Conwy, Wales
The following are some web sites with audio teaching that I have found helpful. Reading is essential in learning, but I think audio recordings have a place in gaining knowledge as well. I am not a devotee of any of these speakers, but I think they have truth to share.
http://www.ankerberg.com/
Contemporary Christian apologetics with a large site from Dr. John Ankerberg
http://www.garyhabermas.com/
Dr. Habermas is a philosopher and an expert on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
http://www.waltermartin.org/realaudio.html
A little dated since Dr. Walter Martin passed on in 1989, but a good site for dealing with pseudo-Christian cults and the occult
http://www.albertmohler.com/radio_list.php
Dr. Mohler is a theologian and the president of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
http://www.monergism.com/thethreshold/articles/bio/johnpiper.html
Dr. Piper has an insightful and balanced approach to the Bible and theology.
http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/Let_My_People_Think/
Dr. Ravi Zacharias provides philosophical insight with much passion.
beautiful pictures ... perhaps all you really need to know about god can be found in the beauty of those places!
ReplyDeletepeace & harmony,
elaine
'freedom must be exercised to stay in shape!'
Hi Elaine
ReplyDeleteThanks for the kind words, especially since I personally took the two photos from Conwy;). I do like the idea of freedom of thought, and that is one of the things this blog is about. Freedom to believe what is true is essential to me. I see that one of your blogs has the header:
the jesus idol
a blog for recovering born again christians and/or those born again christians who don't know what that means anymore.
I can understand that many people have had frustrating experiences with Christians and the Church. I have as well, but I still believe that evidence supports the God of the Bible as being true. There are also many imperfect, but fine Christians in the world who are being guided by God. As well, having studied the problem of evil for eight years I realize our world is a tough place to live in and God does allow difficult things to happen to people, although I think his motives are pure.
Concerning your posted comments, I will provide a fairly short reply. I think that God's existence can be deduced from his creation. This is known as natural theology, which Van Engen describes as truths about God learned from created things (nature, man, world) by reason alone. Van Engen, J (1996) ‘Natural Theology, in Walter A. Elwell (ed.), Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, Grand Rapids, Baker Books. p.752. This concept is often understood as being described in Romans, Chapter 1.
I think that natural theology is not sufficient to know God in an intimate way however. Two main points come to mind.
1. Human sinful nature and sinful human choices cause a barrier between humanity and God. Please see my Arminianism article, and MPhil for discussion on this concept. It is deduced theologically, and seen Biblically that God is perfect and holy in nature. From a secular and Christian perspective one can see that human beings are imperfect, and commit evil actions, although not all at the same level. Theologically, these wrong actions in particular, cause a separation between humanity and God which prevent people from following God and knowing the creator is an intimate way.
For God and humanity to be in fellowship, sin has to be dealt with, and from a Christian perspective, it is through the atoning work of Christ (death on the cross), and his resurrection which took place in history and was revealed in the Bible. As certain people are guided to believe in Christ restoration takes place, and eventually when the Kingdom of God is fully culminated, believers in Christ will communicate with God and Christ with no sin barrier.
2. Human beings are finite (limited), and God is be infinite (unlimited). God existed before the creation of finite time and matter, and is the logical first cause of all things. God is called the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end in Revelation 1: 8, for example. Since God is unlimited he is therefore beyond the complete understanding of any limited human mind, but through revelation and the work of God's Holy Spirit, a limited human mind can begin to understand and know the true God in an intimate way. Jesus Christ is both God and man in the flesh, and is to ultimately fellowship with his followers as such, forever.
I think from a skeptics perspective, a good start is to pray to God through Christ and ask for guidance for whatever the truth might be.
Some archived comments have been disappearing.
ReplyDeleteBlogger has bugs in regard to some archived audio posts.
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