Philosophy professor Alvin Plantinga explains that the argument -- "If God is omniscient, omnipotent, and all-good, He would have created the best of all possible worlds" -- is not satisfactory at all. "How, indeed, could one argue, from the existe Continue Reading...
The real fire that burns you is the fire that is produced by God as the natural regulatory forces of nature. While the fire that is hallucination is fire that is conjured through the ideation of finite spirits such as other individuals. Real fire, s Continue Reading...
McGrath's comments above suggest periods of conceptual adjustment as observers of the Christian faith worked to make explanations for the presence, even the commonality, of sin as it exists in spite of God's innate goodness. So again, to the idea t Continue Reading...
These Gods subjugated humans in a way that never happened in other primitive river-valley cultures yet seemed to follow a political will as the concept evolved. This finally culminates in the marriage between the God of Above, Nergal, lord of Summer Continue Reading...
While other beings are considered to have love or act in loving ways, only God is determined to be love. Every action executed by God is derived from this essential principle that He is love. Love is the lens though which we understand and interpret Continue Reading...
There is no judgment from God on the believer, nor annoyance with God in respect to the believer -- neither in the last day nor today. From a familial aspect, God is significantly displeased with our behavior and punishment is sure -- either from G Continue Reading...
He indicates that even what Paul writes to people through his epistles is the Word of God. He is (again presciently) aware that the words might be twisted and misunderstood). But he has no doubt that Paul's writings (more prolific that his own were) Continue Reading...
In Chapter 5, the great churchman informs us that Water is in fact an apt designation for the Divinity, better than any of the other elements. Water possess the unique properties of being more moveable than earth (though less movable than air) whil Continue Reading...
Evil and Suffering The logical problem of evil is that if God is all-good then evil should not exist. Perhaps one can argue, then, that evil is a creation of man and that God cannot not prevent that, but God being Omnipotent, and, therefore, by defi Continue Reading...
Theodicy The problem of Sam the neighbor is not something new in the spiritual evaluation of the human condition. The presence of discomfort, fear and violence leads the casual observer to believe that if there is a God, he or she or whatever it is, Continue Reading...
Toulmin Model argument in response to one of the following prompts: • What specific action(s) should Christians take regarding the environment and its preservation or restoration? Active in 15 countries, "Target Earth" is a group of individua Continue Reading...
Life and Death: The Life Support Dilemma by Kenneth E. Schemmer M.D Kenneth Schemmer in his thorough, thought provoking book brings to life the controversial subject of the life support issue. For years, many all over the country have pondered, "Wh Continue Reading...
Freud makes it clear in one of his letters that he is atheist, though he denies attacking Christianity directly, but as a default to attacking Judaism, which was his faith of birth. It can be called an attack on religion only in so far as any scien Continue Reading...
This is the Jealous God that Huston carries throughout his film as a representation of Godly power. This view also raises many associated questions; such as the fact that God must also have been the originator of the snake. In this section and in t Continue Reading...
"On the fact that the Christian religion is not the only religion. -- So far is this from being a reason for believing that it is not the true one that, on the contrary, it makes us see that it is so. Men must be sincere in all religions; true heath Continue Reading...
Academic Engagements With Course Materials What are the major issues in Letty Russell's Introduction? In Letty M. Russell's Introduction to the series of theological essays in Liberating the Word , she expresses a need for a discussion of ways in Continue Reading...
Free Will: Comparing Aquinas & the Holy Scriptures Thomas of Aquinas is recognized by the Orthodox as one of the foundational theologians, particularly in that he provided an important step in towards the Renaissance by helping to reacquaint Ch Continue Reading...
Catechetical Plan: Understanding Amoris Laetitia1. Topic 9-session program for adults (Summary of Chapter Five of Amoris Laetitia)2. Intended Adult AudienceAt Sacred Heart parish, we developed a program to help couples get more involved in the church Continue Reading...
Book ReviewGeisler, Norman L., and Frank Turek.I Don\\\'t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist.Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2004.IntroductionGeisler and Turek have written a book that seeks to show why faith in atheistic materialism is irrational and not bas Continue Reading...
Anatomy/Christianity The Breath of Life Throughout scripture the concept of breath represents life. Genesis 2:7 It is evident that we need to breathe to live and that without our respiratory system, we would die. But why is this? Can we know why o Continue Reading...
Job and Suffering Humans have a lengthy history in dealing with the idea of suffering. Can anyone forget the relates the trials of Job, a devout man of God, at the hands of Satan, and his theological discussions with various characters on the nature Continue Reading...
As such, it is clear that my own personal belief in God shapes the way I view and experience the world, as well as my decisions in how to act within it. There are both theistic and naturalistic consequences to the act of believing or not believing. Continue Reading...
Atheist An Analysis of Secular Humanism and Christianity Critical Analysis: Secular humanists would answer the question of the origin of man by referring to the scientific field of biology, which is centered on the ideas put forth by Charles Darw Continue Reading...
Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate." 7 Why then," they asked Him, "did Moses command [us] to give divorce papers (I) and to send her away?" 8 He told them, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because of the hardness Continue Reading...
This made the religion even more appealing. For example, because Christianity was born from Jewish traditions, it could be accepted by Jews; because of it's mystical attributes, Greek and other Orientals found it attractive. As a philosophy, Christi Continue Reading...
As Spong has closed his career as a formal minister, retiring from the bishop position in 2000 have has become even more controversial than ever before: Spong believes in a transcending reality at "the very heart of life" that presses toward life a Continue Reading...
The Catholic Church Government The internal government of the early Church was formed within the framework of the Roman Empire, and bishops exercised authority over the Christian community in each Roman municipium. By the third century, a shift to Continue Reading...
Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O'Connor. Specifically, it will focus on the use of comedy/humor, foreshadowing, and irony in the work. Flannery O'Connor is one of the South's most well-known writers, and nearly all of her works, including this Continue Reading...
Sufism is more than just "the inner or esoteric dimension of Islam," (Nasr 5). Sufism is one of the few spiritual paths that recognizes, embraces, and encourages a universal religious sentiment that transcends differences of gender, culture, and poli Continue Reading...
His knowledge was not limited to the time or space during which Quran was revealed; it was far more encompassing and this is revealed in the Quran for those who wish to reflect and connect the dots. In Dr. Maurice Bucaille's writings on the subject Continue Reading...
Not only is a challenge present for Muslim teachers in attempting to standardize this curriculum but as well "this is compounded by the fact that curriculum materials related to teaching about Islam produced overseas - even for Arabic language studi Continue Reading...
Greek Temple Architecture From Its Inception Through the Hellenistic Period Present day Greece still retains the Greek temples, shrines and sanctuaries of the pre-Hellenic period. The modern world of architecture and historians regards these temples Continue Reading...
Sign Miracles of Jesus Christ During Jesus' life, he performed many miracles, a large number of which are recorded throughout the bible in various books. Some of these miracles are mentioned by more than one disciple, and some take on more signific Continue Reading...
Blake's "The Chimney Sweeper "s Romanticism was an intellectual, literary, and artistic movement that took place during the second half of the eighteenth century. William Blake, an English poet, painter, and printmaker, explores opposing views in S Continue Reading...
Free Will and Determinism From a theological viewpoint, human free will may not exist at all, since God is all-knowing and all-powerful, the destiny of each individual is determined from the beginning to time. Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin a Continue Reading...
Scientology Introducing a New Religious Movement, one must be as objective as possible. I, for instance, could choose to tell you that L. Ron Hubbard founded the Church of Scientology in 1954 and marketed it as an organization for social reform that Continue Reading...
For example, the species on a single continent are more likely to be similar to one another, even if they live in vastly different environmental conditions, than species from two different continents. Darwin drew heavily upon his experience on the B Continue Reading...
. . . Disagreements have only to do with what in our spirit needs to be changed and how that change can be brought about" (p. 14). One of the more interesting observations by Willard concerns the inability of humans to achieve this transformation in Continue Reading...
atheist. Objections and counter-arguments: McCloskey's "On Being an Atheist" In his essay "On Being an Atheist," the author H.J. McCloskey offers a multi-layered criticism of the belief in God and specifically Christian beliefs regarding God. McC Continue Reading...
Turning the Tide: Chapter Reviews and Summaries "the Rising Tide" In Chapter 1 of Turning the Tide, author Charles Stanley writes about what he considers the main problems of America, namely a lack of civic engagement and religious family values. T Continue Reading...
