Extrabiblical Evidence for the Veracity of the Gospel History

4. Is the NT True?, Apologetics, Bible, Christian Apologetics, Christianity, Extrabiblical Evidence for the Gospel, Gospel, Historical documents, history, Jonathan McLatchie, New Testament, Skeptics, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
In a previous article, I reviewed several arguments that are typically raised in support of the historicity of Jesus but, upon closer inspection, turn out to be of extremely limited evidential value. In this article, I will discuss an approach to arguing from extrabiblical sources that I consider to be much more robust. Whereas in the previous article, I critiqued appeals to direct testimony to the historicity of Jesus (which, at best, only attest to the broad outlines of the gospel story), in this article I will consider incidental allusions in the gospels that are indirectly and undesignedly confirmed by extrabiblical secular sources. The data surveyed in the ensuing discussion are of varying evidential weights, though all are (in my assessment) significantly more probable on the hypothesis of historical reportage than on its falsehood. The case for…
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Confronting Homosexuality in a Culture of Identity (Part 2)

Apologetics, Bible, Christianity, Christians, Culture, Culture CrossExamined, FreeThinking Ministries, God, Homosexuality, Jesus, Josh Klein, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, morality, theology
By Josh Klein    Previously, we looked at the dichotomy between what it means to declare homosexual activity a sin and how those who believe in Christian orthodoxy deal with it.  We addressed the current cultural movement’s roots and introduced the idea of identity into the argument. It was necessary to do this so that we can have a strong foundation from which to build the following arguments.  We must first know why the liberal theologians seek to glorify homosexuality as an identity to understand why the interpretation of scripture has shifted from condemning obvious sinful behavior to condoning that very same behavior. If you have not read part one you can do so by clicking here. The goal of the believer should not be to convince the unbeliever of individual sins, such…
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Confronting Homosexuality in a Culture of Identity (Part 1)

Apologetics, Bible, Christianity, Christians, Culture, FreeThinking Ministries, Homosexuality, Homosexuals, Josh Klein, lil nas x, The homosexuality in the Bible, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Josh Klein Lil Nas X Do you know the name?  I do not know why you would, but Lil Nas X has become a bit of a cultural icon in recent years.  He wrote a hit country/hip-hop song in 2019 called “Old Town Road” with country star Billy Ray Cyrus.  The success of the hit propelled Lil Nas X into the modern spotlight.  The song, and its remix, won him fourteen awards spanning from the Grammys to Kids’ Choice Awards[1]. As a result, Lil Nas X toured the country singing for elementary-age kids and was even quoted as saying young kids were his “core audience”[2] in early 2021. Why am I writing about Lil Nas X on a Christian website? Well, this man that vies for the eyes and…
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Serpents, Dragons, and the Bible

Apologetics, Bible, Dragons, gospels, Questions about the Bible, Ryan Leasure, Satan, Skeptics, The Serpent, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Ryan Leasure If you’re from an Appalachian snake-handling church, I’m sorry to disappoint. This is not THAT kind of post. Instead, it’s a post about how the Bible portrays snakes, serpents, and dragons. More than that, it’s about how a mighty warrior defeats the serpent to rescue his precious bride. If that story sounds familiar to you, it’s because so many great children’s tales of the past echo this same story. You see, the Bible presents three main characters:[1] 1) The Serpent (the villain—Satan), 2) The Damsel in Distress (the people of God), and 3) The Serpent Slayer (the hero—Jesus). It’s worth noting that “Serpent” is a biblical catch-all term that includes both snakes and dragons.[2] In other words, serpent is an umbrella category while snakes and dragons are more specific. Also worth…
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On Evolution and Racism, Scientific American Goes to War Against the Truth

African Americans, Africans, Alfred Russel Wallace, Allison Hopper, Amsterdam, Bible, border wall, Cain, Charles Darwin, Chautauqua, Darwinian theory, death penalty, Descent of Man, Electoral College, eugenics, Evolution, fake news, filibuster, Final Solution, Fox News, Francis Galton, genocide, human dignity, Human Zoos, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Intelligent Design, John West, Jon Levine, New York Post, Politics, qualified immunity, Scientific American, standardized testing, student loan debt, systemic racism, white supremacy
Given evolution’s racist baggage, you might think the theory’s proponents would be somewhat abashed to accuse the critics of Darwin of “white supremacy.” Source
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Darwinism, Storytelling, and the Futurist ET Myth

2001: A Space Odyssey, Africa, Bible, Charles Darwin, Christianity, Culture & Ethics, Darwinian materialism, domino, English literature, Flannery O’Connor, futurist ET myth, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, H.G. Wells, human brain, Human Origins, Isaac Bashevis Singer, Jacques Derrida, John Milton, John Updike, Michael Keas, monolith, quantum leap, Robert Ardrey, Roland Barthes, science fiction, Stanley Kubrick, Texas, The Territorial Imperative, The Time Machine, Unbelievable?, weapons
The implication is clear: the alien monolith has somehow bequeathed to him and his little tribe a sudden quantum leap in brain power. Source
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Admit an “Error” by Darwin and Huxley? Here’s How It Could Be Permitted

Aaron Hirsch, Bible, biology, Charles Darwin, Darwinists, dominion, Emil du Bois-Reymond, Evolution, evolutionary theory, golf, human exceptionalism, Intelligent Design, Kim Jon-il, Lord Byron, Nautilus, Nicolaus Copernicus, North Sea, On the Origin of Species, overfishing, psychology, T.H. Huxley
As we all know, evolutionary theory, like the famed golf game of Kim Jon-il, contains no errors or weaknesses of any kind. Source
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What Does Paul Say About Homosexuality?

Apologetics, Bible, Christianity, Culture, Homosexuality, JesusIsNotFakeNews, New Testament, Paul, Ryan Leasure, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Ryan Leasure In this post, we’re asking the question: What does Paul say about homosexuality? To find out, we need to investigate Romans 1:26-27, 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, and 1 Timothy 1:9-10. Let’s consider each text in turn. Romans 1:26-27 This passage is probably the most significant biblical text addressing homosexuality. In the broader context, we read that God reveals his wrath from heaven against all ungodliness. Even though people know God exists through natural revelation, they have suppressed the truth and worshipped idols instead. Therefore, God hands them over to their depraved minds. Verses 26-27 give us an example of this depravity: For this reason, God gave them up to dishonorable passions. For their women exchanged natural relations for those that are contrary to nature (para physin); and the men…
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Marx Attacks!

Bible, Christianity, Critical race theory, critical theory, FreeThinking Ministries, God, Karl Marx, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Phil Bair, Politics, Racism, theology, Worldview
If I were to ask you who the most influential philosopher of the 21st Century is, what would your answer be? The correct answer might surprise you. It is Karl Marx. Karl Marx believed that class struggle would occur naturally on its own without the help of any social engineer. He believed the Communist Revolution was the inevitable outcome of socio-economic forces, and it was only a matter of time. He was wrong. The marxists of today believe in the class struggle, just like Marx did in his day. Except that now, the new Marxists recognize that it won’t naturally happen on its own. They have forged a new agenda to bring about a social revolution similar to the one Marx imagined. Except this time the intended outcome will be…
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