New Zealand is a country in mourning tonight as news that the hopes we’d held onto over recent days for the trapped Pike River Miners were no more. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends and the community devastated by this tragedy.
November 24th, 2010 by
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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.
Buy the paperback versionBuy the Kindle version
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.Buy the paperback version
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.Buy the paperback versionBuy the Kindle version
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.Buy the hardcover version
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.Buy the paperback version
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.Buy the paperback versionBuy the Kindle version
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
All mankind is of one author, and is one volume; when one man dies, one chapter is not torn out of the book, but translated into a better language; and every chapter must be so translated; God employs several translators; some pieces are translated by age, some by sickness, some by war, some by justice; but God’s hand is in every translation, and his hand shall bind up all our scattered leaves again for that library where every book shall lie open to one another.
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No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, [New Zealand] is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a [house] of thy friend’s or of thine own were: any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.
John Donne, Meditation XVII
ropata, this probably isn’t the best time or place to respond to the blather from Donne but I can’t resist.
My heart goes out to those affected by this tragedy. I have no doubt that those who are grieving may be comforted by their belief in god and the hope that they will be reunited with their loved ones in the afterlife. All that being said, the suggestion that god is instrumental in sickness, war and mining accidents is both intellectually offensive and vacuous.
In situations like these, I see only two approaches. The first is to reread the Book of Job, throw one’s arms in the air in despair and hope that there is a purpose served by the grief that is beyond human comprehension. My preferred appraoch is to adopt the following view:
Kids die of cancer, get run over by cars, drown in swimming pools, choke on sandwiches, get hit by stray bullets – you name it and it will happen somewhere, sometime, this year. Religious faith undoubtedly helps the parents who suffer these tragedies but it does nothing to explain why they happen. The fact of these tragedies is, in my opinion, the ultimate disproof of the existence of God. [excerpt from a forthcoming article in Free Enquiry]
@TAM
Come on dude…there are other threads and it’s not the time or place.
@TAM
I wasnt aware the Christian faith attempted to explain why these things happen. We have had this conversation before, it is not what happens but how we respond to what happens that is important.
It always amazes me that some people think that bad things happening somehow argues against the existence of God…….why?
Do you think for God to exist he would have to guarantee that no bad thing would ever happen to anybody. What kind of life would we be leading if we could never stubb our toes, trip over, shout at someone, no mountain climbing in case of risks, no motorbikes, no adrenaline rush of any kind, just existing totally protected from anything that could possibly be interpreted by anyone as having a negative impact on us. We would be shop dummies locked in safe storage….would that allow you to think God might exist.
Freedom and choice means the possibilty of bad things happening as well as good things, do you really want it any other way?
I love it, you cited an assertion, put “in my opinion” in front of it, noted that it came from The Free Inquiry and this apparently establishes something?
We, the Sharma family from 304B Cambridge Rd Hillcrest Hamilton offer our deepest condolences to the miners family in their loss. We are a close family and we adore the value of each other so we deeply understand what they are going through right now. We are remembering them and their loved ones in our daily prayers and hope gods love and peace be upon them now and forever. with all our love.
Ronald & Dhineshni I join you in prayer, I know what it is to lose someone tragically and too soon and I would not wish it on anyone. It is terrible to comprehend what the families are going through at this time.
@TAM and everyone else that’s arguing,
Let me be frank. I find it appalling that in this hour of suffering, we find more time to argue and evangelize than to support the families of the victims. This is a national tragedy and the most we can do is spent our time in abstract conjecture?!?!?!
That is just abhorrent! you should be ashamed!
Matt, it is my opinion. I noted the source because they own the copyright. It will be published in the spring.
I remain of the view that the problem of suffering remains an insurmountable challenge to those who believe in the Judeo-Christian god. However, I agree that this is not the time or the place to discuss it further.
Guys, if you want to get into a debate about the problem of suffering this would be the most appropriate thread to do it on: The Problem of Evil: Why does God Allow Suffering?
Can we please keep this thread on topic?
My apologies also.
Appreciate that the sympathies are secular “Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends.” This is along the lines of the PMs speech and is inclusive. I have been annoyed by those sending message with only “prayers.” Excludes so many people.
No matter how you phrase it Ken it is going to exclude people. A condolence offered without prayers is not a heartfelt condolence for a Christian.
You’ve got your own blog, offer a condolence that is heartfelt for you.
Note also that people offer their condolences because they percieve it is the right thing to do, the caring thing to do and we ought to be showing we care.
This obviously excludes some nihilists who deny that there is a right thing to do. By your logic, Parliament should shut up and just be indifferent so it includes everyone.