Do We Have Free Will, or is Free Will an Illusion?
[~2,100 words, reading time: ~10 minutes] Many scientifically-minded people claim that mankind does not have free will. Instead, they say that all of our choices are determined by physical laws, and our perception of free will is an illusion. I hope to show that this claim is either false, or if it’s true then we ...
An Open Letter to Dr. Albert Mohler
Dear Dr. Mohler, As president of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, you have exercised significant influence over the direction of the modern evangelical Christian landscape. Your leadership is also recognized outside the church, as attested in a 2003 Time magazine article which called you the “reigning intellectual of the evangelical movement in the U.S.” Back in ...
The Eternal Purpose of God: An Interpretive Lens
When we consider ultimate questions, everyone has a starting place. Popular options include tradition, experience, preferences, and feelings. Others start with the Bible, but with all of the issues the Bible addresses, what should be considered foundational? The good editors at the Conditional Immortality Association of New Zealand graciously posted my latest paper as a ...
A Tribute To Edward Fudge For His 70th Birthday
Coinciding with the occasion of Edward Fudge’s 70th birthday, a historic theological conference is being inaugurated in Houston, TX on July 11-12, 2014. It’s called the Rethinking Hell Conference, and is organized by the outstanding group of Bible scholars who run the Rethinking Hell website and podcast. If you’re anywhere within driving distance of Houston ...
Why Evolution Is True: A Pragmatic Theist’s Response
In an earlier post, I claimed that the popular definition of the debate between advocates for creation and evolution is incorrect. The debate is not religion vs. science, but it is actually religion vs. religion. Both systems of origins have a faith-based worldview through which they interpret the world. Those on the naturalistic evolution side ...
The Curriculum Battle Is Not Religion vs. Science; It’s Religion vs. Religion
Brian Boyko, a candidate for Texas state representative, recently posted an article on his website entitled “Why Are Some Hell-Bent On Teaching Intelligent Design?”. A self-described “geek,” Boyko criticizes people of “faith” for interfering with “science” instruction. He makes some interesting points that I believe represent the arguments of many people who believe the universe ...
Dialog with an Articulate Atheist
Last week, an editor asked to republish my article “A Christian’s Apology To Atheists”. My tweet of that news yielded quite a response from atheists on Twitter and as comments on this blog. A thoughtful atheist by the handle of @CosmoBrony wrote such an articulate response to my post that it deserved more than just ...
One-night Screening of Hell and Mr. Fudge Coming to Nashville: March 21, 2013
Hell and Mr. Fudge is coming to the Belcourt Theatre in Nashville. The screening will be held on Thursday, March 21, 2013 at 7:15pm. A platinum award winner at the 2012 Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival, Hell and Mr. Fudge is the warm, thoughtful, and sometimes humorous story of the trials and tribulations of evangelical scholar ...
Moses Lard’s Foretelling: May It Be!
Edward Fudge shared the following in his latest GracEmail: MOSES LARD’S FORETELLING — Moses Lard was an influential 19th-century leader within the Stone-Campbell Restoration Movement, which is my own faith tradition. In 1879, Lard published a 50-page book titled “Do the Holy Scriptures Teach the Endlessness of Future Punishment?” in which he foretold the future ...
Afterlife Contribution: Why care about the Bible and what it says?
I know there are many readers of this blog who doubt the validity of the Bible. When we make arguments that are based on the Bible, some readers may find those arguments irrelevant. In my latest article on the Afterlife site, you’ll see a simple but though-provoking case to challenge you to consider the Bible. ...
