The Tentative Apologist
@RandalRauser
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Director of Faith-Based Organization Investigations at Veritas Solutions, Theologian, Dad, Husband, Lhasa Apso aficionado
Edmonton, Canada
Joined October 2011
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I am teaching a one day course on eliminating abuse in the church. Check it out below and sign up!
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I'm amazed by the Christians who are convinced that acceptance of same-sex marriage is enough to place you outside of God's kingdom, but somehow the widespread acceptance of antebellum slavery by Christians like Jonathan Edwards and Robert Dabney was not.
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Saying "Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship," is like saying "Ford Mustang is not a car, it's an experience."
In other words, it's a suggestive expression but utter nonsense if taken literally: Mustang is a type of car and Christianity is a type of religion.
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When an atheist compares belief in God to belief in a "garden fairy," what he/she is really saying is "I don't understand the concept of God and I don't care to."
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The first Christians were not trinitarians.
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One of these former presidents is a devout Christian who has devoted his life to building homes for the poor, eliminating the guinea worm, and seeking Middle East peace. The other is a racist, rapist, insurrectionist, and crook.
Guess which one evangelicals love?
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Today, on Twitter several folk told me it's wrong to criticize
#RaviZacharias
because he's like King David, and I don't know what God was doing in his heart and we're all sinners and yadda yadda yadda.
Those are precisely the kind of justifications that allow abusers to thrive.
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My daughter was prochoice just like all her high school friends. Then I challenged her to research various abortion methods like vacuum aspiration and D&C. Two weeks later, she had become pro-life. When you take time to get to know a human being in-utero, it changes you. 😊
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Some of the most evil people you will meet are confessing Christians.
That's a problem.
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Quitting church because of a bad experience with one congregation is like quitting eating because of a case of food poisoning.
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Questions of orthodox doctrinal precision notwithstanding, which of these two gentlemen do you think would make a better neighbor?
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Dear Christian apologist, if you were invited to speak to a Christian group in a rented room at Oxford University, don't tell people you "lectured at Oxford". That dishonestly conveys the impression that you were invited to give an academic address by a faculty of the school. /1
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Saw this on LinkedIn. A perfect Christmas message:
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Equating Christianity with American evangelicalism is like thinking cheese just is Kraft processed singles.
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Some atheists think that Christianity, a tradition of 2000 years and more than two billion adherents, intellectual & spiritual home of countless social activists and scientists, artists and athletes, philosophers, presidents, poets, and paupers, is ridiculous.
That's ridiculous.
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If I wanted to undermine Christianity, I'd devote all my time to defending young earth creationism, the ethics of Canaanite genocide, a narrow exclusivism, and hell as eternal conscious torment.
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I have no better argument for atheism than a gun-loving Christian sanctimoniously saying "thoughts and prayers" after the latest mass shooting.
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Yes, I trust the Bible. But that doesn't mean I trust your interpretation of the Bible.
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Christian universalism is the view that Christ's atoning work ultimately saves all people. To object to Christian universalism by asking "If all are saved, why did Jesus die?" is like asking "If that medical treatment heals everyone, then why give the medical treatment?"
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I once explained to a fellow Christian why I reject the view that hell consists of eternal conscious torment. This was their response: "Then why tell anybody about Jesus?"
😐
Never have I encountered a clearer (and sadder) example of the reduction of Gospel to fire-insurance.
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Al Franken just said on MSNBC that Amy Coney Barret takes the "extreme" view that "life begins at conception."
Um, that's not 'extreme': it's science.
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Millions of Christians believe that killing a human embryo is "murder" but slaughtering Canaanite families in God's name was just fine.
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Some Christians have a piety that treats saying the word "asshole" as a bigger sin than being one.
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The paradox of God's power being manifest in weakness was mocked in the first century, too.
1 Corinthians 1:18: "For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
If we're going to compare mythological gods, then Thor > Jesus.
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It never ceases to amaze me how conservative Christians are so concerned to censor books from children due to adult content when the Bible describes slaughter, genocide, cannibalism, incest, mass beheadings, impalement, rape, torture, adultery, human sacrifice, and bestiality.
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Dear Christian, when you are in a debate, you do not appreciate it when a Mormon cites the Book of Mormon or a Muslim cites the Qur'an: you don't accept those authorities.
So don't quote the Bible to people who do not accept its authority.
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A note to my atheist friends: the fact that you grew up attending a Baptist church in rural Kentucky or a Catholic parish in Toronto does not automatically give you an informed perspective on the intellectual breadth and strength of the Christian tradition.
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Ahh yes, the "heresy" of comforting a precious, grieving child with the wideness of God's mercy and the unimaginable expansiveness of His love...
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Richard Dawkins says: “We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.”
That's like saying: "All men are bachelors with respect to every woman but their wife. Some of us just go one woman further."
🤦
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The claim "Christians should derive their doctrine from the Bible alone" is itself not a doctrine that can be derived from the Bible alone.
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When Jesus said, "Let he who is without sin throw the first stone" he was chastising powerful hypocrites who were targeting a vulnerable woman. It's truly grotesque to hear those words quoted to silence criticism of Ravi Zacharias, an unrepentant predator who victimized women.
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After years of searching, I have finally found the tattoo I need:
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Fifty years ago, this video would've featured two evangelical apologists arguing about how the state shouldn't "promote" (to use Turek's term) interracial marriage. Pop evangelical apologetics continues to secure its own irrelevance.
Should same-sex marriage be prohibited, permitted, or promoted?
@DrFrankTurek
joined me for a discussion on transgenderism and same-sex marriage issues using sound reason and evidence, not religion. Check it out here:
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Jesus: "when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen."
Republicans: "when you pray, do it in front of the camers for a photo op to pander to evangelicals."
Last night after being elected candidate for Speaker, Congressman Mike Johnson asked the Republican conference to bow their heads and join him in prayer.
We need more leaders like this in DC 🙏🏻
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A picture of William Lane Craig in a yellow sweater in front of a bookshelf placidly explaining how infants that are bludgeoned to death are fortunate because they go immediately to the joys of heaven. 😳
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A historical Adam is not the foundation of Christianity.
Jesus Christ is.
And please don't say you can't have a historical Jesus without a historical Adam. That's nonsense.
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New Atheist rebuttal to the cosmological argument:
1. Everything contingent has a cause.
2. I don't understand what 'God' means.
3. Therefore, God also needs a cause.
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When Dawkins wrote "The God Delusion" he was criticized for his gross ignorance of theology & phil. of religion. He replied that he also doesn't need to be an expert in "fairyology" to know that fairies are nonsense. An incredibly inane reply. His fans thought it was a brilliant.
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Today, I resigned from my position as a professor at Taylor Seminary. My last day will be June 30. I started work on July 1, 2003, so that completes 20 years of service. Right now, I am thankful and reflective. Details of my life going forward will be announced later.
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Skeptic: "You wouldn't be a Christian if you were born in another time and place."
Christian: "Sure, and you wouldn't think that trivial fact constituted a serious objection to Christian belief if you were born in another time and place."
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Atheists who dismiss the Bible as “iron age fables” should invest a month studying a single book of the Bible by reading a range of biblical commentaries, monographs, and articles on that book. They will come to appreciate that much more is going on than they realized, guaranteed
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"Don't like abortion? Don't have one."
That is surely one of the worst rejoinders ever. We're not talking about ordering lunch. We're talking about *ethics and law*. Do you think "Don't like slavery? Don't have a slave" makes any sense?!
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A couple Christians have "warned" me about the danger of "canceling" Ravi Zacharias. Sorry, but canceling a sexual predator doesn't sound like a bad thing to me.
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Christian fundamentalist: "If Jesus referred to Noah and Jonah, then Jesus believed they were historical people."
Compare: "If the lecturer referred to Frodo and Bilbo, then the lecturer believes they were historical people."
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The secularist who says that science is the ultimate measure of knowledge reminds me of the 7-year-old boy who thinks his dad knows everything: there's a certain charm in the child's devotion, but he's very naive nonetheless.
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Many Christian fundamentalists blame Neo-Darwinism for turning Christians into atheists when, in fact, it is the fundamentalist's own literalist hermeneutic and opposition to science which turns Christians into atheists.
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There is no greater cognitive dissonance than the Christian who condemns abortion as murder while approving of the genocidal slaughter of Canaanites in the book of Joshua.
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Sonny's energy was boundless, his love for all living things unparalleled. He was my running buddy and a faithful sentinel at our front window. Over 18 years old, his health declined rapidly in the last few days. We said goodbye at 5:30 this morning. RIP Dear Furbaby.
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My daughter was raised understanding the common descent of all life forms on earth. Consequently, when she learned the biological sciences in high school and university, it presented no threat to her Christian faith. Fundamentalism creates so many unnecessary stumbling blocks.
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Note to my atheist friends: the fact that you once called yourself a Christian does not mean that you had a proper understanding of what Christianity is. Indeed, if you had a bad experience, that experience may be an obstacle to your proper understanding.
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A while ago, a Christian told me he had surveyed the science in support of evolution and concluded that there is “no evidence for evolution.”
Meanwhile, I concluded that there was no evidence he had surveyed the science in support of evolution.
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When it comes to the abortion debate, I've noticed the fact that men lack a uterus is only brought up when they're pro-life.
Funny that. 🤔
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Oh my,
@Matt_Dillahunty
just blocked me when I pointed out that he strawmanned my position and then flatly contradicted himself by first endorsing and then denying foundational beliefs. What childish behavior.
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Far too many young Christians jump into apologetics without first devoting time to understanding Christian doctrine. As a result, they end up becoming apologists for historically thin and intellectually weak versions of Christianity.
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What is dark matter?
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Pay no attention to the scoffers: the historical evidence for the resurrection of Jesus is sufficient to warrant the belief that a miracle occurred 2000 years ago.
Keep an open mind, for there are more things in heaven and Earth, Naturalist, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.
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A note to my atheist friends: the fact that you grew up attending a Baptist or Catholic church does not automatically provide you with an informed perspective on the intellectual breadth and strength of the Christian tradition.
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Christians who claim that any sin, no matter how trivial, is a sin against an infinite God and thus worthy of infinite suffering have staked out a very implausible view. Do you really believe that a kid who steals a mint from the candy bowl deserves to be tortured forever?
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Forgiving a person does not mean you are obliged again to make yourself vulnerable to their toxicity. Forgiveness should free you, not set you up to be victimized again.
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The best argument for Christian universalism may be the simplest: it's the only eschatology on which the Good completely wins out.
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One thing the responses to this tweet make clear: if Alex O'Connor ever does find God, it will be in spite of the obnoxious comments of many Christians.
This is why I don’t believe that God exists.
Full video —>
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Some Christians think that wooden literalism is a "high view of Scripture."
On the contrary, it's just bad reading.
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The defensive, angry replies from Christians don't serve them well. Killing a person by drowning is a form of torture & cruel and unusual execution. To say a loving God drowned children and infants (& animals) as punishment for the actions of human moral agents deserves critique.
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Christian, you are not "at war" with people who are non-Christians. Those outside your belief community are not enemies to be defeated but fellow images of God to be loved.
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A common yet incredibly asinine village atheist talking point. Just shift from "3000 gods" to "countless views of reality": You hold a view of reality that differs from countless others, yet somehow you think your view is correct! Wow, what a shocker!
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When a Christian apologist says the problem of evil is not a serious challenge, you can pretty much guarantee they haven't experienced any deep suffering.
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Well, my dad passed away a few minutes ago. This would be a good time to quote the dedication to my book "What on Earth Do We Know About Heaven?":
"For my dad, who taught me to live life in the light of eternity."
My dad's now on morphine and no longer eating. Estimates are that he has days to live, so I need to start writing a eulogy. How does one summarize the life and impact of a parent in 10 minutes? A daunting task, indeed.
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If your theology makes God, your "heavenly father," more capricious and cruel than an average earthly father, there is something seriously messed up with your theology.
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If you think that no reasonable person could believe that God exists, you need to spend more time talking to people who believe God exists.
If you think that no reasonable person could doubt that God exists, you need to spend more time talking to people that doubt God exists.
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One of the saddest things I hear as a Christian theologian is fellow Christians saying "Wait, you don't believe God commanded the slaughter of the Canaanites? But I thought you were a Christian!" If genocide is essentially linked to the Gospel, we've already lost.
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There is a sickness in conservative evangelicalism that thinks the more humane or kind or hopeful a theology is, the less likely it is to be true.
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Atheism is not naturalism or nihilism. Nor does atheism entail naturalism or nihilism.
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There is a popular evangelical delusion that secular university professors hate Christianity and purposely target Christian youth to humiliate them and try to get them to apostasize. Bible colleges and Christian universities have long benefited from this fear-based delusion.
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The many atheists online who brusquely tell me I have no evidence for my beliefs have no evidence for that belief.
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I am so weary of hearing confessing Christians say that COVID19 isn't a big deal because it has "only" killed about 1% of the hundreds of millions of people it has infected. Such a callous disregard for human life is irreconcilable with Christian discipleship.
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The attempt to argue that the Bible is consistent with contemporary scientific understandings of the world is a fool's errand. God revealed himself to ancient Israelites in terms they could understand. He wasn't concerned with corroborating science c. 2021.
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I see many atheists disparage biblical authors as denizens of the benighted "Iron Age". Yet, I've never heard them dis Plato or Aristotle for being Iron Age. Apparently, they are quick to recognize wisdom in Greek religio-philosophical views but not Jewish ones.
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The woke mob are now targeting my employers with cries that I am racist. The deplorableness of their methods is matched only by the absurdity of the allegations.
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Paul Copan and I are going to debate biblical violence on
@UnbelievableJB
in the next few weeks! When the release is scheduled you'll hear it here first!
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Sonny died on Feb 9. I cried for him again today. His gentleness was so unique. Once, I saw him completely still on the back lawn, gently wagging his tail. He'd found an injured sparrow and he was so concerned & protective. I wish more human beings were like Sonny.
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I try to retweet this cartoon at least once a year.
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Ravi Zacharias was infamous for puffing his CV in this manner, but I've seen many other apologists do it as well and it's a terrible look. You can't defend a big truth by way of little lies. /2
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Christians.
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It's always wrong to kill children, even if your religious text says God commanded people to kill children.
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I have an idea: How about a debate on
@UnbelievableJB
with Alisa Childers (or Sean McDowell, Lee Strobel, Frank Turek or Mike Winger) on the topic "Is Progressive Christianity Another Gospel?"
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I've noticed that God regularly "calls" pastors at smaller, struggling churches to move on to larger, more "prestigious" congregations. But he never seems to call pastors away from those large churches back to small, struggling ones.
Funny that.
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Theology: a lot more complicated than "God did it."
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Calvinists say God could have elected all for salvation but he sovereignly elected some. That's like saying the firefighter could've saved all from the burning building but he elected to save some.
What would be your opinion of the firefighter?
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One thing I wish every village atheist understood: the fact that you don't believe Christianity is true does not support the conclusion that there is no evidence for Christianity.
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Don't tell me you're offended by the person on the left if you're not appalled by the person on the right.
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I made this meme to trigger my methodological naturalist friends:
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To all the "evolution is just a theory" folks, in science the term "theory" refers not to a tenuous conjecture, but rather to an explanatory framework for multiple lines of evidence. Gravity is "just a theory" too.
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Why do Americans wear shoes inside their houses? I have never understood that.
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