Is God Guilty of Genocide?
… Continue reading...
Is the God of the Bible a Genocidal Maniac?
Armenia. Cambodia. Rawanda. Bosnia. Darfur. All well-known modern examples of genocide where entire people groups were wiped out (or almost wiped out). These are awful tragedies, worthy of our sorrow and grief.
And yet, ask the critics, is the God of the Bible really any different? When the Israelites entered the land of Canaan, was it not God that commanded them to wipe out all the indigenous people (Deut 20:17)? Is God not guilty of genocide? It makes me think of the famous bumper-sticker quote, “The only difference between God and Adolf Hitler is that God is more proficient at genocide.”
Admittedly, this is a difficult, complex issue. We feel … Continue reading...
Looking at Miracles Again: A Great New Book on David Hume
In my most recent post, “Are Miracles Improbable? Rethinking What Makes Something ‘Likely’ to Happen,” I analyzed (and critiqued) the main arguments against miracles. And, like any discussion of miracles, I felt required to mention the work of Scottish philosopher David Hume.
I can still remember walking by David Hume’s statue almost every day when I was studying at the University of Edinburgh years ago (see main photo). He always seemed to stare at me as I passed by. I could hear his hypothetical question in my head, “Why do you believe in miracles if you’ve never seen one?”
For those who want to dive deeper into Hume … Continue reading...
Are Miracles Improbable? Rethinking What Makes Something “Likely” to Happen
Our world’s skepticism over miracles is nothing new. Ever since David Hume, philosophers and scholars have been making the case against the possibility of miracles.
But, now things have shifted. Hume has been roundly (and decisively) rebutted and philosophers now realize that one cannot prove miracles are impossible. But, not to worry, now there’s a new argument. Now the argument is that miracles are simply improbable.
So improbable, in fact, that we should never prefer a miraculous explanation over a naturalistic one. Given how unlikely miracles are, it is always more likely that a miracle did not occur. Thus, it is argued, historians would have no reason to ever … Continue reading...
Is the Old Testament Still Relevant for Christians?
It goes without saying that there has been a lot of chatter lately about the applicability of the Old Testament for new covenant believers. For instance, you can check out my TGC article, “Why We Can’t Unhitch from the Old Testament,” a review of Andy Stanley’s latest book on this topic, Irresistible.
But, some people don’t have time for a lengthy article, and certainly not a book. If you (or someone you know) is looking for just a brief 3-minute summary of why the OT still matters, then here’s a video I did recently for Credo Magazine on this very question:
https://vimeo.com/303131785