Providing a reasoned defense of the Christian message
Yes, Dr. Jonathan Sarfati is the chessmaster guy who can play blindfolded against many opponents simultaneously (see Wikipedia).
His books “Refuting Evolution I” and “Refuting Evolution II” are available for reading online.
These are just a couple of the many free books that are listed on TruthBomb’s website here.
And changing the subject to “Cults”, here are a couple of websites that focus specifically on Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons.
Here.
Let me be blunt: denying same-sex couples from marriage is not the same as denying interracial couples from it. Although anti-miscegenation laws were immoral, the same mistake is not happening today. And despite the rhetorical force of making the comparison, merely claiming it’s the same does not make it so.
From Albert Mohler: www.albertmohler.com/2012/05/10/evolutions-end-president-obama-calls-for-same-sex-marriage/
Is President Obama’s “evolution” on same sex marriage finally complete? His call for the legalization of same-sex marriage yesterday is an historic and tragic milestone. An incumbent President of the United States has now called for a transformation of civilization’s central institution. And yet, no observer of this President could be surprised. The arrival of this announcement was only a matter of time.
From Stand to Reason’s blog here.
Are we really depriving homosexuals the right to marry the person they love? Yes. But there’s nothing unusual about that. Nobody has the right to marry any person they love. Everyone has restrictions.
When you take an honest look at the marriage law, it turns out that there is nothing unfair about it. Homosexuals have the same rights and the same restrictions as heterosexuals. For example, there is no legal right granted to a heterosexual that does not apply in exactly the same way to every homosexual. Both can marry in any state. Both can marry someone of the opposite sex. Both can receive the benefits that come with legal marriage. Heterosexuals and homosexuals are treated alike.
There is also no legal restriction for homosexuals that does not also apply in exactly the same way to every heterosexual. Neither one can marry their sibling. Both are prohibited from marrying someone already married. They can’t marry a child. And neither has the freedom to marry someone of the same sex.
The marriage law applies equally to every person, whether they are homosexual or not. Everyone is treated the same.
Read more here at Stand to Reason’s blog.
This iPad app is highly rather both in terms of aesthetics and content. And at $0.99 it is a bargain.
Get it on the App Store here.
See a YouTube video demo here.
As a follow-on from the previous post, this get interesting. From Calvin Smith’s blog:
The RPP website has posted a link to a statement just issued by the Council of Christians and Jews critical of Stephen Sizer for linking to anti-Semitic websites from his blog. The Rt Revd Nigel McCulloch, Bishop of Manchester and chair of CCJ, said.
The content and the delay in removing the link from Mr Sizer’s Facebook page was disgraceful and unbecoming for a clergyman of the Church of England to promote. Members of the CCJ have described the website as ‘obscenely antisemitic.’
The full CCJ statement is available here. It is important to note that this statement is issued by a longstanding interfaith organisation and a Bishop of the Anglican Church. This is not (as some extremists will claim) a Zionist conspiracy.
Is Stephen Sizer anti-Semitic? It is a serious charge and not for me to say (others in the Anglican Church will now decide). I have sought to avoid some of the more extreme language in the current debate and avoid this term unless absolutely proven. In negotiations prior to our televised debate Stephen made clear he felt there was no place for discussing anti-Semitism (and other issues) in such a debate. I believe such a position is dangerous as it can be misconstrued, unfortunately it also meant we never had the opportunity to discuss this issue reasonably and openly.
But one thing is clear: when CCJ state, “We are conscious that The Revd Stephen Sizer’s contributions have caused widespread disquiet and hurt in both communities and led to confusion and polarization of views” they have identified a key aspect of this whole debate. Indeed I raised this very issue towards the end of my television debate with Stephen. The polemical and unnecessarily pejorative nature of the current debate is not helping anyone, and it’s certainly not contributing to a nuanced understanding of the complexities of the Middle East. For that Stephen must take his fair share of blame.
I do hope we can all, at some stage, get to a less emotive and more objective examination of the Middle East crisis and the relationship between the Church and Israel.
“Has the Church Replaced Israel?” A live debate between Calvin Smith and Stephen Sizer broadcast on Revelation TV 9th November 2011.
This 1h 30m debate is well worth a watch if you are interested in Israelology and Christian Zionism (small PDF).
Stephen Sizer has published a number of books dealing with this subject, and turned his PhD thesis into a book titled “Christian Zionism”.
Calvin Smith is the principal of King’s Evangelical Divinity School (UK).
Sizer’s polemical writings are offensive to many Christians (myself included), and Smith did well to highlight and condemn Sizer’s labeling of Christian Zionism as “deviant heresy” and “another gospel” (around 1:06 in the debate).
Other critiques of Sizer can be found here: seismic-shock.com
Revelation TV Debate “Has the Church Replaced Israel?” from Stephen Sizer on Vimeo.
Related links:
Al Mohler writes:
Breivik has celebrated his murderous actions in court, calling his massacre the most “spectacular” event in recent European history. Having admitted to the killings, Breivik told the court, “I would do it again.”
He may have an opportunity to do so. Norwegian law allows Breivik to be imprisoned for only 21 years, even if found guilty of all 77 killings. Officials in Norway have attempted to assure their fellow citizens that Breivik is unlikely to be released, but the law allows criminals to be held in captivity after their sentence only on psychological grounds that represent a threat, and Breivik has been found sufficiently sane to stand trial.
How can this be? What sane nation would allow for a maximum sentence of 21 years in prison for premeditated murder — much less the calculated killing of 77 people?
A questioner from Africa ask: *”Is Jesus the Son of God, or God, or both”*?
Please go to this page and scroll down to “The Deity of the Messiah (063)” where you can download the PDF study and accompanying MP3 (or podcast).
John Cleese
This is a funny piece of work. I think Cleese was really on to something here. Why would he not be angry, sitting thru sermons by the guy dressed in the purple clown suit. What an appalling face (farce?) many of the the UK churches have presented.