Most of us have surely heard someone make the comment that Religion (most often with the finger pointed squarely at Christianity) is the primary cause of the majority of death and suffering that come about through wars and human against human conflicts. Perhaps even we ourselves have bought into the modern popularity of such a broad statement. But is it fact? Is it really the case that religion causes the most wars and death? Sure anyone can bring up the famous Crusades of the Middle Ages - and they certainly caused a huge loss of human life. But when looking at human history and examining the total body count and what caused the biggest loss of human life, religion (especially Christianity and her monotheistic siblings of Judaism & Islam) must be placed much, MUCH further down on the list.
Christopher Hitchens, who is by far the most vitriolic atheist debater, is scheduled to debate William Lane Craig, who is one of the most capable Christian debaters on God’s existence of our time.
Saturday, April 4
7:30 pm
Chase Gymnasium
Biola University
Witness one of the great debates of the new millennium. Devoted atheist, Christopher Hitchens, author of the bestselling God is Not Great, squares off with one of the most formidable debaters in the Christian world, Dr. William Lane Craig, on the topic: Does God Exist?
Moderated by Hugh Hewitt and hosted by Craig Hazen
Cosponsored with Biola Associated Students
Book signing to follow
I’m not sure how many of you have heard of Justin Brierley’s radio show called Unbelievable, but I’ve really enjoyed it for some time now. Each week he has a Christian and a non-Christian on the show to have discussion on critical issues. He’s had some pretty big name Christian thinkers on, and since the show is an hour and twenty minutes long, often the conversation is quite detailed.
As a year end special he pulled together a show where he deviated from his normal format in order to bring together some of the best interviews from 2008. Here is the description:
Dinesh D’Souza was born in Bombay, India; he came to America at the age of 17; and he eventually graduated from Dartmouth. He was a policy adviser in Ronald Reagan’s White House until 1988. His latest book, What’s So Great About Christianity? is a response to many of the new atheists who are traipsing around saying that the greatest problems of the world are caused by religion (in particular Christianity and Islam). Surprisingly, even Michael Shermer, publisher of the magazine, Skeptic, and an ex-Christian, had this to say of D’Souza’s book, What’s So Great About Christianity?:
I just came across this 7 minute video about whether or not it is arrogant for Christians to say that there is only one way to be saved. This is a common complaint about Christianity–we are intolerant of other spiritual paths. But, suppose, just suppose, that there really is only one way that God has provided. If this is the case, then the other religions are the guilty ones, for they purport to provide a way to salvation and are unwittingly deceiving people into a false sense of salvation. It reminds me of the story of the guy who was shipwrecked and was the only one to survive. After floating around on his plank of wood for a day someone came by in a motorboat and threw him a rope to save him. Would the castaway respond with smugness and ingratitude, “What, you think you are the only person with a rope to save me?” No! He would grab the rope, because whether or not there are others to save him, this person is here and has the means to save him now. God has made a way for people to be saved, and that way is through Jesus, his only begotten son who died for our sins and was raised for our justification. If we turn him down, he will honor our right to choose, but let no one say that God is cruel to only make one way; that only insults the one who loved so much that he gave.
Over on the He Lives blog David takes a look at one of the counter-points made by Dawkins in his book ‘The God Delusion’. Specifically, Dawkins apparently loves it when people of faith ask him how morality exists without God. In fact, this is one of William Lane Craig’s main arguments for the existence of God - the existence of morality. It is also a big part of the foundation of CS Lewis’ ‘Mere Christianity’ work. To Dawkins:
my [Dawkins’s] immediate temptation is to issue the following challenge: ‘Do you really mean to tell me the only reason you try to be good is to gain God’s approval and reward, or to avoid his disapproval and punishment? That’s not morality, that’s just sucking up, apple polishing [etc.]’ The God Delusion, p. 259.
I listened to this talk by Dr. William Lane Craig a while ago and to this day I consider it one of the most thought provoking and best stated explanations of why life without God is miserable. Many atheists today assert that life is better without God. For example, Richard Dawkins said recently in the Expelled movie that he finds people are relieved when they discover that God does not exist. However, should this be the case? Some of the finest atheists of the last couple of centuries who thought deeply about their worldview came to a much different conclusion. In fact one of them said that the only serious philosophical question was whether or not to commit suicide.
On March 4th Dr. Tim Keller, Senior Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (New York City), delivered a wonderful talk at the University of California at Berkeley in which he defended the Christian notion of exclusivity. In our day it is frequently asserted that no religion has “the truth” to the exclusion of any other religion. We are often told that we are arrogant if we believe that we are right on any point of doctrine. This becomes a real problem for us as Christians who are committed to the following statements of Scripture.
John 14.6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
You can find out a little more about Keller at his wikipedia page. He is an author, part-time seminary professor, and founder and pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City.
I am truly shocked that the employees of Google would have him speak, that the company would allow it, AND that is would be the highest attended talk! It seems from the limited description of the talk that he was doing the very basics of apologetics and intro to philosophy of religion type things:
Evolution reigns supreme in the educational institutions of America and Europe. However, there are major holes in the theory that remain even after over a hundred years of intense efforts to fill them in not to mention the billions of research dollars spent along with some of the careers of many of the finest scientific minds of the 20th century. Even so, alternative theories of how everything came about are routinely ostracized, ridiculed, and rejected without investigation. Ben Stein has done the leg work to track down this anti-freedom conspiracy and expose it for what it is: good old fashioned fear–fear of being wrong. Click the play button below to watch the trailer for this upcoming movie due to hit theaters this spring.
I just came across this 7 minute video about whether or not it is arrogant for Christians to say that there is only one way to be saved. This is a common complaint about Christianity–we are intolerant of other spiritual paths. But, suppose, just suppose, that there really is only one way that God has provided. If this is the case, then the other religions are the guilty ones, for they purport to provide a way to salvation and are unwittingly deceiving people into a false sense of salvation. It reminds me of the story of the guy who was shipwrecked and was the only one to survive. After floating around on his plank of wood for a day someone came by in a motorboat and threw him a rope to save him. Would the castaway respond with smugness and ingratitude, “What, you think you are the only person with a rope to save me?” No! He would grab the rope, because whether or not there are others to save him, this person is here and has the means to save him now. God has made a way for people to be saved, and that way is through Jesus, his only begotten son who died for our sins and was raised for our justification. If we turn him down, he will honor our right to choose, but let no one say that God is cruel to only make one way; that only insults the one who loved so much that he gave.
I listened to this talk by Dr. William Lane Craig a while ago and to this day I consider it one of the most thought provoking and best stated explanations of why life without God is miserable. Many atheists today assert that life is better without God. For example, Richard Dawkins said recently in the Expelled movie that he finds people are relieved when they discover that God does not exist. However, should this be the case? Some of the finest atheists of the last couple of centuries who thought deeply about their worldview came to a much different conclusion. In fact one of them said that the only serious philosophical question was whether or not to commit suicide. 
On March 4th Dr. Tim Keller, Senior Pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church (New York City), delivered a wonderful talk at the University of California at Berkeley in which he defended the Christian notion of exclusivity. In our day it is frequently asserted that no religion has “the truth” to the exclusion of any other religion. We are often told that we are arrogant if we believe that we are right on any point of doctrine. This becomes a real problem for us as Christians who are committed to the following statements of Scripture.