With all that has gone on over the last week or so, what do we do now?
I do not think that there are any of us who have grown up in the United States who have any idea what it is that we are supposed to be doing in the aftermath of riots and murders at the seat of our government. Perhaps people from other times or places might have some frame of reference, but we have none.
Having no clear path forward, I have often found it to be helpful to return to the basics…
The Moral Argument has been one of the most effective arguments for God’s existence, and one that believers can use in a vast array of situations. Of all of the debates I have watched between atheists/agnostics and Christian philosophers, it has been the most difficult for the skeptics to answer. Even in my own dialogues on social media I have only encountered two responses to the Moral Argument: evasion and insult. Either the person I’ve presented this argument to attempts to avoid having to deal with the argument by trying to change the subject, ends the conversation, or proceeds to call me a cultist, bigot, flat-earther, religious zealot, or homophobe or misogynist if discussing abortion or homosexuality.
Read MoreAmong the Advent Christian faithful, there has been a palpable sense that we are in the midst of an identity crisis as a denomination. It begins with the common report that the majority of people who fill our pews do not identify as Advent Christians. Of the few who do embrace that identity, many are progressively joining the ranks of the elderly…
Read MoreIn “the breath of God” Jefferson Vann examines how Moses used the Hebrew word that is most often mistranslated as “spirit” in the Old Testament, and how Matthew uses its Greek equivalent in the New Testament.
Read More“What would my bookcase tell someone else about me and my life?”
Read MoreWe’re back to my favorite apologetics subject: Ancient History! Many New Testament scholars today will differ in their positions on the dates the four gospels were written. This article will not weigh in on that discussion. This article is written to show that the gospel itself dates back to within 6 months of the crucifixion! I hope that peaks your interest. Let’s dive right into the data.
Read MoreThe Advent Christian Church has historically had a very large theological tent. Our ranks have often included the orphans from others churches, whose views were considered unorthodox at best and heretical at worst. One such doctrine has defined our little band of misfits— Conditional Immortality. We have multiple views on what the Scriptures teach on the role of women as elders, synergists and monergists, a wide acceptance of Atonement views. Additionally we lack agreement on what we should agree on to be a part of our group.
Read MoreIt is remarkable how ignorant the contemporary church is to its history. I’m by no means an expert, more like a hobbyist on the matter. Whether it’s reading the original works of guys who died long ago, or imbibing in a solid biography, church history is a joy for me. I’d like to share that joy with you by helping you see its importance.
Read MoreIs it pagan in origin?
Read MoreUnderstanding forgiveness in prayer and forgiveness in person can help us to navigate difficult life circumstances e.g. how do you forgive someone who has hurt you deeply, but who has already passed away or is out of sight completely? You must cultivate and nourish forgiveness in prayer.
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Read MorePerhaps you’ve heard a skeptic say, “Religious belief is largely influenced by geography. If you were born in the Middle-East, you’d probably be a muslim. Or, if you were born in India, you’d probably be a hindu. Truth should be based on evidence and facts, not on where you were born.” Most who put forth this challenge are unaware that they have committed the Genetic Fallacy. What is the genetic fallacy? This article will tell you just that, and how to answer someone who commits it.
Read MoreThere is a certain crowd who creates unnecessary conflict within the body of Christ. You can find their positions all over social media, YouTube, and sometimes even on TV. In this article, we will call them the “Anti-Holiday” crowd.
Read MoreBoth heaven and sky are possible meanings of shamayim/ ouranos. But I am convinced that most English versions overuse the gloss “heaven” and rarely use the more basic gloss “sky.” The result is that some of the original intended meaning of certain texts is obscured.
Read Moreabout Christianity. I myself have found myself slipping into this temptation that so easily entangles. Many apologists begin studying apologetics with great intentions: to bolster their faith or the faith of their fellow Christians, to become a more confident and effective ambassador for Christ, etc. However, it is easy to lose sight of these goals and become distracted by our prideful nature. Yes, the danger of apologetics is arrogance.
Read More“What did the Adventist publications say about women earning the right to vote?”
This was one question that came to my mind while I was visiting Aurora University, doing some research in their Adventist archival collection. I was entertaining questions in my mind about how Advent Christians reacted publicly to major current events. Case in point – the ratification of the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution, which gave women (who were legal US citizens) the right to vote. And so, I began to read.
Read MoreThere is something about the holidays that begins to stir deep dark waters of childhood emotions within me and threatens to sweep me up in rip currents and deposit me far away from my grounding in Christ – the tide of unforgiveness rises in my heart and I must seek higher ground. While my issues stem from growing up with an emotionally neglectful alcoholic mother and an absent father, I am sure I am not alone during the holidays.
Read MoreIf you’ve ever wondered where you would stand on human rights issues of the past if you had lived through them (I.e. American slavery, the Holocaust if you lived in Germany), or whether you would have stood up for what is right in a culture that was morally indifferent on a certain evil, you can get a pretty good idea of where you would land back then by examining where you stand on the mass murder of our day: Abortion.
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