Did God create the universe?
The scriptural teaching on the origin of the universe is found in Genesis 1:1, which states that in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Steven Hawking attempts to circumvent this truth (or, at the very least, render a Creator logically superfluous to the issue of the beginning of the universe). However, his…
What is Christian apologetics?
The English word “apology” comes from a Greek word which basically means “to give a defense.” Christian apologetics, then, is the science of giving a defense of the Christian faith. There are many skeptics who doubt the existence of God and/or attack belief in the God of the Bible. There are many critics who attack…
What is the argument from disbelief?
The argument from disbelief is that the presence of sincere non-believers proves God cannot exist. It suggests there are many people willing to believe in God, if only they were given sufficient evidence. The fact that these people have not been given proper evidence is seen as proof that there is no loving God to…
What is Pascal’s Wager?
Pascal’s Wager is named after 17th-century French philosopher and mathematician Blaise Pascal. One of Pascal’s most famous works was the Pensées (“Thoughts”), which was published posthumously in 1670. It is in this work that we find what is known as Pascal’s Wager. The gist of the Wager is that, according to Pascal, one cannot come…
Are the Ten Commandments taken from the forty-two precepts of Ma’at?
The forty-two precepts of Ma’at are a list of principles named after an ancient Egyptian goddess of truth, justice, and order. The precepts of Ma’at are found in inscriptions in tombs and on some papyrus records. Some critics of the Bible claim that the Ten Commandments were not original with Moses (or with Moses’ God)…
Was Yahweh originally a Edomite or Canaanite god?
The idea that Yahweh started out as an Edomite, Midianite, or Canaanite deity is a modern myth promoted by secular scholars. The starting point for these theorists is an anti-scholarly bias against the possibility that God is who the Bible says He is, namely, the one-and-only Creator, Author of life, Judge, and Savior of the…
What are a priori, a posteriori, and a fortiori arguments?
In philosophy, knowledge is classified by whether it flows from universal, logical principles or is dependent on specific experiences and evidence. The difference between these, in broad strokes, draws the line between a priori and a posteriori knowledge. When a statement can be evaluated entirely via logic or universal truths, it is an a priori…
What are some examples of circular reasoning in issues that Christians debate?
Simply put, circular reasoning is an attempt to support a statement or claim by repeating it in different or stronger terms. Circular reasoning is false logic, and it shows up in many fields where assumptions and presuppositions are made. A classic example is the evolutionist’s dating of fossils according to the rock strata they are…
Does Egyptology confirm or deny the biblical record?
From the outset we must caution that using any science, including Egyptology, to “confirm” or “deny” the biblical record can be dangerous. If the current state of any given science seems to confirm the record, and we celebrate it, then how are we to respond when the current consensus of that science swings the other…
Were there camels in the Middle East during Bible times?
Old Testament books connect camels with figures such as Abraham (Genesis 12:16), Jacob (Genesis 31:17), and Job (Job 1:3). Critics sometimes claim these references prove those texts were written long after their supposed events. The skeptic claims camels were not domesticated until well after the times of the patriarchs. This is presumed to mean that…