The cosmological argument takes off from the common-sense idea that every effect must have a cause. From a rational point of view, the idea of something being created or effected out of nothing is absurd. Therefore, in many religious cosmologies, God is seen as either the material cause or the formal cause or the final cause of the world. In many cosmogonies, the universe is looked at as created out of something (and not nothing), many times the body of God (the eternal One). The idea of creation out of nothing does not originate in reason, though...
The Significance of Miracles
Jesus told the Jews to believe in Him, if not because of His words, then because of His works. The book of Acts records signs and wonders that accompanied preaching. The Bible talks also about lying signs by the devil in the last days. Obviously, as human experience proves (in all anthropological cultures), miracles play an important role in the area of faith and worldview formation.
Despite the Enlightenment euphoria challenging the possibility...
If God Is Love Means The Father Eternally Loves The Son, Does God Is Judge Means He Eternally Judges The Son?
Augustine in the eighth book of On Trinity begins to talk of love as involving three substances: the lover, the loved, and love. Modern apologists like Ravi Zacharias have argued that the statement God is Love could only be true if God is essentially and eternally a Triune being: the Father eternally loves the Son through the Holy Spirit. Thus, it was not that God was all alone (a monad) before the creation and had nothing to love, but being the Triune inter-personal God, He ever existed as Love.
Of course, Augustine also talks about the possibility...
Does the Moral Law Require a Moral Lawgiver?
One popular version of the moral argument for the existence of God has been that the reality or rational necessity of the moral law proves the existence of a moral lawgiver. However, we must admit that there are religious philosophies, especially in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism that do not find a leap from moral law to moral lawgiver necessary at all. In fact, in these, the moral law exists independently to any concept of deity. So, how justified is the argument from law to lawgiver?
I believe that the concept of a moral law and God are inseparable....
Is Fallenness Present As Opposite Sex Attraction In Some And Same-Sex Attraction In Others?
Sometime back, a pastor and leader in a reputed apologetic ministry commented that temptation to him occurred in the form of same-sex attraction, emphasizing that Christians must not regard temptation as sin but fight against temptation. He then went on to state that the fallenness of humanity is common to all and that while depravity may be manifest as opposite sex attraction in some, it appears as same-sex attraction in him and others. His comments went viral on social media. However, I disagree with his latter theological comment. Let me clarify...
Four Religions That Originated In India - Chart
RELIGION COUNTRIES HISTORY SCRIPTURES BELIEFS FESTIVALS PRACTICES
HINDUISMॐ India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bali, Fiji, Malaysia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Mauritius, West Indies Name derived from River SindhuOriginally, Arya DharmaVedic Age (2000-600 BC)Protests Age (600-200 BC)Epics & Puranas (200 BC-AD 1000)Bhakti Age (AD 1000-1750)Modern Age (AD 1750-)
6 Schools of Philosophy: Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisesika, Uttara Mimmsa, Purva Mimamsa
Sects: Saivism, Saktism, VaishnavismModern...
Alexander Pruss's Blog: The blink of an eye response to the problem of evil
Alexander Pruss's Blog: The blink of an eye response to the problem of evil
I want to confess something: I do not find the problem of evil compelling. I think to myself: Here, during the blink of an eye, there are horrendous things happening. But there is infinitely long life afterwards if God exists. For all we know, the horrendous things are just a blip in these infinitely long lives. And it just doesn’t seem hard to think that over an infinite future that initial blip could be justified, redeemed, defeated, compensated for with moral adequacy,...
What Is Wrong With Homosexuality?
Sodomites trying to attack Lot are striked blind by angels
The contention of being "oriented" argues from a supposedly ontological basis. Just because a person claims to be so oriented, gives him/her justification to act in the way he/she claims to be oriented. The premise is: Whatever is natural (or the nature of one) is moral and justified. However, there is a problem with this premise.
First of all, the objective nature of the claim has to...
Can Somebody Accept Jesus And Yet Be Opposed To The Holy Spirit?
The Jewish leaders and teachers, during the days of Jesus on earth, were looking to the coming of the Messiah. However, when Jesus the Messiah appeared, they crucified Him. They judged Him as being blasphemous and attributed His miracles to the devil. Jesus commented on their acts saying that He drove out demons by the Spirit of God, and that sin against the Holy Spirit cannot be forgiven.
Mat 12:28. "But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you.
Mat 12:30-31 "He who is not with Me is against Me,...
Liberty in Preaching Vs Power in Preaching - Billy Graham
Quote Location: 10m 6secs
You know, in preaching I like to have liberty in preaching- we call it. But, that has nothing to do with power. Many times when I have not had liberty in preaching, there has been the power of the Holy Spirit in service. So, God doesn't go according to my feelings as to what I have liberty enough; He goes according to the power of the Spirit of God in answer to prayers of many people who have prayed. But, it is a wonderful feeling for a preacher to have liberty. But, sometimes when the wind is blowing and things are...
Six Strategies For Teaching (NCTQ Report)
The National Council on Teacher Quality has pointed out six strategies that help in the promotion of learning among students.1 They are as follows:Strategies To Help Take in Information1. Pairing graphics with words.Hearing and Seeing are two important channels of receiving information. Teaching must pay attention to both.2. Linking abstract concepts with concrete representations.Every abstract thought can be explained with a concrete example. Teachers...
Happy Independence Day India! 2017
Today, we celebrate once again the fact of India becoming a sovereign nation, free from the rule of the British Monarchy. Colorful decors, hoisted flags, patriotic songs, happy children will flood schools, streets, and stadiums. We celebrate our political freedom today. But, we are not blind to the sight of oppressed and marginalized fellow citizens. We are not deaf to the cries of orphans and widows. The nation still bleeds and groans in agony from...
Multilingual Churches
There are various ways in which linguistic issues are being tackled by churches. For instance, there are those who wish to reach out to their own linguistic community and so traverse land and sea to reach their own community. Examples of such would be Hindi or Sindhi or Malayalee congregations making efforts to establish linguistic church communities in other nations. There are others who wish to only have their linguistic denomination in the foreign...
Pokémon Go, Safe Or Unsafe?
Snipshot from WikipediaWe observed this evening around 15-20 people crowded in a place to catch a Pokémon. Seems like Pokémon Go, invented by Japanese company Nintendo, was successful in bringing the game lovers to this location. The game has already been lauded by some for contributing towards combining virtual game framework with physical activity in real locations. The term used is "augmented reality"--one has to find the pokémon, invisible in...
We Have Toiled All Night And Caught Nothing
He said to Simon, "Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch." But Simon answered and said to Him, "Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net." And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking. (Luk 5:4-6)Simon Peter said to them, "I am going fishing." They said to him, "We are going with you also." They went out and immediately...
Existential Challenges of A Mega Church
The challenges of a megachurch are not a few. But, the most disturbing challenge is the challenge of defining what true "shepherding" really is. One "church" in the south of India uses membership card swipes to track attendance of church members. If a card is not swiped, the member will get a call from the church office the next day to inquire if all things are fine. There are also various plans and prizes being offered all the time to attract financial...
"My Church" "Your Church" - How Right Are These Expressions?
With the growth of denominational and non-denominational groups, the expressions "my church", "our church", "your church", and "their church" have also become part of many a church jargon. Of course, none of the users of such expressions intend to mean that the church "belongs" to them in the sense of "ownership". Usually, users of these phrases only may mean to say "the local church group that I am going to or am part of". Or do they?Certainly,...
