ARTICLE ARCHIVES
Education and Practical Objections
We have been examining education in light of Scripture. We found previously that the Bible instructs parents to instruct/educate their own children in the way of the Lord (e.g. Ephesians 6:4). Some delegation is allowed as long as the educator is instructing the child in a thoroughly biblical worldview. Therefore, Christian schools are an option (if they are Christian indeed in their curriculum). Although many Christians think that public schools are neutral, we found that this is certainly not the case and is impossible according to the Bible (Matthew 12:30). Education, by its very nature, cannot be neutral. It will either be for Christ or against Christ.
Education: Objections to Biblical Principles
What is the most important aspect of rearing children? Is it ensuring that their physical needs (food, clothing, shelter, medical care) are provided? It is teaching them skills necessary for them to provide for themselves and their family when they become adults? Is it learning social skills? Is it inculcating a good work ethic? Is it ensuring that they feel loved and safe?
Education and the Myth of Neutrality
In the previous article, we explored what the Bible states about the education of children. We discovered the following biblical principles. (1) The goal of education is to help a child become a good thinker, reasoning and behaving in a way that is consistent with the character of God….
The Purpose of Education
What is the purpose of education? Who is supposed to do the educating? What topics should be covered? What should be the end result of education? Do we have any moral obligations in how we educate our children or are we free to choose any method whatsoever?
Infinity
Infinity is the concept of an unlimited quantity. Although this idea is challenging for us, it is very real because it stems from the mind of God. God’s understanding is infinite (Psalms 147:5). Therefore, to study the nature of infinity is to learn...
The James Webb Space Telescope
The $10 billion James Webb Space Telescope is now on its way to the earth-sun L2 Lagrangian point where it will begin taking images of the most distant regions of the known universe. Many headlines claim that it will peer billions of years into the past to see the formation of the first galaxies after the big bang. But what is it about this telescope that is so innovative, and what will it really discover?
The Historical Adam – Part 8: Closing Remarks
In this final segment, we continue to critique William Lane Craig’s claim that Genesis 1-11 is mytho-history. The New Testament often quotes from the Old Testament as if the events recorded therein actually happened. Craig attempted to show that some such references may not be endorsing the historicity of such events, but merely using them as literary illustrations. However, none of the examples he provided suggested anything other than a reference to actual historical events. There is nothing wrong with using a fictional story to illustrate a point. But there is no evidence that any biblical author thought of Genesis as anything but straightforward history.
The Historical Adam – Part 7: New Testament References
In analyzing William Lane Craig’s comments on Genesis in his recent article in First Things, we have seen that when New Testament authors quote or allude to Old Testament passages (including Genesis 1-11), they do so as if these events really occurred and often with consequences for our present world. This would seem to be further evidence that Genesis 1-11 is historical narrative, as the text itself indicates along with its context.
The Historical Adam – Part 6: Truth vs. Truth-in-Story
We begin with a brief review of our analysis of William Lane Craig’s claims regarding Genesis 1-11 from his recent article on the historical Adam. We have seen that Genesis 1-11 has all the markers of historical narrative. Namely, it is written in the same...
The Historical Adam – Part 5: Textual Considerations
We here continue to examine William Lane Craig’s claim that Genesis 1-11 is not meant to be read as literal history.
The Historical Adam – Part 4: “Mytho-History?”
We have been exploring inconsistencies in William Lane Craig’s comments on Genesis. Recall that Craig had attempted to reclassify Genesis 1-11 as myth by claiming it had similarities to Ancient Near Eastern origins stories. We found this claim to be false. Craig then equivocated on the meaning of the word ‘myth’ in order to convince his followers that Genesis is not literal history. This is a bait-and-switch fallacy. In fact, Craig did not present any evidence that Genesis should be taken as anything but literal history. His rejection of a literal Genesis does not stem from an exegetical reading of the text, or proper reasoning from Scripture, but rather from his acceptance of the secular stories of deep time, Darwinian evolution, and the big bang.
The Historical Adam – Part 3: A Worldview Based on Fact or Fiction
Every year, citizens of the United States celebrate Independence Day on July 4. But why? Suppose someone answered, “That is the date in which the fictional characters Steve Miller and David Levinson saved the world from invading extraterrestrials, as shown in the sci-fi movie Independence Day. That is why we celebrate on the 4th of July.” That would be absurd because the reality of our independence cannot be based on fictional events in a movie.
The Historical Adam – Part 2: Myth or Reality?
We have been examining the claims of William Lane Craig regarding the historicity of Genesis 1-11. Craig argued that there is similarity between the creation account in Genesis and creation myths of the ancient Near East (ANE). But we found that this is not the case, in that ANE creation myths are always polytheistic, and generally involve a chaos monster that is defeated in order to produce the good earth we have today. However, Genesis is the opposite in starting with one all-powerful God who created a very good earth, and in which humans introduced chaos/death by rebelling against that God.
The Historical Adam – Part 1: an Introduction
William Lane Craig is a professor of philosophy at Houston Baptist University. Although he is known as an apologist, his approach is based on man-centered philosophy rather than biblical authority. As such, Craig rejects the history recorded in Genesis. He instead embraces the secular story of origins, including its timescale of billions of years. So, his latest article arguing against the literal history in Genesis came as no surprise. In his article, Craig attempts to persuade his readers that Genesis is a myth – a story that contains elements of truth but which is not to be understood literally. This is a significant departure from the faith once and for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). So, let’s examine the more pertinent parts of Craig’s article and see if his reasoning is sound.
Extrasolar Planets – Part 3
We have been examining the recent discoveries of extrasolar planets – those planets that orbit a star other than the sun. Several thousand exoplanets have been discovered. In many instances, we know only the orbital period and minimum mass of the planet. In cases where the planet passes directly in front of its star, we are also able to estimate the size of the planet, its true mass, and therefore its density. But through some careful measurements and ingenious reasoning, there is additional information we can learn about exoplanets. And these new discoveries challenge the secular view of origins.