Yesterday I wrote an article critiquing Justin Schieber’s tweeted declaration “I refuse to repent to a god who, if real, has far more to repent about than I.” It turns out that by “god” Justin was referring to a morally monstrous deity which lacks the moral perfection of God as defined in classical theism and […]
God
I refuse to repent to a god who…? A response to Justin Schieber
Let’s take a look at one of Justin Schieber’s tweets from this morning: I replied: Let me unpack my tweet. Justin claims that if God exists then he needs to repent. (Repent of what? Justin doesn’t say. But we can assume this is a reference to the many evils in the world.) The problem is that Christians […]
The Rights of the Creator
Let’s take a look at one of the responses to my article “You Don’t Own Yourself: Christianity Against Culture Part 1“. Andy Schueler writes: “Lets assume that it would be possible to create an artificial life form that is very human-like, like Mr. Data from Star Trek or the Replicants in Blade Runner. Would you […]
Human value revisited: Could divine attachment contribute to human value?
In “Human value and the atonement: A Reply to Andy Bannister” I provided a critique of Bannister’s claim that human value is “determined by what God was willing to pay for you in the life of Jesus Christ, his Son.” I noted that my fifth and final objection was decisive: “Bannister’s theory seems to have […]
Real Atheology considers whether a meaningful life requires God
Like many listeners I was disheartened a few months ago when “Reasonable Doubts” decided to call it quits on their popular radio show/podcast. But just as autumn death gives way to rebirth in spring, so the demise of Reasonable Doubts has given way to Justin Schieber’s new YouTube channel “Real Atheology“. And just two episodes […]
A day after Pluto, a look back at the Pale Blue Dot
The other day I picked up Carl Sagan’s classic 1994 book Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space at a used bookstore. (“Used bookstore” is my euphemism for the bookshelf at the back of our neighborhood Goodwill.) It’s been a great read, both for Sagan’s mellifluous prose and the time-stamped nature […]
God and Moral Obligation: A Review
C. Stephen Evans. God and Moral Obligation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2013. John Rabe was a German businessman working in Nanjing, China in 1937 when it became clear that the advancing Japanese army was soon to overrun the city. Given the notorious reputation of the Japanese for brutality, the obvious course of action beckoned: flee the war-torn country by retreating […]
Can Christianity guarantee your happiness?
Apologist Matt Fradd sent me a link to an interesting article by Christopher West titled “Has Brad Pitt Found What He’s Looking For? (I Haven’t)”. In the article West reflects on the way a fellow Christian appropriated a confession from actor Brad Pitt. In the quote, Pitt comments to an interviewer on his own melancholy nature: […]
Does God Exist? The Rauser/Schieber Debate mp3
If you’re like me, you’d rather listen to a debate than watch it: plug in your ear buds and go for a run (or wash the dishes) while you take in the intellectual exchange. In other words, multi-tasking that actually works. For all those listeners out there who are happy with audio alone, here’s the mp3 […]
Debating God: The Rauser/Schieber Debate is Up!
Big thanks to the University of Alberta Atheists and Agnostics for funding the video and to Epicurus for volunteering untold hours to edit the raw footage. Here is the debate:
Are We Alone? How Nova gets the ultimate question wrong (and why it matters)
The other day I was watching an episode of the PBS program Nova titled “Alien Planets Revealed”. The episode began in grand fashion as the narrator set up the search for earth-like planets and the life that may exist on them. Eventually the program introduction built up to the following dramatic conclusion: Whoa, this […]
Do you have to love Jesus more than your children?
A little while ago I was speaking at a convention on the topic of heaven. As often happens, several people came up afterward to ask questions and share comments and stories. Over the next several minutes the conversation slowed and eventually the crowd drifted away leaving one man standing quietly. Once the others had left […]
Honor and the Problem of Evil
Let’s return to the brief testimony of the wounded soldier (Rory Hamill) that I recounted in “The Man I am Today: One soldier’s testimony and the problem of evil“. In the interview clip Scott Pelley noted that President Obama awarded Hamill with an honor. Hamill recalls: “He awarded me with a Purple Heart. It was amazing. It was an […]
The Man I am Today: One soldier’s testimony and the problem of evil
This past Sunday 60 Minutes broadcast a story titled “Coming home” which chronicles the physical and emotional difficulties of soldiers returning from war (Iraq and Afghanistan) and attempting to integrate back into society. As I watched I was reminded of two documentaries I reviewed which deal with similar themes, Hell and Back Again and Body of […]
