Thoughtful Reflections on Faith and Life
James 1:26-27 Introduction I remember very clearly a time approximately thirty-five years ago at Brock University in Ontario, early on in my undergraduate studies, sitting around with a group of friends between classes. Somehow, the question came up about whether any of us were religious. This question surprised me because religion was not a common … Read More “True Religion” »
James 1:26-27 Introduction Someone comes up to you and asks: “Are you religious?” What do you say? Have you had someones ask you that question? What kind of thoughts went through your head? Perhaps you thought about talking about your connection to a church or your thoughts about God, but were you ready to embrace … Read More “Getting Religion” »
I continue to hear from Christian leaders that there is no need for apologetics. People are looking for community and experience and are not impacted by intellectual arguments. Apologetics belonged a modernistic vision of the church but people today do not benefit from it. Is it true that there is no longer a need for … Read More “Research That Demonstrates the Need For Apologetics” »
This is a heartbreaking time that we live in. We live in a world where we can watch a black man killed by a police officer live on the internet. We live in a world where people respond to injustice by killing innocent police officers who are only trying to protect. We live in a … Read More “Terrorism, Race Riots and the World We Live In” »
One of the books that I have heard much about and wanted to read was James George Frazer‘s Golden Bough. Although it was first published in 1890, it still is influential even if that influence has wained in recent decades. What Frazer does in this work is to look at magic and religious rituals around … Read More “James George Frazer’s Golden Bough” »
I have been reading Temple Grandin’s Emergence: Labelled Autistic. In one of the chapters, Temple shares about an experience in chapel at the boarding school she attended as a child. I will share a portion here to give you some insight in the challenges of communicating spiritual truths to people with autism. “I am the … Read More “Faith, Autism and Taking Things Literally” »
I am a Christian and I believe that Christianity is the one true religion. Oh, and I am also more tolerant than you. For many people, this does not make sense. One of the most common criticisms of Christianity is that it is intolerant. Why is Christianity intolerant? Because it is exclusivist, that is it … Read More “Why Exclusivists are More Tolerant Than Inclusivists” »
A frequent claim today is that religion poisons everything. Some atheists are arguing that religion is not just false but that religion is dangerous. Andy Bannister of RZIM Canada addresses this concern in this video which is a part of the Short Answers to Big Questions series. Don’t forget to order Andy’s new book, The … Read More “Does Religion Poison Everything?” »
A sermon based on 1 John 2:15-17 that was preached at Toronto Chinese Baptist Church. Introduction Flee from the things of the world! Avoid worldly influences! What does that even mean? When I was a new Christian, I attended a church that put a lot of emphasis on the difference between what was Christian and what was … Read More “Faith Test: The World” »
Science and religion are enemies. Or at least that is what some people would like us to think. One of the battlegrounds of this idea is the proposal to teach intelligent design as an alternative to evolution. ID proponents have not asked that evolution be removed from the schools, only that ID could be talked … Read More “Science vs Religion” »
It is often suggested by liberals and others that evangelicals are intolerant of other religions. I would like to suggest that the opposite is true. First of all, we need to define what tolerance is. Tolerance does not mean that everything is good. Tolerance is respecting what you do not like or agree with. I … Read More “Why Evangelicals are More Respectful of Other Religions” »
The uniqueness of Christianity One of the most common claims is that all religions are the same. This is incredibly false. Each religion has its own claim to being unique. Here are five ways in which Christianity is unique. 1. Christianity is falsifiable. Did the Buddha achieve enlightenment? Did Muhammed receive revelations from Gabriel? Even … Read More “5 Ways That Christianity is Unique” »
It is very popular for Christians to deny that Christianity is a religion. They will say that religion is humanity seeking God and Christianity is God seeking humanity. They will say that religion is the way of death and Christianity is the way of life. Christianity is a relationship and not a religion. That is … Read More “Is Christianity a Religion?” »
Is Christianity a religion? I hear a lot of push back on this idea. I hear about the end of religion. I hear that Christianity is a relationship and not a religion. I hear that religion is what happens when you take Jesus out of Christianity. The basic message is that religion is bad and … Read More “Jesus, Religion and Fighting Over Words” »
We hear a lot about those who identify as spiritual but not religious. These are people who have given up on organized religion and yet still have sense of spirituality, may believe in some god(s) or may even believe in the Christian God. This is becoming more and more popular as people are increasingly suspicious … Read More “Religious But Not Spiritual” »
September 11 is a day that we remember how much our world has changed. On September 10, 2001, I would have had no doubt that I was relatively safe anywhere in North America, at least from terrorist attacks. September 11 changed everything. We now know that we are vulnerable everywhere. If a small group of … Read More “9/11 and the Loss of Faith in Religion” »
It is common to hear the accusation that religion was created by those who feared death and needed some sort of afterlife. Really? And what research is that based on? Your neighbour who had a medical scare and decided to start attending church? I am sure that there are people who get interested in religion … Read More “Religion as a Quest for Afterlife” »
Richard Dawkins attempts to discover the reason why religion even started in his chapter “The Roots of Religion.” Dawkins goes through a number of theories, most of which he rejects. Not surprisingly, Dawkins leans more toward a Darwinist interpretation than a sociological interpretation. He suggests that humans evolved as children unquestioningly being obedient to parents … Read More “Roots of Religion” »
I would like to encourage Christians, especially those interested in dealing with people of other beliefs, to read what others say about Christianity. Read religious studies descriptions of Christianity. Read what atheists, Jews, Muslims, etc. say about Christianity. If you do, you might find that they attribute beliefs or interpretations that you would never take … Read More “Advice to Christians” »
