Today, I had an extended back and forth with atheist video blogger (and actor) Scott Clifton. I wanted to post one bit of the exchange here because I address a very common type of question about the problem of evil. Clifton: Can you name a good—any good—that can’t be brought about by an omnipotent being […]
problem of evil
My Response to the Pinecreek-Doug-Dilemma
In “A street apologist puts me in my place” I provide a link to an extended critique of my critique of Bill Craig, courtesy of Pinecreek Doug. I’m laboring under some work deadlines at the moment so I asked my readers to view Pinecreek Doug’s extended critique and summarize the gist for me. Bilbo wrote […]
Coming to Terms with the Problem of Evil
If you want a simple and effective way to identify a Christian apologist worth listening to, ask them to share their thoughts on the problem of evil. If they keep their discussion of the problem in the abstract and if they suggest that it is a problem easily solved, you should keep looking. But if […]
My Dad’s Alzheimer’s in 46 Tweets
This article consists of a series of tweets which tell the story of my experience of my father’s Alzheimer’s Disease from right before his diagnosis in December 2017 to his death on April 3, 2019 and the hope of the resurrection that remains. Interesting, after I added up all the tweets, I realized I had […]
Answering the biggest questions about apologetics and Christianity
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of speaking in the morning service at West Meadows Baptist Church in Edmonton, AB. In the service, Pastor Mark presented me with four questions from the congregation on topics in apologetics (though he had let me know earlier in the week what those questions would be). As you can guess, […]
The Problem of Evil and Biblical Violence: A Conversation with an Exvangelical
Clint Heacock is a former senior pastor with a PhD in theology who has since left Christianity and bills himself as an exvangelical. In this conversation, Dr. Heacock and I discuss his objections to theodicy and the problem of biblical violence in particular. To learn more about Dr. Heacock, you can visit him online at […]
Why the problem of evil is the ultimate theist/atheist standoff
In this article, we are going to take a hard look at the problem of evil. We begin with an excerpt from my book You’re not as Crazy as I Think. I then offer some additional thoughts. On April 15, 1989, Ramon Salcido took his three daughters—Teresa, age two; Carmina, age three; and Sofia, age four—out […]
The Problem of Animal Suffering: An Atheist and Christian in Conversation
A couple of months ago, YouTuber SkyDive Phil invited me onto his popular channel for a discussion on a topic with which he is very familiar: the problem of animal suffering. In fact, I first became acquainted with Phil’s work when he appeared a few years ago on Unbelievable to debate that very topic with Christian philosopher Michael Murray. […]
Can violence ever serve a redemptive purpose?
Rene Girard was a literary critic and theologian who developed a very influential non-violent reading of the atonement. According to the penal substitution model of atonement, God the Father reconciles us to himself through the violent death of his innocent son who absorbs the divine wrath properly owing to us. In direct opposition to this […]
Does the systemic sexual abuse among Catholic clergy undermine the Catholic Church itself?
Yesterday, a Pennsylvania grand jury released a report chronicling the crimes of more than three hundred priests throughout Pennsylvania, predators who raped and traumatized more than one thousand children and young people dating back to the 1940s. The grand jury further chronicled how dozens of people in the church covered up the crimes, acting in essence like a […]
Why doesn’t God give everyone a miracle?
Some years ago, a friend of mine told me how, after losing his wife to cancer, he encouraged his embittered young adult children to return to church. On their first visit to a small group, several people shared their recent answers to prayer — miracles, they said — while the two young visitors sat quietly. When they […]
Dementia: A Philosopher’s Lament
Douglas Groothuis. Walking Through Twilight: A Wife’s Illness–A Philosopher’s Lament (Downer’s Grove, IL: IVP Books). On December 19, 2017, we received the official diagnosis: Alzheimer’s disease. While it was terrible news — a literal death sentence — we were not surprised: Dad had been on the decline for months, and truth be known, the doctor was […]
Would a loving God send people to hell?
I just wrote an article for Christian Post on this topic. You can read it by clicking here.
Natural Evil and Young Earth Creationism
In this short discussion (short being a relative term: it’s under ten minutes) I explain why young earth creationists have a problem of natural evil that they need to explain. Music Credit: Apero Hour Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
