Reflections

The Genesis Creation Days and Christianity’s Two Books

Tue, 14 May 2013 08:00:21 GMT

Dr. T. David Gordon is one of my favorite biblical scholars and theologians. He serves as professor of religion and Greek at Grove City College in Pennsylvania. I was honored to have him as a special guest on two provocative Straight Thinking episodes. In the interview, Dr. Gordon critiques the calendar-day (or solar-day) interpretation of Genesis’ creation days and explains historic Christianity’s affirmation of the two books of Christian revelation (nature and Scripture).

Dr. Gordon’s paper on the Genesis creation days (and many other topics) can be found here: http://www.tdgordon.net/theology/.

RTB Super-Scholar Heroes in the Battle of Fallacies

Mon, 13 May 2013 19:52:26 GMT

News Flash—Glendora, CA, USA

A climactic battle broke out today between two RTB super-scholar heroes—Fuz-Lightyear-Rana and Logic-Samples-Man! The dispute was over which super-scholar possesses the greater inherent powers of manipulative persuasion.

Fuz-Lightyear-Rana launched a preemptive strike that seemed intoxicatingly convincing. Hot air and informal logical fallacies immediately filled the room and fuzzy thinking reigned supreme.

Yet Logic-Samples-Man fought back valiantly, unleashing his arsenal of equivocation, obfuscation, and ad hominem. Red herrings filled the sea and straw men walked the earth.

The amazing result of this explosive encounter was that neither RTB super-scholar convinced the other of his inherent manipulative persuasion. It appears that a cold-war standoff between Fuz-Lightyear-Rana and Logic-Samples-Man remains.

Observers of the historic super-scholar hero clash felt passionately ambivalent and agnostic about just who was victorious in this monumental conflict. Evidence was suppressed, causes were oversimplified, and generalizations left hasty. But this confusion and ambiguity could have been avoided if the super-scholar heroes had abided by the intellectual virtue and core principles of sound reasoning. Critical thinking filters the constant dangers of propaganda, wishful thinking, and fallacies.

Perhaps the RTB super-scholar heroes should bulk up their persuasive abilities with a little Logic 101.

Psalm 104: A Poetic View of Creation

Wed, 01 May 2013 15:37:07 GMT

Here I present an article by my RTB colleagues, Krista Bontrager and Fazale Rana--excerpted from their latest booklet, Psalm 104: In Wisdom You Made Them All, available from reasons.org in May.

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While you may not have noticed the connection with Genesis 1, Psalm 104 offers a poetic meditation on key themes presented in the first chapter of the Bible. Psalm 104 also presents a unique parallel passage to Genesis 1. In some cases it offers a broader description of the events that transpired on certain creation days.

It’s important to note, however, that a connection between Psalm 104 and Genesis 1 does not imply that all the events described in Psalm 104 took place in the distant past. The psalmist engages in a back-and-forth rhythm—toggling between the creation days of Genesis 1 and his current observations of the creation. For example, Psalm 104:7–9 discusses events that correspond to creation day 3 in the Genesis 1 chronology, followed immediately (in verses 10–13) by events that correspond to days 5 and 6, when animals and humans were created. This pattern results in a few moments of mingling between the creation story and the psalmist’s contemporary observations.

This back-and-forth nature of the poem makes interpreting the passages complicated at times, but it also adds value. Psalm 104 communicates certain information that is not well developed in Genesis 1––namely, God’s purposeful, progressive plan of creation. Each of God’s creative acts establishes the necessary conditions on Earth to allow for a subsequent act of creation. That is, what God did on creation day 2 sets the stage for what God did later, on creation days 3, 4, 5, and 6.

The relationship between Genesis 1 and Psalm 104 might be compared to the dual accounts of the Hebrews leaving Egypt as recorded in Exodus 14 and 15. Exodus 14 records the crossing of the Red Sea as a historical narrative. Exodus 15 provides a poetic account of the same event. Both are accurate, inspired by God, and true. Both genres—historical narrative and poetry—bring us God’s Word, but in a different literary format.

Next time you’re enjoying the great outdoors, hiking, fishing, or relaxing on the beach, take a few moments to reflect on the wonders around you. Creation isn’t merely something to be admired for its beauty. It stands as a reminder to mediate on God’s creation and the power of God’s kingship over everything (Psalm 103:19, 22), including our sin and struggles.

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By Krista Kay Bontrager with Fazale Rana

Global Warming Guidelines in the Book of Job

Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:47:56 GMT

Today I invite you to read this post by my colleague, astronomer and RTB founder Hugh Ross.

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Based on chapter 4 from my book Hidden Treasures in the Book of Job.

Yesterday, in commemoration of Earth Day, Climate Central released an “interactive graphic that shows a state-by-state analysis of temperature trends.” According to their graphic, the rates in the US have continued to increase since the first Earth Day took place in 1970. This news will no doubt spark questions about global warming—questions I am often asked to address while at speaking engagements.

In this emotionally charged atmosphere, my approach is to take the discussion in an unexpected direction. I point out that the Bible’s oldest book offers the best prescription for maintaining global climatic stability. I further surprise people by stating that the recommendations offered in Job require no sacrifice of either ethics or economics. I like to remind everyone that Job is a book for all time, including our time. This ancient revelation speaks to the science-faith issues of today and tomorrow as well.

Job 38: Focus on precipitation. In these passages we read that God exquisitely designed precipitation levels to provide an optimal environment for Earth’s life. The implication seems clear: we should address climate crises first by correcting whatever damage we have caused to Earth’s precipitation patterns. For example, shrinking the Sahara and Gobi deserts (by planting vegetation, for example) would be an economic boost for Africa, Europe, and Asia and would soak up a fair amount of greenhouse gases.
Job 39: Look to the animals. This passage includes a list of bird and mammal species that may seem random at first glance and yet, on closer examination, clearly proves otherwise. Each of the creatures listed once played a unique and significant role in the launch of civilization. The ostrich, for one, can help us again. Ostrich farming as a replacement for beef would eliminate much of the gases produced by cows.

The book of Job highlights the theme that God has marvelously designed the universe, Earth, and all its life in such a way as to harmonize ethics and economics. When we humans face a crisis or dilemma that appears to force a choice between ethics and economics, we can be sure God has provided a way to respond that compromises neither. Through the book of Job, God calls humanity to resist the temptation of quick fixes, particularly those that demand either a breach of ethics or loss of economic stability. This exhortation applies at all levels—global, national, regional, municipal, and familial.

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By Hugh Ross

Resource: For more on the book of Job’s relevance to scientific questions of past and present, check out Hidden Treasures in the Book of Job, available in the RTB web store.

April Podcast Highlight

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 15:36:47 GMT

In addition to Reflections, I also discuss critical thinking, reason, logic, and current issues in light of the historic Christian worldview on my podcast, Straight Thinking, along with my Reasons to Believe (RTB) colleague Dave Rogstad and podcast host Joe Aguirre. In case you missed them, here are some episode highlights from the past several weeks.

“Jesus and Judaism: An Interview with Dr. Michael Brown” – Hebrew scholar and prolific author Michael Brown joins us in studio to talk about the nature of modern Judaism and its relationship with Christianity.

“Faith and Medicine: An Interview with Physician Perry Santos” –Perry Santos, a friend of RTB, answers questions about the ways in which his Christian worldview influences his medical practice. We also discuss the relationship between our physical bodies––with a great description from his physician’s perspective on the design of our bodies––and spiritual lives, the difficulty of pain and suffering, and Dr. Santos’ own journey of faith and involvement with RTB.

“Fear of Religion” – Do some naturalists fear that religion may be true? This is the question we explore on this podcast episode. We talk about the rational and nonrational (though not necessarily irrational) factors that shape the reasons we hold to our worldviews, be they theistic or nontheistic. In particular, we focus on the writing of Thomas Nagel, a distinguished American atheist philosopher and professor of law at New York University.

“Why All Religions Can’t Lead to God” – Religious pluralism, the idea that all faiths are equally true, is a popular outlook these days––as demonstrated by the film (and book) Life of Pi. But when examined in light of the major differences between the world religions and sound logic, pluralism falls far short of being a viable perspective. We discuss the pitfalls of this much-admired opinion.

You can also catch me on I Didn’t Know That!, an RTB podcast where the scholars give unscripted answers to listener questions and provide practical apologetics and evangelism tips.

IDEAS: Five Ways to Preserve and Enhance Brain-Mind Power

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 16:24:40 GMT

Careful thinking and remembering have always come easy for me; so I’ve always taken my clear mind and good memory for granted. In fact, I pride myself on thinking and speaking in a clear, concise, and cogent manner. Yet as I have gotten older I am increasingly aware of the need to work at preserving and enhancing my God-given cognitive faculties.

Several years ago I suffered a near-fatal bacterial infection that compromised my lungs and brain. By God’s grace I fully recovered, but that illness helped me appreciate anew the importance of my brain-mind relationship (Christians have historically affirmed that man is a union of body and soul).

With God’s help, I am attempting to incorporate the five points mentioned below into my life (leave it to a Calvinist to have “five points”). I hope these strategies for brain-mind enhancement encourage you to consider how to care for and maintain your own intellectual strength.

I-D-E-A-S

I = Intellect (engage in stimulating intellectual activity such as challenging reading, language skills, etc.)

D = Drugs (realize that drugs—both legal and, of course, illegal—and alcohol can impair thinking)

E = Exercise (rigorous physical activity contributes to a healthy heart and brain)

A = Appetite (a balanced diet also maintains a healthy heart and brain)

S = Sleep (adequate sleep refreshes and clears the mind)

Ideas change the world and, metaphorically speaking, these IDEAS can change one’s intellectual life. For a more in-depth treatment of these five points, see this previous Reflections post: http://reflectionsbyken.wordpress.com/2010/07/06/logic-101-part-4-of-12/.

How Baseball Prepared Me for Life

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 15:49:33 GMT

When I played baseball as a youth, I had no idea that the game was actually preparing me for later life. Being a hitter involves a lot of failure. In fact, even the truly great Major League hitters fail (or get out) seven out of every ten times at bat. As I later discovered, coping with a batting slump in baseball isn’t all that different than coping with a string of difficulties and challenges in life overall.

I remember a particular game in which I was playing as catcher. I made a throwing error that allowed the other team to score three runs in the very first inning. Afterwards in the dugout, one of my teammates saw that I was really down on myself. He came over and told me that the sign of an excellent player is how they come back from adversity. I decided then that I would shake off this major blunder and concentrate on helping my team. As things would have it, I got a key hit late in the game that helped my team to come from behind and win the game.

In life I’ve also experienced some slumps, setbacks, and failures. As with baseball, I’ve had to shake off discouragement, refocus my energies, and “get back in the game,” so to speak—because my teammates (family, friends, ministry, and church members) were depending on me. In retrospect, while I was never a great baseball player, the game itself taught me many lessons that I’m still applying today.

With baseball season beginning anew this week, here’s an article I wrote some time ago that explains how I came to love baseball and how the game echoes life itself: “Reflecting on Baseball and Life.”

Are You Skeptical of Your Faith?

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:16:32 GMT

It’s one thing to believe in Christ when you are healthy and everything is going well; it is quite another when you believe death is imminent.

Almost ten years ago I experienced a life-threatening illness when a bacterial infection invaded my lungs and brain. Early on, my doctors thought I might have stage IV brain cancer. Since most patients in that condition die quickly, the diagnosis led me to do some soul searching. Though multiple abscessed brain lesions made thinking difficult, I lay in my hospital bed late at night, alone, and asked myself whether I really believed that Christianity was indeed true.

This introspective mood was challenging and, frankly speaking, is an experience I will never forget. I asked myself whether it was a mistake to believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and Savior. I wondered what my fate would be if another religion, such as Islam or Hinduism, were true. I also considered the possibility of atheistic naturalism being true where physical death is the final end. This existential reflection was brief, blurred by both the lesions and heavy pain medications.

In more lucid moments I refocused on my deepest Christian convictions. Lines from the Apostles’ Creed, this historic Christian statement of faith I’ve known and recited most of my life, came to mind. I concentrated as best I could on the middle section of the creed, which summarizes the great events Jesus Christ’s life.

I believe in Jesus Christ, his [God’s] only son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit born of the virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried; he descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead.

Slowly, the objective reasons that supported my belief in Jesus Christ’s historical resurrection from the dead came back to me. These reasons include seven points of evidence for the Resurrection that I lecture about, time and time again, in my apologetics ministry:

Jesus’s Empty Tomb
Jesus’s Postmortem Appearances
Short Time Frame between Actual Events and Eyewitness Claims
Extraordinary Transformation of the Apostles
Great Conversion of Saul of Tarsus (to the Apostle Paul)
Emergence of the Historic Christian Church
Emergence of Sunday as a Day of Worship

Recalling and reflecting upon the facts concerning Jesus’s resurrection, even though my head was often spinning, genuinely helped me to face my life-threatening illness with strength and with courage.

I went through a long and painful recovery—experiencing significant ups and downs—but thanks be to the Triune God I did recover fully. At Easter time I often think of that difficult period of my life and the existential introspection I experienced.

Atheists and Introspective Moods

When I was teaching philosophy at a local community college many years ago I once asked a skeptical student whether he was skeptical of his skepticism. I asked him specifically, “Do you ever have doubts about your unbelief?” His immediate response was an unequivocal—“No!” I informed him that I was skeptical concerning the certainty of his response.

Former atheist C. S. Lewis reveals a different response upon reflecting back on his earlier days in unbelief. In his classic apologetics work Mere Christianity Lewis wrote:¹

Now that I am a Christian I do have moods in which the whole thing looks very improbable: but when I was an atheist I had moods in which Christianity looked terribly probable.

Does this mean that in their quiet, reflective moments, when the voice of Dawkins and Harris has faded, even some atheists have doubts about their faith in atheism? It appears so.

From a biblical point of view, maybe in C. S. Lewis’s case it was a type of divine prevenient grace (a grace that precedes the human decision in salvation). But for the late, hardened atheist Christopher Hitchens, it may have consisted of an intuition of pending and inevitable divine justice.

Christians and atheists sometimes accuse each other of engaging in wishful thinking (assuming that a position is true based upon one’s desires)—yet it appears that those darn introspective moods can strike both believers and nonbelievers alike. It’s in those sober and candid moments that the objective historical facts appear to better support the truth of Jesus Christ’s resurrection other than not.

Something for both camps to think about at Easter time.

References:
1. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1980), 125.

Who has the Last Word in Your Worldview?

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 17:59:09 GMT

As some two billion Christians around the world prepare to celebrate Easter Sunday—the commemoration of Jesus Christ’s historical resurrection from the dead—it occurred to me that one way to think about one’s worldview is to look at it in terms of who or what has the last word.

Let’s very briefly examine who’s got the last word according to atheistic naturalism and Christian theism, two popular worldviews that vie for attention, especially in the Western world.

The Last Word in Atheistic Naturalism

Atheistic naturalism affirms that only the time-space-matter-energy (physical) universe exists. Nonphysical, supernatural entities such as God and immortal human souls, by definition, do not exist. According to the laws of physics, the finite and contingent universe is both expanding and cooling. It will ultimately end in an entropic heat death (when there is no longer any heat to power the workings of the universe). So the final state of the entire physical cosmos will be cold and lifeless regardless of what anyone thinks, says, or does. Likewise, physical death will be the end of each human being’s conscious existence. Thus, the last word, or final fate, in atheistic naturalism belongs to physical death, or in more cosmic scientific terms, to entropy.

The Last Word in Christian Theism

Christian theism, on the other hand, asserts that an infinite and eternal tri-personal God created all things (finite and contingent reality). This Triune God created human beings in his divine image and gave them moral capabilities and volitional responsibility. Human beings misused their freedom by breaking God’s moral commandments. Yet God provided redemption through the life, death, and resurrection of the God-man Jesus Christ. Believers in Christ have their sins forgiven and enjoy a personal relationship with God that continues on after death into the next world. Nonbelievers, on the other hand, face God’s just wrath against sin in the next life. Thus, the last word, or final fate of humanity (either in divine grace or divine wrath), in Christian theism belongs to the Triune God.

Reflections on this Last Word Prism

In thinking about the two worldviews briefly described above, we can contemplate reasonable reflections as well as some provocative questions. First, it’s worth noting that atheistic naturalism and Christian theism are not the only worldview options open to thoughtful people. However, they represent popular secular and religious options in the marketplace of ideas today. Is there a reason these two worldviews get so much attention?

Second, simply asking who has the last word in a worldview doesn’t tell you which worldview is true or which is best supported by reason and evidence. Nevertheless, identifying who or what holds the last word seems to reveal something fundamental about the nature of the specific worldviews. What do you think it reveals?

Third, apart from rational and irrational considerations, it appears that nonrational factors (such as preference, taste, feeling, intuition, poetic vision, etc.) can greatly impact the decision to embrace a particular worldview. So is it possible that we end up believing in the worldview we are most comfortable with—in spite of the evidence?

Fourth, humanity’s existential need for hope, meaning, and purpose has to be considered when evaluating the power of a worldview’s last word. But in practice doesn’t everyone, whether believer or nonbeliever, live as if his or her life has genuine meaning?

When the big curtain closes, will the last word belong to entropy or to the Triune God or to something else? Don’t you hate it when philosophers ask so many questions?

Well, that’s my last word on what I hope you will consider a provocative philosophical thought experiment.

For more on worldview analysis from a Christian theistic viewpoint, see my book A World of Difference.

Judging Jesus by His Followers

Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:42:36 GMT

German philosopher and atheist Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) was the first to proclaim, “God is dead.” Nietzsche holds an important position in the history of philosophy, serving as a forerunner to the secular movements of atheistic existentialism and secular postmodernism.

While Nietzsche remained very critical of institutionalized Christianity and Christians in particular, on occasion he spoke respectfully of Jesus Christ and of his character. Christian philosopher Ronald Nash even suggested that Nietzsche intentionally sought to serve as a type of gadfly to the Christian church.

Nietzsche once declared, “I might believe in the Redeemer if his followers looked more redeemed.” A provocative yet stinging accusation against believers and their witness to Christ indeed! These words strike a chord with many people today. For example, Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi (1869–1948) said, “If it weren’t for Christians I would be a Christian.” Thus, Nietzsche’s statement is worth careful analysis from a historic Christian perspective.

Responding to Nietzsche’s Claim

Ironically, Nietzsche’s critical declaration actually seems to affirm two central Christian truth-claims. First, the statement underscores the powerful point that Jesus Christ is different from all other human beings. Jesus’ extraordinary moral character and life makes his followers pale in comparison to him. Yet it’s not just everyday Christians who compare poorly to Jesus’ example—even the world’s great religious leaders fail to match Christ’s morally magnanimous nature. For example, have you ever heard anyone say “I find Muhammad to be an exemplary moral figure but I’m put off by his followers?” Not likely.

Second, historic Christianity teaches that human beings are sinners by nature (Psalm 51:5). Scripture indicates that sin has negatively impacted the entire being of human persons (Proverbs 20:9). Thus even persons who have experienced Christ’s redemption still struggle with sinful tendencies (1 John 1:8). So when Nietzsche bemoaned the lack of moral character among Christ’s followers, he identified a truth consistent with Christian teaching. After all, great sinners need an even greater Savior. Nietzsche’s statement therefore doesn’t actually conflict with the claims of historic Christianity.

However, one more point needs to be considered in light of Nietzsche’s claim. Scripture clearly implores believers to seek to live lives of integrity out of gratitude to God for his gracious forgiveness in Christ (Titus 2:11–14). Therefore Christians would do well to note that nonbelievers often form judgments about the truth of the Christian faith based upon the behavior of Christ’s followers. But what Nietzsche’s words don’t reveal is how often Christians do live lives characterized by such virtues as courage, humility, honesty, integrity, and love. Many believers clearly defy Nietzsche’s claim through lifestyles that make Christianity quite credible.

In closing, let me say that such distinguished Christian thinkers as G. K. Chesterton and C. S. Lewis both asserted that Christians can either be the strongest argument for the truth of the faith or its weakest link. May all believers strive with their words and deeds to faithfully point to the Messiah who was crucified for the forgiveness of sins.

For more about philosophy and its relationship to the Christian worldview, see A World of Difference: Putting Christian Truth-Claims to the Worldview Test.

Two Reviews for 7 Truths That Changed the World

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 17:05:04 GMT

Writing a book isn’t easy work. After laboring to get the right words and ideas on paper, undergoing the editorial process, and meeting publisher deadlines, it is encouraging to receive good reviews on one’s work. Here are two reviews of my most recent book, 7 Truths That Changed the World.

Dr. John Battle

Respected evangelical theologian John A. Battle reviewed my new book on the Western Reformed Seminary website. He writes,

Given the limited size of the book, the amount of useful material is remarkable. Arguments are stated concisely and are thoughtfully arranged. Ample endnotes provide more detailed discussions from excellent sources. The suggested readings and discussion questions at the end of each chapter would be quite useful for group study in a class or Bible study group. This book could be used also in a campus club or discussion with both Christian and non-Christian participants.

Dr. Battle is a gifted theologian and I’m honored that he found my book to be a helpful theological and apologetics resource. I encourage theology students to consider WRS (located in Tacoma, Washington) for graduate studies.

Hillbilly Physicist

The blog Hillbilly Physicist Guide To... writes of my book:

Ken Samples provides [an] organized explanation of Christianity[’s] distinct truths and an excellent list of supporting scripture to help the experienced or novice apologist. Ken also clearly and succinctly responds to alternative views. Ken provides a handbook of relevant apologetics.

I appreciate this concise and gracious review.

Christian apologetics books have been very important to me throughout my Christian journey, especially during my time as a college student. So my humble prayer is that the Triune God will use my modest writing efforts in the field to further the Kingdom. Again I’m grateful for these two thoughtful and helpful book reviews by two very qualified scholars.

The 50 Smartest People of Faith

Thu, 28 Feb 2013 17:50:55 GMT

It’s encouraging to see how many truly brilliant and accomplished people in the world embrace the truth of theism in general or Christianity in particular. Thebestschools.org, an online resource for prospective college students, features a list of the 50 smartest people of faith.

I’ve always thought that pursuing “the life of the mind to the glory of God” was a critically important calling for believers. The amazing people (religious Jews, Christians, and Muslims) mentioned in the article have exemplified that great calling and are an inspiration to all of us. They also remind us how important it is to have a realistic (humble) assessment of oneself.

As we say on the Straight Thinking podcast, the historic Christian faith involves knowledge and is compatible with reason. The Christians on this list help demonstrate that compatibility.

Top Five Abraham Lincoln Movies

Wed, 20 Feb 2013 19:44:21 GMT

Movies impact and shape our culture. They make us think. They communicate messages and worldviews, sometimes unintentionally. In light of the significance of film (and television), I along with RTB colleagues Krista Bontrager and Dave Rogstad spent time discussing how to approach movies “worldviewishly”—specifically from a Christian worldview—in a two-part podcast series entitled “How to Watch a Movie.” With the Oscars coming up this Sunday, now may be a good time to consider how and why we watch the movies we do.

“How to Watch a Movie, Part 1”
“How to Watch a Movie, Part 2”

With Steven Spielberg’s Lincoln up for multiple Academy Awards, I’ve decided to identify my top five movies about my favorite American president, Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865). All of these films are worth watching. They serve to educate and entertain while paying homage to one of the most important and controversial political leaders in history. Plus, they present an opportunity to practice viewing movies through the worldview lens.

This list includes motion pictures, TV movies, and documentaries about Lincoln that, in some cases, focus more broadly on the events of the American Civil War. These films are listed in order of release dates.

1. The Civil War: A Film by Ken Burns (1990)
Arguably Burns’ best documentary, this DVD covers virtually all aspects of the great and terrible American Civil War (1861–1865). While many critical figures are highlighted, Abraham Lincoln receives a lot of attention. An actor whose accent likely reflects that of the Kentucky-born president reads some of the greatest lines from Lincoln’s speeches.

2. The Day Lincoln Was Shot (1998)
This TV movie depicts Lincoln’s fateful assassination. The actors playing President Lincoln (Lance Henriksen) and his assassin, John Wilkes Booth (Rob Morrow), do a great job of bring the characters to life. I intentionally watched this movie before visiting the historic Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C., where Lincoln was shot.

3. The Lincoln Assassination (2004)
Abraham Lincoln was the first American president to be assassinated. This DVD carefully explores the historical events surrounding the shocking murder. This informative program aired on the History Channel and is an A&E production.

4. The Conspirator (2010)
This motion picture was directed by Robert Redford and explores the legal prosecution of those who were charged with conspiracy to murder President Lincoln. The film focuses particularly on Mary Surratt who ran the boarding house in which the conspirators met to plan the assassination. Questions remain about whether Surratt, who was sentenced to death, was actually an innocent woman.

5. Lincoln (2012)
This outstanding film provides a fresh portrait of Lincoln. Most movies about the sixteenth president, as we saw above, generally focus upon his leadership during the Civil War or examine his tragic and shocking death. Spielberg’s Lincoln presents both a real man and a skilled political leader. Actor Daniel Day-Lewis’ extraordinary performance makes you feel as if you are actually in the presence of Abraham Lincoln.

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I hope you will enjoy these movies and the informative perspectives they present on President Lincoln. I never tire of reading books or watching movies about the great events of American history—so I’ll be rooting for Spielberg’s Lincoln on Oscar night.

Darwin's Doubt

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 18:24:55 GMT

Was Charles Darwin a confident evolutionist?

It may be surprising to learn that the father of modern evolutionary theory had doubts about his proposed explanation for life’s diversity. Reflective by nature, Darwin (1809–1882) worried about the philosophical implications of his biological theory. One concern was whether humanity’s cognitive (belief-producing) faculties—which he believed had evolved from the lower animals—could be trusted to produce reliable, true beliefs about reality itself. Here’s how Darwin expressed his epistemological (relating to knowing) reservations concerning the purely naturalistic process of evolution:¹

With me the horrid doubt always arises whether the convictions of man’s mind, which has been developed from the mind of the lower animals, are of any value or at all trustworthy. Would any one trust in the convictions of a monkey’s mind, if there are any convictions in such a mind?

Several thinkers have argued that the worldview of naturalism (nature as the sole reality) involves a fundamental state of epistemological incoherence or is self-defeating in nature.²

Three Strikes against Evolutionary Naturalism

Consistent with Darwin’s original uneasiness, a growing contingent of theists think it is irrational to believe in evolutionary naturalism in particular. Why? Because it fails to provide a viable pathway to ensure that humans develop reliable, true beliefs about reality;³ and the deliverances of science depend upon humans having trustworthy and accurate beliefs about the natural world. Atheistic, evolutionary naturalism’s ability to account for humanity’s rational faculties and explain how human beings can discover truth faces three potential defeaters.⁴

1. Naturalism Postulates a Nonrational Source for Human Rationality

If a person accepts the evolutionary naturalistic worldview, then he must also accept that the ultimate source of people’s reasoning faculties was not itself rational (endowed with reason), personal (self-aware, intelligent), or teleological (purposive) in nature. Rather, the source was a nonrational, impersonal, purposeless process consisting of genetic mutations, variation, and environmental factors (natural selection). Naturalism therefore postulates that a combination of random chance and blind impersonal natural processes (physical and chemical in nature) produced humanity’s rational faculties.

However, presuming that a nonrational, chance origin explains human intelligence raises legitimate questions about whether human reason can be trusted. According to the presumptions of science, an effect requires an adequate and sufficient cause, and the effect cannot be greater than the cause. But in the case of evolution, the effect of human intelligence is magnitudes (exponentially) greater than its supposed cause. Naturalists appear to have adopted a potentially self-defeating posture: They are assuming a trustworthy reasoning process only to conclude that their reasoning is ultimately untrustworthy.

2. Evolution Promotes a Species’ Survivability, Not Its True Beliefs

Evolution by natural selection is said to have taken billions of years to produce intellectual and sensory capacities in people. But that process operated solely in light of survival value and reproductive advantage. In other words, evolution functioned only to enhance a particular organism’s adaptation to its environment—thus promoting that species’ continued existence. What a particular species believes about its environment is nonessential to the process.

Also, whether the organism’s convictions about reality are indeed true is highly questionable. In some cases reliably true beliefs might contribute to survivability, but in others the truth of the beliefs would be irrelevant. Distinguished scientist Francis Crick stated, “Our highly developed brains, after all, were not evolved under the pressure of discovering scientific truth, but only to enable us to be clever enough to survive and leave descendents.”⁵

Evolutionary naturalism appears to lead to inevitable insecurity concerning the truth of one’s beliefs. This has led Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga to conclude,⁶

Evolution and naturalism are not merely uneasy bedfellows; they are more like belligerent combatants. One can’t rationally accept both evolution and naturalism… Naturalism, or evolutionary naturalism, seems to lead to a deep and pervasive skepticism. It leads to the conclusion that our cognitive or belief-producing faculties—memory, perception, logical insight, etc.—are unreliable and cannot be trusted to produce a preponderance of true beliefs over false.

3. False Beliefs Illustrate Evolutionary Naturalism’s Epistemological Unreliability

Some naturalistic scientists and philosophers today have heightened Darwin’s original doubt by suggesting that humanity’s inherent religious impulse is itself driven by evolution. In other words, beliefs in God, objective morality, and life after death were generated by evolution and must have served some survival purpose in the distant past. Preeminent scientist and popular science writer Lawrence Krauss notes:⁷

Religious belief that the universe is the handiwork of an all-powerful being is not subject to refutation. This sort of reliance on faith may itself have an evolutionary basis. There has been talk of a “god gene”: the idea of an early advantage in the struggle for survival for those endowed with a belief in a hidden patrimony that gives order, purpose and meaning to the universe we experience.

Celebrated atheist Richard Dawkins has gone further, arguing that belief in God is a mental delusion caused by a malfunction in the evolutionary process of the human brain. He dismisses all religious beliefs as simply the result of a defective “mental virus.”

Attributing humanity’s false religious convictions (from the naturalist perspective) to the evolutionary process, however, only adds suspicion to Darwin’s original doubt. If evolution is responsible for humankind’s virtually universal religious impulse—which from a naturalistic point of view is patently false (and even pernicious, according to Dawkins)—then history shows that false beliefs about reality have promoted human survivability more than true beliefs.

But again, if evolutionary naturalism can cause a person to believe that which is false (such as religiously oriented beliefs) in order to promote survivability, then what confidence can evolutionists muster that their own convictions are reliable and true? And if evolution cannot guarantee true beliefs in a person’s mind, then how does one know that evolutionary naturalism itself is a true belief about the world?

A Viable Christian Theistic Alternative

Alternatively the Christian theistic worldview teaches that a perfectly rational being, God, is the ground and source of reason. Therefore such conceptual realities as logic, mathematics, knowledge, and truth flow from a supremely intelligent divine Mind and characterize his universe. And because God made human beings in his image with rational faculties and sensory organs that, in general, function properly, humans are able to discover the world’s basic intelligible and empirical order. The omniscient and wise Creator “networked” the intelligibility of the world with the mind of humans. Darwin’s doubt substantiated this notion.

Set against a precarious evolutionary naturalism, God’s objective existence is the fixed ontological (based upon being) reference point that makes authentic knowledge of the world possible.

References:

1. Charles Darwin to W. Graham, July 3, 1881, in The Life and Letters of Charles Darwin, ed. Francis Darwin (1897; repr., Boston: Elibron, 2005), 1:285.
2. Some of these thinkers include: C. S. Lewis, Miracles (New York: Macmillan, 1978), chapters 1–4; Richard Taylor, Metaphysics, 4th ed. (Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1992), 110–12; Victor Reppert, C. S. Lewis’s Dangerous Idea (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2003).
3. See Alvin Plantinga, Warrant and Proper Function (New York: Oxford University Press, 1993), chapters 11–12.
4. My book develops these criticisms in more detail, see Kenneth Richard Samples, “Naturalism: A Secular Worldview Challenge,” in A World of Difference (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2007), 201–18.
5. Francis Crick, The Astonishing Hypothesis (New York: Touchstone, 1994), 262.
6. Alvin Plantinga, “Evolution vs. Naturalism: Why They Are Like Oil and Water,” Books & Culture, July/August 2008, http://www.christianitytoday.com/bc/2008/004/11.37.html.
7. Lawrence M. Krauss, “Science and Religion Share Fascination in Things Unseen,” New York Times, November 8, 2005, http://genesis1.asu.edu/~krauss/08essay.html.

Ten Questions with Ken Samples

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:31:59 GMT

In “Ten Questions with Ken Samples,” Christian apologist Dayton Hartman asks me about a variety of subjects from baseball to philosophy to church involvement to books. Topics include:

The thinker with the most influence on my own theology
The importance of staying involved with a local church
The age-of-the-earth debate
Recommended reading for those interested in the age of the earth and/or human origins
The importance of having a “thinking faith”
Rising interest among American Christians in apologetics
Advice for aspiring apologists

Take a look at the article and see if you think my answers are as good as Dayton’s questions.

A Charitable Review of 7 Truths That Changed the World

Wed, 06 Feb 2013 17:26:05 GMT

Can a young-earth creationist value an apologetics book that was written by an old-earth creationist? I’m happy to say that the answer is yes. Pastor and Bible college instructor Daniel Ruiz has written a very helpful and thorough review of my latest book, 7 Truths That Changed the World on the Sharper Iron website: http://sharperiron.org/article/book-review-7-truths-changed-world.

Pastor Ruiz exhibits a good eye for theological and apologetics detail as he summarizes the seven major sections of my book. I genuinely appreciate his fair-minded and charitable review especially since he holds to young-earth creationism and views the old-earth creationist position as “most disappointing.”

While the review of my book is very positive and balanced, Pastor Ruiz does comment briefly about what he sees as the unfortunate hermeneutical implications of Christians believing in an ancient universe (approximately 14 billion years old). It seems he believes that interpreting the Genesis creation days in any other manner than as six consecutive 24-hour periods (popularly known as the calendar-day or young-earth view) violates the historical-grammatical method of Bible interpretation.

However, I am just one of many conservative Christian theologians and apologists who do in fact affirm the historical-grammatical method but reject the calendar-day view because of its exegetical weaknesses. For example, the first three creation days could not be normal calendar-days—with “evening and morning” equating to sunset and sunrise—if the Sun was not created until the fourth day. There is no reference to evening and morning in the description of the seventh day. Plus, the Hebrew word yôm (translated “day”) is not restricted to meaning only a 24-hour period.

To appreciate the diversity among conservative evangelical scholars and denominations when it comes to interpreting Genesis’ creation days, see my article “Creedal Controversy: The Orthodoxy of Days”: http://www.reasons.org/articles/creedal-controversy-the-orthodoxy-of-days. I include statements from a number of evangelicalism’s finest seminaries and from solidly orthodox denominations that confirm that the creation days can be interpreted as being other than calendar days (e.g., day-age, analogical day, framework, etc.) and yet still be consistent with sound principles of biblical interpretation.

The conservative theologians and apologists I know who adopt old-earth creationism do so because they believe that God’s two revelatory books (the figurative book of nature and the literal book of Scripture) both point to that conclusion.

Again, I appreciate Pastor Ruiz’s gracious and evenhanded review of my latest apologetics book and I hope this response alleviates concern over the old-earth approach.

No Exit from Suffering

Fri, 25 Jan 2013 18:28:22 GMT

I recently underwent some rather invasive medical exams that required me to spend some time in a medical facility. Lying in a hospital bed staring at the ceiling and waiting to see the doctor forced me, once again, to philosophize about the big questions of life and death. A lot of people go to great lengths to avoid thinking about such disturbing subjects as suffering and death; I am unable to avoid it because I cannot not philosophize! God made me a reflective person by nature.

While I lay impatiently in that cold, uncomfortable bed I thought that this will very likely be the same scenario when I die. That is, I imagine my death might involve lying in a hospital bed, staring at the ceiling and waiting for some medical procedure to be performed. Several years ago when I was deathly ill with a rare bacterial infection the doctor placed me in an intensive care unit with a number of elderly patients who were also critically sick. I distinctly remember that I couldn’t sleep that night because the elderly lady whose bed was close to mine kept struggling to catch her breath. I saw firsthand in that intensive care room what awaits all of us when we grow older.

The existential reality is that no one gets through life without facing the stark reality of suffering. There is no exit from this impending dilemma. If you’re born into this world, then you will also suffer and eventually leave this world at death. The older I get, the more I’m aware that this fate awaits me. Yet while we all know intuitively that this is the unalterable human condition, it seems that many people refuse to contemplate their death. I can understand that there are many reasons to want to avoid thinking about the dreaded end of life. But accepting reality and reflecting upon suffering and death can produce some powerful positives in one’s life now.

Here are a couple of ideas to consider when pondering the reality of suffering and death:

1. God’s Possible Purposes in Suffering

There is arguably no more difficult topic than suffering when it comes to explaining the ways and whys of God. But maybe suffering is the best way—even possibly the only way—for God to get people’s attention and for people to grow both spiritually and morally. God seems to care more about his people’s character than their comfort; so suffering is a critical part of God’s plan to transform his people. Also, suffering cracks the illusion people often hold that we are in control of our lives. The short answer to a thorny issue is that God allows suffering because of the greater goods that result from it.

2. The Inevitable Reality of One’s Death

As scary and unnerving as it is to think about one’s death, good things can be derived from such reflection. A possible benefit is that such contemplation may serve to change the way a person chooses to live life now. For example, if faith and family are the most important things in life, then the person can ask whether those values are being reflected in the way one is actually living. In other words, if a person knows where they want to end up at the end of life, then they ought to be certain they are on the right track to get there. Even Christians, who believe in an afterlife, still understand that they have only one mortal life to live here.

Suffering is a complex and splintered issue. No one answer can truly suffice when it comes to providing a theodicy (justification for evil and suffering in light of God). But in my latest book, 7 Truths That Changed the World, I share several different ways in which Christian thinkers have sought to address this deeply challenging subject.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Manifesto on Civil Rights

Thu, 17 Jan 2013 00:34:17 GMT

Every January, we honor the life and work of the great civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. (1929–1968). If you read only one of King’s writings, I would encourage you to read his “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” written in April 1963 while he was incarcerated in the city jail. The letter served primarily as a response to a statement from a group of Christian clergymen who questioned King’s methods of confronting the problem of racial segregation in Birmingham.

King, himself a pastor, sets forth his motives, intentions, and justification for the nonviolent civil rights movement that he lead in America in the 1950s and 1960s. He also provides a rational, moral, and theological defense of his life’s work.

Reading this letter would be a great way to honor Dr. King and to reflect upon the critical moral issue of justice. King’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” can be found online here: http://www.africa.upenn.edu/Articles_Gen/Letter_Birmingham.html.

10 Influential Theological Books, Part 2

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 17:26:58 GMT

In part one of this series I listed five theological books that have exercised an enduring influence upon not only myself as an avid reader, but also upon generations of Christians—and even Western civilization in general. Here are the remaining books that made the list. Again, the works are listed in alphabetical order by author.

6. Saved By Grace by Anthony Hoekema

Hoekema (1913–1989) was both a Reformed systematic theologian and an apologist to non-Christian cults. This book explains salvation by grace in a powerfully clear and magnanimous way. Hoekema’s work helped me to explain my Reformed views to Christians of other theological traditions. If you have ever wondered what Calvinists believe concerning salvation, read this book first.

7. Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis

This contemporary classic from C. S. Lewis (1898–1963) explains and defends the historic Christian faith by exploring essential doctrine and values. This is the first Christian book that I ever read and it influenced my early thinking about the faith.

8. Essential Christianity by Walter Martin

Martin (1928–1989) was both a theologian and a bold Christian apologist. This work clearly explains the central doctrines of the Christian faith. I worked for and with Walter Martin in the late 1980s at the Christian Research Institute. This book strongly shaped my basic understanding of Christian doctrine.

9. Pensées by Blaise Pascal

Known as a mathematical and scientific genius, Blaise Pascal (1623–1662) was also a uniquely gifted apologist. While this work is more of a collection of Pascal’s thoughts on various subjects, it is truly a classic of Christian theology and apologetics. Reading and meditating on Pascal’s writings has made me forever a Pascalian at heart.

10. Our Triune God by Peter Toon

The doctrine of the Trinity is arguably Christianity’s most distinctive belief. Peter Toon (1939–2009), a conservative Anglican theologian, explained and defended this doctrine in his writings. This particular book stands as the best modern treatment of the Trinity. Toon’s work helped me to see that the Trinity is the foundation of all Christian theology.

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The influence these ten theological texts have had on me and the way I understand theology testifies to their enduring relevance. I recommend them to you in this new year for your reading reflection.

CLEAR Pointers to God

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 17:27:13 GMT

Do life’s most meaningful realities point to God? In this 2011 talk (given at Oceanview Baptist Church in San Pedro, CA) I use what I call “best explanation apologetics” (apologetics based on inference to the best explanation for reality) to demonstrate God’s existence and involvement in the universe. I explain how the Cosmos, Life, Ethics, Abstractions, and Religion serve as CLEAR signposts pointing to God.

You can watch the lecture here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8WaC_nYiReQ. Much of its content can also be found in my latest book, 7 Truths That Changed the World: Discovering Christianity’s Most Dangerous Ideas.