Dangerous Homefront, part 3: Correcting Prooftexts

1. Does Truth Exist?, 4. Is the NT True?, Bible, Bible study, biblical apologetics, hermeneutics, how to interpret the Bible, Interpretation, John Ferrer, prooftext, theology
In part 1 of this series we looked at prooftexts from the Old Testament. In part 2 we looked at prooftexts from the New Testament. At this point you may be wondering, “So what’s the big deal?” People will misinterpret things, so what? What’s the Big Deal? Clearly, misinterpretation occurs often within the Church. Does that mean that the church is apostate or heretical? Not really, but it does mean that we make mistakes. Many of these mistakes go unnoticed and never cause any real damage. But other mistaken interpretations can sink in, take root, and spring up as dangerous beliefs and bad practices. Consider how many people have watched a loved one pass away, even though they prayed in groups for God to heal them, and, this unmet expectation…
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Science, Scripture, and the Image of God

A. R. Hall, Bible, Christianity, Christopher Kaiser, Creation and the History of Science, creator, Culture & Ethics, Faith & Science, history, How the West Won, human mind, humans, image of God, Intelligent Design, intelligent designer, intelligible order, lawgiver, logos, Museum of the Bible, natural world, Rodney Stark, The Scientific Revolution 1500-1800
"The proposition that the universe had an Intelligent Designer is the most fundamental of all scientific theories." Source
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UFOs Replay History: Rogan, Keating, and “Things Seen in the Skies”

airfields, aliens, Aristotle, astrophysicists, Bible, Brian Keating, Carl Jung, Catholic Church, Congress, conspiracy, curiosity, Faith & Science, Flying Saucers (book), Galileo Galilei, government, Joe Rogan, Joe Rogan Experience, mandala, military facilities, NASA, Physics, Earth & Space, pilots, psychologists, PSYOP, Russian, Sanskrit, soul, Spotify, Stephen Meyer, synchronicity, UAPs, UC San Diego, UFOs, United States
Psychologist Carl Jung got interested in UFOs around 1946, shortly after the development of the atom bomb. Source
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Dangerous Homefront, part 2: NT Prooftexts we Know and Love

1. Does Truth Exist?, 4. Is the NT True?, Bible, Bible study, biblical apologetics, hermeneutics, how to interpret the Bible, Interpretation, John Ferrer, New Testament, prooftext, theology
In part 1 of this series, we looked at a few Old Testament passages that people often misinterpret. In part 2 we shift to the New Testament. It’s worth noting that sometimes the error is just an innocent mistake. It’s not always from bad intentions, or false teachers, or heretical theology. Sometimes there are malicious forces at work here, but often it’s just well-meaning people getting confused about what the Bible says. The list of verses below is just a sample of commonly misinterpreted texts. There are many more too choose from, but I’m willing to bet that if you are a church-goer you’ve heard at least one of these misinterpretations before. Matthew 7:1 Judge not, lest ye be judged. This is perhaps the most quoted verse of Scripture surpassing…
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Asking Questions Demonstrates Human Exceptionalism

Albert Einstein, animals, Bible, chatbot, ChatGPT, cosmos, curiosity, DNA, electronic technology, fine-tuning, history, human exceptionalism, Human Origins, humans, imagination, Intelligent Design, Irreducible Complexity, metaphysics, natural world, Physics, Earth & Space, prompt engineering, Questions
This human trait of question-asking begins almost as soon as we learn to talk. Young children can confound their parents with their rapid-fire questions. Source
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Dangerous Homefront, part 1: OT Prooftexts we Know and Love

1. Does Truth Exist?, 4. Is the NT True?, Bible, Bible study, biblical apologetics, hermeneutics, how to interpret the Bible, Interpretation, John Ferrer, prooftext, theology
Years ago, on a trip to Washington DC I found myself going through a few different airports and learning a life lesson along the way. The flights led me through several security checks. I had no problem with the baggage scans and the metal detectors till I got to LaGuardia airport in New York. I was stopped. I had forgotten about a small pocketknife on my key-chain. Not being a terrorist, or John Wick, I don’t think of a one-inch blade as a weapon. My pocketknife was confiscated. It was no big loss, but it was enough to teach me something. One airport let that pocketknife slip by unnoticed. But in New York they spotted it instantly. In New York they knew the threat of terrorism. Their sensitivities were keen,…
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With Becket Cook, David Berlinski Discusses Speech as a Problem for Darwin, and More

animal life, animals, Becket Cook, Bible, communication, Darwinism, David Berlinski, discontinuity, Dogs, Evolution, externalization, human exceptionalism, Human Origins, humans, Jesuits, Ovid, pets, Science After Babel
Dog owners know that to look into your dog’s eyes is often to see that the dog has something he wishes to say but lacks the “machinery for externalization.” Source
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Why is God’s Word so Hard to Understand?

1. Does Truth Exist?, 4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, Bible, Bible study, Christianity, Crossexamined community, hermeneutics, how to interpret the Bible, Interpretation, John Ferrer, theology
The following question comes from one our Crossexamined Community members. “Why did God allow the Bible to be written in a way that gives Christians an opportunity to misunderstand it?” This question intrigues me because it’s a universal problem. Everyone who’s ever tried to dig into the Bible has found it difficult, sometimes, to understand what God is saying. And some passages are so difficult that theologians across Church history can’t agree on what they mean. Of course we could all benefit from learning how to interpret the Bible correctly. Sometimes we struggle over a passage and it would be easy to understand if we just knew some basic principles for interpretation. But, even if you had the best education and years of practice, there are still some passages that…
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Are Miracles Impossible Because They Violate Natural Laws?

AFR, Apologetics, app, Bible, cross examined, cross examined official podcast, faith, Frank Turek, God, google play, iTunes, Jesus Christ, miracles, Podcast, Radio, Spotify, stitcher, truth, Weekly Podcast
Podcast: Play in new window Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Android | iHeartRadio | Email | TuneIn | RSS Are miracles possible? Many academics have ruled miracles out completely, claiming that miracles are a violation of the laws of nature. But is that conclusion reasonable? In this week’s podcast episode, Frank provides reasonable arguments to defend the possibility of miracles. There is a popular philosophical assumption among scholars such as Bart Ehrman and David Hume that supernatural intervention is impossible, leading many to only believe in material causes. As Frank reflects on philosophical ideas and specific examples in history and science, you’ll see why miracles are not only possible, but at least likely to have occurred at various points in history. You’ll hear Frank answer questions like: How often do miracles occur…
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