General

The Threat of Religious Syncretism

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 »

Does God Tell Us Why There is Evil?

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 »

Apologetics and Atheism

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 »

There Is No Peace Without Hell

By L. Alfred James The human race needs the doctrine of hell. Yes, you read that correctly: we need it. It is the only way to end the cycle of violence in the world. Don’t believe me? Take it from Miroslav Volf, a Croatian theologian who has carefully reflected on human violence. He has been prompted to do so largely because of his own experience of the clashes between the Croats and the Serbs. Volf has seen and experienced brutality firsthand. In fact, one town that was near his own … Read More »

What is Presuppositional Apologetics?

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 »

Black Lives Matter

This has become the rallying cry in the face of police abuse and human rights violations. Some have naively responded with “all lives matter” and they do. Of course, all lives matter, even the unborn children. They matter to God, they matter to me and they should matter to you. Lives must matter! But that is not the proper response in this situation because the issue at hand is the abuse, the discrimination and the belittlement that people with darker colored skin than I have had to endure for years. … Read More »

I Don’t Believe In A God Of Judgment!

By L. Alfred James “I could never believe in a God who sends people to hell forever. That accomplishes nothing good at all!” I’ve heard this statement, or something just like it, in very scholarly of settings (during a formal debate) and in informal settings (chatting at a coffee shop). It stems from a legitimate appreciation for the grace of God. However, it reflects a serious failure to think carefully about the relationship between mercy and justice. God is Good There are several hidden assumptions in this statement. Foremost among … Read More »

Why I Think Atheism is True! Kinda.

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 »

Does Hell Need To Be Forever?

By L. Alfred James “I could never believe in a God who sends people to hell forever!” I’ve heard this statement so many times, I’ve lost count. People who make this statement usually don’t realize it, but they are implicitly making some other (very serious) claims. To be sure, they are implicit claims, and they are almost never made explicit, but they are part and parcel of this statement. What are these claims? Nothing Is Important Enough To Justify Hell (Or God Is Not Just) A person who says that … Read More »

How Should We Understand the Warning Passages in the Book of Hebrews?

By Elias Ayala (MDiv & M.A.T.) A pressing question that vexes many Christians is the question of whether one can lose their salvation? This is a hot button topic among Christians and is considered what we would call “an in-house debate”. That is to say, that wherever one ends up on this question, it is an area of doctrine in which faithful brothers and sisters in Christ can disagree. That is not to say that the question is unimportant. It is indeed a very important question and will have ramifications … Read More »