Ravi is a hero of mine, and his response to this video is classic. “I will buy the ticket for him. One way.”
Just Thinking
Tid-bits and Trifles on Faith, Culture, and Church from Whitney Clayton
Category Archives: Apologetics
Nothing is Absolute. Really?
Whenever I hear someone say “Nothing is absolute”, I immediately put on my serious, sober-minded, thinking face as I respond, “Are you absolutely sure?” It is a silly way to respond to a serious question, but it does illustrate a big problem. To state nothing is absolute is to make an absolute statement. “Nothing is absolute” is a self-defeating statement. It says too much. It is sort of like telling someone you don’t know how to speak English. In English.
But I get why it makes sense to a lot of people.
The Creation Debate
In the aftermath of the creation debate between Bill Nye and Ken Ham I wanted to offer up some of my old writings about creation and evolution. These were originally posted at The Veritas Network, a blog now populated by my friend, Greg Gibson, and worthy of your following here. I have reposted them here on my blog, so you can brush up on your understanding of creation versus evolution.
Science and Religion: Worldly Wisdom vs the Foolishness of God
In other posts I have examined the presuppositional nature of the arguments between science and religion. In this post I will examine the various explanations offered by theologians on how to interpret Scripture, specifically Genesis 1-3, in light of modern science. I will start with those most influenced by a scientific/naturalist presupposition and move on from there, giving precedence to those arguments which should be most palatable to someone with a Biblical worldview.
Science and Religion – The Modern Day Hatfields and Mccoys
The Hatfields and McCoys have been a part of American folklore since the turn of the twentieth century. These two families began a dispute in 1865 and continued fighting for over thirty five years. That should amaze you. It did me. These two families fought with each other longer than America fought in the Revolutionary War, The Civil War, World War I, World War II, The Vietnam War, and the current Afghan War combined. Those people really hated each other. The fighting started after one family served the Union Army and the other served the Confederate Army in the Civil War; for the next thirty years, anything was fodder for a fight. At one point the fighting escalated over a pig. Both families claimed the pig as their own and neither would relent. This is how I view the divide between science and religion. Continue reading
The Seven(ish) Days of Creation – What to Believe
One month ago I had the opportunity to hike into the Grand Canyon with my beautiful wife. It was awesome (I actually meant to use that word according to its actual definition)! It simply inspires awe as you behold something so expansive, stretching into the distance in all directions as far as the eye can see.
Science and Religion – Looking Under the Rock
Let’s talk basics about the debate before we jump into the deep end. Religion and science both make claims of truth. Absolute, hard evidence kind of truth. Not new age I think, I feel, I believe, me, me, me, me stuff. Truth. This is not a big problem. Everyone holds to truth. Everyone except for nihilists, who don’t get what all the fuss is about and want to just be left alone – utterly and completely alone.
So, because every person does believe in truth, claiming truth is obviously not a problem. The problems come when truths disagree. In our modern world, when there are competing truths, the average person gives precedence to science, because rationalism tells us that truth can be verified, tested, and explained (if not replicated). I would simply like to point out that science does not have the power to explain everything. In fact, I intend to point out that naturalism is forced to borrow beliefs from theism in order to support itself. To do so, let’s start at the beginning. Continue reading
Faith as Trust
How do you define faith?
As I read, think, and write about Christian apologetics I find this question to be a central issue in the minds and hearts of those who struggle with the idea of God. This only makes sense. Salvation comes through faith, but people I rarely meet someone struggling to receive salvation from God; they usually just struggle to believe in Him.
It is in these instances, when someone wants to believe in God, that we need stop discussing faith, and start discussing God. Faith rarely comes by hearing evidence. It sometimes comes by understanding propositions. It usually comes by experience. It always comes with a love for a person – that person is God.
Just Thinking 