In Defense of the Christian Faith

When I first heard that Lee Strobel was writing a novel, I was hesitant to read it – not because I doubted Lee’s writing abilities (he is a former journalist and the author of the excellent “Case” series –  i.e. “The Case for Christ,” “The Case for Faith,” etc.) – but because I am not particularly fond of what I call “murder mysteries,” and I try to keep my reading of novels to a minimum. But this book was not what I expected; it was actually better than I anticipated. Here is the synopsis of this thriller from the jacket sleeve: A routine mob hit lights the fuse on an explosive collision of ambition and deception inside the Windy City’s corridors of power. Drawing on his years as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, bestselling author Lee Strobel reveals an insider’s tale of power, politics, and payoffs as current as today’s headlines. When a down-on-his-luck lawyer is coerced into bribing a judge to fix an upcoming mob trial, he secretly tapes the exchange to protect himself....

I was first introduced to The Truth Project's new series "True U" when I saw "The Toughest Test in College" documentary -- the first in the series. Needless to say, I was very impressed. This second installment --   Is The Bible Reliable?   -- was no less disappointing. In classroom setting, Dr. Stephen Meyer confidently teaches students why we can trust that our Bible is reliable.   The synopsis of  Is The Bible Reliable?  is as follows: Who is God, and how can we know Him? The Bible claims to be the direct revelation of our Creator. So if the biblical record is true, it is a primary means by which the God of the universe has revealed Himself to mankind. However, if it can be proved false, then the God of whom it speaks is simply one more pretender in the assembly of gods that man has created.  In  Is The Bible Reliable?  Dr. Stephen Meyer challenges you to examine the historical and archaeological evidence to determine for yourself the ver...

"...the best argument is one that is made without words." ~ Ryan Russell  When Christians use the term "apologetics," often someone will ask, "What are you apologizing for?" or "What's that?" Apologetics comes from the Greek word "apologia," meaning "to give a defense."  This fits perfectly with 1 Peter 3:15 -- the Scripture in my sub-header -- which reads: " But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, and always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear..." The term apologetics etymologically derives from the Classical Greek word apologia. In the Classical Greek legal system two key technical terms were employed: the prosecution delivered the kategoria (κατηγορία), and the defendant replied with an apologia. To deliver an apologia meant making a formal speech or giving an explanation to reply and rebut the charges, as in the case of Socra...

The following post is based on The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus  by Michael Licona and Gary Habermas. All quotes are taken from this book unless otherwise noted. This is part one of a series I will be doing on the topic of Jesus' Resurrection. (I realize that I have previously touched on this topic in a would-be series, but this should touch on everything I was not able to get to...) Enjoy! ----------- The Case For the Resurrection of Jesus: Part One - Introductory Thoughts Throughout the centuries, skeptics have maligned the Resurrection of Christ, placing so much weight on theories and arguments that do nothing to support the real evidence. But what these critics fail to understand is that Jesus’ Resurrection is not just a myth that can be easily dismissed; it is a fact of history, and, as such, it is the central point of Christianity. Why, then, is the Resurrection so important? A synopsis of the facts is quite revealing. The Resurrection was the central theme upon w...

The fourth of July is here again, and while we get an extended weekend and enjoy family time, it can be easy to forget just WHY we celebrate this day every year. So I just wanted to share a few quotes that summarize just what the big deal is about the fourth of July -- Independence Day: “It cannot be emphasized too clearly and too often that this nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religion, but on the gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason, peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here.” ~ Patrick Henry, May 1765 Speech to the House of Burgesses “Why is it that, next to the birthday of the Savior of the world, your most joyous and most venerated festival returns on this day [the Fourth of July]? Is it not that, in the chain of human events, the birthday of the nation is indissolubly linked with the birthday of the Savior? That it forms a leading event in the progress of the Gospel dispensation? Is ...

OK, so I haven't posted a decent article in a while and the number of apologetics articles and such that I have collected is piling up... so here is a "Friday Apologetics Finds" for you all. This week's picks are as follows: 1) Have you seen the debate between Christian apologist Dr. William Lane Craig and atheist Christopher Hitchens yet? You can watch the full version of the debate below: If you don't have time to watch the full 2+ hours of the debate, you can watch a 17 minute summary of it here ; My personal opinion is that Dr. Craig did excellently (especially see from minutes 8:40 on). 2) Speaking of Dr. Craig, I'm sure you've all heard that Professor Dawkins has refused to debate him. Well, according to one article , apparently, "the head of the British Humanist Association has stepped in to vindicate the honor of atheists everywhere." I hear Craig was expecting Dawkins to show up at the last minute, so he set up an extra chair ju...