L. Alfred James

By L. Alfred James “You Christians believe in your religion merely by a leap of faith! You believe simply because your religion makes you feel comfortable.” How many times have you heard this? I’ve heard it hundreds of times. I’ve even heard Christians say that they don’t have any evidence for their beliefs, they are “just based on faith.” However, this is a very naive understanding of the Christian worldview. Christianity is not something we believe in just because we want to. On the contrary, the Apostle Paul says quite … Read More »

By L. Alfred James In the 1983 movie, The Man with Two Brains, Steve Martin plays Dr. Michael Hfuhruhurr, a widowed brain-surgeon who falls in love with one of his patients. But he is unsure about this new relationship, so he is (supposedly) seeking guidance. Looking at a painting of his deceased wife he asks her for a sign: “Becca, if there’s anything wrong with my feelings for Dolores, just give me a sign.” In response, the painting whirls around, a wind blows wildly through the house, the earth quakes, … Read More »

By L. Alfred James Believe it or not, aluminum was once classified as a precious metal. It was believed to be so special, that bars of aluminum were exhibited at a huge international exposition (the Exposition Universelle) in 1855. Because it was assumed to be so rare, one ounce of aluminum actually cost more than an ounce of gold. (Imagine what you could have bought with a case of Reynolds Wrap!) Aluminum was a hot commodity. But in 50 years things changed dramatically. First, it was realized that aluminum is … Read More »

By L. ALfred James You’re watching television. A commercial for a moisturizing lotion comes on. It shows a beautiful woman with perfect skin. Chances are a million to one that she did not get her perfect skin by using that exact product (in fact, she probably uses a ton of other products). But the skincare company is hoping you will not think about this. Then another commercial comes on. This one shows a young man with a perfect physique using exercise equipment. Again, chances are a million to one that … Read More »

By L. ALfred James In the spirit of the old game show What’s My Line? I have a mystery-guest I would like to you to think about. I would like you to figure out if this mystery guest is a relatively good and decent person, or if he is a relatively bad person. That is, if you had to pick, would you say he is good or would you say he is bad? Moreover, I want you to base your decision solely on the information that I provide here. Don’t … Read More »

By L. Alfred James Wishful thinking: it’s something all of us have seen. A good example would be that friend who has fallen madly in love with some person who is an absolute train-wreck waiting to happen. Our friend shockingly fails to see numerous (and serious) shortcomings in the object of their affection. You point out that their heartthrob is consistently irresponsible, refuses to get a job, and regularly blames everyone else for his or her emotional outbursts. “Oh, that’s no big deal,” your friend says. “Everyone has a couple … Read More »

By L. Alfred James It is typically assumed that those who embrace evolutionary theory are unbiased and dispassionate thinkers. They are thought to be champions of science, logic, and objectivity. It is also typically assumed that those who reject evolutionary theory—especially if they are Christians—are paragons of prejudice. They are thought to be hopelessly biased against scientific truth simply because it does not fit with their religious beliefs. “Poor religious folk! Their beliefs blind them to the truth. They have to hide their head in the sand in order to … Read More »