Faith and Knowledge

Abusing Scripture:  The Consequences of Misreading the Bible [Paperback] Manfred Brauch   (Author) Publisher:  IVP Academic (March 17, 2009) ISBN-10:  0830825797 ISBN-13:  978-0830825790 This is one of the best books on the topic of Biblical Misrepresentation I have read. Braunch has a definite way of putting into clear context sections of scripture that have for years been pulled out of context and form fitted to someones doctrinal idea of a "truth". Many times preachers will unknowingly pull a sentence or two out as a sermon illustration or as a topic starter thinking there is no harm in this, but what happens when we begin adding to The Word ends up belittling the truth of scripture. Its not our job to make scripture fit our sermon or our notes, but rather our duty to make sure our sermons and notes fit the truth of Scripture. After Reading this book I have to agree with the very appropriate and concise review given by George P. Wood t ...

God and Evil: The Case for God in a World Filled with Pain  Chad Meister (Editor), James K. Dew Jr. (Editor) Publisher:  IVP Books (January 15, 2013) Language:  English ISBN-10:  0830837841 ISBN-13:  978-0830837847 This book is a very good resource for an individual looking into this topic either for the first time or are relatively new to the argument. I am impressed with the large number of essays covering a vast number of topics, its great to see so many different individuals contributed to this book thereby attempting to reduce bias. While the majority of the contributors are Evangelical Christians, the number of scholars and theologians compiled in one volume are generally not available outside of a costly text book. I am always hesitant to promote any one book, but rather I recommend gathering a number of books on the same topic, so as to be able to get a wide range perspectives, however this book does a good job of making those perspecti...

Feeding America One family at a time http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kvG6qg8j54A&feature=share&list=UUsroi4rRBMwrs9CIpJP4jiw&index=2

This word Postmodernism has had a great many definitions attached to it, from the ideas of architecture, literature, music, art and philosophical thought. Many have taken the term to attempt to describe themselves in a pious and intellectual “I’m smarter than you, so deal with it” mentality.  C. Boundas defines Postmodernism as “a particular set of philosophical, intellectual or epistemological allegiances, positions and strategies, or, most generally of all, as a periodising concept akin to ‘postmodernity’.” [1] This still really doesn’t tell us what it means. Breaking it down we see two basic words, “Post” and “Modernism”. To truly understand what a Postmodernistic perspective on the 20th century looks like we really need to have a grasp on what Modernism itself is, then we can move to the “Post” portion of the era.  Going back prior to the Postmodernism movement we see Modernism which is a name given to the movement that dominated the arts and culture of the first half of...

It's the end of the world as we know it.... Michael Stipe was a bit ahead of his time with the '80's hit.... Six o'clock - TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign towers. Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn. Locking in, uniforming, book burning, blood letting. Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate. Light a candle, light a votive. Step down, step down. Watch your heel crush, crushed. Uh-oh, this means no fear cavalier. Renegade steer clear! A tournament, a tournament, a tournament of lies. Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline. It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it. It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine. So the end didn't come like the billboards said it would, I can't say I'm not surprised. And I know what some are saying, see there goes those crazy Christians again. I think that even in many of the staunch atheist circles, this is rec...

So what's the deal here, I mean we see all this press about the New Atheists, which I have to say is a bit of a misnomer, considering most of what they are spewing are old rehashed or outdated arguments.  Take Hitchens book Portable Atheist, it's a mashup of clips from men of old that spout the antiquated musings of premodern England. Now there are a few that have a bit more current statements but still nothing that really changes the course if you will. Dawkins book God Delusion really was nothing more than sophomoric belly aching, and whining that even most right minded Atheists said wasn't worth the paper it was printed on. Stenger while a bit more scientific in his approach still lands himself in s bit of science fiction with his view on   "life force" referring to ESP and chi (not chai) along with psychics (listen I can't make this stuff up, read for yourself in God: The Failed Hypothesis- pg 85) keep in mind all these guys endorsed his book too....  I ...

I'm reading A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, again, and my mind is being blown away by the Biblical/Scientific idea of relativity. Einstein’s theory of general relativity gives us an interesting perspective of space-time and what is called geodesic, basically the view of the earth is curved and if we were to view an airplane in the sky, while it looks like (from the perspective of the earth) that the plane is flying in a straight path it is actually  flying in a geodesic curve following the earth. Hence the reason that it may appear to fly over the curve of a far off mountain, while in the plane one still feels the sensation of straight line flight, but the farther from the earth you move the more evident the geodesic curve becomes. Light rays follow the Geodesics in space-time. Meaning that as gravity diverts or bends the rays of light when they pass by the sun it may appear that ray is moving in a straight  three dimensional line when really it is following...