Posted on Tuesday,

#14: What is True Tolerance?

What is true tolerance?

True tolerance is where we extend to each other the right to be wrong.

False tolerance, on the other hand, naïvely asserts that all ideas are created equal and this must be rejected. Not only is this obviously false, it’s unlivable.

Unfortunately, as Stephen Prothero has put it, “The ideal of religious tolerance has morphed into the straitjacket of religious agreement.”

Contrary to what is commonly believed, the height of intolerance is not disagreement, but rather removing the public space and opportunity for people to disagree. You can still love someone (more…)

Posted on Tuesday,

#13: Christians Can Ask the Hard Questions

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Christians can ask the hard questions.

Questioning the Bible isn’t always comfortable. In fact, it can be downright scary.

If we dig underneath “because the Bible says so” what will we find? Have we based our lives on a bunch of fairytales?

How we view the Bible is no small matter. A lot is at stake.

The God of the universe may actually have spoken. If Christianity is true, then there are authoritative answers to life’s biggest questions.

As I read the Bible I find people asking the hard questions. My favorite example is Luke who was one of the earliest biographers of Jesus.

In a way, Luke was (more…)

Posted on Tuesday,

#11: How Were People Saved in the Old Testament? [Podcast]

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How were people saved in the Old Testament?

That’s a good question and one that many of us wonder about. Was it by good works or was it by faith?

But here’s the big picture. When we look at the Scriptures, this is the pattern that emerges.

Salvation is always…

Offered by the grace of God
Based on the atoning death of Jesus Christ
Received by the exercise of faith
Applied by the work of the Holy Spirit

Until the time of Christ, (more…)

Posted on Tuesday,

#8: What is Atheism? [Podcast]

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What is atheism?

Contrary to what you may hear in pop culture or see on YouTube, atheism is not merely the absence of belief. Or as the popular atheist, Christopher Hitchens put it, “Our belief is not a belief. Our principles are not a faith.” But even with a delightful British accent—saying it’s so, doesn’t make it so.

Just as Theism is the positive claim or belief that there is a God. Atheism is the positive claim or belief that there is no god.

Here’s the big idea to grasp: The claim that “no gods exist” is just as much a claim to knowledge as the claim that “God exists.” Both require justification—providing good reasons and evidence to support that view. (more…)

Posted on Tuesday,

#7: Why Are You a Christian? [Podcast]

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Why are you a Christian?

If you ask a lot of Christians you’ll usually get one of these answers—I was raised in the church, my parents were Christians, I had a powerful experience or God changed my life. And I’m grateful for these answers.

But at the end of the day, the reason why I’m a Christian is because it’s true. I’m convinced it accurately describes reality.

And if you asked the Apostle Paul, he’d tell you the same thing. In his words, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins.” (see also 1 Cor. 15)

I’m a Christian because I believe Jesus rose from the dead. It was a real, historical event that you can investigate with eyes wide open. (more…)