An Exercise on the Problem of Evil

Are you under a stay-at-home order? Consider thinking about the problem of evil (PoE). Here is a brief exercise. Suppose someone says the following to you: “God would never permit COVID-19. So, since there is COVID-19, there is no God.” How would you respond? Notice that this is an example of the PoE. But there … Continue reading An Exercise on the Problem of Evil

The Existentialist Argument

“What sacred games shall we have to invent?” (Nietzsche, The Parable of the Madman, The Joyful Wisdom) “Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13)   Introduction In this article, I provide an argument from … Continue reading The Existentialist Argument

The Probabilistic Argument from Gratuitous Evil and the Bracketing of Evidence

Introduction In this article, I argue that when considering the existence of God, it is unreasonable to bracket background evidence in the manner described below. First, this move is methodologically insufficient. Second, it is conceptually questionable. The Argument from Gratuitous Evil and the Bracketing Method The argument from gratuitous evil is usually articulated as a … Continue reading The Probabilistic Argument from Gratuitous Evil and the Bracketing of Evidence

Euthyphro Is Dead!

It’s the zombie argument. The objection that won’t stay down: the Euthyphro dilemma. Skeptics just can’t accept the fact that Euthyphro has been dead for centuries and keep dragging him out of his grave. In case you don’t know who Euthyphro is, let me introduce you to him. Euthyphro is a character from one of … Continue reading Euthyphro Is Dead!

Justified True Belief: (the EFCA Statement of Faith)

Free-Thinking Ministries is committed to getting our theology right. As a pastor in the Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA) for nearly a decade and I think the EFCA has a pretty good statement of faith. If I had my druthers I would tweak a couple of these statements (especially the ninth statement on eschatology); … Continue reading Justified True Belief: (the EFCA Statement of Faith)

Crutches

Stuff Atheists Say: a Crutch, a Fallacy, and a Magical Being

Welcome to the third installment of Stuff Atheists Say, a series dedicated to bad arguments used against theists. (Be sure to check out part 1 and part 2!) This article will discuss three quick slogans, two aimed at mocking religion (and thus religious people) and one centered around a logical fallacy. Let’s begin: Bad “argument” #3: Religion is … Continue reading Stuff Atheists Say: a Crutch, a Fallacy, and a Magical Being

Stuff Atheists Say: Believing in God Is Like Believing in Santa

Welcome to the second installment in my series, Stuff Atheists Say! (Read part 1 here.) This series is dedicated to bad arguments and statements that some atheists (the internet troll type) make to derail a conversation and avoid having to put forth any arguments or evidence of their own. My intention is not to smear every nonbeliever as there are … Continue reading Stuff Atheists Say: Believing in God Is Like Believing in Santa

God vs. Science

Some in academia today claim that science has “killed God!” They do not mean that in a literal sense. What they hope to communicate is that science has removed need for God, or stronger, that science has demonstrated the non-existence of God. Statements like these lead many to think these two concepts – God and science – … Continue reading God vs. Science

Stuff Atheists Say: You’re Almost an Atheist

We at FreeThinking Ministries are dedicated to answering the biggest objections to Christianity. We respect sincere skeptics and seekers and understand that everyone has doubts. We do too at times. If there’s a certain obstacle that is keeping you from faith, we want to help remove it. Responding to objections is mandatory to the Christ-follower: “always being prepared to … Continue reading Stuff Atheists Say: You’re Almost an Atheist