Interview with William Lane Craig in London

The student television station at Imperial College London (stoictv.com) conducted an interview with World renowned Philosopher Dr. William Lane Craig who speaks to us about how his interest in Philosophy began, his work on a rational defense of the Christian Faith, and his debates with the world's leading atheists...Click Here

Who is Bill Craig? He's the guy that Richard Dawkins avoids...even more than going to church.

Misquoting Jesus?

Best selling author Bart Ehrman has written a book called Misquoting Jesus: The Story Behind Who Changed the Bible and Why

Here are a few sources that challenge Ehrman's assertions:

The Gospel according to Bart

The Bible, the Qur'an, Bart Ehrman, and the Words of God

Misanalyzing Text Criticism--Bart Ehrman's 'Misquoting Jesus'

Bart Ehrman Answered (Interview with Mike Licona)

Bart Ehrman Again

And finally William Lane Craig discusses Ehrman's assumptions:

William Lane Craig - Response to Bart Ehrman - Gracepoint Berkeley (2010) from Gracepoint Berkeley on Vimeo.

Are you here by accident?

Here is a great article by Tony Garland:

Are you here by accident?

Why I believe...

…we are here by design, not chance

...the Bible is the reliable message of God

...Israel demonstrates the existence of God

...Christianity is unique among all religions

…You should ask yourself these questions

…You should seek God

A brief response to anti-creationist books

From CMI:

What about the anti-creationist books? I can’t possibly deal with all of them, but I will highlight some of the typical tactics and distortions used in such books by addressing some of those in the Selkirk and Burrows book, Confronting Creationism: Defending Darwin.¹ Such books normally present a distorted account of the creationist position, which is then made to look silly. They erect a ‘straw man’, set him alight, and then gloat over how stupid creationists can be to believe such things. Of course, creationists are not above criticism; we are human, fallible creatures. And sometimes the more ‘flakey’ fellow travellers of the creation movement give the sceptics cause to blaspheme. I have no wish to defend the indefensible. This response deals with deliberate distortions of main-stream creationist thinking by much anti-creationist literature...Continue Reading.

The Deniable Darwin

Note: David Berlinski has most recently written The Devil’s Delusion and The Deniable Darwin.

CHARLES DARWIN presented On the Origin of Species to a disbelieving world in 1859 - three years after Clerk Maxwell had published "On Faraday's Lines of Force," the first of his papers on the electromagnetic field. Maxwell's theory has by a process of absorption become part of quantum field theory, and so a part of the great canonical structure created by mathematical physics.

By contrast, the final triumph of Darwinian theory, although vividly imagined by biologists, remains, along with world peace and Esperanto, on the eschatological horizon of contemporary thought.

"It is just a matter of time," one biologist wrote recently, reposing his faith in a receding hereafter, "before this fruitful concept comes to be accepted by the public as wholeheartedly as it has accepted the spherical earth and the sun-centered solar system." Time, however, is what evolutionary biologists have long had, and if general acceptance has not come by now, it is hard to know when it ever will...Continue Reading

Defend the Front Line!

Jan Markell’s latest update is must read for all Christians.

Article by Heidi Swander

Excerpts:

I was stunned recently by the story of a pastor from Brazil. One day in the not-too-distant past he was airborne and seated next to a lady who, at 6 p.m., began praying fervently. When an opportune moment presented itself, he asked her if she was a Christian. Much to his chagrin she said, no, that she was praying to her father, Satan, for the demise of pastor so-and-so.

As the conversation progressed, this Brazilian pastor found out that the Church of Satan worldwide has set aside the 6 p.m. hour every day to pray for the demise of the Christian church, and most specifically for its pastors. It would also appear that they assume or are assigned specific Christian leaders to pray against....

Until we reach our heavenly home, we are all in a fierce, spiritual battle. In that battle, our pastors and other spiritual leaders would be considered the front line against Satan and his minions. How to fight against the forces of evil? God says the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh (II Cor 10:4). We must PRAY.

Pastor John MacArthur in his message, A Plea to Pray for Pastors, says, "We need to remember that prayer is battle; it wages war not against God but against the status quo, against sin and fallenness and the flesh and devils." In Rom 15:30, 31, Paul directs the Christians to "strive together with" him in prayer. In Col 4:2 he admonishes the church to "continue earnestly in prayer." The word "continue" says that he took for granted their prayers; the word "earnestly" means to be "courageously persistent" or "to hold fast and not let go." This praying is hard work. But we are commanded repeatedly to do it...Read more


Also, here’s another great website for people seeking answers:

Confident Christians

The Necessity of the Cross

What do Buddha, Muhammad, Ghandi, Karl Marx, John Lennon and Joseph Smith have in common? If signs marked their grave-sites, theirs would read “Occupied”. Christ’s grave would read “Vacant”.

Act 4:12 "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

1Co 15:12-18 Now if Christ is preached, that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain. Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.

Christianity is an exclusive religion. It claims to have the ONLY truth and, as such, it is intolerant to any other belief system claiming the way to Salvation. In today’s progressive society, the word - intolerant - has negative connotations. Yet intolerance is necessary to our daily lives. Most people would not tolerate an inept pilot flying their airplane. Making a decision that affects our eternity demands that we do not tolerate deception.

It has often been said that there are many paths to God and that all religions are equally valid. This is a logical fallacy. I suspect that those who claim this are either not being entirely honest for various reasons or they haven’t thought through the implications of that statement:

1) Religions cannot all be valid because most contradict each other’s Salvation system.

2) Some deny any need for Salvation.

3) Buddhism is atheistic.

4) Hinduism teaches multiple gods.

5) Islam; the New Age and certain cults claiming to be Christian, deny that Christ was anything but a great man, master or prophet.

6) The New Age teaches that we are gods – we only have to arrive at that realization.

7) Christianity teaches that God became man and was crucified on a wooden cross to redeem mankind and the universe. There is no other way.

Given the contradictions above, there can only be two possibilities (despite claims by Oprah & co) - either all the belief systems are wrong, or only one of the systems is correct. If this world is the by-product of an accident then this article is worthless and so is Christianity. Simple as that.

In my personal search, I had to first deal with the prevailing attitude that this universe was the result of an explosion and life on earth began in a pond of primordial soup, or brought here via meteor from a pond elsewhere in the universe - and somehow evolved through a mechanism that is still not understood. This is basically what is being taught as fact in schools, universities and propagated by practically every media outlet. The evolutionary view has become so pervasive and repetitious that not many (if any) secular individuals dare question it publicly. Those who do are treated with derision.

Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed

It’s not my intention to turn this into an apologetic for Creationism, but please refer to the links below as they will help anyone who is genuinely and objectively searching for answers. You can use the search engines to research particular subjects or you can contact these websites with specific questions no matter how complicated they are. These people are bona-fide scientists well able to hold their own in debates and many have even published secular peer-reviewed scientific articles and books. And, yes, I have challenged and tested them.

Answers In Genesis

Creation Ministries International

True Origin

Having satisfied myself that there was a God and that evolution was problematic, I spent years reading New Age materials and chasing the “truth” down rabbit holes. The New Age isn’t exactly a structured system per se. What it does do very well is obfuscate the truth by presenting a smorgasbord of appealing options for a fastidious seeker not wanting to be offended by blood spilled on wood. Those astute enough will quickly realize how contradictory its varied teachings are. Ironically, some see this as an advantage. In fact – and this is very significant – the only consistent teaching I found throughout the New Age and in other religions is that Jesus was just a human being – not God.

That’s not what the Bible teaches. When Adam and Eve fell, garments of skin were supplied as a covering for them by God (Gen 3:21). This idea of covering by sacrifice is a thread woven throughout Scripture. The myriad idioms and rituals used for priestly intercession and sacrifice were all designed to point to Christ’s substitutionary provision on the Cross for all who place their faith in Him (John 3:16). The testing lesson of Abraham in Gen 22:1-14 points directly to the Cross. God never intended for Abraham to sacrifice Isaac and, furthermore, Abraham knew this because of the covenant promises God had made regarding Isaac’s future (Gen 17:1-7; Gen 21:1). Even though Abraham was distressed, he knew well enough to trust God:

Gen 22:7-8 Isaac spoke to Abraham his father and said, "My father!" And he said, "Here I am, my son." And he said, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" Abraham said, "God will provide for Himself the lamb for the burnt offering, my son." So the two of them walked on together.

Numbers 21:7-9 is also a prophetic foregleam of the Cross as Christ points out to Nicodemus in John 3:14, 15. And the manna from heaven (Exo 16:14-35); the smiting of the rock by Moses (Exo 17:6) and Jonah’s three days in the belly of the beast are only the most commonly recognized pointers to Christ – there are far too numerous similar examples to account for here. Finally, in Revelation, we read:

Rev 5:5-7 and one of the elders said to me, "Stop weeping; behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to open the book and its seven seals." And I saw between the throne (with the four living creatures) and the elders a Lamb standing, as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God, sent out into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him who sat on the throne.

Rev 22:13-14 "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end." Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter by the gates into the city.

The Bible is an unparalleled, integrated system of sixty six books, written by forty different authors, spanning about 3,500 years that affirms Christ’s divinity and the ABSOLUTE necessity of the Cross. This truth is sprinkled throughout the book from beginning to end. No other literature purporting to be spiritual can match the Bible for consistency, integrity and critical scrutiny – leaving aside prophetic considerations. The message it contains is not about restrictions – it is about Freedom and Incredible Joy. Put it to the test for yourself.

What you do, or don’t do, will impact your eternity.


Further reading in no particular order:

Christian Answers for the New Age

A Brazen Epitaph

Aleph Tau

The Resurrection and Genesis

Jesus Christ Q & A

Can I trust the Bible?

Is Jesus Really God?

Evidence for the Resurrection

Ankerberg Theological Institute Apologetics

Probably no God?

Ariane Sherine and Richard Dawkins at the launch of the atheists’ “There probably is no God” bus ad campaign

by Phil Robinson

Published: 7 April 2009(GMT+10)

Out and about on Britain’s roads, you probably wouldn’t expect an atheist to challenge you about your belief in God. But this is currently the case in England, Scotland and Wales1) where what have been dubbed ‘atheist buses’ are currently sporting the slogan “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

The initial idea for the advertising campaign came back in June 2008 from an article written by a comedy writer, Ariane Sherine. She was unsettled by an advert that she saw on a London bus with the verse: “When the son of man comes, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8), followed by the Christian organisation’s website. Sherine was able to read there that, as a non-believer, she would be “condemned to everlasting separation from God and then spend all eternity in torment in hell.”

In response to this, Ariane jokingly suggested that if 4,680 atheists read her article and all contributed £5, then they could run their own advert on the London buses. The suggestion was warmly received by the atheist community with over £150,000 raised since October 2008 in support of the idea. Even the ‘evangelical’ atheist and supreme Darwinist Richard Dawkins personally donated £5,500. Due to the vast amount of money which has been donated to the campaign, it was decided to also place slogans inside the buses as well as throughout London’s tube (underground rail network). The advertising campaign was officially put into action on 9th January.

Atheists: “There’s probably no God”

The slogan does not say that there is no God, but rather is qualified by the word “probably” for two reasons: firstly, so that it does not breach the advertising standards in the UK, and secondly because you cannot prove a negative; i.e. lack of positive evidence is insufficient to completely disprove something. For example, just because no-one has ever seen a luminous green elephant wearing a sombrero, this does not necessarily mean that one does not exist, even though it is highly unlikely. To disprove it one would need to be simultaneously observing every part of the world, indeed the universe, which could possibly harbour such an entity. Similarly, to completely disprove God’s existence, one would need to have a near-infinite amount of knowledge.

While an official definition of atheism simply means not believing that there is a God, as defined on the official ‘atheist bus’ website, it has a bigger meaning: “It’s about making sense of the world, thinking freely and feeling liberated because of it. It’s about using your intellect and sense of reason to learn what life is about, and having the courage to think for yourself. It’s about relying on evidence when deciding on your beliefs, and being brave enough to speak the truth.” There is considerable fluff and nonsense in this statement. Let us consider some of these statements...read more

There really is a God and He is coming back. Are you ready?

Critique of The God Delusion

Recently, there have been a spate of books written by atheists attempting to debunk both Christianity and a belief in God. Make no mistake, Christianity is the enemy here. If the God of Christianity does exist, then that places a responsibility on each individual that comes to that realisation. That would mean that sin exists and, with it, all its consequences - both temporal and eternal.

Critique of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins

by Philip Bell

The title of this book immediately betrays the bias of the author—even for those unacquainted with the writings of this Professor of the (so-called) Public Understanding of Science of Oxford University, Richard Dawkins. Just to skim the chapter contents is to give one a forewarning of what to expect. For instance, Chapter 1 is entitled ‘A deeply religious believer in no God.’ Chapter 4: ‘Why there almost certainly is no God.’ Chapter 7 is ‘The ‘Good’ Book and the changing moral Zeitgeist’—showing Dawkins’ absolute dislike of the message of the Judeo-Christian Scriptures. More provocatively still, the ninth chapter is ‘Childhood, abuse and the escape from religion.’ The single appendix is ‘a partial list of friendly addresses, for individuals needing support in escaping from religion.’

So much for any attempt at balance and objectivity—this book is certainly not a disinterested search for truth and is devoid of any careful weighing of evidence, for and against his thesis. Rather, it is this author’s most polemical work to date, that of a man driven by an unholy zeal to depose the God he claims to disbelieve in but transparently hates.

‘I am attacking God, all gods, anything and everything supernatural, wherever and whenever they have been or will be invented.’ (p. 36: emphasis added in all quotes unless otherwise stated)

However, he takes pains to inform his reader that his venom is mostly reserved for monotheistic forms of God and one in particular:

‘Unless otherwise stated, I shall have Christianity mostly in mind, but only because it is the version with which I happen to be most familiar. … I shall not be concerned at all with other religions such as Buddhism or Confucianism.’ (p. 37)

Read the rest of the ARTICLE.

Death and Suffering Questions and Answers

Creation Ministries International tackle another subject that has generally confounded mankind throughout the ages. I’ve read many inept essays by religious leaders attempting to tackle this thorny issue. I remember quite clearly how many struggled to explain how a God, if He really existed, could have possibly allowed the Indonesian Tsunami to take so many lives.

But God really is on His throne and He is in sovereign control. The universe isn’t a chaotic accident that occurred in our primal past, as the atheists would have it.

So, what are the answers? The answers are found in God’s word, the Bible.

Here is a sample of titles that CMI have addressed. If anyone has any further questions or troubling concerns, I can personally vouch that the CMI team are only too happy to graciously respond to e-mail queries, and I strongly recommend that people take advantage of that resource.

How can an all-powerful, loving God allow suffering and death?

Why would a loving God allow suffering?

How did bad things come about? (From The Creation Answers Book)

9/11 and the real ‘enemy’

Why is there death and suffering? (available in Italian)

The problem of evil (response to critic explaining the logic involved)

CMI answers philosophy/religion professor on biblical exegesis and the problem of evil

When did evil begin?

The Fall: a cosmic catastrophe: Hugh Ross’s blunders on plant death in the Bible

Cosmic and universal death from Adam–s fall: an exegesis of Romans 8:19’23a

Answering angry anti-Christianity (response to critic)

Crossing the thin red line: There are answers

The Fall into Sin

‘Lost’ without Genesis: coping with the ‘death wave’

The awesomeness of death

Two histories of death

Waves of sadness: Tsunami terror raises age-old questions (available in Spanish)

More titles HERE