According to a 2000 study by Kinnear, Kernes, and Dautheribes, the seven most-practiced religions of the world, the United Nations, and the American Atheists identified a “short list of universal moral values.” These are (1) the commitment to something greater than oneself, which may include the recognition of and commitment to a Supreme being and …
What Does Atheism Have to Offer? The Atheist Value Proposition
Over the past few hundred years, the move to "secular rational modernism" has supplanted "traditional religious" views in many parts of the West. Atheists sometimes think Christianity will one day be toppled and atheists of the past century such as Lenin, Stalin, Pol Pot, and Mao Tse Tung certainly gave that effort their best shot. …
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Our Lady at Lourdes and the Immaculate Conception
Where did the Catholic doctrine of the immaculate conception originate? I once believed the immaculate conception refers to the conception of Jesus. Rather, it refers to Mother Mary’s conception without original sin. This doctrine has ancient roots in the 2nd century when Irenaeus and Justiin Martyr referred to Mary as the “new Eve.” The first …
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The Rich Man, Lazarus, and C.S. Lewis’ Great Divorce
Though I’m well acquainted with both C.S. Lewis’ “Great Divorce” and Jesus’ “Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus,” I had never connected the two until today. This feat was achieved at my church. Luke 16:19-31 “There was a rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. …
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Got Hope? A Martyr, a Miracle, and a Christian Conversion (from Eusebius)
In trying times, we all need a little dose of hope. Imagine living in ancient times when Christians really needed hope. They were slaughtered for the mere "sin" of being Christians by ancient and evil pagans. Imagine being one of those slaughtered Christians who stood up for Christ no matter the gory levels of abuse …
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Who Confers Personhood? The Pro-Life Vs. Pro-Choice Positions
What is a person? What would love say? In 1973, the state of Texas argued that an unborn child is a person who is given the right to life under the 14th Amendment. In the Roe v. Wade decision, Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun determined that an unborn child is not a person and is …
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A Steel Man of Catholic and Protestant Positions on Mother Mary
For centuries, Catholics and Protestants have taken varying positions on the Mother Mary’s role, her perpetual virginity, her sinless nature, and her assumption into heaven. Many Catholics revere Mother Mary as a perpetual and blessed virgin who was immaculately conceived and assumed in spirit and body into heaven. Some Protestants believe she lived a more …
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Undesigned Coincidences in the Feeding of the 5,000
Among the excellent testaments to the reliability of the Gospels are the undesigned coincidences they contain. Lydia McGrew, David Wood, Jonathan McLatchie, and others have identified numerous coincidences, which she has presented in her book, “Hidden in Plain View: Undesigned Coincidences in the Gospels and Acts.” As McLatchie has pointed out, the gospel authors were …
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Jesus’ Commandments Answer the Objective Morality Question
The intention of this writing is to showcase the way Jesus’ commandments to love the Lord above all else and to love our neighbors as ourselves is the highest and most important objective moral standard against which humans are called to judge our actions and the actions of those around us. By summing the Ten …
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Comedy of Errors: 1988 C14 Dating of the Shroud of Turin
“It’s a well-known fact that scientists can produce whatever result they want. If you believe that passionately in something, you can steer the results. My God, we’ve all been guilty of that.” – Physicist Harry Gove, who was involved in carbon dating the Shroud of Turin in 1988 On September 22, 1988, the New York …
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