Geisler’s Five Ways – Part 6: Arguments for the Intelligence of the Creator
Here is my version of Geisler’s first argument in Phase 2 of his case for God: ARGUMENT #1 OF PHASE 2 10a. Only a being with great power could create the whole universe by itself, and only a being with great power could sustain the existence of the whole universe by itself (for even just one moment). 11a. There is a being that both (a) created … Geisler’s Five Ways – Part 6: Arguments for the Intelligence of the Creator
Was the Buddha Enlightened? (part 2)
A previous post (part 1) raised the question of whether or not there is good reason to think that the Buddha was enlightened. In that post, I mainly focused on the doctrine of karmic rebirth, pointing out that at least in early Buddhism, liberation from karmic rebirth is one of the things that the Buddha … Was the Buddha Enlightened? (part 2)
Cases for God
I’m thinking about which cases for the existence of God to focus in on, for my evaluation of Christianity. Right now, I’m thinking about examining the cases of four well-known Christian apologists: I just realized that two of these philosophers are Thomists, and two are not Thomists. Geisler is a conservative Evangelical Christian, but his … Cases for God
What is Christianity? Part 17: Worldviews as “Master Stories”?
James Sire comes from an Evangelical Christian point of view, so for him the miracle stories in the Gospels are crucial to the Christian worldview, especially the Virgin Birth and the Resurrection of Jesus. Belief in such miracles are indeed part of ancient Christian Creeds that are still used in most Protestant and Catholic worship … What is Christianity? Part 17: Worldviews as “Master Stories”?
Worldviews as Problem-Solving Proposals
Can a worldview be true (or false)? I have been thinking of a worldview as a set of basic assumptions that contitute a philosophy of life, or a logical structure that approximates a philosophy of life. On this conception of a worldview, it seems that a worldview is the kind of thing that could be … Worldviews as Problem-Solving Proposals
Is Christianity True?
As indicated in a previous post, for the next four or five years I plan to focus on the question: Is Christianity true? I plan to do most of my Christianity-centered posts on my old Cross Examination blog site, where I have set up the initial logical structure of interconnected blog posts (including a number that … Is Christianity True?
Was The Buddha Enlightened? (Part 1)
Asking whether the Buddha was enlightened may seem like asking whether the Pope is Catholic. The answer would seem to be an obvious “yes.” At the core of Buddhism is the figure of the Buddha. The word “buddha” means “one who is awake” or “enlightened.” If the Buddha had not been enlightened, he wouldn’t have … Was The Buddha Enlightened? (Part 1)
One Christianity or Many Christianities?
I know this is a controversial topic for the people who frequently comment on blog posts here at The Secular Outpost, and my view seems to be the minority view. Perhaps I am the only person in this crowd who thinks that there is some hope of being able to define “Christianity” in a way … One Christianity or Many Christianities?
My Twelve-Year Plan
In October of 2013, I came up with the idea of a Ten-Year plan to write a four-volume critique of Christianity: Plan for a Multi-Volume Critique of Christianity Some of my posts here at the Secular Outpost have been closely related to the Ten-Year plan and the topics it will cover. In January of this … My Twelve-Year Plan
McDowell’s Trilemma – Part 1: An Eternally Bodiless Person
Here are the basic premises of McDowell’s Trilemma Argument (hereafter: MTA), from The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict (hereafter: NETDV by Josh McDowell: ================= …Jesus definitely claimed to be God (see below and in Chapter 6). So every person must answer the question: Is His claim to deity true or false? This question deserves a … McDowell’s Trilemma – Part 1: An Eternally Bodiless Person