When I was growing up, the Christian apologists I read often claimed that biblical scholars and archaeologists who arrived at results at odds with conservative evangelical orthodoxy were driven by “naturalistic assumptions”. While there was a kernel of truth in the warning, for the most part, it was false. Often, these scholars were devout Christian […]
apologetics
Strawmanning Atheists: A Critique of Frank Turek
Frank Turek claims that atheists “steal from God.” In this video, I explain how Turek’s argument is based on a strawman of atheistic and a very uncharitable metaphorical framing of atheism conceptual reflection in terms of criminal theft. ?
The Treatment of the Canaanites is Unique and Unrepeatable? Rebutting a Popular Genocide Apologetic
One of the common gambits of the Christian apologists who defend the Canaanite genocide is to insist that the narrative does not provide a general justification for genocide because the circumstances were “unique and unrepeatable”. (For example, that is a description I have heard Paul Copan use on different occasions.) The statement seems to have […]
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 […]
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. […]
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. ?
Killing the Children of Jericho: How Paul Copan Avoids the Question
In this video, we listen to an excerpt of a debate in which Paul Copan is asked directly about the killing of children as referenced in the slaughter of all the residents of Jericho, men and women, young and old (Joshua 6:21). Rather than address directly the ethics of slaughtering children and infants, Copan deflects […]
The Ten Worst Defenses of the Canaanite Genocide
Christian apologists have offered many bad arguments to explain how God commanded the genocidal slaughter of ancient peoples. In this video, I survey the ten worst. ?
God of Genocide? My Debate with John Loftus
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Why I don’t Recommend William Lane Craig for Church Apologetics
William Lane Craig’s book “Reasonable Faith” is a very fine apologetic textbook for a Christian apologetic subculture that is interested in this set of questions. But in this video, I explain why it is less relevant to the average churchgoer. ?
Will Truth Win Out? My Interview with “When Belief Dies”
Here is my recent podcast interview on the “When Belief Dies” podcast. This was a lot of fun: amiable, spirited, and probing the deep questions. You can also listen via Spotify, Apple or other platforms. ?
Christianity Vindicated?: A Review of The Rational Faith Part 2
Jason A. Crook. The Rational Faith: A Review of the Evidence for Christianity. 2020, 267 pp. If you have read the first installment of my review of Jason Crook’s new book The Rational Faith (for Part 1 see here) then you know that I got sidetracked by outlining my disagreement with the way Crook sets up […]
The Decline into Secularism Reconsidered: A Review of The Rational Faith Part 1
Jason A. Crook. The Rational Faith: A Review of the Evidence for Christianity. 2020, 267 pp. In his new book The Rational Faith, Jason Crook, an international business lawyer by trade, turns his attention to developing an apologetic of the Christian faith. The book consists of nine chapters and seeks to build a systematic apologetic that Christianity […]
A Wide-Ranging Interview on Christianity, Culture, Politics, Etc.
This is a wide-ranging interview I address several topics including faith and politics, culture, personal testimony, and the dangers of apologetics. ?
