Archives for “fundamentalism”

All right, here’s a rant for you. There’s a news story circulating about the well-known fact that homeschooling texts are ignoring or even (the audacity!) criticizing mainstream science in favor of creationism. The usual suspects have emerged to show their disgust of the benighted institution of homeschooling. There’s a poll up at MSNBC asking the question, [...] Related posts:

  1. Why the debate over creationism matters
  2. Homeschooling and agendas
  3. Florida science standards dethrone God! Details at 11


Enjoy these latest videos from the very creative Gordon J. Glover, the first in a series of videos having a little fun critiquing Intelligent Design. http://www.youtube.com/v/iE5JIzJ0yUs http://www.youtube.com/v/pqVJsmYJvDQ And while I’m linking around, check out Tom Jefferson’s Mike Beidler’s witty and semi-satirical Evolutionary Creationist’s Declaration of Independence. 2 Related posts:

  1. Why I am convinced of common descent (and why I think you should be, too)
  2. Lamoureux: links and labels
  3. Enemies united against an imaginary foe


The most dangerous shyster is the one who has convinced himself to believe his own pitch. Over at The Creation of an Evolutionist, Mike is continuing to blog through his weekly viewing of The Truth Project. He just completed Lesson Five. More so than the previous lessons, Lesson 5 focused on a critique of mainstream science, [...] Related posts:

  1. Thinking “Outside the Box” about the Bible
  2. The return of the evolutionist — for real this time!
  3. When Christianity undervalues truth


As my 200th post, I’m going to give you a little insight into my background, how I think, and what led me to where I am right now. Of course I don’t think I’m really all that “screwed up”, but for those who do think I am, I thought I’d give you a bit of [...] Related posts:

  1. The place of fear in our bibliology
  2. Human interpretations of Scripture and nature
  3. The Truth Project and critical thinking


The poll in my sidebar asking Christians how important they considered the faith/science debate to be ran for four months as of yesterday. In that time, 99 votes were cast. Today as I close it out, I add my own as the last vote. I voted Critical. No surprise there. What I do find surprising is that one [...] Related posts:

  1. Would he be having a happy birthday?
  2. You can’t just ignore the evolution debate
  3. Mohler on theistic evolution


Two days shy of four months ago I posted a poll that asked Christians how important the faith/science debate is. I was going to wait until there were 100 results to make a wrap-up post, but I’ve decided that in honor of Charles Darwins’s 201st birthday, I’d go ahead and comment on the 97 votes [...] Related posts:

  1. Evolution and evangel(ical)ism
  2. Why are so many Christian scientists evolutionists?
  3. Darwinism Must Die


This is long for a “quote of the day,” but it’s so well stated that I couldn’t resist. It’s from an article by Kenton Sparks, author of God’s Word in Human Words: An Evangelical Appropriation of Critical Biblical Scholarship. When the cosmos is understood in this way—as divine speech to humanity—then it is no longer possible [...] Related posts:

  1. The nature of inspiration and the purpose of Scripture
  2. Finding God’s hand in Scripture
  3. The authority of Scripture


I have recently been asked what I would consider a “liberal” Christian. Well, for one thing, although I buck at calling myself as a liberal Christian, I recognize that I am more “liberal” than many others on certain issues. I think from a typical evangelical POV, a “liberal Christian” is thought of as not caring enough [...] Related posts:

  1. History and faith
  2. Herman who? Someone every Christian needs to know
  3. N.T. Wright on “unfaithful”, “flat” readings of Genesis


Not that I have all the answers, of course. I thought I’d reproduce a summary of my current thoughts on the issue that I formulated in an interesting comment exchange under a post on another site. I asked what sort of question the authors of Genesis 1 etiology intended to answer: [1] why the world exists, [2] how it got made, or [3] both. One commenter (whose [...] Related posts:

  1. Chaos in Genesis and Germanic mythology
  2. N.T. Wright on “unfaithful”, “flat” readings of Genesis
  3. Explaining Genesis to our children


I’d like to address a question to a group that is, on the whole, unlikely to frequent my blog: those who would characterize themselves as conservative Christians. Whether you were brought up in Christianity or accepted it later in life, the chances are overwhelming that you weren’t just taught to accept Jesus as Lord: you were sold an entire [...] Related posts:

  1. The Truth Project and critical thinking
  2. History and faith
  3. The place of fear in our bibliology


I have to admit that I would have thought this was pretty cool when I was young enough to want to color it. There are a few related pictures at Jason Boyett’s site, which I’d never been to before today. Do check it out, along with his humorous comments. (There’s one more really funny one you need [...] Related posts:

  1. Lamoureux: links and labels
  2. Theodicy and evolution


On a cue from Philip Harland, I found this remarkable passage showing an example of the perception that some pagans entertained of mid-second century Christians. It’s not pretty: [Cynics and Christians] divide and upset the household, and bring into collision those inside with each other, and tell them the worst ways to manage their household. They [...] Related posts:

  1. What the first century church really looked like
  2. Not historic, orthodox Christianity
  3. Levity as Leaven in Today’s Church


A commenter on the previous post raised an interesting point that leads me into something I’ve been wanting to explore here. He wrote: I don’t see why it would be logically necessary that [the Bible] is 100% true. However, if we allow that it isn’t, then how are we to determine which parts are true? There is [...] Related posts:

  1. The Bible and the need for proof
  2. The Bible’s text has a history
  3. The Truth Project and critical thinking


In his latest post, Mike mentions a Facebook conversation with someone puzzled by his rejection of inerrancy; I was involved with the conversation as well. As Mike described, this individual raised the common IYCBIAYCTAOI objection (if-you-can’t-believe-it-all-you-can’t-trust-any-of-it), asking, “Why do you believe the Bible is true?” I responded by asking, “What makes you think it’s necessary that [...] Related posts:

  1. Thinking “Outside the Box” about the Bible
  2. History and faith
  3. The Bible made flesh


My friend Mike Beidler’s not busy enough being a military diplomat in the Middle East right now. You know, things going so swimmingly, he doesn’t have anything at all to do. Since he’s been over there, he’s joined a group that is watching Focus on the Family’s film series The Truth Project that seeks to [...] Related posts:

  1. The Truth Project and critical thinking
  2. The place of God’s providence in my theology
  3. Lamoureux: links and labels


Using an analogy especially interesting to me as an historical linguist, Sabio Lantz at Triangulations reminds us of the power of understanding that the Christian faith isn’t quite as unique as we all like to think: We often see that naive mono-linguists think their language is unique in its ability to express deep thoughts. Well of [...] Related posts:

  1. The Truth Project and critical thinking
  2. The place of fear in our bibliology
  3. Proving Christianity with inerrancy


I think Paul gives us a somewhat unexpected answer in 2 Corinthians. I’ll return to the subject of this post after a (possibly irrelevant) discursus here. This morning in Sunday School we went over a passage in the last chapter of 2 Corinthians. Throughout the epistle, Paul makes repeated references to the fact that some of [...] Related posts:

  1. History and faith
  2. The Bible and the need for proof
  3. An (ancient) introduction to “faith in Christ” vs. “Christ’s faith”


Here’s an excerpt from the first part of a review of a book I’ve been interested in since I first heard about it. It’s from the New Perspective school of thinking, and at 1218 pages it promises to be an important work on the subject. The book is entitled, The Deliverance of God: An Apocalyptic [...] Related posts:

  1. An (ancient) introduction to “faith in Christ” vs. “Christ’s faith”
  2. Christian responsibility according to St. Paul
  3. More on what NT faith is about


The BioLogos Foundation hits another home run by soliciting and sharing this gem: Bishop of Durham Tom Wright, while no fundie, is generally regarded among scholars and many evangelicals as fairly conservative in his theological outlook (e.g., he affirms an historical Fall of some kind), so this is good to hear from him. I found it [...] Related posts:

  1. Why Genesis 1 was written
  2. Chaos in Genesis and Germanic mythology
  3. Indiana Jones and the Fall of Man


William Dembski, a father of the Intelligent Design movement, has recently become comfortable calling himself an old earth creationist who, as a good Baptist, accepts the historicity of Adam and Eve. This comes as no surprise really, but it’s interesting to see how his gears turn as he systematically lays all his cards on the [...] Related posts:

  1. Theodicy and evolution
  2. Lamoureux: links and labels
  3. My position on the origins question


This story is certainly making the rounds around the blogosphere, but I can’t pass it up, particularly because I have some things to say about it I haven’t read elsewhere. I thought I’d link to one of the better reactions I read (be sure to read the whole thing): An Associated Press story this weekend fetes [...] Related posts:

  1. Evolution and evangel(ical)ism
  2. How true Christians live


The other night, a friend and I reiterated our independent observations that, despite all nuances, what ultimately stands behind most of American Christianity’s implacable dedication to inerrancy is fear. Dr. Jim Kidder, in so many words, makes the same point. The following quote certainly rings familiar. For many people, this is not a scientific issue, it is a moral [...] Related posts:

  1. The Truth Project and critical thinking
  2. History and faith
  3. When Christianity undervalues truth


Today Joel Watts posted a quote from one of the Early Church Fathers on the subject of the Eucharist (a.k.a. the Lord’s Supper or Communion): For not as common bread and common drink do we receive these; but in like manner as Jesus Christ our Savior, having been made flesh by the Word of God, had both [...] Related posts:

  1. Proving Christianity with inerrancy
  2. In Luther’s footsteps
  3. Does majority rule in theology?


I generally like World magazine. Oh, there’s plenty I disagree with in every issue, but one thing editor Marvin Olasky and his team just seem to get that so many other Christian publications don’t is that the core expression of our faith is in ministry to humanity. I’ll regularly be punching the air at their blind [...] Related posts:

  1. Evolution and evangel(ical)ism
  2. Why the debate over creationism matters
  3. Mohler on theistic evolution


All Christians generally agree that the Bible was written down by humans, and most agree that in some way their writings are reflective of their individuality; the question comes in with the nature of divine influence.  Where do we draw the line between the human and the divine in Scripture? Proponents of inerrancy posit that all information [...] Related posts:

  1. The Bible made flesh
  2. Human interpretations of Scripture and nature
  3. The authority of Scripture