Here’s an interview with Dr. William Lane Craig in which he answers basic questions about the importance of Christian apologetics, the resurrection of Jesus, the problem of evil, and the lack of atheistic explanatory models. He also gives some practical advice for those interested in apologetics.
Enjoy!
Cave of the Patriarchs, Hebron, Israel
“Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people. His sons Isaac and Ishmael buried him in the cave of Machpelah near Mamre, in the field of Ephron son of Zohar the Hittite, the field Abraham had bought from the Hittites. There Abraham was buried with his wife Sarah.”
Genesis 25:8-10, NIV
There are so many strange names and places in the Bible it’s easy to just keep reading without digging into the details. But the details contain evidence for the historicity of the Scriptures, even if we don’t appreciate them. Just because we’re dealing with “long ago and far away” doesn’t mean we’re reading fairy tales.
For all their pratfalls and controversies, archaeology and history have a lot to offer in terms of making sense of obscure names and places. Take the “cave of Machpelah near Mamre” in Genesis 25 for instance. It turns out that this cave is a well-known place, also known as the “Cave of the Patriarchs.” The cave is memorialized in Judaism underneath the only fully surviving Herodian structure from the first century. According to the biblical accounts in Genesis, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah—the Patriarchs and Matriarchs of the Jewish people—were all buried in this cave. We are also told in Genesis 23 that Abraham paid Ephron the Hittite 400 Shekels of silver for the cave, the field, and all the trees in the field. Pretty detailed information. Continue reading
Pietà by Michelangelo, 1499
Who is Jesus? Wow, talk about a profoundly important question!
There are a lot more people who “believe in Jesus” than there are those who know what Jesus actually claimed about himself. Many think he was a great moral teacher, a prophet, or a wise Rabbi. Some think a legend, a myth, or a contrivance. Still others that he was one of many gods, or one of many roads to God. That Jesus straightforwardly and clearly attacked these notions is of little consequence to those who will not invest the time to read the Gospels and weigh the evidence for his claims.
Jesus had to fulfill hundreds of Old Testament prophecies written centuries before he appeared on earth, and live within the Mosaic law of the Torah. He had to submit to the cruelest punishment mankind could dish out, and to top it all off he had to rise from the dead. No small feat. When you think about it, he had to color between some extremely tight lines. Lee Strobel calls this framework the “unmistakable fingerprint of the Christ.” Only Jesus was man enough for the job—that was the whole point. Continue reading
Felix Barthe (1796-1863), Minister of Justice and Deputy by Honore Daumier, 1833
Some people will not allow themselves to be convinced by evidence. I touched upon this topic recently in a post entitled Judge for Yourself, that illustrates the need to explore the standard of proof we each demand, the need to check our biases, and our ability to weigh evidence.
Lee Strobel took the approach that he was willing to follow the evidence for a Creator whether it led him to an uncomfortable conclusion or not. Unfortunately, many atheists lack this kind of integrity.
Ironically, there are scientists who investigate the facts behind the Big Bang, the DNA molecule, the fine tuning of the universe, cellular machines, and many other physical phenomena and draw the conclusion that the data clearly indicates intelligent design. Yet some of them can’t call the designer ‘God’. Really?
However…before we throw any rocks at scientists for not having the integrity to counter their professional biases, shouldn’t we revisit our own biases—professional and otherwise?
As Ken Petzinger points out, how we approach theism determines a lot about our lives, and how we interact with the world. Here’s a thought-provoking, on-topic article entitled Unreasonable Doubt, that Mary Petzinger wanted to share. The article (by Jim Spiegel writing in Christianity Today, January 2011) calls intractable skepticism into the light of day. The byline reads “The reasons for unbelief are more complex than many atheists let on.” To read the article, click here.
Enjoy!
HT: Mary Petzinger
Believe it or not, formal debates on the existence of God regularly turn out thousands of ticket-buying intellectuals to hear atheists and theists go at it. Although it may seem silly to give out medals for something every kindergartener should know, there is much to appreciate in well-turned arguments that support the affirmative.
Setting personal style biases aside, how do the best theists make their case for the existence of God? For a sampling of how heady this question can get, check out William Lane Craig, Research Professor of Philosophy at Talbot School of Theology. Sam Harris, one of today’s most prominent atheists, recently described Dr. Craig as “the one Christian apologist who seems to have put the fear of God into many of my fellow atheists.” Continue reading
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Veracity 