Monthly Archives: December 2019

Can God Only Create That Which Is Consistent With His Nature?

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) In a recent debate I had with a YouTube skeptic, a very interesting argument was brought up in an attempt to show a logical inconsistency within the concept of God’s inherent goodness. The skeptic argued that since God can only create what is consistent with his nature, and God “created” evil as per (Isaiah 45:7), that therefore it seems to follow that God is evil. But, since the Christian conception of God is that he is all good, then this seems to demonstrate a … Read More »

The Post-Mortem Appearances of Jesus

By L. Alfred James We are currently in a series of blog posts that provide an intellectual pathway for moving someone (or yourself) all the way from hardcore atheism to biblical Christianity. Last week we saw that the evidence for Jesus’ empty tomb is quite formidable. But some people will (reasonably) ask, “Why does the mere fact of the empty tomb prove Jesus has risen from the dead? Aren’t there other explanations for an empty tomb?” Well, the case for the resurrection of Jesus does not rest solely on the … Read More »

Top Five Christian Apologists Of Our Time

By Elysia McColley There have been numerous men and women throughout history who have broken through the cultural mores of their times to bring people the truth of God’s Word. The early church had leaders like Tertullian and Augustine; in the Middle Ages, there was Thomas Aquinas, amongst many others. In the twentieth century, C.S. Lewis helped the most intellectually-oriented people turn their thoughts back to the Bible and the Christian message. Each of these Christian apologists spoke to particular issues that existed in his or her day. I want … Read More »

Is the God of the Bible Evil?

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) The God of the Bible is often accused of being an evil deity. On the one hand, the biblical text declares the goodness and righteousness of God while on the other hand this very same God commands the death of the Canaanites and often allows the evil acts of men to prevail. Does the biblical conception of God leave us with a contradictory picture of a God who is both perfectly good and at the same time relentlessly evil? No. There is no contradiction … Read More »

The Empty Tomb

By L. Alfred James We are currently in a series of blog posts that provide an intellectual pathway for moving someone (or yourself) all the way from hardcore atheism to biblical Christianity. After reviewing some arguments for God’s existence we observed that Christianity is a historical religion, a grace-filled religion, and that it played a major role in birthing modern science. We also took a brief detour to look at the evidence for an Intelligent Designer of the universe, along with the common claim that we live in a multiverse. … Read More »

Is Christmas A Pagan Holiday? Part 3, Christmas Trees

By Elysia McColley Read “Is Christmas A Pagan Holiday? Part 2” Santa Claus is not in the Bible, and neither is a holiday commemorating Jesus’ birth on December 25. But what about Christmas trees? Some people point to Jeremiah 10:1-4 to show that Christmas trees actually are in the Bible. The passage reads, Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. This is what the Lord says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by signs in the heavens, though the nations are terrified … Read More »

Is Christmas A Pagan Holiday? Part 2, The Feast Of Saturnalia

By Elysia McColley Read “Is Christmas A Pagan Holiday? Part 1” One piece of contention that many people have regarding the “Christian-ness” of Christmas is that it is celebrated on December 25, formerly a pagan feast day. Skeptics may try to assert that Christians merely wanted to co-opt another religion’s holiday and claim it for themselves. This belief is only partially true. Jesus was not born on December 25, and the day was associated with pagan traditions long before His birth. Before getting into a philosophical quagmire, let’s look at … Read More »

Is Christmas A Pagan Holiday? Part 1: Santa Claus

By Elysia McColley There is no question that the holiday we know as Christmas has quite a few pagan elements running through it. In fact, when we speak about the “Yuletide season,” we are referring directly to a pagan holiday – Yule – of the ancient Norse and Germanic peoples. Christmas trees have some, though not all, roots in pagan practices, and Santa Claus himself has many pagan elements, such as elves and magical flying reindeer. Some Christians ardently argue that Christians should not celebrate the holiday at all because … Read More »

Can Homosexuals be Saved?

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) The simple answer is: Of Course! The Gospel is for sinners (and also for the saved). I think it is an imbalanced perspective which takes a particular sin (Homosexuality) and elevates it beyond all other sins. While it is true that the Bible does teach that some sins are worse than others, the Bible also teaches in a general sense that the “wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). All sin deserves just punishment, and because “all have sinned” (Romans 3:23), all deserve just … Read More »