Culture

John 1:1-14 states “In the beginning was the Word (Logos), and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made…. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” This is the message of Christmas -- God "dwelt among us" (Immanuel)! The Bible refers to Jesus as “The Logo

My wife and I are fans of the ABC comedy , a show about an African American family exploring stereotypes and cultural issues in a humorous way. I groaned when I learned the theme of a recent episode, simply titled “God,” which involves the family's teenaged daughter expressing her doubts at the existence of God . I didn’t expect it to offer any serious reasons to think God does exist. (And it didn’t. At all.) But the episode does highlight the key problem with Christian paren

In my last article , I laid out a context for what appears to be a growing problem in the black community. I discussed the lingering identity issue that seems to grip so many people of African descent and then illustrated how it poses a barrier to the spreading of the gospel as well as a stumbling block for many believers. With this article I provide a more detailed characterization of the sub-culture I have been referring to as the Consciousness Community/Movement (CC). The

We are all searching and seeking identity. For many it is mistakenly found in material objects, a sports team, money, or in human relationships. For African American folks, the identity crisis is coming in a virulent form that attacks their faith in Jesus Christ and their eternal lives. I have asked my colleague, Adam Coleman, to address this particular issue. - Tim Stratton The emergence of the New Atheists was not the beginning of sorrows. Dawkins and friends are but a n

Are Christianity and Islam different paths to the same God? Is Jesus really divine or just another prophet? Which is the true word of God, the Koran or the Bible? In (NGBO), Nabeel Qureshi explores many of the most common questions involving Islam and Christianity to show “the differences between Islam and Christianity have great implications, and that the evidence of history strongly supports the Christian claims” (11). But this book is not merely academic; it’s personal.

As a pastor, I have noticed many churchgoers today do not seem to have a proper understanding of God’s nature. This often leads to many viewing God like "Darth Vader" instead of a Perfect Being! These incoherent ideas about God lead to a weak faith and Christians not living as Christians ought to. William Lane Craig has a fantastic series of books for children entitled: " What is God Like? " I have found these books are not just great for little kids, but that most adults ca

"It's impossible for God to interact in the physical world. For example, say we have a material object and God wants to move it. Newton made it clear: every action has an equal and opposite reaction. Therefore, since God is an immaterial being He could never cause anything to happen or occur in the material/physical universe. Therefore, miracles are impossible!" Mr. Skeptic I spend much of my time arguing against naturalism; specifically against the idea that only the physi

Every once in a while I like to have conversations with those who disagree with what I think is true. I especially enjoy offering my arguments to those who are committed to their faith in naturalism. Here is an excerpt of a long conversation I had with some atheists. It begins with a debate over the moral argument for the existence of God and transitions into a debate with a physicist regarding my Freethinking Argument Against Naturalism . Let's pick up the action here: Ti

https://vimeo.com/160141466

Christians both agree and disagree on several theological issues. Despite these differences on certain points, what keeps Christians united is what C.S. Lewis referred to as “Mere Christianity.”  Keeping it "mere" means focusing on the one simple statement: "God raised Jesus from the dead." If this one proposition is true, then Mere Christianity is true as well. One of the issues dividing many Christians, however, is how to reconcile God's providence and human responsibili

One significant debate in the church today involves God’s sovereignty and human responsibility. At face value, these two concepts might appear to be mutually exclusive, and thus, many churchgoers feel the need to "pick a side." This debate usually divides the Church into two opposing forces: Calvinism vs. Arminianism. Calvinists are quick to affirm the exhaustive providence of God; however, in the process, their claims can simultaneously eradicate human freedom and genuine re

In his essays on “ Robots and Rationality ” and the "Chinese Room," Tim Stratton pointed to why it is unreasonable to think of machines and computers as being rational beings. One of his primary points is that rationality requires understanding and intentionality, two things that machines do not have. In this article, I want to tackle a different question - can computers think creatively? Many artificial intelligence researchers think that the difference between human think

Racism. Unfortunately, on a number of occasions I’ve had to stare it right in the face. But never has an experience with racial prejudice been so alarming as the time that I had to face it within myself. During my junior year at Virginia Commonwealth University I came to the conclusion that I owed something to my community. I felt that God had blessed me with the means of getting a solid education and job prospects so the least I could do was give back by helping someone else

The Freethinking Argument deductively proves that the human soul exists and that we possess libertarian free will. Many seem determined to oppose these deductive conclusions as they possess a revulsion against the idea that humans are actually responsible freethinkers. Given this revulsion, these determinists desperately try to find a way to refute one of the four premises of the syllogism. Often, those opposed to free thinking will offer computers as things that are comple

Eric D Smallwood (April 18, 1965 - March 31, 2015) was one of the most intelligent men to have ever walked this earth. I was blessed to be sharpened by him as a friend and mentor. We didn't look like brothers, but we were! I always say that Christ unites us more than DNA, and in this sense Eric and I were truly brothers in Christ! I have had many mentors in my life but over the past few years Eric Smallwood stands out as one who may have had the most powerful personal impa

https://youtu.be/fGXKuk3O7O0

I admit, I hate asking Christians for advice or to share my troubles. They just don't listen! You pour out your heart and they respond with trite statements like "Smile, Jesus loves you!" "Everything will be okay!" "Trust in God!" “Jeremiah 29:11!” While you're talking, you see in their eyes that they aren't even listening; they're thinking of some Christian-ese slogan or random Scripture to share. And while they may be well-meaning, they don't help. If anything, you leave fe

Doesn't matter what the press says. Doesn't matter what the politicians or the mobs say. Doesn't matter if the whole country decides that something wrong is something right. This nation was founded on one principle above all else: the requirement that we stand up for what we believe, no matter the odds or the consequences. When the mob and the press and the whole world tell you to move, your job is to plant yourself like a tree beside the river of truth, and tell the whole wo

Dear Isaac, Thank you for your open letter to me  published in The Huffington Post . The first thing I want to make clear is that I really do love you, brother! Although you disagree with some of my thoughts and beliefs, I truly do feel loved by you. My prayer is that you know you are loved in return, even though I do not agree with all of your thoughts and beliefs. After all, isn’t that what tolerance is about? I’d like to interact directly with your open letter to me. In

In a television episode of The West Wing ,  President Josiah Bartlet (played by Martin Sheen) is aggravated by a conservative female talk-radio personality who defends calling homosexuality an "abomination" by citing Leviticus 18:22 -- "You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination." This aggravates the liberal president who later notices her in the crowd at a speech he is giving and proceeds to ask her a few sharp and sarcastic questions as he compares