December 25, 2012

Peace

By John Paine

The Veracity blog is all about sharing, so for Christmas I’d like to share a gift that we all need so desperately—peace.

The Death of Jumbo by Sue Coe, 2007

The Death of Jumbo by Sue Coe, 2007

This year there’s no shortage of personal train wrecks and tragedies among my family and friends.  Through death, sickness, the collapse of relationships, or just the passage of time, many of them are dealing with insidious loneliness. And everyone has troubles. Yogi Berra was right, “The future ain’t what it used to be.” They’re all carrying on, but they all need peace. Just like you and me.

Peace isn’t linked to our circumstances—although a lot of misery certainly can be.  Some of the most peace-filled people I know have pretty difficult worldly circumstances.  But peace runs deeper than our circumstances.  Much deeper. Continue reading

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December 23, 2012

Have a Merry Mithras!?

By Clarke Morledge
Roman bas relief from 2nd or 3rd century depicting Mithras, a central figure of the "Mystery Religions" of the early Christian era, killing a bull.

Roman bas relief from 2nd or 3rd century depicting Mithras, one of the gods of the “Mystery Religions” of the early Christian era, killing a bull.

Who was born on December 25th? Born of a virgin in a stable with shepherds present? Who had twelve disciples? Who was killed and buried in a tomb, and then rose up three days later after his death? Students of the Bible might think the answer is obvious. Not so, according to a popular movement known as “mythicism”. For the “mythicists” this original ancient figure is Mithras, a Persian god. Christianity is really just a copycat faith of Mithraism. Should we be wishing one another a “Merry Mithras” instead during the Christmas season?
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7 Comments   |  tags: , , , , | posted in Apologetics

December 17, 2012

Who Created God?

By John Paine

Who created God?  Good question. Atheists fall on their backside thinking this one through.  It’s all in how deeply we can think—specifically being able to think outside the box of our own worldly experiences.  Here…if you’re still wondering, I’ll save you a headache the next time someone asks you—God is transcendent.

Here’s a short video by Oxford mathematician and Christian apologist John Lennox that shows why you might not want to mess with someone who’s wise—particularly when he is wearing a grin.

John Lennox is a delightful, gentlemanly, brilliant and crafty defender of the faith.  He gives atheists fits with his use of logic and his calm, unflappable, charitable demeanor.   In 1962 he attended the last lectures of C.S. Lewis, to whom he is now sometimes compared.  Dr. Lennox can hold his own, and give as good as he gets. Continue reading

10 Comments   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Apologetics

December 15, 2012

It’s the End of the World?

By Clarke Morledge
Descendants of the Mayan people were first evangelized by Spanish missionaries in the 16th century. Once a great civilization prior to the arrival of the Spanish, the collapse of the Maya remains an enigma to anthropologists.... which partly explains the fanciful theorizing regarding the Mayan calendar among New Age movement enthusiasts.

Once a great civilization centuries before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century, the collapse of the Maya remains an enigma to anthropologists. The “Mayan mystery” partly explains the contemporary fascination with and speculation about their ancient calendar system.

Head for the hills, folks! THE END IS NEAR! The Georgia rock band, R.E.M., wrote “It’s the End of the World as We Know it (And I Feel Fine)” in 1988. Whenever I hear threats of impending apocalypse, I always hum that song. But seriously, should a Christian be concerned when we hear doomsday talk?

At the time of this blog posting, the fascination has been with the end of the Mayan calendar on December 21, 2012. Much has been made of potential cataclysm on this date, but the fact is that it really is not a big deal. On that date, the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar will need to flip over to the next b’ak’tun, according to Mayan mythology. Anthropologists who study Mayan culture contend that linking the idea of universal catastrophe with the end of the Mesoamerican Long Count calendar is simply speculation, having absolutely zero correspondence to historical Mayan thought. However, this does not dissuade popular New Age theorists from “cashing-in” on all of the fuss.
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December 11, 2012

Your Move

By John Paine

Chess

How are you doing with your decision-making?

I have a long daily commute, with lots of time to fill running the Interstates of eastern Virginia.  Four months ago Veracity’s bass player, Clarke Morledge, got me into podcatching, and life hasn’t been the same since.  It’s definitely getting to me—there have been several times lately when I’ve been happy to be stuck in traffic.  Really.  I plug my iPhone into the car stereo and dive into a world of wonder, mentally shielded from the wacky races occurring all around me.  On-demand theology, philosophy, apologetics, interviews, sermons, and some of the world’s finest teaching.

If you need a how-to primer, check out our previous post on Podcasts & Podcatching, and give your spiritual life a real booster shot.  Try it, really.  If you want some great sources of Podcasts, check out Veracity’s Top 10 Scorers.

So What’s the Point of This Post?

OK, now that we have the mechanics out of the way, let’s get to the content.  One of my favorite (free) podcast subscriptions is Andy Stanley’s Your Move. Continue reading

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