Is it Unbiblical to Argue for God?

Apologetics, Argue for God, Christian Apologetics, Christianity, Christians, Doug Potter, God, Southern Evangelical Seminary, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
In my earliest days of attempting to do apologetics, I was confronted in the church with the objection that relying on philosophy, particularly arguments for the existence of God, was not only unwise, it was unbiblical. Upon inquiring why, they attempted to persuade by pointing me to the Apostle Paul, who seems to discourage the use of philosophy. In I Corinthians, Paul wrote: And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified…and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest…
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How Should The Church Engage Those With Same-Sex Attraction Or Gender Dysphoria?

Apologetics, Christianity, Christians, Church, Culture CrossExamined, Gender Dysphoria, JesusIsNotFakeNews, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Ryan Leasure, Same-Sex Attraction, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Ryan Leasure How should the church engage those who experience same-sex attraction or gender dysphoria? In response, I want to highlight seven basic principles that the church must embrace. Affirm The Divine Image Genesis 1 is clear that everyone, without qualification, is made in God’s’s image. That is to say; whether someone is attracted to the opposite sex or the same sex, they are equally image-bearers of God. The same goes for individuals who experience gender dysphoria. One’s’s feelings or attractions in no way mitigates against this universal status. As Christians, we should enthusiastically embrace this truth. Nobody — not the government, the church, or anyone else — can bestow a higher status on each person than God already has. Moreover, not only did God create all people in his…
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Can We Know Anything for Sure?

1. Does Truth Exist?, Apologetics, Can we know anything for sure, Christianity, Does truth exist?, Doug Potter, God, Gospel, reason, SES, Southern Evangelical Seminary, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Doug Potter The following is an excerpt for our Why Trust the God of the Bible? Ebook. Many today fail to see the importance of grounding their reasoning process in reality in spite of the fact that whatever is not based on reality is un-reality, in other words, unreal. The slippery slope of subjectivism and relativism is the result of such “reasoning” manufactured in the imaginations of the mind rather than in reality, on Truth. This distinction is especially important for Christians who desire to share their reasonable faith. Sadly, subjectivism has crept its way into the church with the assumption that we do not need to defend our faith with reason; we only need the Bible. Despite the claims of subjectivism and “blind” faith, one of the most fundamental observations…
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How to Build a More Discerning, Less Naïve, and Better Culturally Engaged Church

Biblically-sound articles, Christianity, ChristianMomThoughts, Christians, Church, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Natasha Crain, Politics and Religion, Social media, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Worldview
By Natasha Crain  In my last article, Christian Naivety is Harming the Church’s Engagement with Today’s Culture; I identified four ways that I’ve seen many Christians respond with naivety to calls for discernment in today’s world. At the end, I asked, “How do we fix this?” and said my answer would be the subject of my next article. This is that article. Since this is a follow-up, please be sure to read my last post before this one for context. Let me start by saying that the title of this article is a rather sweeping proposition. Obviously, this is a single article, the issues are complex, and I’m not claiming that what I write here is a complete answer to all the problems we have. But I want to offer what I…
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The Woke-ing Dead and the Futility of Reason

Apologetics, apologetics tips, Christian Apologetics, COVID-19, FreeThinking Ministries, Gospel, Great Commission, Insane Times, reason, The Walking Dead, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Tim Stratton
By Tim Stratton The COVID-19 “quarantine” wasn’t all bad. Sure, no one likes being sentenced to “house arrest,” but I enjoyed spending some extra time with my wife and 17-year-old son (I did not take those moments for granted). The dreaded coronavirus, however, shut down Hollywood, movie theaters, restaurants, and sporting events. Being sequestered at home, my family and I considered other entertainment options. A friend told me about The Walking Dead — a series featuring survivors of a zombie apocalypse fighting to survive amidst a constant threat of attacks from mobs of the undead, colloquially referred to as “walkers.” I went to Netflix and saw nine seasons awaiting our binge-watching pleasure. My wife and I decided to give the first episode a shot, and the next thing you know, we had…
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Why It Is Foolish To Insist There Is No God

Al Serrato, Apologetics, Atheism, atheist, Christianity, Christians, Evidence, Objections to the existence of God, reasons to believe, Skeptics, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics, There is no God
By Al Serrato  “The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God.” If this passage from Psalms is correct, then many people today – including numerous scientists and other well-educated folks – are fools, for they insist that God does not exist. While name-calling is never productive, is there a way in which one might conclude that a person who denies God’s existence is indeed a “fool,” and not merely someone with whom we disagree? Well, let’s begin with a look at the definition of “fool,” which includes “a person who has been tricked or deceived into appearing or acting silly or stupid.” Now, sometimes we trick ourselves and thereby make fools of ourselves. We might insist that a steady diet of fast food isn’t the reason that our…
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Was Jesus a Jerk? A Response to the Friendly Atheist

Apologetics, Christianity, Erik Manning, IsJesusAlive, Jesus, New Testament, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Erik Manning A few weeks ago, CNN Tonight host Don Lemon said: “But here’s the thing, Jesus Christ, if that’s who you believe in Jesus Christ, admittedly was not perfect when he was here on the Earth. So why are we deifying the Founders?” As you can imagine, this caused quite a stir over social media and on the blogs, since the Bible clearly teaches Christ’s sinless perfection. While a few right-wing Christian leaders went a little overboard in their denouncements of Lemon,  “The Friendly Atheist” took it as an opportunity to take some jabs at Jesus.  Hemant Mehta, the author of the blog, writes:  “Let’s talk about what Jesus did. * Jesus once got so angry he flipped over tables and benches. * Jesus cursed a fig tree…
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Don’t Lose the Person When Winning an Argument

Apologetics, apologist, argument, Bellator Christi, Brian Chilton, Christian Apologetics, Christianity, Evangelism, Gospel, Theology and Christian Apologetics, Winning an Argument
By Brian Chilton 1 Peter 3:15 is a classic prooftext for the defender of the faith, otherwise known as the Christian apologist. Peter writes, “But in your hearts regard Christ the Lord as holy, ready at any time to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Pet. 3:15). While this verse is imperative to the modern Christian, we must also remember the next verse where Peter states, “Yet do this with gentleness and reverence, keeping a clear conscience, so that when you are accused, those who disparage your good conduct in Christ will be put to shame” (1 Pet. 3:16). Peter emphasizes how a Christian does apologetics as much as he stresses the need for apologetics. Many times,…
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Battling a Disease More Infectious & Deadly Than COVID-19

Adam Tucker, COVID-19, Cross, Cure, disease, Gospel, Infectious Disease, Jesus, Sin, Southern Evangelical Seminary, Theology and Christian Apologetics
As hundreds of thousands of people battle COVID-19 following thousands of deaths, lockdowns, and much fear, the world eagerly awaits a proven treatment plan to cure this dreaded virus. I’m sure many of you, like me, often pray for wisdom and protection for those on the frontlines battling this invisible foe. But there is another invisible enemy, one more formidable than COVID-19, that has wreaked havoc on millions of lives for centuries. This unseen tyrant takes many forms and can often be hard to detect. We are all susceptible to this disease, and without the proper precautions, anyone can fall victim. Sadly, the aftermath of this nemesis is often very visible, making it seem as though it is much more foreboding than it actually is. No, it’s not another novel…
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Busting One Of Bart Ehrman’s Favorite Bible Contradictions

Apologetics, Bart Ehrman, bible contradictions, Erik Manning, IsJesusAlive, New Testament, theology, Theology and Christian Apologetics
By Erik Manning Skeptics say that the gospels are riddled with contradictions and therefore are not reliable historical sources. And these same skeptics say that some of these contradictions are downright absurd. For example, agnostic NT scholar Bart Ehrman points out one of his favorite Bible contradictions in his book best-selling book, Jesus, Interrupted. One of my favorite apparent discrepancies—I read John for years without realizing how strange this one is—comes in Jesus’ “Farewell Discourse,” the last address that Jesus delivers to his disciples, at his last meal with them, which takes up all of chapters 13 to 17 in the Gospel according to John. In John 13:36, Peter says to Jesus, “Lord, where are you going?” A few verses later Thomas says, “Lord, we do not know where you are going” (John…
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