There are no accounts of Jesus Christ’s birth beyond Luke and Matthew’s Gospels. So, how can we trust that the Christmas story happened the way they describe? English New Testament scholar NT Wright shares his thoughts. You can hear more on the Ask NT Wright Anything podcast. Christmas broadcast About 20 years ago I was phoned up shortly before Christmas by a television station saying they were putting together a program that was going to talk about the birth narratives.... Read more
This month marks 9 years since the death of journalist Christopher Hitchens (13 April 1949 – 15 December 2011), one of the so-called ‘four horsemen’ of the new atheism. Guest blogger Peter Harris reflects on his famous (mis)characterisation of the God of the Bible. Hitchens’ view of God was of a distant, tyrannical figure whose commandments are impossible to obey and who punishes eternally. If God is benevolent, Hitchens argues, He is intolerably paternalistic, ensuring that people get what is good... Read more
It shouldn’t be a surprise to those drawn to the ministry that the bar for church leadership has been set incredibly high. The Bible clearly outlines the personal qualities necessary for someone to be a minister of the gospel. Yet, a number of well known leaders in Christian ministries, including Carl Lentz, Jerry Falwell Jr and Bill Hybels have been the subject of scandals and allegations of inappropriate behavior in recent years. Why do so many well-informed priests and pastors talk-the-talk... Read more
Four years ago we released a cheekily-titled video on fine-tuning called ‘How a dice can show that God exists’. I never imagined the response it would generate from people all over the world. It currently has over 2 million views and over 36,000 comments on YouTube – some positive… some not so much! Years later, I still think it holds true: a dice can show that God exists (and yes, I know, it should be ‘die’ but that always sounded... Read more
In light of a recent debate on evolutionary theory, Erik Strandness explains why he changed his mind about how we should put science and faith together. (Look out for a response article from Joshua Swamidass, coming soon.) Michael Behe, the godfather of intelligent design (ID) theory, was recently in conversation with computational biologist and physician Joshua Swamidass. On Unbelievable? they discussed the history of intelligent design and how it continues to be a controversial topic in scientific and theological circles. It... Read more
Ever since Jesus appeared on the scene, foe and follower alike have tried to separate His divinity from His humanity. Jesus anticipated this problem during His lifetime and made it a point to ask His disciples who people said He was. “And He asked them: ‘Who do the crowds say that I am?’ And they answered: ‘John the Baptist. But others say, Elijah, and others, that one of the prophets of old has risen.’” (Luke 9:18-19) Jesus knew He was being pigeon-holed as a... Read more
Having good conversations seems to be getting more and more difficult in our culture. From the rancour of our divisive politics to the difficult conversations you may be expecting around the Thanksgiving table this year, we all need to learn a lesson in generating more light than heat in our discourse. I have found the well-known words of 1 Peter 3:15 incredibly helpful when it comes to engaging with non-Christians about faith: “But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an... Read more
Why do atheists become Christians and why do Christians become atheists? Why does the resurrection feel like intellectual suicide to some and eternal life to others? There is two-way traffic between the sacred and the secular, so what is it that drives the commuter habits of the converted and deconverted? Unbelievable? tackled these questions with the help of Dr. Jana Harmon and Dr. Joel Furches. Harmon did her PhD thesis on atheist conversion to Christianity and currently hosts the “Side... Read more
As parents, churches and schools, are we helping our children pack their bags for a successful life journey or are we making it more difficult by piling on excessive Christian baggage? These are very important questions because we are seeing an exodus of young people leaving the Church. We need to figure out if this is because we failed to equip them with the gospel or saddled them with “burdens they could hardly carry” (Luke 11:46). Unbelievable? recently addressed this... Read more
This week my social media was saturated with a beautiful video featuring a former prima ballerina in a wheelchair. In this viral clip Marta C. González Saldaña, who has Alzheimer’s, was filmed listening to music from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake. Remarkably, when Saldaña hears the music she is able to remember and relive the choreography of the ballet she once performed. Seated in her wheelchair at a senior residential facility in Spain, she moves her arms to the music with a... Read more
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