The Good-O-Meter

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.

 - Ephesians 2:8-9 -

He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us so richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

 - Titus 3:5-7 -

The Facts of the Resurrection

Earlier this month I made a post drawing your attention to the Essay Series taking place at Apologetics 315.

All of the essays have been a pleasure to read and the series will continue until the end of the month. If you have missed the series make sure you check it out. Brian has made audio recordings of all the essays and will be placing all of the essays in a ebook which can be downloaded at the end of the month. Sure to be a great resource!

My essay entitled The Facts of the Resurrection was posted today. Check it out and feel free to leave comments.

Many thanks to Brian for allowing me to participate in the series.

Book Review: The Case for Life

Quick Facts:

Title: The Case for Life: Equipping Christians to Engage the Culture
Author: Scott Klusendorf
Publisher/Year: Crossway, 2009
Pages: 254

Review:

The Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf is an absolutely outstanding defense of the pro-life position with regard to the abortion debate. Being familiar with Scott's work through Stand to Reason I was looking forward to this book with much anticipation. Scott is one of the most able, articulate, persuasive, and winsome pro-life speakers in the country and his book does not fail to deliver. Scott lays out his thesis in the introduction:

My own thesis is that a biblically informed pro-life view explains human equality, human rights, and moral obligations better than its secular rivals and that rank-and-file pro-life Christians can make an immediate impact provided they're equipped to engage the culture with a robust but graciously communicated case for life.1

An Evolutionary Explanation for Morality

It seems as though college students want to be lectured more about morality these days. At least that's the impression we get at one community college in south Orange County. In addition to the February 26th McDowell-Corbett debate (organized by Apologetic Junkie) on the question “Is God the Best Explanation for Moral Values?” there was another moral-themed academic event on the Saddleback College campus on the same night, on the same topic, and in the same room that we used for the overflow crowd just a few hours later. World renowned evolutionary biologist Francisco Ayala was a guest lecturer in a lecture series sponsored by the biology and chemistry departments in a talk entitled “Biological Foundations of Morality”.

Ayala’s argument is that morality comes from both biological and cultural evolution which he develops through two main contentions: 1) The human propensity for a “capacity for ethics” (ability to perceive moral actions as good or evil) is a result of biological evolution, and 2) the development of “moral norms” (socially acceptable conduct) comes about through cultural evolution.

Can Bias Make You Open-minded?

(Stand to Reason) by Greg Koukl

Philosopher J.P. Moreland points out that conservative Christian scholars have a point of view, like everyone else. The Christian's bias, though, doesn't inform his conclusions the same way biases inform the conclusions of the Jesus Seminar and liberal theologians.

Because people like Robert Funk start with the "scientific" view that there can be no miracles in principle, their bias arbitrarily eliminates options before the game even gets started. Before they consider the evidence for miracles, it’s thrown out. Funk must conclude the Gospels have been tampered with because his presupposition demands it. He can't consider any evidence for a resurrection because he's rejected from the outset the possibility of miracles.

A conservative Christian is not so encumbered. Yes, he has a bias, but his bias informs the process in a different way than a theological liberal’s bias does. He believes in the laws of nature, but is also open to the possibility of God's intervention. Both are consistent with his worldview. This means he can be faithful to all the evidence, unhindered by a metaphysical view that automatically eliminates supernatural options before even viewing the evidence.

The bias of the Christian broadens his categories, making him more open-minded. The believer has a greater chance of discovering truth, because he can follow the evidence wherever it leads. The bias of the Jesus Seminar, on the other hand, makes it close-minded and dogmatic.

Can bias make you open-minded? Under the right set of circumstances, absolutely.

Is There Any Historical Evidence for the Resurrection of Jesus?

Jonathan Morrow at thinkChristianly.org recently addressed this issue:

Yesterday, I had the great privilege and joy of preaching our Easter service at Fellowship Bible Church. My topic: The Resurrection: Fact or Fiction?

What is the difference between believing in Jesus and the Easter Bunny? That may seem like a silly question...but what would you say?

Full MP3 Audio here.

Make sure you check out Jonathan's website here and his book here.

Happy Resurrection Day!

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

"The angel said to the women, 'Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead.'" - Matthew 28:5-7

Read This: 50 Reasons Jesus Had to Die

Looking for Resources on the Resurrection? Check out these sites:

Apologetics 315

Apologetic Junkie

Bringing Back the Tao

Truthbomb Apologetics

Wintery Knight

Good Friday - Remembering What Christ Did For Us

Is Christianity True? Essay Series at Apologetics 315

Brian Auten of Apologetics 315 has brought Christian bloggers together from across the web and compiled a series of essays to be featured throughout the month of April on the topic "Is Christianity True?":

For every weekday in April 2010, Apologetics 315 will feature an essay contributed by a Christian apologetics blogger in response to the question: Why is Christianity True? The goal of this project is a simple one: to share the reasons that we have found compelling to believe that Christianity is true. This is not intended to prove the Christian worldview beyond all doubt or to counter every objection of those who zealously reject God. Rather, it is intended as a starting point for those sincerely looking for truth – for those wondering if there are good reasons to believe. 

(MP3 audio here)

All 23 essays have also been recorded as MP3 audio files to be released along with their respective text version. These audio files can be downloaded through each day’s blog post, or through the “Is Christianity True?” podcast feed here or in iTunes. At the end of the month, readers may download an ebook version of the essay collection.

Read Brian's full introduction here.

I have been privileged with the opportunity to contribute an essay of my own which will be featured on April 15. Check out the list of contributors here.

The line-up looks great and I am looking forward to reading each essay. Make sure you check out Apologetics 315 for a great new essay each weekday.