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Peter Woit on the multiverse as a weapon against religion

From Uncommon Descent

At Not Even Wrong, Peter Woit comments on Larry Krauss’s recent interest in the multiverse:

Today’s New York Times has an article by Dennis Overbye about Lawrence Krauss and his new book A Universe from Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather than Nothing. Much of the book is an excellent discussion of cosmology and the physics of the vacuum, but it also devotes a lot of effort to discussing the meaningless question of “Why is there something rather than nothing?” and arguing against the invocation of a deity in order to answer it. Krauss is no fan of string theory, which he regards as overhyped, but he seems to have developed an attraction to multiverse studies recently, perhaps motivated by their use in arguments with those who see the Big Bang as a place for God to hang out.

Personally I’ve no interest in arguments about the existence of God, which epitomize to me an empty waste of time. Given the real dangers of religious fundamentalism in the US though, I’m glad that others like Krauss make the effort to answer some of these arguments. I’m less happy to see him and others adopting the multiverse as their weapon of choice in this battle, since it’s a lousy one and not going to convince anyone. In the New York Times piece we’re told:

“Maybe in the true eternal multiverse there are truly no laws,” Dr. Krauss said in an e-mail. “Maybe indeed randomness is all there is and everything that can happen happens somewhere.”

Given the choice between this vision of fundamental science and “God did it” as explanations for the nature of the universe, one can’t be surprised if people go for the man in the white robes…

Well, if God exists, science follows, but if there are truly no laws, science doesn’t follow.

Discussion Panel: Tim Keller Responds to Oxford’s Questions

Here are the Oxford MP3s and videos featuring Tim Keller and Mike Cain. Including…

  • A sceptical student encounters Jesus
  • The Insider and the Outcast Encounter Jesus
  • Two Grieving Sisters Encounter Jesus
  • A Wedding Party Encounters Jesus
  • The First Christian Encounters Jesus

Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum visiting New Zealand in April (and OZ in March)

Scholar and teaching machine Dr. Arnold G. Fruchtenbaum from Ariel Ministries is returning to New Zealand and Australia.

Itinerary from the beautiful Ariel Winter Mailer PDF here.

Ariel Ministries New Zealand office is here.

Struth, this is one full-on itinerary!!!

The latest details are here.

Date: Friday 6 April
Venue: Good News Bible Chapel Location: Napier, NZ

Date: Saturday 7 April
Venue: Good News Bible Chapel Location: Napier, NZ

Date: Sunday 8 April
Venue: Good News Bible Chapel Location: Napier, NZ

Date: Monday 9 April
Venue: Church on Vogel Location: Palmerston North, NZ

Date: Tuesday 10 April
Venue: Church on Vogel Location: Palmerston North, NZ

Date: Wednesday 11 April
Venue: North Beach Christian Fellowship Location: Christchurch, NZ

Date: Thursday 12 April
Venue: Rowley Avenue Bible Chapel Location: Christchurch, NZ

Date: Friday 13 April
Venue: Rowley Avenue Bible Chapel Location: Christchurch, NZ

AND AUSTRALIA TOO IN MARCH

Date: Saturday 3 March
Venue: Perth Messianic Assembly, Dianella Church of Christ Location: Dianella, AU

Date: Sunday 4 March AM
Venue: Perth – Nollamara Baptist Church Location: Nollamara, AU

Date: Sunday 4 March PM
Venue: Perth – Woodvale Baptist Church, 67 Woodvale Drive, Woodvale
Location: Woodvale, AU

Date: Monday 5 March PM to Thursday 8 March PM
Venue: New Life City Church
Location: Kewdale, AU 6105

Date: Tuesday 6 March
Venue: Bethany Baptist Church (Ministry House)
Location: Beechboro, WA

Date: Wednesday 7 March
Venue: Harvest West Bible College (Limited to college members only) Location: Belmont, Perth

Date: Thursday 8 March AM
Venue: Perth – Subiaco Church Youth Centre
Location: Subiaco, AU (08) 9388 1030

Date: Saturday 10 March
Venue: Melbourne – Celebrate Messiah Beit HaMashiach Messianic Congregation
Location: Caulfield South VIC, AU 3162 (03) 9563 5544

Date: Sunday 11 March AM
Venue: Belmont / Highton Baptist Church
Location: Belmont Victoria, AU 3216 (03) 5241 1453

Date: Monday 12 March PM, and Tuesday 13 March PM
Venue: Bendigo
Location: Bendigo VIC, AU

Date: Thursday 15 March AM
Venue: Adelaide – South West Baptist Church
Location: Seacliff, AU (08) 8377 1802

Date: Friday 16 March PM
Venue: CWMF (Christian Witness Ministries Fellowship)
Location: Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane, AU

Date: Saturday 17 March
Venue: CWMF (Christian Witness Ministries Fellowship)
Location: Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane, AU

Date: Sunday 18 March AM
Venue: CWMF (Christian Witness Ministries Fellowship)
Location: Eight Mile Plains, Brisbane, AU

Date: Monday 19 March to Friday 23 March
Venue: Capernwray Torchbearers Bible College
Location: Burradoo NSW, AU 2576

Date: Saturday 24 March
Venue: Tamworth Salvation Army Hope Centre
Location: Goonno Goonoo NSW, AU

Date: Sunday 25 March AM
Venue: Tamworth Bible Baptist Church Location: Tamworth, AU

Date: Sunday 25 March PM to Tuesday 27 March PM
Venue: Maroubra Baptist Church Location: Maroubra/Sydney, AU (02) 9344 3355

Date: Wednesday 28 March, and Thursday 29 March
Venue: Hobart
Location: Hobart TAS, AU

Date: Friday 30 March 5 PM – Monday 2 April 2 PM
Venue: Sydney – Meroo Camp Location: Seven Hills NSW, AU 9624 8947

CHECK OUT SOME BEAUTIFUL FREE TEACHING AND STUDY RESOURCES HERE.

Research Professor Dr. Darrell Bock of DTS to visit New Zealand in July

Dr. Darrell Bock (DTS page, blog, Amazon) is

  • Research Professor of New Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary
  • Professor for Spiritual Development and Culture at Dallas Theological Seminary
  • Editor at Large for Christianity Today
  • Past President of the Evangelical Theological Society (2000-2001)
  • Author of over twenty books and is a New York Times Best Selling author

…and it tipped to be visiting New Zealand in July 2012. More to come…

(HT to Joe Fleener)

Dr. Craig Evans and Dr. Bart Ehrman debate Jesus

Religion Soup: Ehrman/Evans Debate, Night 1

Religion Soup: Ehrman/Evans Debate, Night 2

Thoughts: I think that Bart Ehrman’s criticisms of the historicity of the New Testament in the first video are fascinating. I applaud him for bringing the topics under discussion into the public arena in the form of these and other debates. Would the discussion have reached the public arena, and made it onto my computer screen if Dr. Ehrman had remained silent? Perhaps, but I suspect Ehrman’s works have forced Christian scholars such as Dr. Craig Evans and Dr. Dan Wallace and Dr. James White to address these issues face on, and this is of great benefit to those such as myself.

Other resources: Dr. Craig Blomberg has some really useful materials relating to these debates here:

thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/justintaylor/2008/03/26/interview-with-craig-blomberg/

New book “Why Jesus?” from Ravi Zacharias

William Dembski Interview

Get it here: www.thebestschools.org/blog/2012/01/14/william-dembski-interview/

I love Dembski. He is an intellectual genius, and honest to the heart. With the persecution he has faced both inside and outside the church, he is also like a modern Galileo.

Apologetics, Mike Licona, students, 2012, what’s next?

See Mike’s website here: www.risenjesus.com

(See also Mike’s PDF on what to say to Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons when they knock on your door.)

New Testament Scholar Daniel Wallace: Is What We Have Now What They Wrote Then?

You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church… and Rethinking Faith

Amazon book: You Lost Me: Why Young Christians Are Leaving Church…and Rethinking Faith

Website: youlostmebook.com/

Over half of NZers believe in psychics

www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10771297

Incredible.

Also:

Eight of 10 believe Jesus was a real person who lived 2000 years ago.

Incredible #2!

And I thought the only people crazy enough to deny the solid historical facts about Jesus were the atheists on the infidels website.

What same-sex “marriage” has done to Massachusetts

Read all about it…

www.massresistance.org/docs/marriage/effects_of_ssm.html

The “Gaystapo” in Australia

Here.

In the past two days two prominent Labor personalities have come out crystal clear on the idiocy of Labor’s move to the loony left, and its subservience to the Greens on issues like same-sex marriage. Both have guts, common sense, and a strong moral compass. I just wish many more of our leaders – including church leaders – would be like this.

Yesterday in the Australian former heavyweight Labor leader Barry Cohen blasted his own party for their reckless direction and their dereliction of duty. The former Hawke Government minister pulled no punches when he stated that a “tsunami-sized backlash on same-sex marriage looms”.

and

He continued, “I believe that marriage is between a man and a woman – full-stop. Neither my first lady nor I will budge on this and we will vote accordingly. Why? Because we believe that marriage as now defined is the basis for family life and has been for thousands of years. We want it to remain so.

“We are told everyone has the ‘right’ to marry whomsoever they wish. In fact, the ‘progressives’, as they like to describe themselves, seem to believe that they have a ‘right’ to do whatever they wish. Rights apply only to them. Does anyone have a right to have sexual relations with a 13 year old? Not when I last looked. How about polygamy and four wives or husbands. Not now, but give the “progressives” time and I have no doubt it will be proclaimed as another ‘right’. We don’t want to discriminate, do we? I could continue to list many other examples, but I’m sure you discern my drift.

“Moving forwards, as the ‘progressives’ like to say, let us ponder for a moment how human rights will affect our education system. How long will it be before the ‘progressives’ insist sex education be expanded to incorporate the glories of homosexuality and how to imbibe safely. Some will say, ‘Oh, that’s going too far.’ Some will, but others will demand it.

“Imagine dad’s reaction when little Johnny describes in graphic detail what happened in his sex education class. Choke is the word that comes to mind. Once heterosexuality and homosexuality are considered ‘natural’, how can it be otherwise?”

and

All three individuals are of course coming under a huge and ugly attack by the militant gaystapo. One simply has to read the poisonous and hate-drenched comments under the Age article for example to see the real demonic rage which emanates from this camp.

So I encourage all of you to support these three courageous and principled individuals. They certainly need our support at this time. They deserve heaps of praise, especially considering that most of our church leaders and celebrity pastors are not saying a word on this. They ought to be ashamed of themselves.

Most of these leaders who claim to be Christians are far too concerned about raking in the praises of men (and raking in their members’ hard-earned bucks). They should be shouting from the roof tops and their pulpits what God’s design for human sexuality and marriage is all about.

Instead, most remain silent – deathly silent. They are gutless wonder who will face the music one day. As Alan Sears has written recently, “It doesn’t take courage to ride the wave of support for same-sex ‘marriage.’ It takes courage to stand against the surging tide.”

Well said !

See also Bill’s book: Strained Relations: The Challenge Of Homosexuality

New Scientific Visualization Out of Yale: From Conception to Birth

From here.

For you formed my inward parts;
you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.
Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
(Psalm 139:13-16 ESV)

Frank Turek Interview with William Lane Craig

From here.

Frank Turek interviews William Lane Craig at Southern Evangelical Seminary’s National Conference on Christian Apologetics. Dr. Craig speaks on his experience with the Reasonable Faith tour in the UK.

LeelandTV — The Great Awakening

Watch them in order.

Arnold Fruchtenbaum on Stephen Sizer

From here.

That is the essence of his argument although he closes with some statements that Israel cannot have peace in the “Occupied Territories” until “she acts with justice and reciprocity toward the Palestinians.” This is more political than biblical, but I can say this much.

First, he ignores the actual reason why Israel has occupied these territories since 1967. She has done this because masses of armies were gathering along the Gaza Strip, the Sinai Border, the Syrian Border, and the West Bank with the intent to destroy Israel. Israel defeated this threat in the Six Day War.

Second, the Palestinians have consistently rejected all peace efforts by Israel, both before and after that conflict. Even when Barak offered them over 95% of the territory they wanted, he was turned down with no counteroffer.

What the author is ignoring is that, thus far, the Arab aim has not been to merely establish a Palestinian State that will live side by side with Israel but the attempt to destroy Israel as a State. No true Koran-believing Moslem could ever accept Israel’s right to exist. As long as the Palestinians refuse to recognize Israel’s right to exist, refuse every peace offer, and insist on terrorist attacks (even having their own children blow themselves up just for the sake of killing Jews), there cannot be peace.

Israel is not totally innocent in all of her actions, but the author has blamed everything on Israel. In spite of his claim that Israel has a right to exist, he has not extended a single blame on what the Arab side has done. This is selective reading of the political news. But for us, the final issue is not what is politically expedient, but what is biblical.

Prime Minister Netanyahu United Nations Address

Some good quotes from the speech are here: networkedblogs.com/nuT8K

What a sham the UN is. A sham. An evil sham. For example:

Netanyahu criticized the hypocrisy of the United Nations, noting that the UN Security Council is now headed by Lebanon, who is controlled by Hezbollah – a group considered a terrorist organization by the United States, Israel, and the European Union.

Let that sink in. Meditate upon it. How could this possibly be…?

New Ariel Ministries Magazine

From www.ariel.org/amcom.htm

We are excited to present the first issue of Ariel Ministries Magazine. Although our premiere issue is somewhat small, we pray for God’s provision as we aim to grow our publication into a full-fledged magazine. Our premiere issue is very similar to its predecessor (the quarterly newsletter); however, as pages increase so will our content. We seek to keep you informed on all aspects of Ariel Ministries worldwide. The goal is to provide quality content that fulfills our purpose statement – be it through news, Biblical teaching, or human-interest stories. There is so much to report back to you! God is moving in the lives of Jewish and Gentile believers worldwide, and we want to be able to share many of these exciting stories with you.

More, we hope that you will enjoy Ariel Ministries Magazine (PDF).

The new Ariel Ministries Magazine

Dawkins has refused numerous requests to debate William Lane Craig…

Bill Craig is heading to the UK to intellectually defend the existence of God. Here goes…

Dr. William Lane Craig has been asked to lecture across the United Kingdom – the first opportunity to do so in four years! Presenting the case for the truth of the Christian faith to thousands of students at such prestigious institutions as Cambridge University and Oxford is a special blessing as these students that may otherwise never hear Christianity thoughtfully defended.

Cambridge and Oxford are “home base” to the authors of two of the most popular books casting doubt on the existence of God today: Stephen Hawking’s The Grand Design and Richard Dawkins’ The God Delusion. Dawkins has refused numerous requests to debate Craig, so Bill will instead present an intelligent and gracious answer the charges levied in The God Delusion before a packed house of listeners eager to hear an alternate view.

That’s why we need friends like you to help support Reasonable Faith and the truth of the Gospel on today’s college campuses in the U.K., the U.S., and across the globe. Our campuses are battlegrounds of spiritual warfare and we must be diligent to not leave an “empty chair” in place of Christian ideas.

Your support will also help underwrite the translation of www.ReasonableFaith.org into Chinese, Spanish, and Portuguese. This is a top priority for us, as these are three of the most widely spoken languages worldwide, and we continue to receive requests from international students who need more materials in their own language.

Can you stand with us today by making a secure online gift now? And please pray for God’s hand upon Dr. Craig as he strikes out on the Reasonable Faith Tour in the UK this October.

Thank you for your continued support!

John Herring, President
Reasonable Faith