

For those who enjoy engaging in interactive and thoughtful dialogue with others on key topics, be sure to check out the occasional discussion questions on the site. In order to help reach the most amount of people, the questions can be viewed and answered both here on the site, in “The Forum”, or on Faceboook, which ever works best for you. And for those who may have missed a discussion question or simply want to view previous questions, not a problem… the list below includes all of the discussion questions to date, organized by date.

Enjoy!

Discussion Questions:

Question #14: Is the concept of hell incompatible with a morally perfect and loving God? (7/2/10)

Question #13: How do you understand God’s eternality? Does He exist in time, outside of time, or some combination of the two? (6/25/10)

Question #12: Is eating meat morally wrong? (6/22/10)

Question #11: Is the doctrine of “sola scriptura” explicitly taught in scripture? If not, does that make it self-refuting? (6/21/10)

Question #10: Do extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence? (6/19/10)

Question #9: Find the fallacies (Problem of Evil) (6/17/10)

Question #8: How do you respond to someone who doesn’t seem to be bothered by inconsistencies in their worldview? (6/14/10)

Question #7: What do you say to someone who claims that truth is relative, or “true for you but not for me”? (6/10/10)

Question #6: Why do you believe Christianity to be true? (6/8/10)

Question #5: Are miracles a violation of the laws of nature? (6/7/10)

Question #4: If God is a Trinity and Jesus is God, why isn’t Jesus a Trinity? (6/6/10)

Question #3: Why does Christianity view God as a Trinity? (6/5/10)

Question #2: Can God change his mind? (6/4/10)

Question #1: Are there things God can’t do? (6/3/10)

Lecture: “Has Science Made Belief in God Impossible?”

Bryan — Sun, 20 Jun 2010 14:16:53 +0000

Has science made belief in God impossible? Listen as Dr. William Lane Craig gives a thoughtful response to this question. The talk was given as a part of a Veritas Forum which was held at Texas A&M University on December 31, 1997.

Has Science Made Belief in God Impossible? (approx. 1 hour)

*Both this and many more talks from Dr. Craig can be found at his website, ReasonableFaith.org.

Quote: Arno Penzias on the Fine-Tuning of the Universe

Bryan — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 03:28:46 +0000

“Astronomy leads us to a unique event, a universe which was created out of nothing, one with the very delicate balance needed to provide exactly the conditions required to permit life, and one which has an underlying (one might say ‘supernatural’) plan.”

- Arno Penzias (1933-present)

*Arno Penzias is an eminent American physicist who is most well known for his co-discovery of the microwave background radiation, for which he and physicist Robert Wilson were later awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1978. The discovery was notable in that it confirmed the predictions of the standard Big Bang model of the origin of the universe.

New iPhone App!

Bryan — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 04:29:07 +0000

I am excited to announce that Thoughtful Christianity is now iPhone ready! Click here to check out the new iPhone app in the iTunes store and download it for FREE! Also, as this is the first version of the app, there are bound to be some technical issues to be tweaked along the way, so if you find anything or have any commenst/suggestions don’t hesitate to let me know. Other than that, hope you enjoy and let me know what you think! (Oh, and a nice review on iTunes wouldn’t hurt either! )

Description:

A website fully devoted to Christian philosophy, theology, and apologetics, Thoughtful Christianity seeks to help others become “thoughtfully engaged in exploring, sharing, and defending the truth of Christianity.”

Compatible with the iPhone, iTouch, and iPad, download this free app and receive instant hand held access to all of the following:

BLOG
The bread and butter of the site. For those seeking quick, to-the-point posts on various topics in the field.

*DAILY VIDEOS
Daily nourishment and thoughts to ponder for those on the go.

DEBATES
Balancing the playing field. For those who like to hear both sides of the issue.

QUOTES
Get a snapshot into the thoughts of some of the greatest men and women on the issue.

TERMS TO KNOW
Expand your vocabulary with the essential terminology in the subject.

ARTICLES
For those with a little extra time on their hands. Covers a variety of topics in Christian theology, philosophy, and apologetics by a variety of different authors.

BOOK REVIEWS
For those with the desire to pursue further reading on the subject.

TWITTER/FACEBOOK
Updated several times a day, keep yourself engaged with thoughtful questions and dialogue with others.

* Note: I am currently experiencing some technical difficulties with the “Videos of the Day” section of the app, but am working on getting it fixed as soon as possible. In the meantime, the videos of the day can be alternatively viewed through either the “Facebook” or “Twitter” sections of the app.

Debate: “Does the Christian God Exist?” – D’Souza vs. Loftus

Bryan — Sun, 06 Jun 2010 00:19:16 +0000

The following is a debate between Dinesh D’Souza and John Loftus on the topic “Does the Christian God Exist?” The debate was held at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign on February 9, 2010.

An audio version of the debate can also be found here.

*The above debate and many more can be found at Apologetics315.

¹Dinesh D’Souza is a popular speaker, political writer, and author of “What’s So Great About Christianity.”

²John Loftus is a former seminary trained Christian-turned-atheist and author of “Why I Became an Atheist.”

Objections that Self-Destruct: “Truth is Relative”

Bryan — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:14:04 +0000

“Everybody has their own beliefs. Some people believe in the same things, some people don’t. Either way, everyone believes that what they believe is true. After all, very few (if any) people believe that what they believe is false. Otherwise, why would they believe it? Indeed, for everyone who believes something to be true, there’s another person who believes differently. So who’s to judge? Who are you to say that you’re right and I’m wrong. Just because something’s true for you doesn’t mean that it’s true for me – truth is relative. ”

Statement: “Truth is relative.”

Corresponding views: Relativism

What it means: Lying at the heart of our politically correct society, this view states that truth is in the eye of the beholder, a.k.a. truth is relative. In other words, just because something is true for one person doesn’t mean that it is true for another. After all, with so many people claiming to believe so many different things, how could it be otherwise? Thus, people have a right to their own truth, so to speak, and anyone who attempts to impinge on another persons beliefs is not only acting impolitely, but is sometimes viewed as ignorant, intolerant, and even immoral in some cases.

Why attractive: Since it is no doubt obvious that many people believe in many different things to be true, it seems natural to some people to conclude that no one really has an upper hand on anyone else. “We’re all in the same boat together,” and “each of us has a piece of the pie,” so to speak. As such, no one can really claim that their belief is any “true-er” than anybody else’s. “After all,” some might say, “if you were in their shoes you would probably believe differently.”

Why it is false: There are numerous examples of certain truths that cannot be relative. Factual information as found in the fields of science, history, and mathematics would be a prime example. Take history, for example. It makes no sense to say that one’s belief that “Abraham Lincoln was assassinated on April 14, 1865″ is relatively true. Such a belief is either true or false in an objective sense. That is to say, it is equally true (or false) for all people, at all times, and in all places. Of course, we all know such a belief to be true. The same can be said for mathematical beliefs, as the belief that “2+2=4″. This is either true or it is false. It cannot be true for one person and false for another. The same applies to religious beliefs. Either God exists or he does not. Either Christianity is true or it is not. It makes no sense to say that the statement “God exists” and “God does not exist” are both true.

Why it is self-refuting: Besides being false as mentioned above, it is also self-refuting in that the very belief is itself making a truth claim. The statement that “truth is relative” is either objectively true or it is not. If it is objectively true, then it defeats itself. If not, then it is merely a relative claim and need not be believed by anyone. In sum, the statement “truth is relative” is hence necessarily false in that either:

a) The statement, “truth is relative,” is relative (Leaves room for truth to be objective).

or,

b) The statement, “truth is relative,” is not relative (self-refuting – it would essentially saying that it is absolutely true that truth is relative)

Either way, truth can’t be relative. Therefore, this statement is necessarily false.

Tactical application:
Statement – “All truth is relative”
Response – “Is that relatively true?”

Conclusion: The objection that “truth is relative” is an objection which self-destructs because if it’s true, then it defeats itself.

For more “Objections that Self-Destruct”, click here.

Going “Mobile”

Bryan — Wed, 02 Jun 2010 01:20:11 +0000

With today’s increasing technology and the widespread use of mobile devices for viewing internet material, I’ve decided to compensate by making the site a little more “mobile friendly”, so to speak. As a result, those with iPhones/smartphones will now be able to view a mobile version of the site (click picture to enlarge). This “mobile” version will be the default version when the site is viewed from any compatible mobile device, although there is still the option of viewing the site in standard web page format for those who prefer that instead. As far as content is concerned, although the mobile version will not include any media and links located on the sidebars, it will include all blog posts and pages, as well as any Twitter updates. This should hopefully make things a bit more user friendly for those who access the site with mobile devices.

Also, for those in particular who have iPhones/Androids, you’ll be excited to hear that I have been working on a free iPhone/Android app that should (hopefully) be coming out in the near future as well. This app will not only be equally (if not more) user friendly, but will also capture certain things which the mobile version leaves out (i.e. videos of the day, for example)… so stay tuned!

Term to Know: “Omniscience”

Bryan — Mon, 31 May 2010 13:00:40 +0000

Omniscience: The quality of being all-knowing. This is one of the traditional attributes of God. Omniscience is usually analyzed as knowing the truth value of every proposition. Controversy has centered around the compatibility of divine foreknowledge with human free will, though many defend the claim that there is no inconsistency. However, some argue that God’s omniscience does not extend to all future actions, either because the propositions about such actions are as yet neither true nor false or else because it is logically impossible to know their truth.¹

¹ C. Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 85.

Quick Thought: “If evolution were true, could we truly believe it?”

Bryan — Sat, 29 May 2010 17:42:26 +0000

If evolution were true, could we truly believe it? According to Darwin’s general theory of evolution, all life has evolved from a common ancestor via the process of natural selection, a blind and purposeless process where survival is ultimate. “Survival of the fittest,” or “only the strong survive.”

Accordingly, if evolution were true, then our cognitive faculties (our sense, imagination, intellect, etc.) wouldn’t have evolved with truth as the ultimate goal (even though there is no “goal” per se), but survival. But if that were the case, then how could we trust our cognitive faculties? Everything we believe would simply be determined by what maximizes our chance of survival. Indeed, aside from their potentially marginal benefits with respect to survival, the truth or falsity of our beliefs would be fundamentally irrelevant.

So, in a sense, if evolution were true… wouldn’t we have good reason to doubt the truth of – not only everything we believe – but our belief in evolution itself?

Quote: C.S. Lewis on the Problem of Evil

Bryan — Tue, 25 May 2010 23:50:27 +0000

“My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?”

- C.S. Lewis (1898-1963), Mere Christianity

*C.S. Lewis was a famous Irish novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, essayist, lay theologian and Christian apologist of the 20th century. In this quote, he addresses the paradoxical nature of the problem of evil . Namely, that although on the surface the problem appears to call into question the existence of God, on a much deeper level it actually requires it.

Course: “History of Christian Thought” – Phil Fernandes

Bryan — Sun, 23 May 2010 13:30:38 +0000

Another great course given by Dr. Phil Fernandes, the founder and president of the Institute of Biblical Defense (IBD), this course walks through the history of Christian thought, addressing the major milestones of thought in Christian heresy and doctrine from the 1st century to the present. The course textbook used was “The History of Christian Thought” by Justo Gonzalez.

*Lectures are as follows (about 45 min. each):

*The audio for this course and others can be found at Apologetics 315.

Process Theology

Debate: “Is God Necessary For Morality?”

Bryan — Sat, 22 May 2010 15:52:50 +0000

Is God the necessary grounding point for objective moral value and duty, or can morality be objectively grounded elsewhere? Listen and watch the following debate, as the eminent Yale philosopher and ethicist, Dr. Shelly Kagan, attempts to defend the idea of objective morality apart from God over and against the classical Christian view that only God can account for morality in an objective sense, being defended by the equally eminent Christian philosopher and apologist, Dr. William Lane Craig.

The above debate was held by the Veritas Forum at Columbia University on February 24, 2009. The corresponding audio version of the debate can be found here.

Featured Website: CrossExamined.Org

Bryan — Fri, 21 May 2010 22:05:36 +0000

Founded by Frank Turek, co-author of I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist, CrossExamined.Org seeks to address the intellectual skepticism among youth today which has ultimately caused 3 out of every 4 of them to lose their faith after graduating from high school and entering the university. Without good reasons for believing Christianity to be true, today’s youth are quickly abandoning their faith in the face of intellectual pressure from their professors and peers. Fully equipped with a team of Christian apologists, a weekly television program, radio show, podcast series, blog, instructor academy, and a packed schedule of dynamic seminars around the country, CrossExamined.Org attempts to combat this problem by critically addressing four major questions to establish why Christianity is the most reasonable world view:

1. Does Truth Exist?

Christianity cannot be true, nor can any other worldview (including atheism), if truth is relative or just true for you but not for me. The seminar will show you why truth is absolute and knowable, and how you can logically refute anyone who claims it isn’t.

2. Does God Exist?

There can be no Word of God unless God exists. You’ll see three powerful arguments for the existence of God — two scientific and one philosophical. Those arguments will be established without any reference to the Bible.

3. Are Miracles Possible?

If miracles don’t happen as most university professors believe, then Christianity is nonsense. The seminar will show you that not only are miracles possible, but the greatest miracle of all has already occurred and we have scientific evidence for it.

4. Is The New Testament True?

Unless truth exists, God exists, and miracles are possible, the New Testament doesn’t have a prayer. But after establishing those points, you’ll see the Top Five Reasons to believe the New Testament is historically accurate — Jesus really did die and rise from the dead for the sins of the world. From the accuracy of the New Testament, the accuracy of the Old Testament can be established as well.

New “Stand to Reason” iPhone App

Bryan — Wed, 19 May 2010 23:56:43 +0000

For all the iPhone users out there that follow Greg Koukl’s apologetic ministry, Stand to Reason, be sure to check out their new iPhone app that just came out…

“Get equipped anywhere, anytime with Stand to Reason’s free iPhone and iPod touch app. Stand to Reason trains Christians to think more clearly about their faith and to make an even-handed, incisive, yet gracious defense for classical Christianity and classical Christian values.

Get Greg Koukl’s weekly radio and video podcasts, STR’s daily blog, the weekly featured article, a selection of Solid Ground and mentoring letters, and a some of the essential articles on topics key to defending Christianity and building your own faith and confidence.

Connect with STR on Facebook and Twitter, and share the podcasts with your friends on Facebook and Twitter.

For more training tools, visit www.str.org”

Video: “Does Science Prove Everything?”

Bryan — Wed, 19 May 2010 00:04:10 +0000

Serving as a sort of follow up to the post earlier this week, I ran across this video which I think sums it all up pretty well. Listen as William Lane Craig and J.P. Moreland address the common question, “Does Science Prove Everything?”