I found this on a blog that is very well established in its amount of content. The writer is very consistent, and I haven't looked at the site enough to fully comment, so I won't. But it looks good. Check out: www.apologetics315.blogspot.com.
I've simply copied one of their blogs to this blog, because as Apologetics 315 said at the end, "Please share with friends."
Is Christianity True? FREE eBook
In April 2010, Apologetics 315 produced an essay series on the topic Is Christianity True? This was a series of 23 essays contributed by various apologetics bloggers from across the web. See the table of contents here. A podcast was also created with audio each of each essay. Now, the ebook version is available for download. Download below:
Is Christianity True? eBook
[ Kindle Version | Mobi | ePub | PDF ]
Please share with friends.
Enjoy.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Apologetics Significance #1
Some Christians question the usefulness or significance of studying the defense of the Christian faith, since as 1 Corinthians 2:13-14 teaches that, "This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, expressing spiritual truths in spiritual words. The man without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned."
Because of this apologetics should not center too much on convincing people to believe based on logical persuasion. However, there is a clear mandate in scripture for apologetics. For examples check out 1 Peter 3:15 and
2 Corinthians 2:5 on your own.
At the end of an Apologetics test, I threw out a free question which was simply, "What is the most significant thing you've learned so far during this course?"
Here are two of the responses:
"It strengthened my own faith tremendously because it answered a lot of my doubts. Also now if any of my friends or someone I meet has any doubts or questions, I can answer them and help strengthen their faith as well."
Friday, August 27, 2010
Did the Resurrection Really Happen? #1
1 Corinthians 15:14 "If Christ was not raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your trust in God is useless."
Some people explain the empty tomb of Jesus by saying that Jesus never actually died, that he survived his ordeal on the cross to make it out of the tomb alive three days later. This is commonly known as the swoon theory - do a search for it online and you can find more information about it.
Some people explain the empty tomb of Jesus by saying that Jesus never actually died, that he survived his ordeal on the cross to make it out of the tomb alive three days later. This is commonly known as the swoon theory - do a search for it online and you can find more information about it.
But here is a short, powerful Youtube video that explains how it is not possible for the Swoon Theory to be correct. It comes to you from trauma surgeon Dr. David Acuna.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Does God Exists Debate
The following is a trailer for a DVD called Does God Exist? It is a debate between William Lane Craig and Christopher Hitchens. The entire debate can be found on Youtube.
The following video is a summary of some of the arguments made by Hitchens in the debate. There are some brief rebuttals to these arguments, and then a briefer closing that mentions Craig's arguments.
Does God Exists? can be purchased online from Amazon.
The following video is a summary of some of the arguments made by Hitchens in the debate. There are some brief rebuttals to these arguments, and then a briefer closing that mentions Craig's arguments.
Does God Exists? can be purchased online from Amazon.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
"Out of Nothing" or "Out of Something"
CA friend told me about someone I know who was confronted in the work place by a fellow co-worker who is a pantheist.
Pantheists believe that all things are God. This idea has crept up all over the place in many forms and various ways. To quote the end of Stairway to Heaven, "The truth will come to you at last, when all are one, and one is all." Or from the Eat, Pray, Love movie, "God is in you, and God is you. God is in me, and God is me." Or maybe the Force in Star Wars - we're all connected by the energy of the universe, which is divine. Pantheists generally believe that God is eternal and created the universe out of himself, which is how they come to the conclusion that all things are then divine and the universe, eternal. Most forms of pantheism spring from Hinduism, but not all pantheist are Hindus. Anyways...
The pantheist approached the Christian and said in front of other co-workers, "So you believe that God created the world out of nothing." The Christian responded, "Yes." The pantheist then responded, "Wouldn't it make more sense that created the universe out of something," as he motioned with his hands from his chest outward, clearly indicating that wouldn't it make more sense that God created the universe out of himself.
It's interesting that the pantheist took this approach with the Christian, because Christians usually approach atheists who believe in evolution in this manner, by going all the way back to the beginning and asking where the primordial soup of the Big Bang came from - nothing? Everyone knows that nothing comes from nothing. Therefore, before the Bang, there must have been a God to create the stuff and send it into motion. So the pantheist was taking the same approach and saying this same approach with the Christian - "Something out of nothing?" or "Something out of something?"
The Christian responded, "Yea, I guess that makes more sense."
I'm curious - how would you respond if you are a Christian and a pantheist approached you with this question in front of co-workers? What are the different responses that we as Christians might provide?
Pantheists believe that all things are God. This idea has crept up all over the place in many forms and various ways. To quote the end of Stairway to Heaven, "The truth will come to you at last, when all are one, and one is all." Or from the Eat, Pray, Love movie, "God is in you, and God is you. God is in me, and God is me." Or maybe the Force in Star Wars - we're all connected by the energy of the universe, which is divine. Pantheists generally believe that God is eternal and created the universe out of himself, which is how they come to the conclusion that all things are then divine and the universe, eternal. Most forms of pantheism spring from Hinduism, but not all pantheist are Hindus. Anyways...
The pantheist approached the Christian and said in front of other co-workers, "So you believe that God created the world out of nothing." The Christian responded, "Yes." The pantheist then responded, "Wouldn't it make more sense that created the universe out of something," as he motioned with his hands from his chest outward, clearly indicating that wouldn't it make more sense that God created the universe out of himself.
It's interesting that the pantheist took this approach with the Christian, because Christians usually approach atheists who believe in evolution in this manner, by going all the way back to the beginning and asking where the primordial soup of the Big Bang came from - nothing? Everyone knows that nothing comes from nothing. Therefore, before the Bang, there must have been a God to create the stuff and send it into motion. So the pantheist was taking the same approach and saying this same approach with the Christian - "Something out of nothing?" or "Something out of something?"
The Christian responded, "Yea, I guess that makes more sense."
I'm curious - how would you respond if you are a Christian and a pantheist approached you with this question in front of co-workers? What are the different responses that we as Christians might provide?
Monday, August 23, 2010
Logic Apologetic #3
There is a difference between contrary statements and contradictory statements.
Contrary statements are statements that cannot both be true, but both can be false.
Contradictory statements are when either one statement is true or one statement is false.
"All world religions are true" is contrary in relationship with "no world religions are true." Both cannot be true, but both can be false. Both can be false if "Some (or at least one) world religions are true."
Christianity's claim that Christianity is true and that no other religions are true is contradictory with the atheistic position that no world religions are true.
Understanding these two concepts, contrary, and contradictory, can be helpful when addressing the relationship of pluralism, atheism, and historic Christianity.
As before, the information in this apologetic is basically common sense. However, I got the information from Kenneth Samples' book A World of Difference. A list of his book can be found in the slide show below.
Contrary statements are statements that cannot both be true, but both can be false.
Contradictory statements are when either one statement is true or one statement is false.
"All world religions are true" is contrary in relationship with "no world religions are true." Both cannot be true, but both can be false. Both can be false if "Some (or at least one) world religions are true."
Christianity's claim that Christianity is true and that no other religions are true is contradictory with the atheistic position that no world religions are true.
Understanding these two concepts, contrary, and contradictory, can be helpful when addressing the relationship of pluralism, atheism, and historic Christianity.
As before, the information in this apologetic is basically common sense. However, I got the information from Kenneth Samples' book A World of Difference. A list of his book can be found in the slide show below.
Saturday, August 21, 2010
CPH's New Apologetics Book
In a book published by Concordia Publishing House (CPH) written to answer questions teens ask about life, the answer given to the question "How do I know the Bible is true?" is "You know the Bible is true because it says so". Are you serious? That's the answer in a CPH book? Is that really the best Lutherans can come up with on this one? Then the author of this book admitted that his answer isn't really proof, because "[p]eople say things that aren't true all the time." However he says it doesn't matter in the case of the Bible, because God doesn't lie. That's not a great answer, because Mulsims could say the same statement concerning the Koran. The book I'm quoting from was published in 2006.
Things have certainly changed! And for the better. This year, CPH has published Life's Big Questions God's Big Answers by Brad Alles. I've only skimmed it so far, but it's awesome. CPH has come a far way from the previous book I've mentioned. In fact, I think the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod has made some great recent improvements in apologetics. I attended part of an Apologetics seminar this summer at Hepatha Lutheran church in Southern California that featured Kenneth Samples and J.P. Moreland. I know a Lutheran church in Huntington Beach, CA, which is having an apologetic lecture given by guests speakers. I know another Lutheran church which went through Case for Christ this summer. Faith Lutheran in Oak Ridge, TN, is adding a year of apologetics to their confirmation curriculum. Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine, CA, has their seniors go through a final theology class which consists of World Religions and Apologetics before graduating. Hopefully, the study and focus of apologetics at these Lutheran churches and many others, along with the excellent addition of CPH's Life's Big Questions God's Big Answers is a sign that the Lutheran church is moving beyond, "becuase the Bible says it's true."
I know the "because it says so" answer is what I received when I was in high school from 1996-2000. I'm glad that the material being put out by CPH now has much better answers. Seriously if you haven't read much apologetics or would like to have a good, concise apologetic book written by a Lutheran on some tough questions which are commonly asked, not just by high school students, but by adults too, then check out Brad Alles' book.
Some of the questions covered in it are: "Does Evolution Explain the World?", "Does Creation Explain the World?", "What is the Canon?", "What about Dinosaurs?", "Did Jesus really Exists?", and "What is Postmodernism and the New Tolerance?"
Things have certainly changed! And for the better. This year, CPH has published Life's Big Questions God's Big Answers by Brad Alles. I've only skimmed it so far, but it's awesome. CPH has come a far way from the previous book I've mentioned. In fact, I think the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod has made some great recent improvements in apologetics. I attended part of an Apologetics seminar this summer at Hepatha Lutheran church in Southern California that featured Kenneth Samples and J.P. Moreland. I know a Lutheran church in Huntington Beach, CA, which is having an apologetic lecture given by guests speakers. I know another Lutheran church which went through Case for Christ this summer. Faith Lutheran in Oak Ridge, TN, is adding a year of apologetics to their confirmation curriculum. Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine, CA, has their seniors go through a final theology class which consists of World Religions and Apologetics before graduating. Hopefully, the study and focus of apologetics at these Lutheran churches and many others, along with the excellent addition of CPH's Life's Big Questions God's Big Answers is a sign that the Lutheran church is moving beyond, "becuase the Bible says it's true."
I know the "because it says so" answer is what I received when I was in high school from 1996-2000. I'm glad that the material being put out by CPH now has much better answers. Seriously if you haven't read much apologetics or would like to have a good, concise apologetic book written by a Lutheran on some tough questions which are commonly asked, not just by high school students, but by adults too, then check out Brad Alles' book.
Some of the questions covered in it are: "Does Evolution Explain the World?", "Does Creation Explain the World?", "What is the Canon?", "What about Dinosaurs?", "Did Jesus really Exists?", and "What is Postmodernism and the New Tolerance?"
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