Historical Bias, Objectivity, And The Truth Of Christianity

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, bias, Brian Huffling, BrianHuffling.com, Christianity, Epistemology, Gospel, historical apologetics, knowledge, objectivity, Philosophy of History, Worldview
“Historians are biased and choose what they report. As such, history can’t be known.” That’s a typical objection to the ability to know history. If such objections prove that we can’t know history, then we can’t know that Christianity is true since it is known through history and historical claims. In his prologue, Luke says, “Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word have delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught” (Luke…
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Was Jesus Really Born of a Virgin? Does It Matter?

4. Is the NT True?, Alisa Childers, AlisaChildersBlog.com, Apologetics, Christianity, Christmas, Gospel, Jesus, miracles, Nativity, New Testament, virgin birth
“It doesn’t really matter if Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit or by Joseph’s seed. What matters is that Jesus came to earth, died, and was resurrected.” This is more or less what was said in a conversation I had several years ago with a now self-proclaimed progressive Christian. At the time, he was trying to work out his theology. Today, his words ring with expectancy to be answered. Was Jesus born of a virgin? Does it matter in regard to our faith if He was? Virgin Birth: Negotiable or Not? The virgin birth of Jesus Christ has always been considered a non-negotiable core doctrine of Christianity and is mentioned in the earliest creeds. Among Christians, this doctrine wasn’t broadly questioned until a period of history referred to as…
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What Really Happened at the Council of Nicea?

Apologetics, Christianity, Church History, Council of Nicaea, Da Vinci Code, Gospel, historical apologetics, Jonathan McLatchie, JonathanMclatchie.com, Uncategorized
For many years, the Council of Nicaea has been the subject of much confusion among laypeople. The misapprehensions which have come to be associated with the council of Nicaea have, in part, been fueled by popular fictional novels such as Dan Brown’s notorious The Da Vinci Code. No matter what group you are dealing with in your apologetic exploits (including atheists, Muslims, Jehovah’s Witnesses and Unitarians), you are almost guaranteed to encounter some of these misconceptions. For this reason, it is important for Christians to study and learn church history, so that they might correct common myths and falsehoods. Did Constantine Invent the Bible and the Deity of Christ? The Council of Nicaea was famously convened on May 20, 325 AD, at the request of Emperor Constantine (pictured above). What did…
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Jesus: Santa Claus for Adults?

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, Atheism, Christianity, Christmas, FreeThinkingMinistries.com, Gospel, Grinch, Jesus, Santa Clause, Tim Stratton
It’s common for atheists to be a “Grinch” over the Holidays and exclaim that Jesus is just a “Santa Claus for adults!” When I hear that claim, I immediately respond with a question: “What do you mean by that?” If one means that children often believe in fictional fairy tales and adults believe in fact-based evidence, then I agree – Jesus is for adults (and actually people of all ages)! But I don’t think that’s the intent behind this claim. I believe the intent of the atheist (“Grinch”) is to convey that little kids believe in a fictional Santa Clause and many adults believe in fiction too – Christianity. How the Grinch Stole Christ out of Christmas Well, why think a thing like that, Mr. Grinch? Is belief in Jesus —…
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The Widening of God’s Mercy – Book Review

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, Christianity, Christopher Hayes, Culture and Politics, Duke, Fuller, gay marriage, Gospel, Homosexuality, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, LGBTQ, New Testament Ethics, Progressive Christianity, Richard Hayes
In the mid-1990’s a Theology professor at Duke Divinity School, named Richard Hayes, wrote a book called The Moral Vision of the New Testament: Community, Cross, New Creation, A Contemporary Introduction to New Testament Ethics. It made waves in the Evangelical world because it was the first time a relatively liberal theological scholar took a definitive stance on the biblical sexual ethic. For decades conservative Christian scholars and pastors have cited Hays’s work in this book as evidence that scripture speaks clearly on issues concerning human sexuality and morality. There were other, more conservative, names that had come to the same conclusions as Hays prior to and after his book was published. However, the very fact that someone of his pedigree, hailing from such a scholarly institution as Duke University, so…
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Did the Idols of the Old Testament Actually Have Power?

3. Are Miracles Possible?, Apologetics, BellatoriChristi.com, Christianity, Daniel Sloan, False Gods, Gospel, idolatry, Idols, paganism, polytheism, Theology and Christian Apologetics, World Religions
One of the questions that people ask when they read through the Old Testament is “did those little statues that people worshipped actually have any power behind them?” Many scholars agree that people believed that the idols themselves did not hold power but instead represented the pagan gods. The Old Testament itself has two major views on idolatry, one located in the prophets and another located in Deuteronomy. Idolatry in the Prophets The prophets identify idolatry as a major issue within both Israel and Judah during their time and argue that idolatry is worthless.[i] For example, in Isaiah 41, Isaiah 44, and Jeremiah 10, the prophets make it clear that idolatry is useless and meaningless. It holds no power because the idols themselves are created and the gods that they…
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Is Deconstruction the Same Thing as Doubt?

Apologetics, Christianity, Deconstruction, Doubt, Family Apologetics, Gospel, Hillary Morgan Ferrer, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, MamaBearApologetics.com, youth exodus
A clip from Skillet frontman John Cooper has recently been making the rounds on social media. In it, Cooper is heard saying that “it is time to declare war on this idolatrous deconstruction Christian movement.” And just like that, the Christian community split. One set of people claims that Cooper is causing further harm to Christians who are already struggling with their faith. The other set of people is praising Cooper for taking a stand against the so-called “Christian deconstruction movement.” So which is it? What Do We Mean By The Deconstruction Movement? The process of deconstruction usually goes like this: an influential, self-proclaimed Christian announces to their thousands/millions of fans that they no longer believe in the faith on which their careers were built. Through the process of “deconstruction,” they…
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Top Apologetics Books for Beginners

Apologetics, apologetics books, Christianity, Gospel, https://ischristianitytrue.wordpress.com/, J Steve Lee, Reading List, Reading recommendations, Steve Lee, Theology and Christian Apologetics
Sean McDowell, professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University, on his blog, lists the top ten apologetic books for beginners with short descriptions of each. He includes: Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis More Than a Carpenter, by Sean and Josh McDowell The Reason for God, by Tim Keller The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel Cold-Case Christianity, by J. Warner Wallace Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, by Greg Koukl Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality, by Nancy Pearcey On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision, by William Lane Craig Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion, by Rebecca McLaughlin Evidence that Demands a Verdict, by Sean and Josh McDowell I would add the following books to the list: I Don’t…
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The DNA Replisome: A Paradigm of Design

2. Does God Exist?, Apologetics, biology, Christianity, DNA, Evolution News and View, genetics, Gospel, Intelligent Design, Jonathan McLatchie, JonathanMclatchie.com, science, teleological argument
The DNA replisome is one of the most remarkable molecular machines, involving a complex of different proteins, each of which is very specifically crafted to fulfill its role in the process of replicating the genome in preparation for cell division. The rate of DNA replication has been measured at a whopping 749 nucleotides per second[1] and the error rate for accurate polymerases is believed to be in the range of 10-7 and 10-7, based on studies of E. coli and bacteriophage DNA replication.[2] One of the best animations of this incredible process is this one by Australian animator Drew Berry. It is difficult to look at an animation such as this (which is drastically over-simplified) and not come away with the strong intuition that such an intricately choreographed machine is the product of masterful…
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Scientism -The idea that science is the only path to knowledge

1. Does Truth Exist?, Apologetics, Christianity, Epistemology, Gospel, IsChristianityTrue.Wordpress.com, Philosophy of Science, science, scientism, Steve Lee
You have probably heard it said, “You have to prove that scientifically.” Or even in news reports that “studies have shown . . . ”  Or maybe you have heard that science is the final or ultimate source of knowledge. Behind these sentiments may lie a belief called “scientism.”  This mentality has even been put simply: “If I can’t see it, hear it, or feel it, it doesn’t exist.”[i] What is Scientism? This belief elevates science to a place of religious devotion and is known as “scientism.” Scientism is the idea that we should believe only what can be proven scientifically. That is, science is the sole source of knowledge and truth. No doubt, science is a wonderful means of finding out truths about the world and a means of knowledge about…
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