The other day, I posted the following tweet criticizing a t-shirt being marketed by evangelical apologist Frank Turek: “Frank Turek is selling a shirt that replaces the “Coexist” logo with one that says “Contradict” as if belief in the truth of Xianity entails that all the claims of other religions are false. That is wrong. […]
The Tentative Apologist
Atheists “Stealing” From God And Other Apologetic Mistakes
A few years ago, Christian apologist Frank Turek authored a popular book called Stealing from God in which he argued … Well, let’s just let the promotional blurb do the work for us, shall we? “If you think atheists have reason, evidence, and science on their side, think again! Award-winning author Dr. Frank Turek (I […]
The Bible, Divinely Commanded Violence, and Inspiration: My Opening Statement
In May 2021, I debated John Loftus on Modern Day Debate. The debate resolution was “The Bible, with its divinely commanded violence, wasn’t inspired by a perfect God.” Here is my opening statement in full. Thanks to Modern Day Debate for the invitation to debate and to John Loftus for agreeing to participate. I’d like to […]
Frank Turek on the Slaughter of the Canaanites. And My Response.
The perfectly awful apologetic defense of the Canaanite slaughter in this clip concisely captures why I wrote Jesus Loves Canaanites. Let’s begin with the video (it’s only six minutes). I’ll then post my commentary below. ? The video begins with a question posed by the moderator of what appears to be an in-church training event. […]
Canaanites, Hell, Demons: The S.J. Thomason Interview
Check out my wide-ranging interview with SJ Thomason here. We start off with Canaanites, but later we segue to hell and even demonic experiences. ?
The Fundamentalist Atheist as Frankenstein’s Monster
I had a civil discussion with “Pinecreek” recently on my book Jesus Loves Canaanites. At least, I thought it was civil. Alas, now true to form, Pinecreek has posted a severely shortened edit which he has labeled as “bloviation free”. Oh, how delightfully cheeky that is! Because you see, I’m a pompous, long-winded idiot. And […]
Am I a Marcionite? And Other Questions with Spartan Theology
My latest “Jesus Loves Canaanites” interview, this one on the @SpartanTheology podcast/YouTube channel. It was an engaging interview, and be sure to stick around for my response to the Marcionite charge. ?
Providence, the Problem of Evil, and the Eye of the Tiger
We all know Survivor from their iconic hit “Eye of the Tiger.” But their 1982 album of the same name (an album that I used to spin on the turntable back in the day) also includes another really interesting track, especially from a theological point of view. The ballad “Ever Since the World Began” was […]
Randal Rauser, Conservative Cultural Warrior
Anybody who has read my book What’s So Confusing About Grace? knows my story. I was raised in a fundagelical church that focused on culture war issues. In the early 1990s, I was a Rush Limbaugh fan, I listened to James Dobson and the Bible Answer Man on the radio, and I was ready to fight in […]
Jesus, Canaanites, and a Conversation with Stephen Bedard
In this video, Canadian apologist Stephen Bedard interviews me on my new book “Jesus Loves Canaanites.” In the interview, we address some topics I haven’t touched on in other interviews including my critique of Greg Boyd’s view and the question of whether critiques of biblical violence may be anti-Semitic. ?
The Damned as Freemen on the Land
Over the last while, I have encountered many atheists who object to the doctrine of annihilationism according to which God eventually withdraws life posthumously from those who refuse to submit to be in relationship with God and restored creation. I understand objections to eternal conscious torment, but objections to punishment simpliciter (and this annihilationist account […]
The Early Reviews of Jesus Loves Canaanites
Jesus Loves Canaanites has now been out for 5 weeks and while a few brief reviews have been posted at Goodreads and Amazon, the first blog review was posted today by J.W. Wartick at his Reconstructing Faith blog. You can read it here: Genocide and the Challenge of Apologetics: Randal Rauser’s “Jesus Loves the Canaanites”
A Brief Word on Apologetics, Debate, and Mental Illness
A clinically depressed atheist who commits suicide is not an excuse to talk about the “emptiness” of an atheistic worldview. A schizophrenic Christian who harms someone else is not an excuse to talk about the “danger” of divine command ethics. Don’t exploit mental illness. ?
My Conversation with a Christian Fundamentalist on Biblical Violence
My most recent interview on “Jesus Loves Canaanites” with “The Cynicogue,” a self-described fundamentalist Christian. This was interesting! ?
