When we suppress certain truths about God (his holy wrath against sin) or distort others (e.g. his love) to produce our own “designer deity”, then we are guilty of false faith, and are left with a “counterfeit God” and Gospel. Does it happen today? All day, everyday!
Feb 27 2010
Quote of the Day: Designer Deity
Feb 27 2010
God the number 4 most popular Twitter in Rome
But ‘God’ is actually atheist Richard Dawkins. Continue reading
Feb 23 2010
The Feast Day of the Blessed Martyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna
Today, 23 February, several communions celebrate the death of Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna on the date that Tradition has delivered to us as the day that he was burned alive for his faith.
Continue reading “The Feast Day of the Blessed Martyr Polycarp, Bishop of Smyrna”
Feb 20 2010
This is your brain – This is your brain on faith
Read the whole article:
Newberg argues that religious belief is often personally and socially advantageous, allowing men and women to “imagine a better future.” And he does not contend, as philosophically lazy scientists sometimes do, that a biological propensity toward belief automatically disproves the existence of an object of such belief. “Neuroscience cannot tell you if God does or doesn’t exist,” Newberg states with appropriate humility. Neurobiology helps explain religion; it does not explain it away.
But Newberg’s research offers warnings for the religious as well. Contemplating a loving God strengthens portions of our brain — particularly the frontal lobes and the anterior cingulate — where empathy and reason reside. Contemplating a wrathful God empowers the limbic system, which is “filled with aggression and fear.” It is a sobering concept: The God we choose to love changes us into his image, whether he exists or not.
For Newberg, this is not a simple critique of religious fundamentalism — a phenomenon varied in its beliefs and motivations. It is a criticism of any institution that allies ideology or faith with anger and selfishness. “The enemy is not religion,” writes Newberg, “the enemy is anger, hostility, intolerance, separatism, extreme idealism, and prejudicial fear — be it secular, religious, or political.”
Michael Gerson – Neuroscientist Andrew Newberg on the Brain and Faith – washingtonpost.com.
Interesting, but is there really anything there? Are they just using science to try to explain the unexplainable? And, does this mean that atheists don’t have brains?
Feb 18 2010
Five Arguments for God’s Existence: Contra the New Atheists
William Lane Craig has written a “fairly” condensed article (30 pages) consisting of five arguments for God’s existence, and examines how the new atheists such as Richard Dawkins have responded to these arguments. This is probably the most lay-accessible, condensed written treatment I have seen from Craig on this topic. Highly recommended.
HT.
Feb 18 2010
Thanking God banned at FIFA World Cup
Sepp Blatter the boss of FIFA doesn’t want teams to thank God if they win at the World Cup in South Africa later this year. Continue reading
Feb 15 2010
Monotheism and the Origin of Religion
I cam across this quote:
Stephen Langdon, also of Oxford, concluded:
“I may fail to carry conviction in concluding that both Sumerian and Semitic religions [which he considered to be the oldest historical civilizations—AB], monotheism preceded polytheism…. The evidence and reasons for this conclusion, so contrary to accepted and current views, have been set down with care and with the perception of adverse criticism. It is, I trust, the conclusion of knowledge and not of audacious preconception” (as quoted in Custance, p. 113, emp. added).
You can read the rest of the article here:
Jan 28 2010
Miracles, Evolution and False Prophets
There is increasing concern about the end of the world and 2012, but what did Christ say would be the greatest deception of the last days? Check out this interesting article!
Jan 18 2010
Is God a Delusion? The Kiwi Debates
Dr William Lane Craig and Dr Bill Cooke debated the moot “Is God a Delusion?” at Auckland University on 17 June 2008. The debate was chaired by Professor John Bishop and was organised by New Zealand Association of Rationalists and Humanists (NZRAH) and Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship (TSCF) with MandM.
You can watch the rest of the videos at the link below, and please do.
Jan 01 2010
Engaging Atheism: Blaming God for Humanity’s Ignorance
I have agreed to engage John Loftus on this issue. I am not sure it will be a continuing series or not, but we will see. My goal is not to convert John or other atheists, but to address their viewpoints in order to help others who are struggling with their Faith.
You can find John’s Argument here. To summarize it, it is the classic Atheist argument of
“If there was a God, then He would have….”
In this case, it is told us what would kill us or not.
I must say, that this is the least convincing argument for the existence of God. What atheists seem to envision is a god who dictates every detail and action of the lives of the human populace. They demand a god who is so involved in every action of a person that the person has no responsibility for him or herself. This actually seems to be a running theme among Christians as well. In Psalm 37, the author deals with the same theme – people who believe that their god must be a god who never allows bad things to happen.
We can turn to the bible, although I doubt that atheists put any stock into it, to find that God did tell us the human race what would kill it, and we didn’t listen. Or, we can turn to our children, to our society, to others and watch as they are told what not to do, but do it anyway. When we do this, we find reasonable proof that regardless if God told us to do something, a majority of people would not. We are told to take care of the poor and visit the sick – but do we do it? We are told to turn the other cheek, but do we do it?
I have to wonder, if people serve and love God because the one they serve is ideal for them, but what happens when their picture is punctured? Because their view is faulty from the start, they loose all faith. It would be like a faith healer – and honest and sincere faith healer – coming to realize that nothing is happening. Instead of questioning himself, he finds that he has lost faith in God and comes to realize that there is no God.
Why is it that the only way a God can be good is if he constantly treats humanity like babies? God created us, and we rebelled. Sin corrupts and we have a separation between us and God. Yet, God is good and because he is God, He has created a way for us to walk again with Him. God does not have to do things to be Good, or is judge by us. Yes, the world has seen and will see many more things which kill and destroy, but that is our nature. God’s nature is one which resurrects and builds.
God is not measured by the fact that humanity is corruption, but that humanity can better itself in many, many ways, namely, and most importantly, removing of sin.Yes, we still live an ugly world, but how much of that world is by our own choosing?
So, my final answer is this, John:
Our Scripture teaches us that we were once told what would happen if we rebelled against God. We didn’t listen. Because of this, all of creation is in constant rebellion against God and is an obstacle we face. Further, the image of God as a dictator, in which we are controlled in every way by God, is an idol which far too often we make for ourselves. Once it crashes, it is replaced by the god of the self. Things happen in life, and have always happened, and will continue to happen. People of faith know this, but surviving this reality means having some real clue as to the nature of God.
Now, if you click the link above, you will find many more answer, better, than mine.
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