Category: Faith and Reason (Page 7 of 8)
Following the Easter weekend I wrote a post on evidence for the resurrection of Jesus. In the post I looked at various historical evidences in and outside the Bible. On Twitter someone tweeted at me, “clearly not by faith.” Was he implying that I choose not to base my belief in Jesus on faith? I can’t say for sure. But if that is the case then his understanding of “faith” in the Christian sense is misunderstood.
Blind Faith?
The Christian faith is not blind. Blind faith borders on the edge of superstition and ought to be questioned. The Christian faith is one that is based on evidence. In fact, the study of theology is defined as faith informed by reason. I go as far as to say if the things that I as a Christian profess by faith, including the resurrection of Jesus is not supported by evidence or reason then it is not worth believing in.
Courtesy of Unsplash.com by Oscar Keys
When loved ones, close friends, or someone we admire dies we experience great sadness. For me, when someone close to me dies, initially a heavy burden of sadness weighs on my heart. But it is not long before the sadness is overwhelmed by peace.
This might seem inappropriate or even deranged, but allow me to share three reasons that suffering has taught me about authentic peace.
Courtesy of Amit Kujur from Flickr.com
Everything OR Nothing
The resurrection of Jesus is the climax of the Christian faith. Everything hinges on this one historical event. If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead then our faith is vain. The Apostle Paul admits this in the Bible: “…and if Christ has not been raised; then our proclamation has been in vain and your faith has been in vain.” (1 Cor 14:14). Paul is seemingly inviting people to examine for themselves the evidence for the resurrection. He wouldn’t have done this if he wasn’t 100% sure of it.
On the other hand, if Jesus did rise from the dead. Then he is truly the Son of God; he is the embodiment of Truth.
Courtesy of Good Free Photos from Unsplash.com
So let’s accept Paul’s invitation and explore one of the most convincing pieces of evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. I invite you (believer or not) to dive into the evidence I present. If you don’t like the evidence feel free to present evidence to the contrary, but don’t run from the evidence.
Last week before Good Friday I was scrolling through my social media feeds. As I was scrolling down an image caught my intention. In the photo there was a statue of Jesus Crucified with blood dripping down his face and limbs. Beside the statue was a man posing mocking what the statue represented.
Initially I was offended, but as quickly as the feeling of offence came it dissipated even faster. Why be offended? Afterall, it’s explicitly written in the Bible that Jesus was mocked, humiliated and died a death reserved for the greatest of criminals in ancient Rome. If it happened then, it will today.
My confidence as a Christian convert from atheism comes from two things: First, my real life changing experience of Jesus Christ in my life and in those Christians whom I met as an atheist. Second, the overwhelming evidence of Jesus’ resurrection. In this moment I would like to focus on the latter; the evidence for Jesus’ resurrection. I will discuss two popular objections often brought up by skeptics and atheists. Due to length required to give this objection respect I will focus on one of two objections against the Resurrection. My next post will focus on a second.
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Objection 1: Jesus didn’t really die on the cross.
A common objection proposed by skeptics is that Jesus didn’t die on the cross. Jesus survived the crucifixion, rescued by his followers and continued to live until his natural death. One Indian scholar I read even suggests that Jesus went as far as India where eventually he died a natural death. When examining the historical and archaeological evidence I’m afraid this argument would not be given the light of the day in a modern courtroom. Let’s explore ancient crucifixion.
Walking Among Counterfeits
Numerous times I have had the experience of walking through a distinct mall in Lima, Peru called “Polvos Rosados.” Essentially it’s a giant dome with hundreds of vendors selling counterfeit versions of popular products. Counterfeits of expensive luxury brand watches, counterfeits of clothing brands such as American Eagle, Adidas, and Giorgio Armani, and occasionally the questionably acquired latest electronic gadget such as IPads, MacBooks, and smartphones.
To notice the difference between a counterfeit and an original when it comes to some of the products it would take a professional. For instance the luxury watches (Omega, Rolex…etc). Several vendors will carry similar, if the not the exact same counterfeits, but each vendor will insist that their fake is a more realistic fake than the one being sold around the corner.
Courtesy of Roy from flickr.com
Counterfeiting Truth
It seems that in the West (Canada, U.S., and Most of Europe) we live in an era where we are being sold several versions of counterfeit morality. Each insisting that their moral reasoning is more true than the other. Insisting that their fake is less fake than the next person’s.
This is my first Periscope post as part of my weekly blog posts at greg.garda.com. Just click on the link of the picture below to view the video.
[First Periscope Post] From Unbelief to Belief
Courtesy of Terry Hancock from Flickr.com
In this post I briefly give my testimony on why I went from unbelief in God to belief in Him. I touch on one major intellectual struggle I had: Why is there so many accomplished intelligent people in different disciplines from science to philosophy to social sciences who believe in God with great confidence. In fact, their disciplines often lead them to conclude that it is more reasonable to hold that God does indeed exist.
In my last video blog post, What God Is Not, I addressed a major categorical mistake that new atheists (Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchens…etc.) make when describing God. I don’t want to dwell on something I already spoke about, so if you’d like the context for this blog post you’re welcome to view the video here.
Today I wish to direct you to three sections in the Bible that clarify how Christians (and Jews) actually understand God’s nature. Let’s get going.
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