2009

Entries from September 11th, 2009

Darwinian Evolution, God and Ockham’s Razor

September 11th, 2009 31 Comments

In a previous post, Darwinian Evolution, Chance and Design, I argued that the contention that Darwinian evolution occurs by chance does not entail that it shows the world was not designed. Once one sees how the concept of chance is defined in evolutionary theory one can see that it does not rule out design. It […]

Tags: Alvin Plantinga · Charles Darwin · Evolution · Faith and Reason · Ockham’s Razor · Philosophy of Religion · Science and Religion

Recyling: Rawls on Religion and Public Life

September 9th, 2009 Comments Off on Recyling: Rawls on Religion and Public Life

A common theme appeared in the comments section of my Investigate Magazine article, Contra Mundum: What’s Wrong with Imposing your Beliefs onto Others? Commenters suggested I had not addressed the standard liberal conception of the role of religion and public life, the view that no law should be based on premises that not all reasonable […]

Tags: John Rawls · Nicholas Wolterstorff · Philosophy of Religion · Recycling · Religion in Public Life · Selection

A Review of Last Night’s Boscawen, McCoskrie, Evans, Baldock Meeting UPDATED

September 8th, 2009 46 Comments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XFaxThapdQ&feature=player_embedded”>watch

Last night’s meeting with John Boscawen, Bob McCoskrie, Jim Evans and Larry Baldock on amending s59 of the Crimes Act to decriminalise the use of reasonable force for the purposes of parental correction was encouraging. The main themes I came away with from each speaker were: John Boscawen – ACT Party MP John Boscawen has […]

Tags: Bob McCoskrie · Fitzgerald v Muldoon · Jim Evans · John Boscawen · John Key · Larry Baldock · Referenda · s59 · Smacking

Philosophy Carnival XCVI

September 8th, 2009 Comments Off on Philosophy Carnival XCVI

The Philosophy Carnival XCVI is now online. Matt’s posts: Tooley, Plantinga and the Deontological Argument from Evil Part I and Tooley, Plantinga and the Deontological Argument from Evil Part II are featured. There are a number of other interesting reads also linked to so head on over and check them out.

Tags: Philosophers' Carnival

Sunday Study: Interpreting the Sixth Commandment Part I

September 6th, 2009 5 Comments

One of the most well known biblical commands is the sixth commandment of the Decalogue (according to protestant enumeration). This commandment occurs in the 20th chapter of the book of Exodus and the fifth chapter of the book of Deuteronomy. In its most well-known rendition, the King James Version (KJV), this commandment states “thou shalt […]

Tags: Old Testament Ethics · Sunday Study · Ten Commandments · Theology

Christian Blog Ranking Report for August 09 – HalfDone

September 6th, 2009 2 Comments

Here are the top 10 NZ Christian blogs based on HalfDone’s NZ blog stats for August; these stats will make up part of the calculations for the MandM top 10 NZ Christian Blog rankings for August 09: MandM 5 NZ Conservative 10 Something Should Go Here, Maybe Later (HalfDone) 13 MacDoctor Moments 18 Keeping Stock […]

Tags: NZ Christian Blog Rankings

Monday Night: John Boscawen, Bob McCoskrie and Jim Evans on Amending s59

September 4th, 2009 5 Comments

Fresh from Facebook’s “5000 Demanding Anti Smacking Law Change” group is this invitation: ACT MP John Boscawen is holding a series of public debates on the smacking referendum result and how his bill to amend S59 will bring the legislation into line with public opinion. John Boscawen will be holding the first debate in Phil […]

Tags: ACT Party · Bob McCoskrie · Events · Jim Evans · John Boscawen · Parental Freedom · Phil Goff · Referendum · s59 · Smacking

Matthew Flannagan on Amazon

Did God Really Command Genocide? Coming to Terms with the Justice of God
Authors: Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan

A common objection to belief in the God of the Bible is that a good, kind, and loving deity would never command the wholesale slaughter of nations. In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.

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True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism Eds: Tom Gilson, Carson Weitnauer

Today's New Atheists proclaim themselves our culture's party of reason. It is a claim they cannot sustain. Reason is the New Atheists' weakness, not their strength and in fact, the Christian faith is a far better place to look for True Reason. Making their case accessible to the first-time inquirer as well as the serious student, this top-flight team of writers presents a sound defense and a strong introduction to the true reason uniquely found in Christianity.

Feat. William Lane Craig, Sean McDowell, John DePoe, Chuck Edwards, Peter Grice, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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In Defense of the Bible: A Comprehensive Apologetic for the Authority of Scripture
Eds: Steven B Cowan and Terry L Wilder

The book begins by examining foundational philosophical approaches to the Bible as well as the methodological challenges those philosophies create for interpreting the Bible. It then addresses textual and historical challenges and how to deal with them. Finally it looks at ethical, scientific, and theological challenges demonstrating the Bible's moral integrity in relationship to contemporary moral emphases.

Feat. R Douglas Geivett, William A Dembski, Mary Jo Sharp, Darrell L Bock, Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Virtues in Action: New Essays in Applied Virtue Ethics
Ed: Michael W Austin

Many philosophers have considered the strengths and weaknesses of a virtue-centered approach to moral theory. Much less attention has been given to how such an approach bears on issues in applied ethics. The essays in this volume apply a virtue-centered perspective to a variety of contemporary moral issues.

Feat. Michael W Austin, Robert K Garcia, Nathan L King, Gregory Bassham, Nancy E Snow, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Holy War in the Bible: Christian Morality and an Old Testament Problem
Eds: Heath A Thomas, Jeremy Evans & Paul Copan

The challenge of a seemingly genocidal God who commands ruthless warfare has bewildered Bible readers for generations. A range of expert contributors engage in a multidisciplinary approach that considers this issue from a variety of perspectives: biblical, ethical, philosophical and theological.

Feat. David Lamb, Paul Copan, Murray Rae, Heath Thomas, Stephen B Chapman, Douglas S Earl, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Come Let Us Reason: New Essays in Christian Apologetics
Eds: William Lane Craig & Paul Copan

The nineteen essays here raise classical philosophical questions in fresh ways, address contemporary challenges for the church, and will deepen the thinking of the next generation of apologists. Packed with dynamic topical discussions and informed by the latest scholarship.

Feat. J P Moreland, William Lane Craig, Gary R Habermas, Craig Keener, Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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True Reason: Christian Responses to the Challenge of Atheism Eds: Tom Gilson, Carson Weitnauer

While New Atheists like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others proclaim loudly their rationality, clear thinking, and incontrovertible scientific arguments, others are beginning to wonder how genuinely rational they are. Have they proved anything? Have they argued convincingly? Have they pinpointed any real challenges to the credibility of Christian faith?

Feat. William Lane Craig, Sean McDowell, John DePoe, Chuck Edwards, Peter Grice, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

Buy the Kindle version

Entries from September 11th, 2009

Darwinian Evolution, God and Ockham’s Razor

September 11th, 2009 31 Comments

Recyling: Rawls on Religion and Public Life

September 9th, 2009 Comments Off on Recyling: Rawls on Religion and Public Life

Philosophy Carnival XCVI

September 8th, 2009 Comments Off on Philosophy Carnival XCVI

Sunday Study: Interpreting the Sixth Commandment Part I

September 6th, 2009 5 Comments

Christian Blog Ranking Report for August 09 – HalfDone

September 6th, 2009 2 Comments

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