On:
In: Culture

“Once upon a time there was a man who thought he was dead. His wife tried everything she could to convince him he was very much alive. But try as she may, he would not change his mind. After several weeks of this, she finally took him to the doctor who assured the man he was alive. Sadly, it was to no avail. Suddenly, the doctor got an idea. He convinced the man that dead men do not bleed, subsequently stuck him with a needle, and smiled as blood ran out of the man?s finger. The man was downtrodden for several days. He had been certain that he was dead but he could not dispute the fact that he could bleed. Finally, he figured out what to do. Returning to the doctor, the man blurted out, ‘Good Lord, dead men do bleed after all!’ Our friend had a view of things that he clung to no matter what evidence came his way. His “worldview” was immune to revision, incapable of being falsified. As a result, he continued to embrace and assert his view.” (As quoted here.)

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On:
In: Bible, Personal

In reading through Proverbs, I found chapter 18 instructive on the nature of the Blogosphere.

v2 “Fools find no pleasure in understanding
but delight in airing their own opinions.”

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On:
In: Culture

Toward a Tolerant View of Tolerance

Many today hold that tolerance, rather than any other virtue, is the greatest and most important moral quality. After all, to thrive in a socially, morally, religiously, and politically diverse society requires that tolerance be the summum bonum for any people group that claims a sense of civility.Read More

On:
In: Apologetics

The Logic of Hope

Modus ponens is a basic, valid argument form. Typically, it consists of a conditional premise, a second premise that asserts the antecedent of the first premise (i.e., the “if…” clause”), and a conclusion that asserts the consequent (the fulfillment of the conditional clause in the first premise). Its formula runs thusly,Read More

On:
In: Bible, Hermeneutics

Are there any reasons to believe Christ appeared to Old Testament characters?

Some suggest that at least one of Abraham’s three guests in Genesis 18:1-15 was Christ. But is this the case? As for my research and reading from John Walton’s excellent commentary on Genesis, there’s sufficient reason to believe Abraham did not speak with Jesus. Read on.Read More

On:
In: Church

Inevitably I get asked this question whenever running into people who are likely Christian but don’t know me well. For some time now, I’ve been conducting a kind of experiment with my response, which goes something like “Not really going to church; just focusing on being the church.” After the wrinkled foreheads straighten and the dazed looks clear, most have no clue what I just said. In all fairness, however, I did answer a different kind of question.Read More

On:
In: Culture

I have a few words (‘for what it’s worth’) for Al Mohler to consider in his response to An Evangelical Manifesto. He writes: “[The Manifesto] leaves out the question of the exclusivity of salvation to those who have come to Christ by faith. The use of the phrase “for us”Read More

On:
In: Bible

Over the years, I’ve become more and more convinced that the most difficult verse in the Bible is John 13:17. “Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.” The difficulty is not in the knowing; it’s in the doing, which happens also to beRead More

On:
In: Personal, Philosophy

A Slightly Philosophical Amazement at Birthdays Today is my 53rd natural birthday (No…this is not an April Fool’s joke; I just happen to be born on this day). Over the past several birthdays I’ve continue to be amazed by the number of years given me. I say “given me” partlyRead More

On:
In: Spiritual Formation

On the Proper Order of Things Beliefs shape values. Values shape behavior. Behavior shapes the world. The world impacts us. This is no tautology. Rather it demonstrates the burden of beliefs. To be impacted by the world is not to be determined by it. After a certain stage in life,Read More