Elias Ayala

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) Syncretism is the process by which aspects of one religion are assimilated into, blended with, another religion. The assimilation between them fundamentally changes both of them. The threat of syncretism has been with the church since its conception. The temptation to intertwine unbelieving philosophical thought with biblical principles was constant within a context where syncretism was the norm. Rome often mixed religious themes and borrowed deities from other religious perspectives. A good example was the fact that Rome borrowed deities from the Greek pantheon … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) When we experience evil or observe the very real evil all around us, we often ask ourselves how a perfectly good God could allow it, and not just allow it, but allow a whole lot of it. The existence of evil is indeed a very perplexing issue especially for those who also believe in the God of the Bible who is said to be morally perfect and all-powerful. Indeed, if God is morally perfect and good, as well as all-powerful, surely he would not … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) When one thinks of apologetics (i.e. defense of the faith), one generally tends to think of the differences and conflict between the Christian and the atheist. However, this is not always the case given the fact that because “apologetics” involves defending a position, persons from all sorts of different positions can engage in this kind of activity. Anyone can be an apologist and therefore engage in apologetics. There are Christian apologists, Muslim apologists, Buddhist apologists, and atheistic apologists. However, generally speaking, it will depend … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) Presuppositional apologetics is a method of apologetics which places great emphasis upon world-views. Quite simply, a worldview is a view of the world. World-views act as a sort of intellectual pair of sunglasses through which you understand and interpret the world around you. The presuppositional method of apologetics takes very seriously the importance of one’s worldview given that it is through these intellectual shades that all people interpret everything in human experience. Indeed, one’s worldview determines what is and is not possible. In other … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) Relax, I am not an atheist. Atheism has had a more traditional definition throughout history as the belief that there is no God. However, that definition is not universally accepted by all atheists. This is why it is so important to ask questions and not just assume you know what the atheist believes. For those who have affirmed the more traditional definition, the need to defend the positive claim that there is no God has become a very much unwanted burden. Disproving the existence … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) The simple answer here is no, God cannot do the impossible. For God to perform that which is impossible is a contradiction in terms. For if God performed the impossible then that which was impossible was in fact possible because God performed it or accomplished, hence demonstrating that it was in fact possible. Now it is true that Jesus said, “with man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible” (Matthew 19:26), this statement should not be understood as the idea that … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) It is often claimed that the Bible condones genocide of entire people groups. This accusation is often utilized to discredit the Bible as being a source of objective moral values and duties. That is to say, that if the Bible is supposed to be the “Good Book”, then why does the God of the Bible seem so evil by commanding the people of Israel to wipe out the Canaanites in the Old Testament. This claim often shocks Christians who stay clear of the Old … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) Yes, there is evidence for Christianity. Evidence refers to the available body of facts or information indicating whether a belief or proposition is true or valid. The available body of facts and information available to the interested seeker does in fact support and indicate the belief or proposition that Christianity is true. For instance, the evidence within cosmology points to the truth of the belief or proposition that there is a transcendent cause of the universe. The evidence of fine tuning for intelligent life … Read More »

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) Yes, I believe that unbelievers can be moral people. We need to make a distinction however, between the idea of morality as understood by people, and morality as understood as behavior that is in line with what God deems to be moral. The Bible teaches that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Romans 3:23). The Bible also teaches that “there is none who is good” (Romans 3:10-12). Yet, the Bible does give examples of evil men doing good (Matthew … Read More »