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mid-week apologetics booster (4-27-2023)

Good morning friends, Quote of the week: Only those who are prepared to die are really ready to live. And when you live for Christ, you will accept Gods will for your life. – Greg Laurie Now, here are your weekly links:

Ready to Give an Answer | Answers in Genesis – The Question: Do you have any evidence that it is the truth? That is a fair question. In the marketplace of philosophies, ideologies, or worldviews, it is a question anyone must answer before putting their faith in any one particular system or pattern of thought. Now, I understood that we all have the same evidence and that how one interprets it depends on ones starting point. However, from his perspective he obviously wanted me to defend the Christian faith. As Christians we are commanded to give a reason for the faith that is within us. As a matter of intellectual honesty and practicality, what possible good is a worldview for which you cannot give a defense? If we cannot give a defense, we probably don’t know enough about our alleged worldview for it to be of much value to us either!: https://answersingenesis.org/is-the-bible-true/ready-to-give-an-answer/
Common Questions – a collection from bethinking.org These resources will get you started on thinking through common questions about issues like suffering, science and Christianity, the reliability of the Bible and many more. Follow the recommendations at the end of each resource to explore further.: https://www.bethinking.org/collection/common-questions
4 Reasons Apologetics Benefits You – If you’ve ever tried to share your convictions with someone (and if you’re a Christian, I would hope that you had!), you know how intimidating it can be. I’ve been there. We don’t want to be the one getting tongue tied and fumbling for words. Getting a conversation started is usually the hardest part of evangelism. Most people’s biggest fear however is being asked a question you can’t answer. Apologetics can make a difference in these interactions. Apologetics How does apologetics solve this problem? Apologetics is essentially making a case for what you believe. But does Apologetics benefit us in other ways besides evangelism? Many Christians believe that Apologetics is too academic and requires too much study to be of value. I disagree. I believe the study of apologetics is essential not only for evangelism, but for our own growth as Christians. Here are four ways that being a good Christian case maker can be of value to you as a Christian.: https://tentmakingchristianity.com/4-reasons-apologetics-benefits/
Believing the Gospels Is Different Than Trusting the Gospel | Cold Case Christianity: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/believing-the-gospels-is-different-than-trusting-the-gospel/
Darwin, Africa, and Genocide: The Horror of Scientific Racism – YouTube – In the early 1900s, Social Darwinism helped fuel the first genocide of the twentieth century when Germany tried to eradicate the Herero people in southern Africa. Learn about this horrific chapter in modern history and the abuse of Darwin’s theory to justify colonialism and extermination. This short video is excerpted from the award-winning documentary, The Biology of the Second Reich. It starts by exploring the rise of Darwinism in Germany and then shows how this ideology impacted German colonialism in southwest Africa, leading to genocide.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQPrvPM38Ws
Staying calm on social media with disagreements | The Domain for Truth: https://veritasdomain.wordpress.com/2020/06/05/staying-calm-on-social-media-with-disagreements/
Three Goals in a Christian Apologetics Encounter Reflections – there are important goals to strive for in apologetics interactions. So whether its a television or radio interview, a formal debate, or a personal discussion with someone, I generally have three goals in mind when engaging in the enterprise of apologetics. If I can work toward accomplishing these goals, then I think my time of defending the faith has been well served.: https://reflectionsbyken.wordpress.com/2019/08/21/three-goals-in-a-christian-apologetics-encounter/
How We Got the Bible: The English Bible to 1611: http://truthbomb.blogspot.com/2014/03/how-we-got-bible-english-bible-to-1611.html
Misotheists Dehumanizing Christians and Creationists – Making fun of an institution through satire and parody can be found throughout millennia to illustrate perceived absurdities of belief systems. These are used for various targets, but the most common seem to be political or religious. So why attack individuals instead of ideas? It seems like practically everyone does it. Just ask the uncool kids in school. This is far beyond satire or persuasion. A quote commonly (but probably erroneously) attributed to Socrates is, “When the debate is over, slander becomes the tool of the loser”. This child sees a useful principle in that statement. Although it is common to encounter proponents of atheistic naturalism ridiculing biblical creationists in rallies, books, videos, and so on, it is greatly intensified on social(ist) media. With the option of anonymity, attacks increase with impunity and vitriol. Note that when a professing atheist makes demands on a Christian, there is usually a great deal of sneering and loaded questions.: https://www.piltdownsuperman.com/2020/11/misotheists-dehumanizing-christians-and-creationists.html?m=1
Peppered Moths . . . Evidence for Evolution? | Answers in Genesis – Stop me if you have heard this tale before. It’s about one of the sacred cows of evolution: the peppered moth. The story of this moth has been set forth for decades as the prime example of evolution in action. It is a fascinating story about how, due to a combination of environmental changes and selective predation, a moth turned into, well, a moth.: https://answersingenesis.org/creepy-crawlies/insects/peppered-moths/
Is Morality Determined by Its Popularity? | Answers in Genesis – Share But everybody else is doing it! Have you ever heard or made this argument? If everybody else is doing it, you should be allowed to do whatever it is too, right? A new study revealed that our view of what is morally right or wrong is shaped by how widespread a particular behavior is.: https://answersingenesis.org/morality/is-morality-determined-by-its-popularity/
Is Jesus Real and How Can We Know? – Is Jesus real? That is a big question. Well, not really. It’s a simple question with a simple answer. Yes, Jesus is real. However, it’s a big question to tackle with a skeptic. A lot of people will claim there is no proof that Jesus was a real person in history, so they use that excuse to stay in their disbelief. But I can’t help but wonder. How many other ancient historical figures do skeptics believe existed with little to no proof? I’m finding that in a lot of cases, people scrutinize the claims of the Bible with a higher level of skepticism than other texts presented to them.: https://myhumbleapology.com/2021/01/16/is-jesus-real-and-how-can-we-know/
Three Atheists Explain Why the Bible Should Be Taught in Schools – Intellectual Takeout: https://intellectualtakeout.org/2017/10/three-atheists-explain-why-the-bible-should-be-taught-in-schools/
Guidance and Gods Plan | Reasonable Faith – Let me suggest a nice Bible study to get you started: search for all the references in Scripture to the phrase will of God or Gods will. In each case ask yourself whether the expression refers to a general desire on Gods part or to a more specific intention.: https://www.reasonablefaith.org/question-answer/P10/guidance-and-gods-plan
Three Spiritual Journeys of Millennials – Barna Group – The trend of youth and young adult disengagement from Christianity seems to be picking up steam at a larger rate than normal generational trends.: https://www.barna.com/research/three-spiritual-journeys-of-millennials/
Taking Jesus to Work – Christian Research Institute – I was challenged to seriously consider the Christian message by a guy whose zeal for defending his convictions obliged me not only to reflect on his point of view but also to ask myself some serious questions about my own. He was someone who had taken the time to ponder the answers to life’s most serious questions. He was compelling, courteous, and confident. He didn’t knock on my front door, or hand me a pamphlet, or accost me on the street. He didn’t offer to wash my car. He didn’t invite me to go anywhere with him or encourage me to make a decision about what he had just told me. He just asked me questions that made me think.: https://www.equip.org/articles/taking-jesus-work/
Atheism: More Than Just a Non-Belief – All the beliefs that go along with an atheists lack of belief in God can be stated positively: The universe is random and purposeless, moral values and duties are illusory, a belief in human exceptionalism is species-ist, we have only instrumental value, human nature is malleable and can (and should) be reshaped and improved by society, etc. These are all positive claims that need to be recognized and defended.: https://www.str.org/w/atheism-more-than-just-a-non-belief
Why Do Parasites Exist? | The Creation Podcast: Episode 47 | The Institute for Creation Research – Try to get to the end of this episode without squirming! Almost everything on earth has some kind of parasite living inside of it – including humans. What are parasites, and how do they impact their hosts? Were they a part of God’s original “very good” creation? Some parasites produce effects terrifying enough to make your skin crawl; but did you know that some of them are harmless – or even beneficial – to their hosts? Host Lauren and biologist Dr. Frank Sherwin talk about these strange organisms – the good, the bad, and the ugly: https://www.icr.org/article/creation-podcast-episode-47/
Eugenics is back – In the 1880s, Charles Darwin’s cousin, Sir Francis Galton, gave the world a new word and a new quest, namely eugenics, meaning well-born (from Greek eu, well and genos, offspring). This is the concept of improving the human race by encouraging those individuals deemed fit to reproduce, while discouraging/preventing those deemed unfit from doing so. Darwin heartily approved and wrote: if the prudent avoid marriage, whilst the reckless marry, the inferior members will tend to supplant the better members of society.: https://creation.com/eugenics-is-back
The mystery of the moon. Evolutionists claim that our moon was formed by natural processes without the need for a creator. This view, however, is not supported by science, as all the explanations they propose have major problems.: https://creation.com/moon-mystery
Is Jesus God? | Answers in Genesis – There are many cults and false religions today that deny it. What is the truth about Jesus Christ? We turn to the Scriptures for the answer.: https://answersingenesis.org/jesus/jesus-is-god/is-jesus-god/
Is Euthanasia a Biblical Solution to Terminal Illness or Suffering? | Answers in Genesis: https://answersingenesis.org/sanctity-of-life/euthanasia/biblical-solution-terminal-illness-or-suffering/
Treating the Gospel Like a Cookie Rather Than a Cure | Cold Case Christianity – Some of us hesitate to share the Gospel because (whether we care to admit it or not) we’ve come to see religious truth as a matter of subjective opinion rather than objective truth.: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/treating-the-gospel-like-a-cookie-rather-than-a-cure/
Four reasons to think that atheism is inconsistent with scientific progress | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2021/03/24/four-reasons-to-think-that-atheism-is-inconsistent-with-scientific-progress-2/
Bloom Where You’re Planted. Have you ever had the desire to be an apologist? Here is Greg’s sage advice to get you started on your way. I get asked a particular question fairly frequently. It’s not a question about apologetics. It’s a question about this kind of work. I thought maybe I’d take a few moments to give you the answer I give when I’m asked, How does one get into the line of work that you’re in? I take that as a kind of a compliment, in a way, that someone who is participating with Stand to Reason would be drawn to this kind work and want to be useful in terms of the Kingdom in this way. The simple answer is, It’s not easy to get into this business. If what you mean is, make a living at defending the faith, or speaking on these issues, or writing on these issues, it’s not easy. I’m going to give you a general response in just a few seconds that would be applicable to most people who want to make a difference for the Kingdom in this way, but don’t see an entre at the moment. The fact is, there is no career path for being a professional apologist because this isn’t a line of work, in the same sense as other careers.: https://www.str.org/w/bloom-where-you-re-planted
Granger Smith feels ‘relief’ leaving country music to ‘serve’ God: ‘I need to completely surrender’ | Fox News: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/granger-smith-feels-relief-leaving-country-music-serve-god-surrender
Should we expect to know what Gods reason is for allowing evil and suffering? | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2023/04/20/should-we-expect-to-know-what-gods-reason-is-for-allowing-evil-and-suffering-7/
Planned Parenthood is Teaching Young Girls That Prostitution is OK – LifeNews.com: https://www.lifenews.com/2023/04/17/planned-parenthood-is-teaching-young-girls-that-prostitution-is-ok/
Researchers discover 1,750-year-old Syriac translation of Gospel of Matthew in palimpsest manuscript using with UV photography – SyriacPress: https://syriacpress.com/blog/2023/04/18/researchers-discover-1750-year-old-syriac-translation-of-gospel-of-matthew-in-palimpsest-manuscript-using-with-uv-photography/
Video illustration: What is FAITH? – YouTube – What is faith? What faith the Bible talks about? This video illustrates the Biblical view of Faith; how much faith you have?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XfpOaNDNow0
How can I receive the protection of God? | GotQuestions.org – There are many verses in God’s Word that seem to promise Gods physical protection. At first glance, it does seem that God promises to protect His children from harm. But if that were the case, why do so many Christians around the world struggle with persecution, illness, loss, accidents, and injuries? We all know Christians whose foot has slipped. Is God breaking His promise, or are we missing something?: https://www.gotquestions.org/protection-of-God.html
Was Hitler a Christian? | GotQuestions.org: https://www.gotquestions.org/was-Hitler-a-Christian.html
Galileo ~ Myth vs Reality – This episode features Dr. Robert Carter and Dr. Jonathan Sarfati. They discuss in detail many of the facts surrounding the famous trial of Galileo and dismiss many of the associated urban myths (many of which are intentionally propagated by skeptics). They also delve more deeply into the intellectual background in the centuries leading up to Galileo, Copernicus, and Newton. Galileo was politically naïve, which got him into a lot of hot water. He was also overconfident about his ideas, while his opponents (correctly) pointed out the flaws in his reasoning. Yet, he did his best and most enduring work during those years of house arrest. The history of scientific progress and how it relates to Christian history is well worth studying and this episode will not let you down. Galileo Galilei (1564-1642) is often held up as the poster child of a supposed war between science and Christianity. The real history is much more interesting. The real clash was science vs. science, and the Church had the science of the day on its side. Several outstanding clergy-scientists in the Middle Ages discussed the earth’s rotation with no repercussions. Galileo’s observations were compatible with some geocentric models, such as the Capellan and Tychonian hybrid models. Kepler’s model with elliptical orbits was superior to all others of the day, including Galileo’s. The science that ended absolute geocentrism as a credible model occurred decades and even centuries after Galileo’s death.: https://creation.com/media-center/youtube/ct-galileo-myth-fact
Why are Christians allowed to eat shellfish but not allowed to have sex before marriage? | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2018/07/06/why-are-christians-allowed-to-eat-shellfish-but-not-allowed-to-have-sex-before-marriage-4/
Miracle: Christian Who Graduated From Seminary Still A Christian | Babylon Bee: https://babylonbee.com/news/miracle-christian-graduates-from-seminary-still-a-christian
Is the Asbury revival a genuine work of God?: https://www.gotquestions.blog/Asbury-revival.html
Brothers and Sisters, We Are All Apologists Now – Spring 2023 Address to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary TIMOTHY PAUL JONES. Apologetics is no longer a task that’s limited to biblical scholars and theologians. In some sense, it never was or at least it shouldn’t have been, but the scope of apologetics has necessarily expanded. Cultural and societal changes have turned apologetics into an unavoidable consequence of living publicly as a Christian. Pursuing a Christian way of life will inevitably require providing a defense of this way of being in the world, not merely for apologists but for all of us.: https://timothypauljones.substack.com/p/brothers-and-sisters-we-are-all-apologists
Migratory birds use magnetic GPS: https://creation.com/birds-migratory-gps

When words are many, sin is not absent, but he who holds his tongue is wise. Proverbs 10:19 Blessings to you all