thoughts out !oud

a Christian’s news, views, opinions and occasional poetry …

Lazy Myth: Christianity oppresses scientific truth and is closed-minded, aka the Galileo case

As Christians, it seems we are forbidden to ever broach the topic of who the Western world’s fathers of science were. Heaven forbid, especially, that we mention that many of them were faithful, Bible-believing Christians and then follow this up with the bold (but factual) claim that the methods employed by modern science today, and that science as an established and sustainable institution, happened within only one period – and in one part of the world – in history: that of Europe, in the period then known as Christendom.

I made the fatal mistake of dropping this claim into a little discussion on a related topic and it wasn’t long before someone piped in with their contrary piece of wisdom: “Just ask Galileo what he thought about Christendom [sic] great… Continue reading Lazy Myth: Christianity oppresses scientific truth and is closed-minded, aka the Galileo case

Lazy Myth: Christians believe because they are told to

This Myth has at its core one main assumption: Christians blindly accept what they are told - they are brainwashed. The follow-on for this myth is that children who grow up in Christian households simply adopt - without question - the beliefs of their parents. Seriously, are there any people out there today who still hold to this myth? I know the ardent Reverend (sorry, evolutionist) Richard Dawkins has gone on record as saying that your religion is dependant on where you are born in the world. For instance, if you’re born into a Muslim household, you’ll grow up as a Muslim; if a Christian household, you’ll grow up as a Christian.

With sentiments like that, I do wonder why Mr Dawkins never had aspirations to become… Continue reading Lazy Myth: Christians believe because they are told to

Heathens, heaven and hell

[The writing of this article owes itself to the inspiring and thought-provoking post, and ensuing comments discussion, The 'Innocent' Heathen? over at Duane's Mind. Be sure to check out the comments related to his post!]

You would agree that all human knowledge is finite - we can’t know everything. (I mean that as a statement - I doubt anyone could say with absolute certainty that this is incorrect.) You would also agree, based on a traditional interpretation of the Bible, that Christianity teaches the following: God is Holy; mankind is sinful; mankind is destined for Hell; God, by His Graciousness, provides a remedy for mankind’s destination; Jesus, alone, is that remedy; those that acknowledge Jesus are redeemed; the redeemed are taken into God’s Holiness in Heaven; those… Continue reading Heathens, heaven and hell

Lazy Myth: There is no reasonable evidence for Christianity

This somewhat blasé objection goes something along the lines of: I don’t believe in the Christian God for exactly the same reasons you don’t believe in Odin (a Norse god) or the Tooth Fairy.

(This argument is actually a softer variant of Stephen Roberts’s argument: I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.)

Firstly, the issuer of this argument (which is actually nothing more than fluffed-up rhetoric) is attempting to pursuade his opponent and/or audience not by reason nor by contradictory evidence, but purely - and unjustly - by association. He is stating, by inference, that only the misinformed, immature and childish… Continue reading Lazy Myth: There is no reasonable evidence for Christianity

Dinesh D’Souza and evolutionary theory - a short take on his evolutionary defence

What’s so great about Christianity, by Dinesh D’Souza, has so far been a great read. He provides a detailed account of historical Christianity and proceeds to demonstrate the positives that Christianity has since brought into the world - and which, he argues, would not have come if Christianity did not exist. He claims that Western society today has benefited greatly from a Christian heritage - and that it is this same heritage that society has slowly - and voraciously - been turning against.

Our Western cultures today now bite the hands that fed them - the irony is that the tools in which anti-theists in general, and anti-Christians in particular, now wield have been afforded to them by the spread of Christianity. The cherished freedom… Continue reading Dinesh D'Souza and evolutionary theory - a short take on his evolutionary defence

The Spaghetti Monster, an invisible pink unicorn and a teapot walk into a bar …

In case you’re not aware, the title of this post alludes to those fanciful arguments of the Flying Spaghetti Monster (FSM), the Invisible Pink Unicorn and the Orbiting Teapot which are used by some anti-theists to posit that theists ultimately have no truth for their beliefs (the argument being that anyone can say what they like if it can’t be proved empirically hence undermining theistic beliefs which are assumed to simply be acts of fancy). All three illustrations are essentially the same and are really just re-hashes of each other. All very well and good; they are constructs to try and refute blind faith. And I support, in general terms, the refuting of blind faith.

And yet those who know I’m a Christian would immediately jump up and… Continue reading The Spaghetti Monster, an invisible pink unicorn and a teapot walk into a bar ...

What’s your ‘christian’ flava?, or ‘Why Christian Creeds are important’

Stemming from a recent online forum debate I was involved in, one of the queries leveled at me was along the lines of: what variant of Christianity do I subscribe to?

Initially, I found this to be a curious question. For to me, Christianity is Christianity - how can truth be varied? But there is an important lesson within this question for those of us Christians who aspire to share and argue for the truth of the Gospel. And the lesson stems from the fact that, to the unbeliever, to ask what ‘variant’ of Christianity you adhere to reveals that the face of Christianity is obscured or blurred at the best of times.

This reminds me of a story of a traveling Christian businessman. One weekend, when… Continue reading What's your 'christian' flava?, or 'Why Christian Creeds are important'

Lazy Myth: all religions are equal

Those of you who have been following along with some of my posts over the last several weeks will likely, no doubt, appreciate the irony with this post. I’m referring to an earlier post of mine, Covering Some Lazy Myths, the intent of which was to step through and critique those lazy, half-baked objections to the truth of Christianity. Well, if you haven’t guessed already, the irony about my Lazy Myth series is that I’ve been lazy in writing about them! (Where does that road lead again that was paved with good intentions?)

So, after much deliberation (or laziness), here’s the first. Lazy Myth: all religions are equal.

All religions are equal. That’s the claim of this lazy myth. No matter which religion you choose… Continue reading Lazy Myth: all religions are equal

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