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Pope Francis, Evolution, and the Curia

Associated Press, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio, Christianity, Curia, elites, Ethics and Public Policy Center, Evangelical Catholicism, Evolution, Faith & Science, George Weigel, Intelligent Design, materialism, media, National Review, newspapers, Pontifical Council on Culture, Pope Francis, religion, Roman Catholicism, Secularism, sexual misbehavior, Templeton Foundation, Vatican City, young people
The Pontifical Academy of Sciences is “just another office down the street,” as one Vatican insider told me. Source
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The Real Issue and the Christian Philosopher

2. Does God Exist?, Apologetics, Christianity, Diego Fallas, Gospel, metaphysics, philosophy, Thomas Aquinas, Thomism, william lane craig
Human beings are rational animals, according to Aristotle. As animals, human beings are sensible beings who have sensations and movements (in contrast to plants, which are living beings without true sensation and self-initiated movement). But human beings are not just any kind of animal. We have a special quality that separates us from animals, plants and the rest of the material world, which is that we have a rational soul. Furthermore, leaving Aristotle aside (as we shall see later), this doesn’t mean that human beings are the summit of all that exists. God, who is infinite and intellect in its fullest form can alone claim his proper place at the top of the summit (although, technically speaking, He is the foundation) of all that exists. Still, since human beings are…
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Are “Mind” and “Brain” the Same Thing?

Angus Menuge, animals, Artificial Intelligence, bacon, Benjamin Libet, brain, C. elegans, ChatGPT, computer, Denyse O'Leary, determinism, Dogs, free will, free won't, human exceptionalism, Humanize, large language models, machines, Medicine, Michael Egnor, mind, Minding the Brain, neural mechanisms, neuroscience, Neuroscience & Mind, philosophy, Podcast, The Immortal Mind, totalitarianism, Wesley J. Smith
Neurosurgeon Michael Egnor passionately argues that denying free will undermines moral responsibility and paves the way for totalitarian ideologies. Source
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Fact Check: Did Scientists Really Detect Evidence of Life on Exoplanet K2-18b?

Astronomer Royal, astronomers, atmosphere, BBC News, Big Think, biosignature, Catherine Heymans, CBC, Christopher Glein, CNN, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl sulfide, earth, exoplanet, Hyacean ocean planet, Intelligent Design, K2-18b, magma, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, molten rock, Neptune, New York Times, Nora Hänni, Oliver Shorttle, phytoplankton algae, Planetology, rocky planet, Sara Seager, Science (journal), Science Reporting, Sky at Night Magazine, solar system, Southwest Research Institute, University of Bern
The molecule is dimethyl sulfide (DMS) or dimethyl disulfide (DMDS), and on Earth its sole known source is life (specifically, marine phytoplankton algae). Source
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The Top 3 Reasons Why We Can Believe in the Resurrection

Christian Apologetics, Christianity, Dr. Frank Turek, gospels, Jesus of Nazareth, morality, philosophy, Podcast, religion, the resurrection, theology
Did Jesus of Nazareth really rise from the dead? And if that’s the case, how should that impact our view of history and everything we believe about God and reality? With the colloquial Easter holiday coming just around the corner, let’s dive into the BEST evidence for the resurrection! In this week’s solo podcast episode, Frank takes you step-by-step through three powerful reasons to believe the resurrection of Jesus is not only possible—but reasonable and true. Tune in as he unpacks the evidence that will challenge skeptics and strengthen Christians to trust and defend the Gospel with confidence. During the episode, Frank will answer questions like: What is the greatest miracle in the Bible? (SPOILER ALERT: it’s NOT the Resurrection) What are the four types of miracles that Jesus performed…
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High Bird Intelligence Is Consistent with Design, Not Evolution

abstractions, animal intelligence, birds, brains, chickadees, cockatoos, common sense, crows, Evolution, evolutionary biology, Germany, Giacomo Gattoni, human exceptionalism, humans, intelligence, Intelligent Design, logic, mammals, Maria Antonietta Tosches, Neuroscience & Mind, Niklas Kempynck, Onur Güntürkün, problems, ravens, Ruhr University Bochum, Science (journal), vertebrates, Yasemin Saplakoglu, zoology
A discussion of animal intelligence that refuses to acknowledge human exceptionalism becomes a script for suppressing discussions we need to have. Source
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Depraved: New York Times Pushes Assisted Suicide for the Elderly

bioethics, Culture, Daniel Kahneman, disabilities, elderly, Ezekiel Emanuel, family, friendship, geriatric suicide, Katarzyna de Lazari-Radek, Medicine, mentally ill, National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, Peter Singer, philosophers, philosophy, Princeton University, suicide, Switzerland, The Atlantic
The victims of such a nihilistic mindset will be the elderly, people with disabilities, the mentally ill, and the seriously sick in an ever-widening swath. Source
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33 Defenses for the Resurrection of Jesus

3. Are Miracles Possible?, 4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, Brian Chilton, Christianity, Easter, Gospel, historical apologetics, Jesus, New Testament, Resurrection, www.bellatorChristi.com
I told someone recently that Easter (aka., “Resurrection Sunday”) is my favorite holiday. It holds a greater prominence for the child of God than even Christmas. Up until the commercialization of Christmas, Easter was the central holiday for the Christian. One of my good friends recently stated that her pastor called Easter the “Super Bowl for Christianity,” and for good reason. Easter celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Are there, however, good reasons for believing that Jesus of Nazareth literally arose from the dead on that first Resurrection Sunday? The historicity of the resurrection and the Gospels were a major sticking point for me in my time of doubt. If the resurrection was only wishful thinking, then believers have no genuine hope for their eternity. Yet if the resurrection is…
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Help Us Mentor the Next Generation of Intelligent Design Scientists and Scholars

Alumni Mentoring Program, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Brian DeVries, Brian Miller, Cambridge, Center for Science and Culture, Darwinian evolution, Discovery Institute, Education, educators, Emily Reeves, Evolution, evolutionary biology, ID 3.0 Research Initiative, IDEA Clubs, Intelligent Design, Ivy League, Jonathan McLatchie, science education, scientists, South America, Steve Dilley, students, Summer Seminar graduates, Summer Seminar on Intelligent Design
Emily Reeves, a PhD staff scientist at Discovery Institute, has mentored an Ivy League postdoc in the field of molecular biology for the past five years. Source
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What REALLY Happened During the Inquisitions? with Bill Federer

Bill Federer, Christian Apologetics, Christianity, Crusades, Dr. Frank Turek, inquisitions, Islamic, morality, Muslim, philosophy, Podcast, religion, theology
What’s the real history behind the Inquisitions, what do they reveal about the Christian faith, and could history be repeating itself? A few weeks ago, we unpacked the truth about the history of the Crusades and how (despite some behavior not condoned by Christ) they were military responses to Muslim aggression and saved Europe from being conquered by Muslim invaders. Most Christians at the time didn’t know what the Bible taught. This week, the great Bill Federer returns to shed light on the rise of the first inquisitions, their lasting impact on both the Church and American history, and how these events connect to the biblical narrative. Join Frank and Bill as they tackle questions like: What are some of the key events surrounding the Spanish, Islamic, and Portuguese Inquisitions? What does Islam teach about…
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