Reasoned Hope

Christmastime provides more frequent exposure to the person of Jesus than at other points in the year. But there are two main temptations we can face in regards to Jesus during Christmas. I discuss these temptations and explain why I think they should be resisted as well as what a right response to Jesus looks like. 

Many today think that religious and moral truths are completely subjective, being determined by our desires and preferences alone. Phrases such as "you do you", "live my truth", or the idea that a given religion "does not work for me" capture this perspective. But the view that religious and moral truths have no connection to facts is mistaken. In this episode, I explain why this is the case and argue that religious and moral truths are objective facts about the world that we all should take seriously. 

Do miracles occur today? Can we rationally believe in them? In this episode, I address these questions as well as objections to belief in miracles. I then show why they support a case for the existence of God. 

In this second episode of the series on God's existence, I discuss the nature of morality and how it points towards God. I look at various secular ethical theories and explain why I think they fail to provide an adequate foundation for morality. 

Is there evidence for God's existence? If so, what kind of evidence is this? In this episode, I begin a series on evidence for God's existence to try and answer these important questions. 

The phrase "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" is popular with many skeptics when discussing miracle claims. In many cases, it is used to dismiss belief in miracles as irrational. But is this move justified? Is it really irrational to believe in miracles?

The existence of evil and suffering in the world is an obvious fact about our universe. Skeptics argue against God's existence on the basis of evil. However, they frequently miss the reality that they also must give an account of the nature of evil. In fact, every person (and therefore every worldview that persons hold) must have some explanation for the existence and nature of evil. Which worldview provides the best explanation for evil? 

Thinkers in the disciplines of Psychology and Sociology have provided various theories of religion. For some people, these theories amount to complete explanations for religious belief and show that such beliefs are delusions. But what are these theories and do they actually show that religious beliefs are delusions? 

When we read the Bible, is the meaning of the text "all a matter of interpretation"? In other words, is the meaning of the Bible's text completely subjective? Or is it possible for us to understand an objective meaning in the text? 

What is one crucial difference between Christianity and other religions? In this episode, I discuss what this difference is and why it is vital to understand.