Author: Dan Martin

When Christians speak of violence in Islam

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The recent bombing attacks in Boston have once again raised the cry across the internet, rehearsing the perceived violence of Islam.  In several recent discussions, Christians have repeated the mantra that the Qur’an is filled with commands to commit violence against non-Muslims.  Islam, they say, is an inherently bloodthirsty faith.  Commonly cited as empirical fact are screeds such as this one:  “The Quran contains at … Continue reading When Christians speak of violence in Islam »

The Lamb That Was Slain – A Passover/Easter Reflection

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This Holy Saturday, between Good Friday and Easter, I was reflecting on the idea of Jesus as the slain Passover lamb.  The association is certainly Biblical, not only in the obvious context of Jesus’ death taking place on Passover, but also in the testimony of the Apostle Paul in 1:Cor. 5:7.  Paul doesn’t go into detail what he means about Jesus being the Passover lamb, … Continue reading The Lamb That Was Slain – A Passover/Easter Reflection »

Why do I believe? Part 5 – A parenthetical apologia

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One of the greatest comedy movies of all time, I am convinced, is The Princess Bride.  And one of my many favorite lines, when Inigo has heard Vizzini describe one too many things as “inconceivable,” is “You keep using that word.  I do not think it means what you think it means.”  Well, that can certainly be said about apologetics, as I realized when a … Continue reading Why do I believe? Part 5 – A parenthetical apologia »

Why do I believe? Part 4 – Cosmology and Creation

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The heavens are telling the glory of God;     and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech,     and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words;     their voice is not heard; yet their voice goes out through all the earth,     and their words to the end of the world.  (Ps. 19:1-4) Part of … Continue reading Why do I believe? Part 4 – Cosmology and Creation »

“Speaking of Jesus – The Art of Not-Evangelism” by Carl Medearis (book review)

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This is a review, but mostly a recommendation, of Carl Medearis’ book Speaking of Jesus – The Art of Not-Evangelism.  I’ll get to the review in a minute, but I’ll start by saying up front:  seriously, this is a book you should buy and read.  If you’re a Christian who’s interested in evangelism, you should read it.  If you’re sick to death of Christians trying … Continue reading “Speaking of Jesus – The Art of Not-Evangelism” by Carl Medearis (book review) »

Why do I believe? Part 3 – Parsing the question(s)

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I made a statement at the end of a previous post on this subject, that needs a little explanation.  I said “I believe, and will attempt to show in future posts, that a preponderance of the evidence supports the existence of God, and that further evidence pushes me to the Christian interpretation of what that God does and wants.”   Tucked into this sentence is a … Continue reading Why do I believe? Part 3 – Parsing the question(s) »

God’s decrees never lack power … an Advent meditation

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“Nothing is impossible with God.” We know this … we believe it … we confess it with our mouths.  It’s a great theoretical statement that underlies our confidence that God cannot be defeated.  But this thought can also be a bit distant.  Just because God can do something, just because God is all-powerful, doesn’t necessarily impact our everyday lives. In Luke 1:26-38 is recorded the … Continue reading God’s decrees never lack power … an Advent meditation »

The Belief Matrix – A functional description of evidence and theism/atheism

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In response to my previous post on the rules of evidence for my apologetics, a friend of mine who is himself a seeker of truth pointed out to me that I probably mischaracterized agnosticism as a simple midpoint between theism and atheism.  As he quite correctly said, one can be an agnostic while leaning toward either atheism or theism, and that even agnosticism has at … Continue reading The Belief Matrix – A functional description of evidence and theism/atheism »

Why do I believe? Part 2 – A little epistemology

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OK, so here’s my first abuse of an “ology” word.  Before I get into what leads me to believe the way I do, I feel it necessary to establish at least a rough view of the rules of evidence as I’m using them.  The term of art here is “epistemology,” which is usually defined as how we know (or think we know) what we know.  … Continue reading Why do I believe? Part 2 – A little epistemology »