Philosophy

What is truth? People have been asking this question for centuries. In fact, Pilate asked Jesus this very question over two thousand years ago (John 18:38). The answer to this intriguing question is quite simple: statements that are true correspond to reality. This raises another question: what is reality? The answer to this question is uncomplicated as well: reality is the way things are. I am committed to truth. In fact, I have said that I am more committed to truth than I

Dr. William Lane Craig, in my humble opinion, is the smartest man on the face of the earth! He is the finest of logicians, his philosophy of science is unmatched, and there is no better systematic theologian. On top of that, I recently attended his lecture at the EPS conference in Atlanta where he systematically  refuted Stephen Hawking’s cosmological model (let that sink in for a while). Dr. Craig is so scary smart that the popular atheist, Sam Harris, states that Craig put

I met Tim Stratton almost fifteen years ago, but have recently become friends with him when I developed an interest in philosophy. I attended the first semester of Reasonable Faith UNK and I have always been interested in science, mostly social science academically and philosophy recreationally. I believe my initial draw to Christian Apologetics came from the fact that these people at Reasonable Faith were the few I knew who were willing to engage in deep discussion and debat

EDIT (1-9-24): When one Googles "The Free-Thinking Argument," this blog article is often at the top of the list. While the big ideas behind this blog are true, the Free-Thinking Argument has evolved and been defended with more philosophical precision in recent years. After reading this article, please see the peer-reviewed academic journal article I co-authored with J.P. Moreland called An Explanation and Defense of the free-Thinking Argument (2022), and also my debate with

It's the zombie argument. The objection that won't stay down: the . Skeptics just can't accept the fact that Euthyphro has been dead for centuries and keep dragging him out of his grave. In case you don't know who Euthyphro is, let me introduce you to him. Euthyphro is a character from one of Plato’s writings who has a discussion with Socrates about the gods and piety. His dilemma has been repurposed as an argument against the goodness of God and can be stated as follows: Is

I love to spend my time thinking about time. That might sound rather odd to most people; however, I have come to the conclusion that if we understand time correctly, then the rest of reality starts to fall into place. My interest in time theory began to exist when I began examining the beginning of the space-time universe. William Lane Craig's Kalam Cosmological Argument captivated me and I have been studying it for several years. This argument is about beginnings and th

Keith Thompson made a video taking Dr. William Lane Craig out of context. Sam Shamoun took the liberty of posting this video  to Dr. Craig's wall in an attempt to discredit him as an evangelical Christian apologist. In response to Thompson’s video (that Shamoun shared on Dr. Craig’s Facebook page), I said the following: “We must be careful when using words like "certain." After all, I can prove to you that you are not even 100% *certain* of your own name or of the existence o

Am I responsible for my beliefs or does something else impose them upon me? What do you believe? How do you know those beliefs you hold are any good (let alone true)? Many philosophers, scientists, and theologians today reject the idea that humans can ever make genuine choices. I freely think they are wrong as it sure seems as if we possess free will and can make real choices (at least occasionally). Moreover, as I have demonstrated in my Freethinking Argument Against Natura

Welcome to the third installment of Stuff Atheists Say , a series dedicated to bad arguments used against theists. (Be sure to check out part 1 and part 2 !) This article will discuss three quick slogans, two aimed at mocking religion (and thus religious people) and one centered around a logical fallacy. Let's begin: Bad "argument" #3: Religion is a crutch. Quick response: Maybe. So what? Maybe religion offers people meaning and comfort. It gives them strength and helps t

"LORD", the psalmist declares, “thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. Thou turnest man back to the dust, and sayest, Turn back, O children of men! For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night” (Ps. 90:1-4). Here the psalmist confirms the familiar idea of God’s everlasting

I recently engaged in a debate with a physicist who objected to the Kalam Cosmological Argument based on his metaphysical assumption of the B-theory of time (he referred to this theory as “eternalism”). I have written about some of the problems with the logical conclusions that follow from this metaphysical assumption here and here . When I joined this Facebook conversation, Charles Einman (who claims he has a PhD is physics from Cambridge) had already been railing against

Some in academia today claim that science has “killed God!” They do not mean that in a literal sense. What they hope to communicate is that science has removed  need for God, or stronger, that science has demonstrated the non-existence of God. Statements like these lead many to think these two concepts – God and science – are mutually exclusive. In this article I address the question: Can God and science both be true? Before answering this question, clarification is needed.

Many atheists exclaim that the existence of natural evil leading to suffering (gratuitous or otherwise) is proof that God does not exist. Is this a logically valid objection? Here's something to think about: (1) Evil is privation of good (metaphysical evil) (2) Absence of good is evil; to a degree that something is not perfect, to that same degree it is evil (3) Anything that is created must be less than Creator (4) Therefore it must suffer from some metaphysical evil—being

In December of 2014, after three years of hard work and long hours of study, my colleague, Timothy “Orthodox” Fox, and I finally graduated from Biola University with a couple of Master’s Degrees in Christian Apologetics (both of us graduated with highest honors)! This field of study focuses on logic, science, metaphysics, the historical method, philosophy, and of course, theology. I was completely transformed through this experience and I highly recommend this course of stud

Atheists like to label themselves as “freethinkers.” However, if they happen to be right, about the non-existence of God, it follows that it is highly implausible that the immaterial aspect of humanity called a “soul” exists. This has led me to the conclusion that it is impossible for an atheist to really be a “ free thinker!” Sure, they can join the club and call themselves “freethinkers,” but if they happen to be right about the non-existence of God, atheists cannot freely

Does objective truth apply to morality? This question has major ramifications depending on how you answer it, because it ultimately asks, “DOES GOD EXIST?” We can see this demonstrated through the use of logic in a deductive syllogism known as “The Moral Argument.” Here it is: 1- If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist. 2- Objective moral values and duties exist. 3- Therefore, God exists. To avoid this theistic conclusion, those committed to t

In my last article I demonstrated that if a committed atheist rejects the logical conclusion of the Kalam Cosmological Argument  by appealing to the B-theory of time, then they must also reject Darwinian evolution as an explanation of primate biological complexity. It follows that if one thinks evolution is true, they must reject the B-theory of time and deal with the conclusions and rational inferences of the Kalam. That is to say, if one affirms evolution, they must also

In my last article , I examined the problem of evil, asking if it would be possible for God to create a world without evil while allowing us to have free will. (Spoiler alert: No.) This week I want to look at pain and suffering through the lens of . It's easy to kick back and ask why God allows evil, but I'm more concerned with finding a cohesive worldview where the existence of evil makes most sense. (And if the concept of worldview is completely foreign to you, check out th

In my last article I discussed and explained one of my favorite arguments for the existence of God known as, the Kalam Cosmological Argument . This argument is based on logic and utilizes science to confirm what we can logically prove. From the deductive conclusions of the Kalam, we can rationally infer the existence of God. Be that as it may, there is one objection to the Kalam that needs to be taken seriously. This objection, and the Kalam itself, both involve metaphysica

One of my favorite arguments for God’s existence is called the Kalam Cosmological Argument (KCA). It consists of two premises that lead to a logically deductive conclusion. The syllogism goes as follows: 1- Whatever begins to exist has a cause. 2- The universe began to exist. 3- Therefore, the universe had a cause. Premise One Let’s begin by analyzing the first premise: “Whatever begins to exist has a cause.” We see examples of this every day in our lives. Through the dec