Por Alisa Childers
Cuando decidí tomar más en serio el aspecto intelectual de mis creencias espirituales, algunos de mis amigos cristianos se quedaron rascándose la cabeza.
Mi recién adquirido amor por el aprendizaje me llevó a recibir comentarios como: “No dejes que tu cabeza se interponga en el camino de tu corazón”, y “No necesito estudiar porque tengo fe”, y “Ten cuidado de no estudiar demasiado porque ‘el conocimiento te infla’ (1 Corintios 8:1)”.
Por muy bien intencionados que sean estos comentarios, parecen reflejar el antiintelectualismo que ha saturado a la cultura estadounidense y se ha filtrado a la iglesia. En un artículo acertadamente titulado “Los corazones ardientes no se alimentan con cabezas vacías”, R.C. Sproul escribió,
Vivimos en lo que puede ser el periodo más antiintelectual de la historia de la civilización occidental…. La cultura secular ha abrazado un tipo de impresionismo que amenaza con convertir todos nuestros cerebros en papilla, y el mundo evangélico ha seguido su ejemplo, desarrollando una alergia a todo lo intelectual (1).
Pero no siempre ha sido así. Los cristianos fundaron universidades de la Ivy League, como Harvard y Princeton, y fueron pioneros de la revolución científica. La huella intelectual de los cristianos en la historia del mundo es incalculable.
Un poco de historia…
Cuando los puritanos llegaron a América, valoraban profundamente la vida de la mente. El filósofo estadounidense J.P. Moreland señaló,
Los puritanos eran personas muy instruidas (la tasa de alfabetización de los hombres de los primeros años de Massachusetts y Connecticut se situaba entre el 89 y el 90%) que fundaron colegios, enseñaron a sus hijos a leer y escribir antes de los seis años, estudiaron arte, ciencia, filosofía y otros campos como forma de amar a Dios con la mente (2).
En aquella época, los ministros eran considerados autoridades no sólo en cuestiones espirituales, sino también en cuestiones intelectuales. Todo esto empezó a cambiar después de que se produjeran varios avivamientos en América a mediados del siglo XIX. Estos avivamientos fueron muy positivos, ya que hicieron hincapié en la conversión personal a Cristo y en una fe emocionalmente comprometida.
Sin embargo, un énfasis excesivo en estas experiencias comenzó a tomar el lugar de la reflexión silenciosa, la consideración reflexiva y una comprensión profunda de las auténticas enseñanzas cristianas. Miles de personas escucharon a predicadores de avivamiento y se convirtieron al cristianismo, pero muchos de estos nuevos creyentes carecían de una comprensión intelectual de las cuestiones doctrinales esenciales. Como resultado, cultos como el mormonismo y los testigos de Jehová cobraron impulso y pasaron a tener un profundo impacto en las creencias de millones de personas en todo el mundo.
El creciente analfabetismo teológico también debilitó la capacidad de la Iglesia para responder al ataque intelectual al cristianismo que culminó a finales del siglo XIX. El empirismo de la “Era de la Ilustración”, el escepticismo de la alta crítica alemana y el desarrollo de la evolución darwiniana llevaron a muchos cristianos a desconfiar de las actividades intelectuales, en lugar de motivarlos a enfrentarse a estas ideas de frente.
A principios del siglo XX, el liberalismo empezó a influir en las principales denominaciones, provocando que los fundamentalistas se retiraran de la arena del discurso público para formar sus propias instituciones teológicas y aislando así las ideas cristianas del resto del mundo. En lugar de ser la “sal de la tierra”, volvimos a poner la sal en el armario.
En conjunto, estas tendencias debilitaron la influencia de la Iglesia en la cultura en general y llevaron a muchos cristianos modernos a devaluar una sólida comprensión intelectual de su fe (3).
Un poco de Teología…
¿Pero no dice la Biblia que “el conocimiento nos infla”? Cuando alguien utilice un solo versículo para exponer su punto de vista, recuerda el útil consejo de Greg Koukl: Nunca leas un versículo de la Biblia. Muchas palabras y frases tienen múltiples definiciones y significados, y cuando no consideramos el pasaje que rodea a un versículo en particular, podemos perder su significado.
Justo antes de la frase “el conocimiento te infla”, el apóstol Pablo escribió: “Ahora sobre la comida sacrificada a los ídolos”. Algunos cristianos sabían que los ídolos no eran reales, mientras que otros no lo sabían y creían que comer alimentos sacrificados a los ídolos los hacía ceremonialmente impuros. En el contexto, Pablo está exhortando a los creyentes que tenían mayor conocimiento a mostrar amor a los que tenían la conciencia más débil y a abstenerse de comer alimentos ofrecidos a los ídolos delante de ellos para que no tropezaran. Su punto era que el conocimiento debe ser ejercido en amor, para edificar a otros creyentes y no a nuestra propia arrogancia.
Al igual que debemos considerar los versículos en su contexto, nuestra teología debe basarse en el conjunto de las Escrituras. He aquí algunos de los muchos lugares en los que la Escritura habla positivamente del conocimiento:
Los necios aborrecen el conocimiento (Proverbios 1:22).
El sabio oirá y crecerá en conocimiento, y el inteligente adquirirá habilidad (Proverbios 1:5).
Oseas capítulo 4 dice que el pueblo de Dios perece por falta de conocimiento respecto a la ley. 2 Pedro 2:1 nos dice que añadamos a nuestra fe la bondad, y a la bondad, el conocimiento. En Filipenses 1:9, Pablo ora para “que vuestro amor abunde aún más y más en conocimiento verdadero y en todo discernimiento”.
Pablo incluso alaba el conocimiento como parte de la guerra espiritual en 2 Corintios 10:5 al decir: “destruyendo especulaciones y todo razonamiento altivo que se levanta contra el conocimiento de Dios.” Proverbios 15:4 dice que el “corazón del prudente adquiere conocimiento”, y Proverbios 1:29 advierte de la destrucción que sigue al odiar el conocimiento.
Una y otra vez en las Escrituras se nos ordena buscar el conocimiento, y una y otra vez se nos advierte de las consecuencias si no lo hacemos. De hecho, cuando Jesús nos ordenó “amar al Señor tu Dios con toda tu mente”, estaba diciendo que debemos amar a Dios con toda nuestra capacidad intelectual.
El conocimiento debe mantenerse en tensión con el amor. Cuando no es así, el orgullo y la arrogancia pueden imponerse. Pero el verdadero conocimiento es humilde. Cuanto más aprendo, más me doy cuenta de lo mucho que me queda por aprender, más me doy cuenta de mi pequeñez e insuficiencia intelectual.
Cuando comprometemos nuestra fe intelectualmente con el amor, el conocimiento no nos inflará. De hecho, tengo que estar de acuerdo con el escritor de Proverbios que dijo: “¡Los labios que hablan de conocimiento son una joya poco común!”.
Recursos recomendados en Español:
Robándole a Dios (tapa blanda), (Guía de estudio para el profesor) y (Guía de estudio del estudiante) por el Dr. Frank Turek
Por qué no tengo suficiente fe para ser un ateo (serie de DVD completa), (Manual de trabajo del profesor) y (Manual del estudiante) del Dr. Frank Turek
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Alisa Childers es una cantante y compositora estadounidense, más conocida por formar parte del grupo femenino de música cristiana ZOEgirl. Ha tenido una lista de los diez mejores sencillos de la radio, cuatro lanzamientos de estudio y recibió el premio Dove durante su tiempo con ZOEgirl. Años más tarde, Alisa experimentó un profundo desafío a su fe de toda la vida cuando empezó a asistir a lo que más tarde se identificaría como una iglesia cristiana progresista. Este desafío empujó a Alisa hacia la Apologética Cristiana. Actualmente se puede leer, escuchar y ver el trabajo de Alisa en línea, así como adquirir su libro recientemente publicado sobre el cristianismo progresista, titulado Another Gospel.
Blog Original: https://cutt.ly/jIHw2ed
Traducido por Jennifer Chavez
Editado por Daniela Checa Delgado
Part 2: Overcoming
Apologetics for ParentsBy Jason Jiménez
This article is adapted from Jason’s book Abandoned Faith.
Holding on to regrets prevents you from experiencing true freedom in Christ. It’s hard not to think back on all the moments you should have acted differently.
The would-of-could-of-should-of attitude does not help. It only makes matters worse between you and your millennial child. The key is not to regret having regrets. It will only bring on more regrets. What you need to do is give your regrets over to God and allow His healing power to take control of your life. Like the old saying goes, you can’t change the past, but you can learn from it.
Being tossed around by waves of regret is actually where Satan wants you to be. He doesn’t want you to let your regrets go. He wants you to drown in them. And every time you see your son or daughter making bad choices—Satan wants you to feel regret. He wants you to blame yourself for their sinful choices. But like the apostle Paul, you need to gain the assurance of saying, “One thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead (Philippians 3:13).”
Stop living in the past. Rather, look forward to how God can use you in the life of your millennial right now. Take your focus off of fear-driven parenting, and turn it to a faith-driven parenting.
The Psalmist says those who look to God will reflect His glory and will not be ashamed. Every parent needs to hear that. They need to know that they don’t have to live a shameful life. What they need to do is let it go, and trust that God will restore their family.
When we’ve done that, we can become excited about what lies in store. God has uniquely equipped you to minister to your children. One of the greatest ways to be a conduit of grace is by living it out for others to see. Paul declared, “Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ (Philippians 1:27).”
When a Christian parent lives out his or her faith in a way honorable to God, it will have a lasting impact on their children!
Release Your Children
Moses’ parents saw how special their baby boy was and did not fear the Pharaoh’s edict. Rather than be stricken by fear, they released their son to God. And the rest, as they say, is history.
Children are a gift. But they are also on loan. You don’t own your children. They may have your DNA. But they are made in the image of God. You would lay your life down for your kids. But Jesus laid His life down and rose again so that your kids may have eternal life.
Give each of your children completely and totally over to God. You will be glad you did.
Recommended resources related to the topic:
So the Next Generation will Know by J. Warner Wallace (Book and Participant’s Guide)
Fearless Faith by Mike Adams, Frank Turek, and J. Warner Wallace (Complete DVD Series)
Defending the Faith on Campus by Frank Turek (DVD Set, mp4 Download set, and Complete Package)
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Jason Jimenez is President of STAND STRONG Ministries and author of Challenging Conversations: A Practical Guide to Discuss Controversial Topics in the church. For more info, check out www.standstrongministries.org.
Original Blog Source: https://cutt.ly/vI4YKPm
La Biblia dice que “el conocimiento nos infla”. ¿Significa esto que no debemos estudiar demasiado?
EspañolPor Alisa Childers
Cuando decidí tomar más en serio el aspecto intelectual de mis creencias espirituales, algunos de mis amigos cristianos se quedaron rascándose la cabeza.
Mi recién adquirido amor por el aprendizaje me llevó a recibir comentarios como: “No dejes que tu cabeza se interponga en el camino de tu corazón”, y “No necesito estudiar porque tengo fe”, y “Ten cuidado de no estudiar demasiado porque ‘el conocimiento te infla’ (1 Corintios 8:1)”.
Por muy bien intencionados que sean estos comentarios, parecen reflejar el antiintelectualismo que ha saturado a la cultura estadounidense y se ha filtrado a la iglesia. En un artículo acertadamente titulado “Los corazones ardientes no se alimentan con cabezas vacías”, R.C. Sproul escribió,
Pero no siempre ha sido así. Los cristianos fundaron universidades de la Ivy League, como Harvard y Princeton, y fueron pioneros de la revolución científica. La huella intelectual de los cristianos en la historia del mundo es incalculable.
Un poco de historia…
Cuando los puritanos llegaron a América, valoraban profundamente la vida de la mente. El filósofo estadounidense J.P. Moreland señaló,
En aquella época, los ministros eran considerados autoridades no sólo en cuestiones espirituales, sino también en cuestiones intelectuales. Todo esto empezó a cambiar después de que se produjeran varios avivamientos en América a mediados del siglo XIX. Estos avivamientos fueron muy positivos, ya que hicieron hincapié en la conversión personal a Cristo y en una fe emocionalmente comprometida.
Sin embargo, un énfasis excesivo en estas experiencias comenzó a tomar el lugar de la reflexión silenciosa, la consideración reflexiva y una comprensión profunda de las auténticas enseñanzas cristianas. Miles de personas escucharon a predicadores de avivamiento y se convirtieron al cristianismo, pero muchos de estos nuevos creyentes carecían de una comprensión intelectual de las cuestiones doctrinales esenciales. Como resultado, cultos como el mormonismo y los testigos de Jehová cobraron impulso y pasaron a tener un profundo impacto en las creencias de millones de personas en todo el mundo.
El creciente analfabetismo teológico también debilitó la capacidad de la Iglesia para responder al ataque intelectual al cristianismo que culminó a finales del siglo XIX. El empirismo de la “Era de la Ilustración”, el escepticismo de la alta crítica alemana y el desarrollo de la evolución darwiniana llevaron a muchos cristianos a desconfiar de las actividades intelectuales, en lugar de motivarlos a enfrentarse a estas ideas de frente.
A principios del siglo XX, el liberalismo empezó a influir en las principales denominaciones, provocando que los fundamentalistas se retiraran de la arena del discurso público para formar sus propias instituciones teológicas y aislando así las ideas cristianas del resto del mundo. En lugar de ser la “sal de la tierra”, volvimos a poner la sal en el armario.
En conjunto, estas tendencias debilitaron la influencia de la Iglesia en la cultura en general y llevaron a muchos cristianos modernos a devaluar una sólida comprensión intelectual de su fe (3).
Un poco de Teología…
¿Pero no dice la Biblia que “el conocimiento nos infla”? Cuando alguien utilice un solo versículo para exponer su punto de vista, recuerda el útil consejo de Greg Koukl: Nunca leas un versículo de la Biblia. Muchas palabras y frases tienen múltiples definiciones y significados, y cuando no consideramos el pasaje que rodea a un versículo en particular, podemos perder su significado.
Justo antes de la frase “el conocimiento te infla”, el apóstol Pablo escribió: “Ahora sobre la comida sacrificada a los ídolos”. Algunos cristianos sabían que los ídolos no eran reales, mientras que otros no lo sabían y creían que comer alimentos sacrificados a los ídolos los hacía ceremonialmente impuros. En el contexto, Pablo está exhortando a los creyentes que tenían mayor conocimiento a mostrar amor a los que tenían la conciencia más débil y a abstenerse de comer alimentos ofrecidos a los ídolos delante de ellos para que no tropezaran. Su punto era que el conocimiento debe ser ejercido en amor, para edificar a otros creyentes y no a nuestra propia arrogancia.
Al igual que debemos considerar los versículos en su contexto, nuestra teología debe basarse en el conjunto de las Escrituras. He aquí algunos de los muchos lugares en los que la Escritura habla positivamente del conocimiento:
Los necios aborrecen el conocimiento (Proverbios 1:22).
El sabio oirá y crecerá en conocimiento, y el inteligente adquirirá habilidad (Proverbios 1:5).
Oseas capítulo 4 dice que el pueblo de Dios perece por falta de conocimiento respecto a la ley. 2 Pedro 2:1 nos dice que añadamos a nuestra fe la bondad, y a la bondad, el conocimiento. En Filipenses 1:9, Pablo ora para “que vuestro amor abunde aún más y más en conocimiento verdadero y en todo discernimiento”.
Pablo incluso alaba el conocimiento como parte de la guerra espiritual en 2 Corintios 10:5 al decir: “destruyendo especulaciones y todo razonamiento altivo que se levanta contra el conocimiento de Dios.” Proverbios 15:4 dice que el “corazón del prudente adquiere conocimiento”, y Proverbios 1:29 advierte de la destrucción que sigue al odiar el conocimiento.
Una y otra vez en las Escrituras se nos ordena buscar el conocimiento, y una y otra vez se nos advierte de las consecuencias si no lo hacemos. De hecho, cuando Jesús nos ordenó “amar al Señor tu Dios con toda tu mente”, estaba diciendo que debemos amar a Dios con toda nuestra capacidad intelectual.
El conocimiento debe mantenerse en tensión con el amor. Cuando no es así, el orgullo y la arrogancia pueden imponerse. Pero el verdadero conocimiento es humilde. Cuanto más aprendo, más me doy cuenta de lo mucho que me queda por aprender, más me doy cuenta de mi pequeñez e insuficiencia intelectual.
Cuando comprometemos nuestra fe intelectualmente con el amor, el conocimiento no nos inflará. De hecho, tengo que estar de acuerdo con el escritor de Proverbios que dijo: “¡Los labios que hablan de conocimiento son una joya poco común!”.
Recursos recomendados en Español:
Robándole a Dios (tapa blanda), (Guía de estudio para el profesor) y (Guía de estudio del estudiante) por el Dr. Frank Turek
Por qué no tengo suficiente fe para ser un ateo (serie de DVD completa), (Manual de trabajo del profesor) y (Manual del estudiante) del Dr. Frank Turek
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Alisa Childers es una cantante y compositora estadounidense, más conocida por formar parte del grupo femenino de música cristiana ZOEgirl. Ha tenido una lista de los diez mejores sencillos de la radio, cuatro lanzamientos de estudio y recibió el premio Dove durante su tiempo con ZOEgirl. Años más tarde, Alisa experimentó un profundo desafío a su fe de toda la vida cuando empezó a asistir a lo que más tarde se identificaría como una iglesia cristiana progresista. Este desafío empujó a Alisa hacia la Apologética Cristiana. Actualmente se puede leer, escuchar y ver el trabajo de Alisa en línea, así como adquirir su libro recientemente publicado sobre el cristianismo progresista, titulado Another Gospel.
Blog Original: https://cutt.ly/jIHw2ed
Traducido por Jennifer Chavez
Editado por Daniela Checa Delgado
Doubting Your Faith? Look No Further Than This New Free Resource
Theology and Christian ApologeticsAre you a Christian who is struggling with doubts about your faith? A non-Christian seeker who has sincere questions about the Christian faith? Or have you recently lost your faith and want to explore whether your reasons for loss-of-faith were really rational? Have you ever wished that you could jump on a Zoom call and talk 1-on-1 with a leading Christian scholar who could help you navigate the minefield of arguments for and against Christianity, and help you think about your questions and doubts honestly and critically? This is now no longer something you need to wish for. This month, I launched a new ministry, TalkAboutDoubts.com. I have assembled a team of Christian scholars (some of whom are among the leaders in the world in their fields) who are willing to take one-on-one calls with people with sincere doubts about Christianity. Simply visit the website and fill out the submission form. Your inquiry will be automatically sent to the scholar with expertise most relevant to the subject of your doubts. They will then get in touch directly with you to schedule a live 1-on-1 Zoom call to discuss your doubts and questions in confidence. There is absolutely nothing for you to lose: Even if you still remain unpersuaded, at least you will be able to say that you gave the best arguments for Christianity a fair shake. If you have no need of this service yourself, please consider sharing it on social media or with your anyone in your life who may benefit from this resource. Here is a short interview I did with Tim Hull (of “Dealing with Deconstruction”) on this exciting new project.
Recommended resources related to the topic:
When Reason Isn’t the Reason for Unbelief by Dr. Frank Turek DVD and Mp4
Counter Culture Christian: Is There Truth in Religion? (DVD) by Frank Turek
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Dr. Jonathan McLatchie is a Christian writer, international speaker, and debater. He holds a Bachelor’s degree (with Honors) in forensic biology, a Masters’s (M.Res) degree in evolutionary biology, a second Master’s degree in medical and molecular bioscience, and a Ph.D. in evolutionary biology. Currently, he is an assistant professor of biology at Sattler College in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. McLatchie is a contributor to various apologetics websites and is the founder of the Apologetics Academy (Apologetics-Academy.org), a ministry that seeks to equip and train Christians to persuasively defend the faith through regular online webinars, as well as assist Christians who are wrestling with doubts. Dr. McLatchie has participated in more than thirty moderated debates around the world with representatives of atheism, Islam, and other alternative worldview perspectives. He has spoken internationally in Europe, North America, and South Africa promoting an intelligent, reflective, and evidence-based Christian faith.
Jesus and Elon Musk
PodcastCan you get an interview with the richest man in the world and then talk about Jesus? Our friends at the Babylon Bee did—the hilarious Christian news satire site. Elon Musk, who is a fan of the Bee, sat for a wide-ranging interview last month that lasted nearly two hours. How did that happen? How did they decide what to ask him—including asking him if Jesus is his Lord and Savior? What happened behind the scenes?
Frank is joined by Seth Dillon, CEO of the Babylon Bee, to answer those questions and more. Seth is a student of apologetics who is eager to engage the culture with the truth of Christianity. Frank and Seth discuss some of Elon’s answers regarding Christianity, including the fact that his instincts on free will vs materialism are correct.
Musk is highly influential and just about anything he says is covered as news. Although the Bee’s interview has received almost unanimous praise and about 2 million views, some in the Christian community have claimed that Seth and his team should have been more aggressive in questioning Mr. Musk and presenting the gospel. Does Seth have any regrets about the way they handled the interview? Would he do anything differently if he could do it over? Are there any lessons for evangelism in here? How is his relationship with Elon now?
Don’t miss this one!
Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!!
Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9
Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast
Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher
The Top Ten Questions to Ask Skeptical Friends
PodcastHow do you get a spiritual conversation started? Can you do it without appearing awkward? Should your goal be to bring someone to the foot of the cross in every conversation you have? Join Frank as he reveals the Top Ten questions that will help you have effective evangelism conversations with friends and even people you meet for the first time. As you’ll see, your goal should not be to bring everyone to the foot of the cross in every conversation. Just moving people closer to Christ incrementally should be your goal in most instances. This takes the pressure off of you by acknowledging that other people and the Holy Spirit have roles in the process too, which will mean you’ll be more apt to evangelize. Your job is to be faithful and to leave the results to God. Frank’s Ten Questions will help you be faithful and move people closer to Jesus. Don’t miss this very practical show!
Subscribe on Apple Podcast: http://bit.ly/CrossExamined_Podcast Rate and review! Thanks!!!
Subscribe on Google Play: https://cutt.ly/0E2eua9
Subscribe on Spotify: http://bit.ly/CrossExaminedOfficial_Podcast
Subscribe on Stitcher: http://bit.ly/CE_Podcast_Stitcher
Por qué es un error decir que todas las religiones son iguales
EspañolBy Al Serrato
Every year in the United States, thousands of crimes occur in which there are no witnesses and little evidence. Sometimes, the perpetrator leaves a fingerprint—a latent print—somewhere at the crime scene. In the past, these prints had little value in identifying the criminal; before they could make a match, police had to already have a known suspect.
Today, law enforcement officers have access to far better technology, in the form of AFIS, the Automatic Fingerprint Identification System. Maintained by the FBI, it houses data on millions of fingerprints, allowing an unknown latent print to be compared to millions of known criminals. Within minutes, the AFIS computer can spit out the twenty best possible matches to the unknown latent print. But this is only the beginning of the analysis, since with only one latent print at the scene, there is only one real source of the print. A trained analyst must then spend time carefully examining each suspect’s patterns—the whorls and arches and loops, the ridges and grooves—to determine if an exact match can be obtained. The first twenty possible matches have much in common, but upon closer examination, differences in the pattern of ridges and details will appear until the real source can be identified.
So what does this have to do with the field of apologetics? Just this: Living as we do in very pluralistic times, we often encounter people who believe that all religions are basically the same. Examining them superficially, you will see that religions share a number of traits; for example, most teach the utility of treating others with respect, of being kind, of helping the poor. So, while acknowledging some differences in doctrines, people who hold this view believe they have arrived at a great truth: there is no one right religion, only people who mistakenly, and sometimes dangerously, think they have the corner on the truth. This makes them feel at ease, for the moment, as they conclude that there is no need to investigate further. Just be kind to others and follow your heart and all will be well. But on closer inspection, all they have done is stop searching for the truth, the “source” of the life they have been given and the universe around them.
Like fingerprints, religions may appear on the surface to be identical, or nearly so, when in fact they are not. And determining how and where they differ requires rigorous and close inspection. This, of course, is crucial in a fingerprint analysis because we know that for a fingerprint there can be only one source. No analyst would stop when he narrowed the search down to three possible sources, because common sense and reason dictate that two of the three—or perhaps all three—must also be excludable in further investigation. It is the nature of the thing examined.
The same is true of knowledge of God. The world’s major religions make mutually exclusive truth claims about the nature and attributes of God. Do we live and die once, and then face judgment, as Christianity teaches? Or do we undergo a continuous cycle of life, death, and reincarnation? Is there one God composed of three persons, or is there instead a single god or a multitude of deities? For one religion to be true, the others cannot be.
It is logically possible, of course, that all religions are false. It is not possible, on the other hand, that religions that hold contrary positions are all true. Either Jesus Christ is the Son of God who rose from the dead and thus provides salvation to a fallen world, as Christians claim, or he is not. He cannot be both a savior and a mere sage.
Careful and critical analysis of a latent fingerprint can lead to the discovery of the truth about who left it. Making the effort is essential to the pursuit of justice, the importance of which we all intuitively recognize.
But careful, critical analysis can also lead to knowledge of the one God who brought us into existence. When we fail to investigate this question because we mistakenly believe that we already know all we need to know—that is, when we delude ourselves into believing that all religions are more or less the same—we may not intuitively realize how much we are giving up.
After all, what comes next—what awaits each of us at the end of our days here on Earth—is arguably the most important question we must face. And the sooner we begin that process, the sooner we will find that good and satisfying answers await us.
Recommended resources in Spanish:
Stealing from God ( Paperback ), ( Teacher Study Guide ), and ( Student Study Guide ) by Dr. Frank Turek
Why I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist ( Complete DVD Series ), ( Teacher’s Workbook ), and ( Student’s Handbook ) by Dr. Frank Turek
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Al Serrato received his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1985. He began his career as an FBI special agent before becoming a prosecutor in California, where he continues to work. An introduction to the works of C.S. Lewis sparked his interest in Apologetics, which he has pursued for the past three decades. He began writing Apologetics with J. Warner Wallace and Pleaseconvinceme.com .
Original Blog: https://cutt.ly/kUG3Ys6
Translated and edited by Yatniel Vega García
What Would It Take To Prove That God Doesn’t Exist?
2. Does God Exist?, Theology and Christian ApologeticsBy Al Serrato
Atheists who feel certain that there is no God are staking out a rather interesting position. As a corollary of their position, they are of course also convinced that those who believe in God are engaging in a form of wishful thinking, that their desire to believe in a “cosmic judge” of good and evil clouds their thinking, preventing them from following where “the science” actually leads, as they believe they have done. Indeed, many believe that religion is no more than the opiate of the masses. But a bit of careful consideration will lead to quite the opposite conclusion. Holding to atheism may have some superficial appeal, as the theist must concede that it is not possible to directly see or experience God. But pretending to know with certainty that there is no God, no supreme and perfect being, is itself an act of wishful thinking. Granted, completely eliminating doubt as to God’s existence is not possible, nor can we know fully or with certainty God’s character or attributes. But being certain he’s not there? That’s a decisive conclusion to draw.
What reasons or evidence do atheists provide in support of their conclusion? Most no doubt rely on their belief in Darwinian evolution as a satisfactory alternative explanation for how life appeared on this planet. Others might point to the existence of evil in the world and contend that an all-powerful and all-loving God would not allow evil to exist. Since evil does exist, God doesn’t. Still, others will attack the claims of theists, arguing for instance what they take to be contradictions in the resurrection accounts and concluding that all religion is just so much wishful thinking. But “knowing” that there is no God requires much more than any of these rationales could provide. In order to be entirely certain that there is no God, that in other words nowhere in the universe can God be found, one would have to have access to, well, the entire universe. Given the size and scope of the visible universe, this is quite a task. Add to that any aspects or dimensions that may elude our senses and the task becomes even more insurmountable.
Here is the odd thing about such a quest. In order to really satisfy oneself that the universe is devoid of God, the searcher must attain complete knowledge of the universe, for any lack of knowledge could relate to the very place that God is present. Moreover, since an all-powerful God would theoretically precede and transcend this universe, one would have to have the capability to examine anything that exists beyond the universe, a task beyond the reach of science. In short, then, one must become omniscient – possess total and complete knowledge of all places and all things – for only then could they know with the certainty atheism connotes that we are not in fact creatures of an intelligent and powerful creator but the products of mindless evolution.
Ironically, of course, at this point, the searcher would possess the very attributes of God. Proving the truth of atheism is, in the end, a futile quest, for one would need to be godlike to prove that God doesn’t exist.
Now to this conclusion some might object, arguing that by this reasoning, no one could be certain that unicorns or tooth fairies do not exist, since there is no way to prove these negatives either. But such a contention would miss the point. First, while there are no good reasons to believe in the existence of such mythical creatures, there are by contrast many logically compelling reasons to conclude that an uncaused first cause is necessary to explain that which we see around us. There are arguments from the design inherent in nature and the fine-tuning seen in the universe, as well as by the existence of evil. Each individual argument is logically sound and combined they are, to most who have considered them, sufficient warrant to believe that a Supreme Being must exist.
Moreover, the stakes involved are completely different. Being wrong about whether a unicorn can be found somewhere does not bring with it the same consequences as the question of whether there is a perfect being out there who created us. The former is simply a matter of intellectual curiosity. But the latter carries with it much weightier questions regarding who we are, why we are here, and most importantly, whether anything is expected of us by the One who brought us into being.
Weighty questions, worthy of our careful consideration.
Recommended resources related to the topic:
I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist (Paperback), and (Sermon) by Norman Geisler and Frank Turek
Stealing From God by Dr. Frank Turek (Book, 10-Part DVD Set, STUDENT Study Guide, TEACHER Study Guide)
Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Greg Koukl (Book)
Fearless Faith by Mike Adams, Frank Turek, and J. Warner Wallace (Complete DVD Series)
Defending the Faith on Campus by Frank Turek (DVD Set, mp4 Download set, and Complete Package)
So the Next Generation will Know by J. Warner Wallace (Book and Participant’s Guide)
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Al Serrato earned his law degree from the University of California at Berkeley in 1985. He began his career as an FBI special agent before becoming a prosecutor in California, where he continues to work. An introduction to CS Lewis’ works sparked his interest in Apologetics, which he has pursued for the past three decades. He got his start writing Apologetics with J. Warner Wallace and Pleaseconvinceme.com.
How the Chain of Custody Affirms the Biblical Jesus
PodcastWe don’t possess the original New Testament papyrus scrolls. They deteriorate too quickly to have survived this long. So how do we know that the manuscripts we have now are accurate representations of the originals? Is it reasonable to believe that they have been corrupted and embellished to falsely say that Jesus rose from the dead?
Detective J. Warner Wallace joins Frank to answer those questions. He cites a technique that law enforcement uses to ensure that evidence from murder or any crime isn’t corrupted. It’s called the Chain of Custody. Is there a chain of custody that secures the evidence about the identity of Jesus from the time of the eyewitnesses all the way to the fourth century when manuscript evidence was more abundant? Listen to find out. This is fascinating!
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¿Quién es la persona de mayor relevancia?
EspañolWhy are we so interested in murders? Some of the most popular podcasts, videos, and news headlines are about high-profile homicides. We are often consumed by the prime suspect who police often call a “person of interest.” Right now, are the headlines fixated on Brian Laundrie? Where is he? Did he do it? If so, why? And will he be served justice?
Unfortunately, in the long run, the person of interest is often remembered far more than their victims. We remember names like Charles Manson, Jeffery Dahmer and Ted Bundy, but we often forget those they killed.
But what if there is one big exception to that typical outcome? What if the most memorable and influential name in human history is not a villain, but a murder victim?
Unsolved homicide detective J. Warner Wallace exposes exactly that case in his astonishing new book Person of Interest . Wallace shows the unprecedented impact that a murdered Jewish preacher from an obscure corner of the former Roman Empire has had on the world over the past two thousand years.
Jesus of Nazareth is not only the central figure of the world’s largest religion, he is also the central figure of influence in all of human history. In a book packed with more than 400 of his own explanatory drawings, Wallace demonstrates that even if all Bibles and manuscripts were to suddenly disappear from the planet, the “explosive” appearance of Jesus and his essential teachings could be reconstructed from the “fuse” of ancient history and the “effects” of the past two thousand years.
Consider for a moment the impact Jesus had on literature . More has been written about Jesus than any other character in history. To date, more than 109 million books have been written about Jesus (George Washington is a distant second with nearly 59 million books). No one, and I mean no one , has inspired authors and writers like Jesus of Nazareth, and this influence started early.
Wallace illustrates a robust list of Christian and non-Christian voices found in ancient manuscripts from the first centuries of the Common Era – more non-Christian than Christian – describing Jesus and his followers. From these early voices, the entire story of Jesus can be reconstructed even if all the New Testament manuscripts had been destroyed.
Jesus dominates another form of literature: screenplays. Wallace brings together the films made about Jesus of Nazareth into an illustration that demonstrates Jesus’ unprecedented impact on film producers ( The Jesus Film , for example, remains the most translated and viewed film of all time). But there is more. Great thinkers and theologians have written about Jesus throughout the centuries, establishing a robust Christian publishing industry that flourishes to this day. Even non-Christians are compelled to allude to Jesus in one way or another. Christ figures—parallels to Jesus—flood not only classical literature but even popular fiction.
It would take much more than the New Testament to wipe Jesus off the pages of the world. It would take a lot of literary history to be destroyed .
But that’s just one aspect of the “effect” that Jesus is credited with. Wallace also describes and illustrates the monumental impact Jesus had on education, science, art, music, and other world religions. Unlike other books that simply explain Jesus’ role in human history, Person of Interest uncovers the hidden evidence you may not have considered in the aspects of culture most admired by nonbelievers . Jesus’ impact has been seismic, and from His footprints in every area of human history, His story can be completely reconstructed.
How did a man who never led an army, never held office, never founded a company, never wrote a book, never had children, never traveled more than 200 miles from his birthplace—a man who was murdered two thousand years ago—become the most important and influential person of interest in all of human history?
Maybe because he wasn’t just a man. Maybe because his killers couldn’t keep him in the grave. Person of Interest will leave you thinking and feeling that that is, by far, the most reasonable explanation.
Recommended resources in Spanish:
Stealing from God ( Paperback ), ( Teacher Study Guide ), and ( Student Study Guide ) by Dr. Frank Turek
Why I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist ( Complete DVD Series ), ( Teacher’s Workbook ), and ( Student’s Handbook ) by Dr. Frank Turek
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Dr. Frank Turek is the president of CrossExamined.org and co-author of I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist and author of Robbing God: Why Atheists Need God. He can be found on Twitter at @DrFrankTurek .
Original Blog: https://cutt.ly/qY46J1P
Translated by Jennifer Chavez
Edited by Elenita Romero
Artless Similarities: More Evidence for Gospel Reliability
4. Is the NT True?By Erik Manning
While reading the gospels, you’ll notice similarities between the characters portrayed across the different stories. Parallels between the gospels concerning character depictions are unlikely to be the result of mere chance. And these correspondences seem so casual and subtle that it’s unlikely they were designed that way. Philosopher Tim McGrew calls these ‘artless similarities.’
In an earlier video, we saw this kind of unity of character with Jesus between John and the Synoptics. But let me give another example with two somewhat lesser-known characters in the gospels — Mary and Martha. We find their stories in both Luke and John. For this evidence, I’m drawing from Peter J. Williams’ excellent book Can We Trust the Gospels?
Mary And Martha in Luke
As we read Luke 10 and John 11, we see that the two stories are very different. The majority of John 11 is about Jesus raising Mary and Martha’s brother Lazarus from the dead. With no obvious link to John, Luke gives the following story:
If John and Luke knew each other’s gospels, clearly they could’ve simply copied the names, but they obviously didn’t copy their completely different stories. Both gospels give us a glimpse of two characters who are in stark contrast: Martha is a hard worker and stressed out about practical matters. Mary sits and listens to Jesus’s teaching while ignoring her sister’s worries over entertaining their guests. Both sisters have different personality types: one is proactive and practical, while the other is introspective and thoughtful.
Mary And Martha in John
The same two women are seen in John’s gospel after their brother has died. Jesus visits them in Bethany, their hometown. Martha went straight to Jesus as soon as she heard he got there, while Mary remained seated at home (John 11:20). Right off the bat, we see a coincidence in the kinds of responses. Both Luke and John describe Mary as sitting while Martha is in action. In both accounts, Martha is the welcoming committee. She isn’t afraid to get a little fussy with Jesus for not coming sooner, just as she got upset when she wanted Jesus to rebuke her sister for not helping with the meal preparation in Luke. (John 11:21)
The fidgety Martha then tells her sister that Jesus is calling her after meeting Jesus. (John 11:28) Mary gets up and rushes to Jesus. Those with her think she’s going to the tomb to weep. (John 11:31) Unlike Martha, Mary “fell at his feet.” (John 11:32) Remember that she was at Jesus’ feet in Luke. Jesus sees her weeping (John 11:33), we don’t have a record of where Martha weeps.
Mary also seems to be perplexed with Jesus for not coming earlier, but Jesus doesn’t even talk to her. Jesus gets deeply emotional when he sees Mary crying with the others and asks where Lazarus is buried. Jesus seems to be especially moved by Mary’s tears. At the tomb, Jesus himself weeps and commands the stone to be moved. At this point, the ever-practical Martha blurts out, “Lord, by this time there will be a bad odor, for he has been dead there four days.” (John 11:39) She obviously fails to realize that Jesus is about to raise Lazarus from the dead.
Then in chapter 12, Martha is once again seen as serving. (Jn 12:2) Mary pours costly perfume on Jesus’ feet. (Jn 12:3) She’s once again at Jesus’ feet. As Jesus had to defend Mary to Martha for her right priorities, he also had to defend her to Judas and the rest of the disciples. Judas (and perhaps the other disciples) said the ointment should’ve been sold and given to the poor instead of being wasted on Jesus’ feet.
The Same Mary and Martha
Although these two stories are completely different, they both describe the two women in complementary ways. The physical matter of Mary “sitting” and placing herself at Jesus’ feet and Martha’s practical concern illustrates this. Likewise, Martha appears to be more active in both stories. It seems clear from this that both Luke and John are talking about actual people, showing that the Gospel accounts are shaped by eyewitness testimony.
Additionally, there are some practical insights here for the believer. In both accounts, Jesus shows love for his friends. He’s direct when they’re out of line, but commends them when they do what’s right. Jesus also jumps to his friends’ defense when they’re being misunderstood. He weeps with them when they weep and is willing to put himself in harm’s way to help them. As you may recall, the high priest plotted to kill Jesus after Jesus raised their brother from the dead. (John 11:53)
Lydia McGrew sums these points up well in her book The Eye of the Beholder:
Recommended resources related to the topic:
Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels by J. Warner Wallace (Book)
The New Testament: Too Embarrassing to Be False by Frank Turek (MP3) and (DVD)
Why We Know the New Testament Writers Told the Truth by Frank Turek (mp4 Download)
The Top Ten Reasons We Know the NT Writers Told the Truth mp3 by Frank Turek
Counter Culture Christian: Is the Bible True? by Frank Turek (Mp3), (Mp4), and (DVD)
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Erik Manning is a Reasonable Faith Chapter Director located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He’s a former freelance baseball writer and the co-owner of a vintage and handmade decor business with his wife, Dawn. He is passionate about the intersection of apologetics and evangelism.
Original Blog Source: https://cutt.ly/JUw4fu0