Michael Jones of InspiringPhilosophy does a series of short responses to objections to Christianity based on the persecution of female philosopher Hypatia.
Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/UjRJMBV8iaU
Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/p5bXo3LZUyQ
Part 3
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/pIK9pBdmAAc
Three videos on the various new models regarding the historical Adam.
Part One: Joshua Swamidass - New Perspectives on the Historical Adam | AAR/SBL
https://youtu.be/P6_0FgEzZq0
Part Two: William Lane Craig - New Perspectives on the Historical Adam | AAR/SBL
https://youtu.be/Hikokw97pTw
Part Three: Andrew Loke - New Perspectives on the Historical Adam | AAR/SBL
https://youtu.be/iL1ESmSOZkg
Michael Jones @InspiringPhilosophy Vs Tyler Vela @TheFreedThinkerPodcast : Divine Hiddenness
The following are a sample of YouTube videos defending the Gospel of John's historical reliability and for being based on eyewitness testimony. For MANY MORE VIDEOS check out the YouTube channels of:
Lydia McGrew
Erik Manning.
Lydia McGrew's YouTube channel has many videos defending the historical reliability and eyewitness basis for all four canonical Gospels. The Same is true for Erik Manning's channel.
William Lane Craig is Cool, but This Take Ain't It
https://youtu.be/vus9kOJMGY4
Ehrman's Worst Argument Against John's Christology
https://youtu.be/jnSCOg-0xJg
For the sake of argument I often will accept Markan Priority when doing apologetics. Even though I'm no longer convinced that Markan Priority is the most likely scenario. The following links to video playlists is by a Mormon who seems to be fairly familiar with the Synoptic Problem/Puzzle. The first video in the playlist arguing for Matthean Priority makes an interesting case for why the evidence suggests GMark (i.e. the Gospel of Mark) was written last among the Synoptics and that it used both GMatt and GLuke as sources. As an Evangelical Christian, I obviously don't endorse the video maker's Mormonism or his case for Mormonism. Nevertheless, his arguments AGAINST Markan Priority, and his case FOR Matthean Priority have some argumentative force.
Deconstructing Markan Priority PLAYLIST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oKSP4G6Nh-I&list=PLGACqQS4ut5hTSML4DYKIl8jeZZOErI9X
Reconstructing Matthean Priority PLAYLIST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6iBtu9FQCw&list=PLGACqQS4ut5i8CVQcNzf4pBIA8hC-AIpN
Who When & Why - the Writing of the Gospels PLAYLIST
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySIIZWu8A6w&list=PLGACqQS4ut5iFeKqqvQPK_dzMnjF7NBhw
Gavin Ortlund is one of my favorite Protestant apologists who defends Protestantism against Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy (etc.). He also enjoys doing general apologetics in defense of the existence of God. Below is his lecture on why the topic of beauty is an aspect of apologetics that needed and under utilized. His channel is located HERE.
Why Apologetics Needs Beauty (And How to Use it Well)
https://youtu.be/UMb1KrYxUeI
On the Capturing Christianity YouTube channel Cameron Bertuzzi interviews William Lane Craig to comment on Bart Ehrman's interview at Alex O'Connor's Youtube Channel. HERE's the link to the original video of Alex O'Connor interviewing Bart Ehrman.
Below is the video where William Lane Craig is interviewed by Cameron Bertuzzi at Capturing Christianity:
William Lane Craig RESPONDS to Bart Ehrman's Wild Comments on @CosmicSkeptic
https://youtu.be/rv7mzTN0xpY
9 Reasons Why Joseph of Arimathea Was a Real Historical Figure
https://capturingchristianity.com/9-reasons-why-joseph-of-arimathea-was-a-real-historical-figure/
The following has some relevance to defending a Traditionalist understanding of death in opposition to Annihilationism/Conditional Immortality. As well as defending a Calvinist understanding of Total Depravity or an Arminian understanding of Total Inability in opposition to Pelagians, Semi-Pelagians, Provisionists et al.
Some Annihilationists often argue that eternal death and eternal life in the Bible refers to quantitative life or death and not qualitative life or death. The following verses seem undermine that claim. These verses seem to teach spiritual death is separation or distance from God while still alive on earth. In which case, hell can be a further separation and distancing of sinners from God in hell/Gehenna.
Matt 8:22 And Jesus said to him, "Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead."
Luke 9:60 And Jesus said to him, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God."
I've always interpreted that to mean, "...leave the [spiritually] dead to [physically] bury their own [physically] dead..." Since it makes little sense for it to mean "leave the [spiritually] dead to [physically] bury their own [spiritually] dead." And it makes NO sense for it to mean "leave the [physically] dead to [physically] bury their own [physically] dead."
1 John 3:14 We know that WE HAVE PASSED OUT OF DEATH INTO LIFE, because we love the brothers. Whoever does not love ABIDES IN DEATH.
John 5:24 Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has PASSED FROM DEATH to life.
Rom. 6:13 Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God AS THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN BROUGHT FROM DEATH TO LIFE, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.
Eph. 5:14 for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, "Awake, O sleeper, and ARISE FROM THE DEAD, and Christ will shine on you."
Luke 15:3 It was fitting to celebrate and be glad, for this YOUR BROTHER WAS DEAD, and is alive; he was lost, and is found.'"
Rom. 7:10 The very commandment that promised life PROVED TO BE DEATH TO ME.
11 For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me AND THROUGH IT KILLED ME.
2 Cor. 2:16 to one a fragrance from DEATH TO DEATH, to the other a fragrance from LIFE TO LIFE. Who is sufficient for these things?
2 Cor. 3:6 who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. FOR THE LETTER KILLS, but the Spirit gives life.
Rom. 5:12 Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned---
Rom. 5:17 For if, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Rom. 6:4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
Rom. 11:15 For if their rejection means the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance mean but life from the dead?
Eph. 2:1 1 And YOU WERE DEAD in the trespasses and sins
Eph. 2:5 even WHEN WE WERE DEAD in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ---by grace you have been saved---
Eph. 4:18 They are darkened in their understanding, ALIENATED FROM THE LIFE OF GOD because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart.
1 Cor. 15:22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.
1 Tim. 5:6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives.
Col. 2:13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,
Ezekiel 37 and The Valley of Dry Bones might also suggest spiritual death of the unsaved.
The following is a ~12 minute clip of Jonathan McLatchie's response to the Hiddenness of God objection that Alex O'Connor gave in their debate.
Challenging Alex O'Connor's Doubts About God
https://youtu.be/GAyF906Vb00
Cameron Bertuzzi and two Christian philosophers (Andrew Moon and Perry Hendricks) respond to atheist YouTuber Stephen Woodford's video "Theism is IRRATIONAL... here's why."
It's over guys. Theism is dumb. This atheist finally proved it. Time to pack it up.
https://youtu.be/8EmFg4vd95k
Here's a link to an informative article on the errors and dangers in Lamsa's materials.
George M. Lamsa: Christian Scholar or Cultic Torchbearer? by John P. Juedes
https://christian.net/pub/resources/text/cri/cri-jrnl/web/crj0032a.html
Big Think has an article titled, "The 5-step “military method” for falling asleep in minutes." The main five techniques it gives are the following:
So, what is this magic technique? Below we lay out the military method’s steps to a good night’s sleep. It’s deliberately designed to be easy and efficient, so anyone can start tonight.
The following are my techniques for helping me fall asleep. They might help other people as well. People are different physically and mentally and so they probably won't help everyone. Some things might work better than others.
-First, pray asking God to grant you sleep [as per Ps. 127:2], His peace and His protection for your mind, body and spirit while you sleep. Ask for God's Holy Spirit to fill you afresh (Eph. 5:18) and grant you that peace
that transcends all understanding (Phil. 4:7). Ask the Holy Spirit to
protect you, help you sleep and inspire restful dreams. Ask Christ to
send His angels to protect you physically and spiritually. Protection from physical harm [like a falling tree, or airplane, or meteorite, or tornado/hurricane], demonic attacks, and nightmares brought on by your own subconscious or by demons. Even ask Christ to send an angel or more than one to protect you as you sleep, which is when you are most vulnerable physically and spiritually.
- Stop speaking mental words silently. This is not a recommendation to stop thinking. But to stop "speaking" in your mind. Stop "talking" in your mind. Quiet your mind by switching from thinking in words to thinking in terms of images. Stop having an inner dialogue with yourself.
- Allow your mind to wander. Don't force your thoughts to be rational, logical or make sense. Allow absurd thoughts and images to play in your mind without filtering or judging them as rational or irrational, permissible or impermissible. Though, if they are immoral, then as a Christian you should change the thoughts and images. So, barring sinful thoughts like murderous, lustful etc., allow your mind to wander. If you see an image, allow it its autonomy. Let the image do it's own thing. Don't try to control it. For example, if you see a triangle in your mind when your eyes are closed, allow it to naturally change its shape or color to whatever "wants" to if it wants (i.e. as your subconscious wants it to).
- Another technique is to think of a pleasant dream you have before. Imagine it and allow it to change your mood and attitude. Allow it to draw you into that mental dream state you were in when you were dreaming it in the past. But don't force it. Think about it with the minimum amount of effort and allow your mind to drift back to a dream state. Like the above technique, if the images want to change, allow it permission to do so. You want to relinquish as much mental controls as is permissible morally.
- Don't worry or try to solve problem while you're trying to sleep. Isa. 26: 3 says, "You [i.e. Yahweh] keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you." Leave the problem in the Lord's hands and trust the solution will come from Lord. Trust Him to give you the answer either during sleep or after you wake up. Instead of worrying, relax and let your mind wander. For example, you're thinking about how to fix your flat tire, don't insist on thinking of the solution. If your mind absurdly thinks of a bunny rabbit replacing your tire with a large donut and inflating it with its own breath like you would an inflatable pillow, allow your mind to think it.
- Try using "Brain Tapping" to help you fall asleep. See these video here:
https://youtu.be/A5dE25ANU0k https://youtu.be/8wWpA8o6IGg
-Take advantage of the fact that sleep cycles are completed every (approximately) 90 minutes. There are different stages of sleep and the last stage ends after every ~90 minutes. It's been shown that waking up at the end of a sleep cycle makes a person feel more fully rested than waking up in any of the other stages of sleep. That means the best time to wake up is approximately 90 minutes, or 3 hours, or 4 1/2 hours, or 6 hours, or 7 1/2 hours, or 9 hours after you actually fall asleep. Set your alarm to wake up around one of those times.
-Take advantage of the reality of your biological circadian rhythms. When you are in a habit of sleeping at the right time and at the same time as well as waking up at the right time and the same time every day, then your body adjusts to that and helps you naturally get sleeping at the right time, and helps you naturally wake up at the right time. So, make it a habit to sleep and wake up at your scheduled times. Your circadian rhythms can help you or hurt you. Use them to your advantage, rather than allowing them [sic] to be used against you to your disadvantage. Remember, evil spirits understand that sleep is an important part of your usefulness, effectiveness and health (physically, mentally, spiritually). So, they will seek to disturb your sleeping patterns and your ability to get the daily and weekly rest you need.
- If you wake up because you need to urinate, don't turn on bright lights. Otherwise you will restart a new sleep cycle, and you might have a difficult time falling back to sleep. Find a way to be able to walk to the bathroom and use the toilet, wash your hands and then go back to bed without turning on bright lights. Maybe set up an alternative dim light source you can turn on or even carry to urinate.
-Scientists have said that another way to help you fall asleep is by dropping body temperature. So some take a shower before going to sleep and/or wearing something that will keep you cool while you're in bed.
-The last technique might not help some people. Some people might become uncomfortable or feel vulnerable cooled down or not sleeping with a blanket on. Some people feel more comfortable sleeping with a warm blanket on.
-In fact, some fall asleep sooner and get more rest with a weighted blanket. Or in a sleeping bag. The weight and constriction might work because it might be simulating being in the womb. I don't know. But some people swear to weighted blankets or confining sleeping conditions like in a hammock or sleeping bag.
-When your alarm wakes you up, don't set it to snooze. Sleeping again restarts a new sleep cycle and after the 5 or 10 minute snooze you won't feel very rested afterwards when you do get up. So, stop using the snooze button.
-If you drink coffee for breakfast, it's been said by scientists that you should delay drinking coffee till after 90 after you walk up to allow your body to naturally deal with the chemicals of sleepiness. Then, when you do drink your coffee after 90 minutes, you won't feel the crash a few hours later that often accompanies drinking coffee to wake you up.
-Consider breaking your sleep into two stages, or the "Two Sleeps." See this article on the topic HERE. Recently, it's been discovered by historians and other scholars that in many periods of human history people had two stages of sleep separated by a time of waking up and doing some light activity like reading (or whatnot) for a short period of time. After the light activity, they then proceeded to go back to sleep to finish off the rest of their planned sleep.
-Make sure you have fresh air in the room you sleep in. Lack of fresh air can keep you awake. Have you ever sleep with the blanket over your face and then wake up suddenly? That's sometimes due to the fact that your body recognizes that it's severely depleted of oxygen and has too much carbon dioxide in the bloodstream and therefore forces you to wake up in order to get some more oxygen in your system. So, always sleep with the blanket away from your face. Those intense dreams you have when your face is covered is because your brain is trying to keep active and alive despite the low oxygen content in your body.
-Make sure to be well hydrated before you go to sleep. That way you don't get intensely thirsty and wake up in the middle of your planned sleep. Hydrate in advance enough to so that you urinate excess water before you go to sleep. If you hydrate immediately before going to sleep, then you're obviously going to have to wake up to urinate later. Also, keep some water near your bed when you sleep. So that if you do get thirsty, you don't have to walk far to get a drink. The water is within arm's reach.
- Keep electronic devices away from you body. Especially your brain while you sleep. Electromagnetic fields can disturb your sleep and health. So, you should always try to avoid EM fields whenever possible. Keep your bed away from all Wi-Fi radiation, both from your Wi-Fi internet router, and your laptop. Place your laptop, cellphones and iPads, and kindles on "airplane mode" and away from you. If possible, don't use alarm plugged into the electric socket. Or having far away from your bed. You can set that alarm clock to wake you up, or use an alarm that uses batteries that's closer to your bed/body.
- Keep your room as dark as possible while you sleep. Absolute darkness is best. If your room has light in it, the light can still enter your eyes through your closed eyelids. Absolute darkness is essential to produce certain hormones needed for sleep and bodily recovery. When your brain senses light entering the eyes, it doesn't produce the chemicals and hormones it is supposed to produce when you're fully asleep. Your brain thinks it's daytime and the sun is out, and therefore affects your circadian rhythms and therefore you sleep patterns and quality of sleep.
- Sleep paralysis during sleep can sometimes just be purely biological. Same thing with Hypnagogic Hallucinations and and Hypnopompic hallucinations. Other times, they can be spiritual attacks by an evil spirit. Same thing with "Alien Abduction" experiences. If you suspect you're being demonically attacked, invoke the name of Jesus and ask Jesus to make the attacks stop. If you're a Christian, then you can also use your authority in Christ to command evil spirits to cease and desist, and to leave you in Jesus name. See for example, these testimonies of people who were able to stop "Alien Abduction" experiences by calling on the name of Jesus HERE. See also the following article by theologian and pastor Sam Storms. I cite Storms because he's respected by both Evangelical cessationists as well as continuationists (I'm a continuationist). Some cessationists don't believe ordinary Christians have authority to rebuke evil spirits. Storms is educated enough theologically that even cessationists have to seriously consider what he's saying. Identity & Authority by Sam Storms.
-Examine your medications. Ask your doctor if certain medications might be disturbing your sleep. It might be the medication by itself, or the problem might just be the wrong dosage. Maybe at lower dosages your sleep won't be affected. Ask your doctor to adjust or switch your medications.
- Another obvious thing is to not drink coffee or other stimulants like energy drinks right before you go to sleep.
If none of these things work, do your own research. For example, read some articles on the internet and watch some videos on YouTube for advice on getting to sleep faster, regularly and with greater rest. Go to the library and find books on the topic as well.
Comedian and actor Bryan Callen interviews Christian Intelligent Design proponent Stephen C. Meyer and atheist Michael Shermer on his podcast. See also Callen's interview with Christian apologist William Lane Craig and agnostic Michael Ruse HERE.
Can Science Find God? feat. Stephen Meyer and Michael Shermer
https://youtu.be/QIqzfdDnPjI
Christian apologist Vishal Mangalwadi posted the following in one of his Facebook posts;
An interesting interview of New Testament scholar Craig Blomberg.
How John's Gospel Can Launch a NEW Quest for the Historical Jesus
https://youtu.be/RVM1GhWeoug
Kundalina Yoga: Just a Harmless, Physical Exercise? Kundalina Yoga: Just a Harmless, Physical Exercise?
https://illinoisfamily.org/marriage/kundalina-yoga-just-a-harmless-physical-exercise/
An excerpt:
"The American Society of Clinical Hypnosis lists over fifty possible dangers from hypnosis in their American Journal of Clinical Hypnosis (Volume 31, Number 1, July 1988, pg. 46). It’s no coincidence that many listed are the same risks yoga instructors warn about. Dangers of these practices include: severe headaches, depression, uncontrolled weeping or laughter, spasmodic jerking, feelings of intense heat or cold, electricity passing through the body and itching or crawling sensations, memory impairment, hallucinations, identity crisis, mental illness/insanity, suicidal thoughts/suicide, anxiety/panic attacks, heart palpitations, heart attack and death. On the other hand, one may experience intense feelings of a beautiful oneness with the universe, infinite love, and ecstatic bliss.
In his book, The Awakening of Kundalini,” Gopi Krishna warned that prana (energy or life-force), can lead to blissful experiences, but if it isn’t “properly attuned” can lead to feelings of fear, depression, anxiety and even “horrors of madness.” He attributes years of unbearable, burning physical pain and mental anguish, to the practice of Kundalini Yoga and revealed: “I have passed through almost all the states of different mediumistic, psychotic and other types of mind; for some time I was hovering between sanity and insanity” (E. P. Dutton & Co., Inc., New York, 1975, pgs. 96, 97, 124).
Writing about Kundalini Yoga, Theosophist/occultist/medium, Alice Bailey, noted in her work, A Treatise on White Magic, that “only one in a thousand aspirants” are at the stage to begin such a practice and that may be “too optimistic.” She warned it could “produce insanity” and made clear “it is a most dangerous undertaking when induced before the mechanism is ready to deal with it” (Lucis Publishing Company, New York NY, 1951, pgs. 590-591).
Well-known spiritual teacher, Jiddu Krishnamurti, suffered for years with excruciating headaches, visions, convulsions, shuddering and moaning, “much as a person possessed” – but called this “an inward cleansing” (Guiley, Rosemary Ellen, Harper’s Encyclopedia of Mystical & Paranormal Experience, Harper SanFranciso, 1991, pg. 318).
Properly practiced or not, these and many other dangers exist, including spiritual ones. Besides the possibility of having one’s worldview and definition of God altered, there is also the very real possibility of seeing, being oppressed by, and/or possessed by dis-embodied spirits (Christians call them demons). This is a well-known phenomenon and frequent occurrence to those deeply involved in the occult.
El Collie, a widely-recognized practitioner of Kundalini Yoga, wrote of her experiences with “outrageous telepathy, clairvoyance, and visitations from entities from other realms” in her online book, Branded by the Spirit. Collie, who saw herself as a shaman/priestess (witchdoctor) and a “conduit for the Spirit,” described Kundalini as the Goddess who came to her when she “least expected it, pouring herself into her “through megavolts of energy” that turned her body into an “electrified living temple” (http://www.elcollie.com/st/chap1.html). Brilliant flashes of white light are common during a Kundalini awakening, said Collie, and are “often perceived in the presence of spirit guides or during divine visitations” (http://www.elcollie.com/st/light.html).
While some practitioners claim to see “Christ” or other “angelic” spiritual beings, others have had haunting, terrifying experiences they probably wish they could forget. Carole, a friend of author John Weldon, took up Hatha yoga for health reasons. “The night after receiving her mantra, Carole was visited by a spirit being who claimed to be the spirit of Swami Rama himself…She experienced wonderful powerful forces and energies, while thoughts entered her mind with a magnetic-like force.” Carole believed she was communicating with the spirit world and had found God. But, after two weeks of meditation, “Carole became engulfed in a nightmare of utter dread and terror.” The beings she thought were angelic turned demonic and viciously attacked her (see http://www.ankerberg.com/Articles/new-age/NA1101W1htm)."
The Importance Of And Evidence For Paul's Authorship Of Ephesians
https://triablogue.blogspot.com/2022/05/the-importance-of-and-evidence-for.html
Steelmanning, Strawmanning, and Supermanning
https://randalrauser.com/2022/03/steelmanning-strawmanning-and-supermanning/
A Case for the Longer Ending of Mark
An argument for Mark 16:9–20 as the original, canonical ending, written by Mark but added by his colleagues.
by James Snapp Jr.
https://textandcanon.org/a-case-for-the-longer-ending-of-mark/
A Case against the Longer Ending of Mark
An argument that Mark 16:9–20 is not original and so not inspired Scripture
by Peter M. Head
https://textandcanon.org/a-case-against-the-longer-ending-of-mark/
Interview with J.P. Moreland & William Lane Craig | Philosophical Foundations 20th Anniversary
Comedian and actor Bryan Callen had Christian apologist William Lane Craig and agnostic philosohper of science Michael Ruse on his podcast. See also Callen's interview with Christian Intelligent Design proponent Stephen C. Meyer and atheist skeptic Michael Shermer HERE.
Why Believe in God? w/ William Lane Craig and Michael Ruse
PART TWO
Why God Must Exist w/ Dr. William Lane Craig and Dr. Michael Ruse
https://youtu.be/huCQ0klhrdg
By the way, in times past and multiple times Michael Ruse has distanced himself from atheists like Richard Dawkins. Notice these quote:
"The God Delusion makes me ashamed to be an atheist.... Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion would fail any introductory philosophy or religion course. Proudly he criticizes that whereof he knows nothing"
-Michael Ruse; atheist/agnostic and Philosopher of Science
I have written that [Richard Dawkins' book] The God Delusion made me ashamed to be an atheist and I meant it.- Michael Ruse, well known philosopher of science.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/belief/2009/nov/02/atheism-dawkins-ruse
I recommend Vincent Cheung's materials with various qualification and caveats. I've expressed and listed some of my disagreements and agreements with Vincent Cheung in one of my blogs HERE. For example, I disagree with Cheung's tendency toward Hyper-Calvinism. Due to his Hyper-Calvinistic tendencies some of his solutions to the Problem of Evil will be difficult for many people to accept, including Calvinists. Nevertheless, he makes some great points in the following article. Some of his points I'm open to but don't dogmatically hold. They can be possible options as last ditch responses to the problem of evil. The more options Christians have in responding to the problem of evil from a Christian point of view, the more it demonstrates that the problem is not so problematic for Christianity.
So, I encourage people (especially my fellow Calvinists) to read his materials and add more tools into their apologetical tool box. Tools that won't be one's "go to" answers, but can function as alternative back-up and reserved answers. For example, most Calvinists appeal to compatibilism and deny occasionalism. Whereas Cheung thinks that's a mistake because the real question is whether humans have freedom relative to God. Given his understanding of occasionalism, no one has freedom relative to God, because God directly controls all things.
The Problem of Evil by Vincent Cheung
https://www.vincentcheung.com/2005/03/15/the-problem-of-evil/
See Also his related book The Author of Sin which is also freely online.
Here's a quote from pages 20-21 of The Author of Sin which addresses the problem of evil.
The writers exercise remarkable restraint toward compatibilism. They have everything set
up well enough that they could blast it to smithereens, but they want to play nice. So they
settle for saying that Augustine's is a "dubious contribution," and that the deterministic
aspects of his philosophy "cancel out any meaningful application of the concept of free
will."
This means that if a compatibilist truly affirms divine determinism, then what he says about human "freedom" or "free will" is meaningless – it is nonsense. These writers see this – most Calvinists refuse to see it.
Summary
Here is the way to avoid nonsense:
1. Affirm absolute divine determinism.
2. Deny all human freedom.
3. Base moral responsibility on God's sovereign decree to judge mankind.
4. Answer almost all related objections by doing the following:
a. Affirm that God is just and righteous by definition.12
b. Deny the unjustified premise, "responsibility presupposes freedom."13
There is no twisting and turning, no philosophical gymnastics, and no need to redefine this
and qualify that. God is sovereign, man is not free – and there is no problem. This is
biblical, coherent, simple, and defensible.
Footnotes:
12 This renders all "problem of evil" and "author of sin" type of objections inapplicable.
13 This renders human freedom irrelevant to the discussion.
Stephen Meyer: Has Humanity Forgotten God? (2023 Dallas Conference on Science and Faith)
Here's another Christian website that answers the anti-Christian website The Skeptic's Annotated Bible:
The author of the SAB answered
The New Investigation of the Resurrection： A Conversation with Andrew Loke
https://youtu.be/JwPL2n7Utgc
As Below, So Above | James Lindsay
The Gnostic Parasite | Dr. James Lindsay
The Negation of the Real | Dr. James Lindsay
Why Atheism Still Leads to Despair: A New Perspective w/ Dr. Chad McIntosh
Even though I'm a Protestant, I appreciate some of the insights of Catholic bishop Robert Barron on theology, philosophy and apologetics. In the video below he discusses the topic of meaning with wildly popular atheist YouTuber Alex O'Connor (AKA "CosmicSkeptic").
A Bishop and an Atheist Discuss Meaning | Within Reason Ep. 22
Gavin Ortland addresses natural evil in light of the Fall of angels.
Did Satan's Fall Corrupt Nature?
https://youtu.be/p0G-3eFHeq8
Was Jesus A Failed Apocalyptic Prophet?
https://youtu.be/OnNJXMkwx4w
See also my blogpost: Did the New Testament's Prophecies and Predictions Regarding Jesus' Soon Return Fail?
The Treasury of Isaiah 53 — A Witness to Israel’s Messiah by Jonathan McLatchie
https://jonathanmclatchie.com/the-treasury-of-isaiah-53-a-witness-to-israels-messiah/
Below is a video sermon by McLatchie where he summarizes some of the arguments in the more exhaustive article above:
For many years people have listened to this classic debate through audio only. Finally, the FULL VIDEO of the classic debate is on YouTube.
Debate: Greg Bahnsen vs Edward Tabash "Does God Exist?"
https://youtu.be/euHPhbCcWVU
Richard Brash addresses the issue: ""Must Presuppositionalists be KJV Only? A Re-examination of Cornelius Van Til's Presuppositions in Respect of Providential Preservation"
Dr. Richard Brash on Van Til’s Presuppositions and Providential Preservation of Scripture
https://youtu.be/3XZYlzcPikM
Aliens and Demons: Evidence of an Unseen Realm - documentary film featuring Dr. Michael S. Heiser
https://youtu.be/ThmF7OErkxY
Given that divine idealism is an option for Christians, I've linked to the following video below. Jonathan Edwards, a Protestant theologian of the 18th century who I highly respect, and one who is considered to be one of the greatest Christian theologians of all time, has been interpreted by some to have taught a kind of divine idealism. I myself am not dogmatically a divine idealist, but I find the concept interesting and attractive.
We Might All Be Living in God's Dream (Hasidic Idealism) | w/Dr. Samuel Lebens- ep.221
https://youtu.be/iPF_WsIhKDg
See also:
Do We Live in God's Mind or in God's Novel? (Hassidic vs. Berkeleyan Idealism)
The Hidden Secrets of Kabbalah - A Messianic approach - Michael L. Brown
https://youtu.be/aJCgqOKfnqk
Intelligent Design website Evolution News has a series on “Do Fossils Demonstrate Human Evolution?” Links to the articles can be found at this link here:
https://evolutionnews.org/tag/fossils-and-human-evolution-series/
See also the following blogpost. Unfortunately, many of the audio links there are dead. But some of the links to articles are still active:
Resources at RTB Relating to Human Origins
There's much disagreement among those who have watched the monumental debate between William Lane Craig and Sean Carroll. Some say Carroll won, while others say Craig won. I tend to think it was a near draw. Or slightly in favor of Carroll. However, there's an article that argues for why Carroll used some dishonest tactics in the debate:
Sean Carroll’s Dishonesty: The Debate of 2014
https://freethinkingministries.com/sean-carrolls-dishonesty-the-debate-of-2014/
See also my blogpost: Who Won The Craig vs. Carroll Debate? A Debate Review
In Defense of Fiction CHRISTIAN LOVE FOR GREAT LITERATURE by Leland Ryken
https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/in-defense-of-fiction
Why J. I. Packer Reads Mystery Novels (Or, In Defense of Light Reading) by Justin Taylor posted NOVEMBER 28, 2018 on thegospelcoalition.org
https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justin-taylor/j-packer-reads-mystery-novels-defense-light-reading/
Did Paul Oppose Fiction by John Piper
https://www.desiringgod.org/interviews/did-paul-oppose-fiction
Craig Keener, Peter May & Joshua Brown: Miracle Healing - does it happen today?
https://youtu.be/26GZhSnhd_s
What is the evidence that demon possession is real? What do exorcisms entail? In this video Sean McDowell talks with board-certified psychiatrist, professor of psychiatry, and leading psychiatric expert on demonic possession, Dr. Richard Gallagher. He is the author of a book called Demonic Foes and had a ton of insight and stories to share from his twenty-five years of investigating the subject of the paranormal and diabolic attacks.
There is also an online article written by Dr. Gallagher at The Washington Post, but it's behind a paywall HERE.
Exorcisms: The World's Leading Psychiatric Authority Speaks Out
https://youtu.be/ZfunNURoO2w
I first encountered Ron DiGiacomo's original blog around 2009 or slightly before. I appreciated his insights in presuppositional apologetics and how he tried to integrate Van Tillian presuppositionalism and Clarkian presuppositionalism. Here are the links to his blogs:
The failure of classical Christian apologetics? (Interview with Ron DiGiacomo)
https://youtu.be/Q0h5VjQlCZo
Person of Interest: Why Jesus Still Matters in a World that Rejects the Bible - J. Warner Wallace
Is Belief in God Rational, Reasonable, and Respectable in a Scientific Age?
Is Theistic Belief Rational in a Scientific Age? | William Lane Craig vs. Jeff Hester
https://youtu.be/PXE5lQW5RQw
Is Faith in God Reasonable? FULL DEBATE with William Lane Craig and Alex Rosenberg
https://youtu.be/bhfkhq-CM84
Is Christianity Intellectually Respectable? | Dan Barker Vs Dr Randal Rauser | Debate Podcast
https://youtu.be/HD254JbwwRc
Justin Bass & Dale Allison: Is there evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus?
https://youtu.be/1o5htZtDBfE
