Here’s a definition: “Cosmological arguments … are theistic arguments that have historically played an important role in natural theology. The arguments attempt to infer from the existence of contingent (able to not exist) facts, events, or beings, “a first cause . . . or a personal being (God).” Since everything that exists is contingent and this chain cannot be infinite, there must be something non-contingent from which it all originates. Philosophy Word of the Day – Cosmological Arguments
AiG asks, are there ‘races?’ Darwinian evolution was (and still is) inherently a racist philosophy, teaching that different groups or “races” of people evolved at different times and rates, so some groups are more like their apelike ancestors than others. Leading evolutionist Stephen Jay Gould claimed, “Biological arguments for racism may have been common before 1859, but they increased by orders of magnitude following the acceptance of evolutionary theory.” Here’s a gem from Haeckel: “At the lowest stage of human mental development are the Australians, some tribes of the Polynesians, and the Bushmen, Hottentots, and some of the Negro tribes.” But as one scientist has said, “Race is a social construct derived mainly from perceptions conditioned by events of recorded history, and it has no basic biological reality.” Many today now object to the categorization altogether. Te Bible describes all human beings as being of “one blood” (Acts 17:26). The article provides some commentary on slavery in the Scriptures (it did not have anything like the connotations it grew to have during the days of those who traded human life as if it were a mere commodity for sale). Moreover, the reality is that these so-called “racial characteristics” are only minor variations among people groups. If one were to take any two people anywhere in the world, scientists have found that the basic genetic differences between these two people would typically be around 0.2 percent—even if they came from the same people group. But these so-called “racial” characteristics that people think are major differences (skin color, eye shape, etc.) “account for only 0.012 percent of human biological variation.” “It is likely that the skin shade of Noah and his family was middle brown. This would enable his sons and their wives to produce a variety of skin shades in just one generation.” The article points to Babel as the source of diversification, as peoples went in different directions, and certain traits came to dominate in each group. (e.g. dark skin helps survive in very sunny climates, but blocks vitamin D, developing rickets, etc. in less sunny climates). The article also describes biblical marriage briefly, and points to Rahab and Ruth as marriages between people-groups. We read in 1 Samuel 16:7, “But the Lord said to Samuel,‘Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the Lord does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.’” God doesn’t look at our outward biological appearance; He looks on our inward spiritual state. We should try to emulate Him. “There is no biblical justification for claiming that people from different so-called races (best described as people groups) should not marry. The biblical basis for marriage makes it clear that a Christian should marry only a Christian.” http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/nab/are-there-different-races
Haykin produces a wonderful hymn from Anne Steele. Anne Steele’s hymnody
AiG provides an explanation of the numbering in Matthew’s genealogy. http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/02/16/contradictions-problems-with-basic-math
Hays humourously points out that if the definition of atheism is an absence of belief in God, then toasters, inanimate objects, etc. are atheists. What's the IQ of the average atheist-. Also here. The injustice of hell
Adams argues that focusing on the details isn’t effective in counseling, if the counselor isn’t helping the counselee with the total restructuring required to overcome life-dominating sin. Every Area
Here’s an article on Boundless detailing the confession of a feeling of superiority about Mac. “I have been convinced that only "cool" people use Apple products. It is almost a hard and fast rule that if you own a Mac, you are automatically on the "phenomenal human being" list. When you look at the lineup of Mac owners, there are some truly amazing individuals making their way onto that sheet of paper. They're fashionable, impressive, stunning, incredible, even awesome. Whenever I pull out my Mac in front of my friends I get that feeling that I am so much cooler (in a nerdy sort of way) than the guy across the room whose pulling out his dinky PC laptop. It's the feeling of a Mac rush.” http://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0001960.cfm
This Boundless article talks about the addictiveness of Facebook, and how it distracts, exhausts, and just consumes time. “I see two issues at play in the realm of social networking and technology. One is lack of self-control. I should be writing a paper, but I'm online; I should be reading God's Word, but I'm online. The other is a little harder to perceive. It's a notion that holds the words of mere humans as much more interesting to follow than God's Word; the lives of mere humans as much more fun to get to know than God Himself.” ttp://www.boundless.org/2005/articles/a0002003.cfm
Haykin has a moving and brief meditation on a phrase which brings joy to heaven and anger and hate to hell: Christianos eimi. Christianus sum. I am a Christian. He can conceive no greater statement of identity. Christianus sum
Josh Harris provides a quote chiding political leaders as self-indulgent (e.g. they hear Mozart in their own voices, etc.) who wing public speeches, when governing is a craft, not a talent. It is to be thought out. The greatest leaders (Lincoln, Churchill) spent much time crafting their speeches, or even memorizing them. There is nothing more ‘authentic’ about such a practice and it doesn’t improve their rhetoric. Harris points out that pastors should take note of this. What the Teleprompter Teaches Preachers
Hays points out that Gerry Matatics is like a Cylon in Rome. Hays observes, “There’s a certain twisted logic to Gerry’s conclusions once you buy into the Catholic premises. His position is a reductio ad absurdum of Catholicism.” He quotes Matatics ripping into Rome, denouncing the last two popes as heretics, etc., listing off a number of their errors, arguing that sedevacantist. Matatics argues that the Roman Church is counterfeit. Battlestar Valactican
Manata quotes Reformed Christian and key player in various Democratic campaigns and administrations Neil McBride, and "two kingdom” advocate: “I would say at the outset that many times we hear, "You two kingdom folks, you Refomed folks, say that biblical principles should play no role in developing a coherent set of public policy." I don't understand that to be at all what the two kingdom doctrine says. I believe that our biblical faith can indeed inform how we think about public policy. It can and it should,” and observes that this is radically different than what he has usually encountered by two kingdom supporters on the internet. Four Kingdoms-
Hays makes a point on Carl Sagan’s assertion that extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence (a Humean rule of evidence). Christians don’t regard the existence of God as extraordinary. Rather, they regard the existence of God as necessary. There’s nothing extraordinary about the existence of a necessary being. To the contrary, it would be extraordinary if a necessary being did not exist (e.g. why does something exist rather than nothing?). Rather, nature is extraordinary because it is contingent. Thus the argument carries no presumption in favour of naturalism – the sword cuts both ways. The presumption of atheism-
Hays points to an interesting idea that alleged instances of recalling the events of a past life (done in hypnotic states) are really retrocognition, a phenomenon similar to precognition in dreams. Reincarnation or retrocognition-
Hays comments on an argument that birthmarks/defects correspond to wounds on deceased persons, which some say is the ‘strongest’ argument for reincarnation. He points out that stigmata are reported in Christian and non-Christian cultures. A reincarnation should in theory happen in only one person at a time, both men and women report it (yet the template is male). Yet if stigmatic is not the reincarnation of the same person in a former life this undercuts the comparable evidence from birthmarks, etc. Reincarnation or retrocognition-
Hays provides some thoughts on what he thinks is the most cogent argument for reincarnation, by Robert Almeder. 1) Almeder grants that possession is the next best alternative explanation, but he emphasizes that cases of reincarnation involve personal continuity whereas cases possession involve personal discontinuity. Hays points to these problems: i) Possession ranges on a continuum – it’s not necessarily total displacement. ii) Evil spirits aren’t reliable witnesses – how do we know it won’t lie about its ‘past life?’ iii) Almeder assumes the criteria for distinguishing the two phenomenon, but this is quite circular, since that is a preliminary step in the whole debate. 2) Almeda says that, in the case of reincarnation, amnesia sets in after the age of 8. In the case of possession, by contrast, there is no automatic termination. i) An appeal to amnesia is a convenient cover for the fact that people don’t remember a former life. ii) Kids are quite imaginative, impressionable, and move through major stages in cognitive development. 3) The argument from birthmarks is repeated. What if possession is congenital? Possession & reincarnation
Phillips has an interesting interview with Ryne Pearson, the screenwriter of the movie Knowing. Interview with Ryne Pearson (screenwriter, Knowing)
Bloom observes that God is as intentional in what He does say as what He does not say. He gave minute details for the tabernacle construction. But He let Moses struggle with a huge workload in judging the people until Jethro came along. God speaks with clarity and preciseness everything that is required to make his people holy throughout the generations, but He leaves much for our figuring out. The vast majority of our methods or systems are not to be considered sacred. Interview with Ryne Pearson (screenwriter, Knowing)
Piper points out that seasoned believers should have both a sorrow, in that the world is perishing, and a joy, in the Lord. (Romans 9:2-3; Phil. 4:4). The Sorrow and Joy of the Seasoned Soul
Mathis provides this quote from Martyn-Lloyd Jones. “The primary task of the Church is not to educate man, is not to heal him physically or psychologically.... I will go further; it is not even to make him good. These are things that accompany salvation; and when the Church performs her true task she does incidentally educate men and give them knowledge and information...she does make them good and better than they were. But my point is that those are not her primary objectives. Her primary purpose is not any of these; it is rather to put man into the right relationship with God, to reconcile man to God. (Preaching & Preachers, 30)” Why Do Church -
Piper says, “The most important prayer is that the most important person in the universe do the most important act in the universe.” Hence, the Lord’s prayer - ‘Hallowed be your name,’ meaning, God, employ your infinite wisdom and power and love to prize and admire you above all. Pray that this prayer would be your most common. The Most Important Prayer Request in the World
Bird has some thoughts on the Ebionites. i) What we know comes from heresiologies. ii) He’s not so convinced that they stand in a genealogical relationship with the pre-70 AD Jerusalem church, and that their christology reflects the christology (Jesus possessed by the Spirit) of the Jerusalem church which was non-divine, against the virgin birth, adoptionist, possessionist (Jesus was possessed by the Holy Spirit) and perhaps even angelomorphic. He’s more convinced that the Jerusalem church, having a diversity of views of Paul ranging from individuals such as Peter, James, Barnabas, and John Mark, was anti-Pauline, and he sees no real evidence of an adoptionist or possession christology in the Jerusalem church. Friday is for Ad Fontes – Ebionites
Turk quotes Freeman Dyson, who says, “The purpose of thinking about the future is not to predict it but to raise people's hopes.” Turk points out that this is what all alleged "gospels" have in common: they give people hope for the future, and this is because they are imitating the true Gospel (the actual good news which is good tidings of great joy to all the people). But Christians ought to be full of hope, living for Christ because they know that to death is gain. Christians today have totally lost sight of this fact. What all gospels have in common
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