Religious Fanatics?

Recently I heard a caller to a radio talk show describe the terrorists who attached the US on 9/11 as “religious fanatics.” But of course, they weren’t “religious fanatics.” Instead they were Islamic (or Muslim) fanatics (if even the term ‘fanatics’ is accurate). To describe them as religious fanatics is like describing the Nazis of WWII as “government fanatics.” It should be clear, however, the problem with the Nazis was not the fact that they were a government entity. Government as such was not the problem. Indeed, no such entity is a “government as such” entity. In like manner, the problem with the 9/11 terrorists was not that they were religious (Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens notwithstanding). The problem was with the specific doctrines that motivated them (together with the fact of the fall of mankind). Whether such doctrines are consistent with orthodox Islam is not my point here. Rather, I repudiate the notion that it was religion as such that was at fault. Just as the threat of the Nazis was met by good governments in the allied powers one level of the threat of Islam can be met by good religion.

God Bless Italy

I recently had the honor and pleasure of visiting Italy with an apologetics team from Southern Evangelical Seminary. We spoke at several churches and universities. I had the opportunity of speaking in churches in Naples and Milan as well as on the campus of Naples University. It was so encouraging to see the faithfulness and hard work for God’s kingdom that the Italian Christians are involved in. May God continue to bless their labors for the Lord.

Forty-Three Years Ago

(re-posted from last year, mutatis mutandis) I remember being in the our front yard one afternoon after school on Marwood Dr. in Jackson, MS. One of my older brothers had had his telescope out looking at the cloud formations. It began to rain so my brother scooped up his telescope and he and I ran into the house. I sat

Wouldn’t It Be Nice to Be in a Local Church Where…

Would’t it be nice to be in a local church where . . .

• the pastor preached expositionally or exegetically most of the time

• the pastor understood sound principles of hermeneutics so as not to moralize the text so you wouldn’t hear sermons like how Jesus can “calm the storms of your life” and how God and help you “slay your own giants”

• the pastor understood sound principles of hermeneutics so that he would know better than to preach on Prov. 29:18 thinking it had something to do with building a new building

• the pastor understood sound principles of hermeneutics and theology so that he would know better than to preach on 2 Chron. 7:14 every July 4^th thinking it had something to do with America

• the pastor understood sound principles of hermeneutics and theology so as not to preach on Mal. 3:8-10 thinking it had something to do with the New Testament church

• the pastor was clear enough on the gospel not to invite people to “give their lives to Jesus” or “ask Jesus to come into their hearts”

• the people knew enough about hermeneutics not to invoke Matt. 18:20 thinking it had something to do with gathering for worship and Bible study

• the people knew enough about hermeneutics not to invoke Ps. 118:24 thinking it had something to do with gathering together today

• the people knew enough about hermeneutics and theology not to invoke Is. 55:8-9 thinking it had something to do with God’s logic vs. human logic

• the people knew enough theology not to call the building the “house of God”

• the people knew enough theology not to call the auditorium a sanctuary

• the people knew enough theology not to call the front of the auditorium an altar

In light of my earlier blog, I don’t want to leave the impression that all of my implied complaints above are necessarily directed at the church we recently left.

Leaving Our Church

Recently my wife and I had a hard decision to announce. The decision itself was not really hard to make. What was hard was having to tell our Sunday School friends (whom I teach). We decided to leave the church which we had been members of for almost two years. In many ways we had left the church a long time ago. The only things that kept us going were the great

A Good Conference

We (Southern Evangelical Seminary) just finished the 2008 National Conference on Christian Apologetics held at Hickory Grove Baptist Church in Charlotte, NC. I think it went very well with only a few glitches (not enough room for the break-out session and thus too many got turned away from certain sessions they had chosen to attend). The conference was followed by a debate on the existence of God between Dinesh D’Souza and Michael Shermer. It was a great weekend of intellectural stimulation and spiritual challenge.

God Bless Southern Evangelical Seminary

A lot has happened in my life in the recent past. This fall I began teaching full-time at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, NC. I officially started as a full-time professor in July, but my full teaching load didn’t begin until late August. I am teaching World Religions (graduate level), Other Religions: Contemporary Occultism (undergraduate and graduate level), History of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy (graduate level), Philosophical Apologetics (Ph.D. level), and Apologetic Systems (Ph.D. level). The semester is as exciting as it is busy. Also the seminary has seen a personnel change. Norman L. Geisler, co-founder, past dean, past president, and teacher of apologetics and theology retired from the seminary this semester. But retiring from SES does not mean that he is retiring from his apologetics ministry. I’m confident he’ll continue his teaching, speaking and writing ministry. May the Lord continue to use Dr. Geisler in his apologetic endeavors. As for the seminary, under the leadership of President Alex McFarland, the status and future of the seminary has never been brighter. We occupied our newest building this semester and are continuing the grow. In addition, the seminary launched its Ph.D. program offering the opportunity to pursue the highest in quality research and training in apologetics and philosophy of religion. May God continue to bless SES.

God Bless South Africa

I just returned from a breathtaking adventure in South Africa, participating in an apologetics conference at Kerksondermure with other apologists from Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlote, NC, and having the opportunity to speak in several schools (the university in Potchefstroom, and Johannesberg Bible College) and other venues. During my stay, I had the wonderful priviledge of staying with a family who took me in as one of their own. Besides the apologetics work that I was there to do, my host family took me to Pilanesberg to experience quintessential Africa. We saw rhinos, zebras, elephants, giraffs, a cheetah, and more of Africa’s exciting wildlife in their natural habitat. More later . . .

Me and Mr. TE: A Discussion Hovering Around Theistic Evolution

The following is the better part of several email exchanges I had with a Christian (Mr. TE) regarding the issue of theistic evolution (TE). We enter the exchange with Mr. TE responding to an earlier email of mine in which I reject TE. I sent a more lengthy reply to him. Mr. TE responded to several points in my reply. I then rejoin his response.

 

Mr. TE’s first argument:

Richard, How can you dismiss TE as wrong when the most prominent and accomplished authorities in the field in Christendom, namely Behe, Collins and McGrath, all agree on the factual nature of common descent? By what authority do you dismiss their testimony? Surely you must admit that they collectively know something about this issue and that it should be looked into. Granted

Ladies and Gentlemen, Norman Has Left the Planet.

I don’t know where I was when the news broke. I’m embarrassed to admit that it took me months to discover that the sad (for us) event had even taken place; and then it was only accidental. Larry David Norman, truly Christian rock’s greatest composer, went to be with the Lord February 25, 2008, at the young age of 60. Visit http://www.larrynorman.com/ for all things Norman. God bless his ministry for all it has done. He touched many lives for Christ, including mine.