Can We Legislate Morality?

Christian Worldview, Christianity, CrossExamined Apologetics Team, Culture, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Legistlating Morality, Melissa Dougherty, Objetive Morality, Politics
By Melissa Dougherty Since the 1960s, there’s been a measurable dramatic decline in moral ethics here in the United States. Some would argue that it’s been in a general decline since the dawn of humanity, myself included. However, here in the United States, the phrase “legislating morality” has been brought up more and more. Depending on the generation, many people have not heard this phrase or even understood what it means. Some use it as a cliche term to throw in the face of the person trying to promote certain morals that should be either lawful or not. I say that similar to the argument of “there is no absolute truth,” saying that we can’t legislate morality is simply self-defeating. Everyone everywhere intrinsically knows right from wrong. Many people would…
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Keating, Krauss, Tour: Three Jewish Scientists with Remarkably Different Perspectives

atheists, Brian Keating, Catholicism, Christianity, cosmologists, Culture, debate, Design Inference, faith, Faith & Science, Intelligent Design, Into the Impossible, James Tour, Judaism, Lawrence Krauss, natural philosophers, New Atheists, philosophy, proselytizing, Rice University, Stephen Meyer, Toronto, UC San Diego
Here is a fascinating and very different pair of scientific, religious, and philosophical conversations, both with UC San Diego physicist Brian Keating. Source
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An Atheist’s Call To Make Our Case

Apologetics, Atheism, atheist, Bob Perry, Christianity, Evangelism Category: Theology and Christian Apologetics, Gospel, Theology and Christian Apologetics, True Horizon
By Bob Perry St. Francis of Assisi may have died 800 years ago, but his influence still looms. He was a man who venerated nature and lived a life of great sacrifice in service to God and his church. But within the Christian ecosystem, he has become most famous for an adage that strikes a chord with anyone who is serious about sharing their faith: Preach the Gospel always. If necessary, use words. The modern interpretation of Assisi’s exhortation is clear. Our charge is to love people into the kingdom, not argue them there. If you’ve bought into that mindset it may surprise you to learn that it’s not accurate. And it may surprise you even more to learn that it flies in the face of an atheist’s call to…
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A Dragon at Christmas

Apologetics, Christianity, Christmas, Dragon, Jesus, revelation, Ryan Leasure, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Ryan Leasure  “Away in a manger no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay. The cattle are lowing, the baby awakes. But little Lord Jesus no crying he makes. . .” What a peaceful scene. It’s as every Christmas card portrays it. Sweet baby Jesus cooing softly in his manger with smiles all around. The only problem is that it doesn’t portray reality. Aside from the point that Jesus most certainly would have been crying as any normal baby would, Revelation 12 describes the Christmas story as a dangerous event, loaded with spiritual warfare. The Dragon Fights Chapter 12 is a prime example that Revelation…
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Is Every Bible “New Age”… Except the King James?

Apologetics, Bible, Christianity, King James, MelissaDougherty, New Age, Questions about the Bible, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Melissa Dougherty Some people see the King James Bible as far superior to other translations. They believe other translations are heretical, full of redactions with verses purposely and vindictively taken out. Any attempt to “modernize” the language is seen as compromising the very Word of God. Some people in this group see the 1611 English King James Version as even far superior to the Greek copies themselves! Some also believe that the Bible that might be on your shelf is actually… New Age. I know this because I used to be a King James Onlyist. A KJO. I want to clarify two things. First, I think the King James is a fine version, and I don’t believe that everyone who prefers the King James is a KJO. Second, I…
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How To Explain the Trinity to Muslims

Apologetics, Bellator Christi, Christianity, God Category: Islam, Islam, Jesus, Muslims, Sherene Khouri, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Trinity
By Sherene Khouri Islam and Christianity claim to be monotheistic religions. They both believe in one supreme God; however, their concept of the nature of the divine being is different. The Islamic understanding affirms in a strong sense the absolute oneness of God through the doctrine of tawhid (Surah 4:171). Allah is one, and he has no partner, rival, or equal. The Christian understanding, on the other hand, upholds the trinitarian nature of God. “God is one (Deut 6:4), while including in that unity of the Father, who sent his Son; the Son, who is sent: and the Spirit, who is sent by them both.”[i] God is an eternal co-inhering community of equals. While the Qur’an portrays the Trinity in terms of a holy family—Holy God, Holy Mother, and Holy Son (Surah…
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The Disrespecting Marriage Act

Apologetics, Christianity, Culture, Disrespecting Marriage Act, IntelligentChristianFaith, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, marriage, Marriage Design, Politics, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By John D. Ferrer Marriage is under fire… again. The red wave in November might have helped put out the fire, but not when the wave is just a trickle. Unless something wild happens in Arizona and Georgia, the Democrats will retain the Senate majority. Republicans will gain a slight majority in the House of Representatives, but that doesn’t start till January. That leaves a one-month window for a democrat-majority House and Senate to cram everything they can into law before New Year’s. One of those cram jobs is the “Respect for Marriage Act.”[i] Following Senate majority leader Chuck Shumer, Democrats are expected to pass the “Respect for Marriage Act.” The bill briefly mentions interracial marriages, which no one is disputing. that’s been legal in every state for decades now. That’s…
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William Wordsworth’s Posthumous Challenge to Darwinian Nihilism

"survival of the fittest", Alvar Ellegard, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Christianity, Culture & Ethics, Ebenezer Scrooge, evolutionary processes, Faith & Science, Higher Criticism, logic, nature, nihilism, Origin of Species, philosophy, poetry, Robert Ryan, Samuel Butler, spirituality, Thomas Malthus, Victorian England, William Wordsworth
Paradoxically, Wordsworth's theology may have formed a more effective counterforce to Darwin's ideas than Biblical orthodoxy itself. Source
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Jesus is Our Lord, Not Our Mascot.

Apologetics, Christianity, Cross, Jesus, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Melissa Dougherty, postmodernism, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Melissa Dougherty​ Some churches and people make Jesus a mascot. I’m sure a few people reading this might be scratching their heads, wondering what I mean by this. Others know exactly what I mean. Here in America, sometimes I think we take for granted that we don’t have to “hurt” to follow Jesus. What I mean by that is that we avoid any sort of struggle to obtain most of our Christian virtues. In other words, we’re too comfortable. We own a Bible and go to church and don’t get tortured for it. We praise God in our cars, listening to worship music with the windows down without fear of being imprisoned. Yes, I think we take this for granted. We make Jesus a symbol of our good decisions…
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