Answers in Genesis at Butler University

Last updated on: March 11, 2013 at 11:32 am By James F. McGrath

I received this notification from an organization on campus: Butler Staff and Faculty Ministry (BSFM) would like to invite faculty, staff and students to join us for our quarterly speaker and Brown Bag Luncheon: Thursday, April 11th, 2013 12:00pm – 1:00pm in the Johnson Room at Robertson Hall Dr. Terry Mortenson: “Origin of Species: was Darwin right?” (Taking a critical look into the evidences, assumptions and conclusions of the science of origins.) Light desserts and drinks will be provided by... Read more

Biblical Criticism

Last updated on: March 11, 2013 at 9:13 am By James F. McGrath

This cartoon came to my attention on Facebook: I wonder whether the cartoonist is intentionally playing on the double meaning of “criticism”, or reflects the same confusion educators often encounter in classes. When we talk about “Biblical criticism” the phrase does not mean “criticizing the Bible” – it means the careful, thorough, detailed, scholarly study of the Bible. Such study can indeed lead one to ask questions and draw conclusions that could be considered “criticism” in the more popular sense.... Read more

So You Want To Have a Discussion…

Last updated on: March 10, 2013 at 9:53 pm By James F. McGrath

A Facebook friend shared both the image above and the one below. It is one of the things I love about this blog that most commenters approach discussion here according to these guidelines. I am not so strict as to make rules of this sort, but there is an ideal standard that most here share and aim for. We may not agree on various points – Taking a rational approach does not preclude disagreement in principle, although it is incompatible... Read more

Shebrews

Last updated on: March 10, 2013 at 3:41 pm By James F. McGrath

Today in my Sunday school class, we started a new topic, beginning a study of the Epistle to the Hebrews. We spent a significant amount of the time on authorship, and the uncertainties about it (I explained the reasons why I was persuaded it was not Paul, including the very different style of Greek). I was impressed that everyone was not only open to the possibility that Priscilla might have written it (a possibility apparently first suggested by Adolf von... Read more

In Case You Forgot

Last updated on: March 10, 2013 at 5:10 am By James F. McGrath

The War is Over

Last updated on: March 9, 2013 at 6:37 pm By James F. McGrath

David H. Bailey has posted a wonderful blog entry which makes an analogy between Hiroo Onoda, who continued holding his ground according to the commands he had been given during WWII for almost 30 years after the war ended, and young-earth creationists. Here’s a taste: Unlike the history of World War II, the last holdouts in the battle over the age of the earth and evolution have not yet given up. Even in 2013, numerous groups are proposing state laws that... Read more

Daylight Savings Time meets The Princess Bride

Last updated on: March 9, 2013 at 12:32 pm By James F. McGrath

A friendly reminder to those living in areas where clocks need to be changed tomorrow. Goodbye, hour. You'll be sorely missed. Read more

What Would the Doctor Do?

Last updated on: March 9, 2013 at 9:39 am By James F. McGrath

On Wednesday, John Morehead shared a link to an article about posthumanism, science fiction, and religion. One of the things Martin Erdmann said about science fiction and religion in the article was: These “socially and culturally expedient myths”, however, are purely scientistic in character. That is, they exalt the epistemological imperialism of scientism. Yet, because they present metaphysical claims (e.g., transcendence, unio mystica, physicalism, etc.), the scientistic myths of science fiction still qualify as religions. These religions are developed according... Read more

Matrix in a Minute

Last updated on: March 8, 2013 at 11:45 pm By James F. McGrath

HT IO9 Read more

WWJD (Feline Edition)

Last updated on: March 8, 2013 at 4:35 pm By James F. McGrath

Today's Bizarro comic helps focus attention on the relationship between natural instinct and morality. The natural world is full of behavior that could be considered to run counter to many human systems of moral teaching. We do not expect cats to ask, after catching a mouse, “What Would Jesus Do?” – nor even some feline equivalent…perhaps “What Would Aslan Do?” Yet many of the instincts that lead to such behaviors are ones that we share with other living things on... Read more

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