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A mental journey into Christian theology, apologetics, morality, and culture, with a dash of politics.
115 Episodes
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I wrap up my discussion of Aquinas' Five Ways by examining both his Fourth and Fifth Ways. The Fourth Way demonstrate that the grades of perfection we observe in the world can only be explained by the existence of a maximally perfect being. The Fifth Way demonstrates the existence of an intelligent being who guides everything towards their natural ends.Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2b...
For his Third Way, Thomas Aquinas argues that the existence of contingent beings can only be explained by the existence of a necessary being whose essence is identical to His existence.Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believTruth: @ThinkingToBelieve
For his Second Way, Thomas Aquinas argues that a causal series can only be explained by a first, uncaused cause who is the source of all causation. In a related argument - the existential proof - Aquinas argues that things whose essence is distinct from their existence can only be explained by a being whose essence and existence are identical; i.e. a being who just is existence itself. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwi...
I started my exploration of Thomas Aquinas' Five Ways, beginning with his First Way - the argument from motion. Aquinas argues that only God can explain why things change. Change can only be explained by a First, Unmoved Mover; i.e. a Being who is the ultimate source of all change, but is itself not changed by anything.Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believTruth: @ThinkingToBelieve
The current legal situation regarding abortion law in Arizona has revealed a strategic divide among pro-lifers. All pro-lifers want to make abortion unthinkable in this country, but disagree as to the best way of achieving that end. Abolitionists take an all-or-nothing approach, while incrementalists attempt to end abortion in a series of multiple steps. I argue that the incremental approach is the correct one, and make a case for why we need to pass an abortion law at the federal level. ...
I offer four more arguments for God's existence from human equality, free will, miracles, and the resurrection.I argue that the notion of human equality has no place in a materialistic worldview, but can only be grounded by a transcendent source like God who.I argue that there can be no free will in a materialistic universe. Freedom of the will requires a human soul, and the best explanation for the human soul is God.I argue that miracles occur, and they point us to a supernatural cause whose...
I offer three more arguments for God's existence: the origin of life, the argument from human rights, and the argument from human value.I argue that only a transcendent, intelligent mind like God could create the biological information and order required for living things. I argue that the notion of human rights can only be grounded in a transcendent source like God.Finally, I argue that humans can only have real value if we are made in the image of God. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEm...
I am continuing my series on the evidence for God's existence with a host of additional arguments. I will not go into the same depth for each argument that I have for the previous arguments. In this episode, I spend the bulk of the time explaining the ontological argument. This is an oft-neglected argument that should be discussed more often. It is a powerful argument that gives you a maximally great being like God. I also give an argument for God from human consciousness, the existence of th...
A 1-N-Done episode on the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus.Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believTruth: @ThinkingToBelieve
In this final episode on the teleological argument, I look at a number of objections that have been raised against the argument and demonstrate why none of them successfully undermine it. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believTruth: @ThinkingToBelieve
Having previously established four levels of fine-tuning in the universe, I set out to explain the cause of that fine-tuning. I explore chance and physical necessity and conclude that both are inadequate. The only adequate explanation also happens to be the best explanation: design. Who or what is the source of that design? I conclude that it must be a personal agent and necessary being like God. Finally, I conclude with six tips for sharing the teleological argument with others. Web: Th...
I provide a number of examples for the last two levels of fine-tuning: the physical constants and our local solar system. Both exhibit jaw-dropping levels of fine-tuning that beg for an explanation. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believTruth: @ThinkingToBelieve
I begin my mini-series on the teleological argument by defining what scientists mean when they describe a feature of our universe as "fine-tuned," give examples to show that most scientists affirm the reality of fine-tuning, and then explore two levels of fine tuning (the initial conditions of our universe, natural laws).Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believTruth: @ThinkingToBelieve
The teleological argument - or design argument - for God's existence hold that that there is evidence of design in the universe, and this design is best explained by theism. I summarize the argument and respond to a couple of common objections in this 1-N-Done episode. Next week, I'll begin a mini-series on the argument that goes into more detail. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believ...
I examine eight more objections to the moral argument and provide a response. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believTruth: @ThinkingToBelieve
I offer five tactics for presenting the moral argument. Then, I respond to three objections against the moral argument:(1) One doesn’t have to believe in God to be moral(2) If you would still be good if God didn’t exist, then God is irrelevant to morality(3) Is something good because God wills it, or does God will it because it is good (Euthyphro Dilemma)?Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieve...
I provide six aspects of our moral experience that are best explained by a theistic God. This is the heart of the moral argument for God's existence. Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believTruth: @ThinkingToBelieve
I round out my critique of non-theistic explanations for morality, including the view that morality is a brute fact, the view that logic can ground morality, the view that science can explain morality, and the best of all non-theistic explanations: moral Platonism.Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believTruth: @ThinkingToBelieve
Spent the entire episode offering 11 critiques against the most popular non-theistic account of morality: Evolutionary Ethics.Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believTruth: @ThinkingToBelieve
Accounting for the existence of real morality (the grounding problem) is the biggest challenge facing any moral theory. I talk about this problem in some detail before beginning my critique of non-theistic explanations for morality, starting with the social constructionism and social contract theory.Web: ThinkingtoBelieve.comEmail: ThinkingToBelieve@gmail.comFacebook: facebook.com/thinkingtobelieveTwitter & Gettr: @thinking2believTruth: @ThinkingToBelieve
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