Christians often disagree regarding matters of personal holiness. Those defending themselves against the charge of sin for some X will often respond by saying, “It’s not that bad.” Of course, to say something is “not that bad” is tantamount to saying it’s “not that good” either. In such cases, we should be honest with ourselves and others and just admit that X is not spiritually advantageous for us, even if it is morally tolerable. Would we be better off if we abstained? Perhaps. Are we sinning if we don’t? No.
December 5, 2013
December 4, 2013
I was thinking the other day how I could be a better conversation partner, and show myself more friendly to others. I began to think about the kinds of things I find annoying when talking to others: failure to make eye contact, interrupting, dominating the conversation, changing the topic, etc. Then, I thought of another faux pas that I’m sure most of us are guilty of. Not only have I observed it so often in others, but I find myself doing it as well, either due to nervousness (particularly when meeting someone new), my desire to demonstrate our commonalities, or in some cases, just pure selfishness. To what do I refer?
When in conversation with someone, we have the tendency to relate our own experience when it is similar to something the other person is talking about. The worst thing to do is relate your story while the person is in the midst of telling their own! But it may be good to withhold your story, even if they have finished theirs. I don’t know about you, but if, when I finish telling my story to someone, they immediately begin talking about themselves, I get the feeling that they are more interested in their own story than mine. It almost feels like you have two people competing against one another to share their personal story, each talking past the other. If we want to be a better conversation partner, and show ourselves more friendly while in conversation, instead of telling our story, how about we seek to know more about their story? Show them you are listening and you care by asking them to share more. Not only is this flattering to your conversation partner, but it expresses our genuine interest in them as a person. Rather than using their story as an opportunity to talk about ourselves, we use it as an opportunity to get to know them better. We’ll have plenty of opportunities to share our own experience in the future.
November 28, 2013
Arrogance is not descriptive of what you believe, or even the confidence with which you believe it, but rather how you believe it. Arrogance is an attitude one has about their beliefs; an unwarranted display of superiority over others who do not think as you do. It is a feature of one’s character and behavior, not one’s beliefs.
November 25, 2013
Gender is not a social construction
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Homosexuality, Political Incorrectness[12] Comments
We hear more and more about gender identity confusion these days. Gender identity confusion is when a person thinks s/he is the gender opposite of their biology: a man who believes he is a female trapped in a man’s body, or a woman who believes she is a male trapped in a woman’s body. Rather than considering this as a mental disorder in need treatment, however, today’s proffered solution is to perform a sex-change operation so that one’s body will match their perceived gender. I am persuaded that this solution to the problem is wrong-headed.
November 20, 2013
Future meme change: Gay is a choice
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Homosexuality[4] Comments
The cultural acceptance of homosexuality as morally benign or morally good has happened at an alarming speed. While there is a complex of reasons for the shift, one of the most influential is the meme that being gay is not a choice. Admittedly, for most people who engage in homosex, this is true. Their same-sex attractions are not chosen. They come naturally to them, just as opposite-sex attractions come to naturally to a heterosexual. What is chosen is whether or not the person who experiences same-sex attraction acts on those desires to actually engage in homosex.
The “gay is not a choice” meme has been so important for the acceptance of gay rights that when Sex in the City star, Cynthia Nixon, stated publicly that she simply chooses to be in a lesbian relationship, the gay community was in an uproar. They feared that her comments would negatively affect their fight for civil rights.
November 18, 2013
“That’s not science!” Translation: “That’s not naturalism!”
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Atheistic objections, Cosmological Argument, Intelligent Design, Naturalism, Science, Theism, Theistic Arguments[22] Comments
Many believe science has disproven God. This is not possible, even in principle.[1] The truth of the matter is that advances in science are providing more reasons to believe in God, not less. While scientific discoveries cannot prove God’s existence, they can be used to support premises in arguments that have theistic conclusions/implications. For example, science has discovered that the universe began to exist. Anything that begins to exist requires an external cause. Since the universe encompasses all physical reality, the cause of the universe must transcend physical reality. It cannot be a prior physical event or some natural law, because there was nothing physical prior to the first physical event, and natural laws only come into being once the natural world comes into being. Whatever caused the universe to come into being must be transcendent, powerful, immaterial, spaceless, eternal, and personal, which is an apt description of God.
November 14, 2013
Who believes in God, and who doesn’t?: Statistics
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Atheism, Statistics, Theism[11] Comments
Over at Uncommon Descent, vjtorley reports on a recent survey of 996 adults conducted between October 17-18, 2013 regarding American religious beliefs. Some of the more notable findings include:
- 3 out of 4 adults believe in God: 76% believe in God, 14% don’t believe in God, and 10% are not sure.
- Young adults aged 18-29 are the least likely to believe in God. Only 63% believe in God. A full 25% don’t believe in God, and 12% are not sure, for a total of 37% God doubters/deniers. That’s 2 out of 5! Compare this to other age groups:
- 30-44 = 14% atheist
- 45-64 = 9% atheist
- 65+ = 6% atheist
November 9, 2013
Hawaii set to approve same-sex marriage
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Politics, Same-sex Marriage[7] Comments
Earlier this week, Hawaii’s senate passed a same-sex marriage bill. Yesterday, the House approved a similar bill. It needs to go back to the senate for reconciliation, and then on to the governor for signature (who will sign it). This will make Hawaii the 15th state (not including D.C.) to approve same-sex marriage. Same-sex marriages will begin in Hawaii on December 2, 2013.
11/14/13 update: Governor Neil Abercrombie signed the bill into law on Wednesday, November 13, 2013.
November 8, 2013
Forced to violate your conscience
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Political Incorrectness, Politics, Same-sex Marriage[9] Comments
In recent days, I’ve reported on a florist who was sued for not providing flowers for a same-sex wedding, a baker who was sued for not providing a cake for a same-sex wedding, and a wedding photographer who lost a case in New Mexico’s Supreme Court because she would not photograph a same-sex wedding. Many who support same-sex marriage applaud this phenomena, reasoning that people should not be allowed to discriminate against same-sex couples. But what about personal liberty? What about the liberty to follow one’s conscience in these matters? Why is it ok to require people to violate their conscience, or lose their livelihood?
Can you imagine the outcry if a homosexual printer was forced by the government to either print anti-homosexual propaganda, or get out of the printing industry? What if a homosexual filmmaker was sued for refusing to direct a film arguing that homosexuality was immoral or harmful, and forced to either direct the film or find a new line of work? What if a screenplay writer who was also an anti-gun activist was forced to write a script for a movie promoting the use of firearms? Would this be acceptable? No! No one should be forced by the government to lend their services to projects or events they believe to be immoral, and which run contrary to their conscience. Yet this is exactly what the government is requiring of its citizens when it comes to same-sex marriage, and many same-sex marriage advocates are applauding this. If you support people being forced by law to violate their conscience, don’t be surprised if one day the government forces you to violate your conscience as well. It’s ironic that those who argue for more liberty in the case of same-sex marriage are willing to take liberties away from those who disagree.
November 6, 2013
Same-sex Marriage is Coming to Illinois
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Politics, Same-sex Marriage1 Comment
In 2011 Illinois created civil unions. Now, just two years later they are on the cusp of creating same-sex marriage.
The IL Senate had approved a bill in February to allow same-sex marriage, and now yesterday, the IL House approved the bill with minor changes. It’s been sent back to the Senate for reconciliation, and will be signed by the governor. Illinois will be the 15th state (not including D.C.) to approve same-sex marriage, beginning June 1, 2014.
UPDATE: Governor Pat Quinn signed the bill into law on November 20, 2013.
November 4, 2013
Science defies common sense?
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Epistemology, Logic, Philosophy, ScienceLeave a Comment
I’ve heard science types like Lawrence Krauss claim that science has shown us over and over again that we can’t trust our common sense, and by extension, philosophical reasoning. One of the go-to illustrations is our solar system. It’s said that common sense tells us the sun revolves around the Earth, and yet Copernicus, through science, showed common sense was unreliable as a guide to truth. Only science can tell us what is true.
I think this is a misconstrual of the issue. Daniel N. Robinson said it best: “What Copernicus said was not hostile to common sense but was inconsistent with common experience.”[1] Indeed. While science has discovered physical phenomenon which is weird, to say the least, it does not defy common sense, but our common experience. Rationality is not at odds with science, and cannot be disproven by science. Indeed, the task of science presupposes rationality from start to finish.
[1]Daniel N. Robinson, “Neuroscience and the Soul,” Philosophia Christi, Vol. 15, Number 1, 2013, 17.
November 4, 2013
The Heritage Foundation did a study that discovered children raised in a home with married parents are 82% less likely to face poverty. Only 7% of children living in homes that fall below the poverty line were living with married parents. – Salvo Magazine, Issue 23, Winter 2012, p. 20.
If we truly want to fight poverty, then let’s promote marriage!
October 31, 2013
Pro-lifers put their time and money where their mouth is
Posted by Jason Dulle under Abortion, BioethicsLeave a Comment
According to The New York Times, there are 2500 crisis pregnancy centers in the United States versus 1800 abortion clinics. For those who think that pro-lifers aren’t doing anything to help women with their babies, think again.
October 30, 2013
Quote of the Day: Aberrant feminism
Posted by Jason Dulle under Odds & Ends, Political Incorrectness, Quote of the DayLeave a Comment
“Although feminism purports to raise the value and status of women, it actually deconstructs femininity, treating it as an illusion or even an aberration. The male chauvinist of the past identified women as unique and different, but then treated femininity as a lesser thing than masculinity. The feminist of today, rather than celebrating femininity as a thing of equal worth, dismisses it as a bourgeois construction. Far from championing femininity as a beautiful, God-created gift, the feminist absorbs femininity into a hyper-masculine world of competition, struggle, and ideology.” – Louis Markos, “Just Brilliant!: Three Things only a PhD Can Believe,” Salvo, Issue 24, Spring 2013, page 16.
October 28, 2013
Gay men who oppose same-sex marriage
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Same-sex Marriage[48] Comments
I have written in the past of gay men who opposed same-sex marriage (for various reasons). While it’s old news at this point, I ran across a couple of more recently. Rupert Everett, a gay British actor, told The Sunday Times magazine he opposed same-sex marriage (and all marriage for that matter) and same-sex parenting because children need mothers and fathers.
At about the same time, Doug Mainwaring, also a gay man, published an opinion article in The Washington Post:
October 25, 2013
Same-sex marriage is foisted on New Jersey by the judiciary
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Politics, Same-sex Marriage[8] Comments
In 2006, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that the NJ legislature must give same-sex couples all of the same rights and benefits as opposite-sex couples, but did not demand that the state amend its marriage laws. The legislature responded by creating civil unions that had identical benefits to marriage.
Fast forward seven years, and Judge Mary C. Jacobson of the State Superior Court ruled on September 27, 2013 that this is not enough – the state must call same-sex unions marriage as well starting Monday, October 21, 2013. Governor Christie vowed to appeal the decision to the NJ Supreme Court, but when that court refused to block the law while Christie challenged it, and made it clear that they would not rule in his favor, he decided to withdraw his appeal, meaning NJ is now the 14th state to offer same-sex marriage.
October 24, 2013
Quote of the day: We must make moral judgments
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Quote of the Day, Relativism[2] Comments
“The person who can’t or won’t discern good from evil is destined to be a victim of those who are adept at disguising one as the other. Thus, abstaining from moral judgments is not a hallmark of nice people, but of foolish ones. And the person who makes judgments while insisting that he doesn’t or shouldn’t is naïve, if not hypocritical.” – Regis Nicoll, “Speak No Evil,” Salvo, Issue 25, Summer 2013, p. 14.
October 24, 2013
Is it rational to believe in something without verifiable, empirical evidence?
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Epistemology, Philosophy, Resurrection, Science, Theology[16] Comments
Those who subscribe to empiricism believe that we should not believe the truth of some X based on a competent authority. We are only justified in believing some X if we have empirically verifiable evidence supporting the truth of X. It goes without notice that this principle itself is not empirically verifiable, and thus empiricism is self-refuting as a complete theory of knowledge. But let’s ignore the man behind the curtain for a moment, and explore other deficiencies in an empirical epistemology.
In his book, A Universe from Nothing, physicist and empiricist Lawrence Krauss describes the state of the cosmos in the distant future. Due to cosmic expansion, in two trillion years all of the evidence for the Big Bang (cosmic microwave background, redshift of distant objects/the Hubble expansion, and the measurement of light elements in the cosmos), and all 400 billion galaxies visible to us now, will no longer be detectable via empirical methods. Worse yet, all of the evidence for the dark energy that caused the cosmic expansion will be gone as well. For scientists living in that day, all of the empirical evidence will point to a static universe inhabited by a single galaxy that is no more than a trillion years old (based on the ratio of light elements at the time).
October 23, 2013
What I’ve Been Reading: A Universe from Nothing
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Atheism, Book Reviews, Cosmological Argument, Naturalism, Science, Theistic Arguments[11] Comments
Last year theoretical physicist and atheist, Lawrence Krauss, wrote a book titled A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather than Nothing. As the title suggests, Krauss wrote the book to answer the age-old question of why there is something rather than nothing. The book was heralded by many atheists as the definitive answer to theists who claim God is necessary to explain the existence of physical reality. Indeed, in the afterward Richard Dawkins claimed that Krauss’ book devastates theistic arguments based on cosmology just as Darwin’s On the Origin of Species devastated theistic arguments based on design in biology. Other reviewers, however – including scientists, philosophers, and theologians – beg to differ. Having read the book myself (not just once, but two times now), I can see why they were less than impressed with Krauss’ argument.
While my overall assessment of Krauss’ argument is not positive, truth be told, most of the book was quite enjoyable and informative. That’s because the first 2/3 of the book is a lesson on the historical development of modern cosmology. Krauss doesn’t make his case for why there is something rather than nothing until the last four chapters. Unfortunately, that’s where the book falls apart.
October 17, 2013
If you think hell is unjust…then empty the prisons
Posted by Jason Dulle under Apologetics, Hell, Tactics, Theology[32] Comments
Nobody likes the idea of hell – even believers – but many unbelievers simply loathe the concept. They think punishing sinners in hell is not befitting of a supposedly loving God, and appeal to the doctrine as evidence against the truth of Christianity. Is hell truly a stain on God’s character? I don’t think so, and when the skeptic examines his own beliefs about justice a bit more carefully, I think he’ll come to agree that hell is not the egregious concept he claims it is. Here’s a tactical way to get your skeptical friend to see this point.
Thinking to Believe 