tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:40:22 +0000Come Reason's Apologetics Notes blog will highlight various news stories or current events and seek to explore them from a thoughtful Christian perspective. Less formal and shorter than the <a href="http://www.comereason.org">www.comereason.org</a> Web site articles, we hope to give readers points to reflect on concerning topics of the day. http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/default.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)Blogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-6408862334452909945Mon, 01 Feb 2010 07:28:00 +00002010-01-31T23:40:22.610-08:00sex promiscuity culture immoralityI found an article written about a year ago by Bill Muehlenberg, who teaches at several Australian theological seminaries. He notes that with the Octo-mom and 13-year-olds fathering children we have finally begun to reap some of the ultimate consequences of the sexual revolution.Of course, on TV and in universities, ushering in the age of unrepressed sexual activity is still lauded as one of thehttp://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2010/01/true-cost-of-sexual-revolution-sexual.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-4548038434755712394Thu, 07 Jan 2010 16:25:00 +00002010-01-07T09:13:15.123-08:00science religion belief salad-bar theology cultureThe LA Times recently ran an op-ed piece by Barry Goldman taking Americans to task for mixing and matching various belief systems. However, Goldman makes the same basic mistake that is at the root of his rebuke towards the public. Goldman opens his op-ed piece by quoting from a recent Pew study that states "Large numbers of Americans engage in multiple religious practices, mixing elements of http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2010/01/salad-bartruth-when-critic-commits.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-8769718359491423205Thu, 24 Dec 2009 17:43:00 +00002009-12-24T10:02:55.345-08:00Christmas Jesus giftsIn order to properly celebrate Christmas, there are three specific gifts that one must have. These have always been given since the very first Christmas and the wisest among men will continue to offer them – not only in this season, but all year long.1. GoldGold is the first gift, a symbol and recognition of His kingship and divinity. Like the divine nature of Jesus, gold never tarnishes – http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2009/12/three-essential-gifts-for-christmas.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-5304366863542298828Fri, 27 Nov 2009 04:52:00 +00002009-11-26T21:50:54.012-08:00For your Thanksgiving edification, I thought I'd reproduce one of the earliest Thanksgiving proclamations issues from the Continental Congress of the United States in 1782. Given that many today claim that the Christian roots of this country are in doubt, I offer up just one piece of evidence that Christianity was not merely deemed important, but the congress encouraged all individuals to "http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2009/11/thanksgiving-proclamation-us-congress.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-3293498331746130758Sun, 27 Sep 2009 07:36:00 +00002009-09-27T06:33:05.740-07:00Fox News reported on their web site today that “Christianity is plummeting in America, while the number of non-believers is skyrocketing.” Entitled “Where Have All the Christians Gone?”, the story summarizes some finding from the American Religious Identification Survey which includes the following:The number of Christians has declined 12% since 1990, and is now 76%, the lowest percentage in http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2009/09/why-is-church-hemorrhaging-adherents.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-5084479211838376858Sat, 27 Jun 2009 19:10:00 +00002009-06-27T12:17:49.243-07:00This morning, a friend and I met to catch up at Starbucks. While we were talking a lady sat down at the table next to ours and was reading The Shack by William P. Young. Having read snippets myself as well as many reviews (one of the more balanced and substantive may be found here), I was interested in understanding how she was processing the story.The lady told me she is enjoying the book and http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2009/06/catchphrase-christianity-troubling.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-2221677368000782683Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:57:00 +00002009-03-04T13:41:10.530-08:00apologetics scripture ministryRecently I was asked what my favorite scripture is. Now, this is a hard question, because I tend to approach the Bible not as a monolith, but apply different passages to different circumstances. I like to keep the context of the passage in focus, so there really is no "one size fits all" for me. However, if I had to point to one passage that has spoken to me most strongly in my ministry - the onehttp://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2009/03/recently-i-was-asked-what-my-favorite.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-4762906774116390012Tue, 24 Feb 2009 23:47:00 +00002009-02-24T15:48:51.579-08:00Islam religion media muslims women abuseI found an interesting article on the GetReligion blog dealing with Muzzammil Hassan. Hassan is probably not a familiar name to you – and that's precisely y the issue. Hassan is a Muslim-American who is very active in trying to dispel negative Muslim stereotypes in the media. As the blog post notes, "Muzzammil Hassan had received some fantastic national media coverage a couple of years ago - NPR,http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2009/02/wife-beheaded-barely-registers-for.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-1134245878187032335Fri, 06 Feb 2009 19:40:00 +00002009-02-06T11:44:32.841-08:00In my devotion this morning I found myself in Ezekiel 12 - a prophecy about Israel and Judah going into captivity. In this prophecy, the Lord tells Ezekiel:"The prince who is among them will load his baggage on his shoulder in the dark and go out. They will dig a hole through the wall to bring it out. He will cover his face so that he cannot see the land with his eyes. I will also spread My net http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2009/02/dont-let-your-eyes-deceive-you.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-6197568784685315752Sun, 01 Feb 2009 18:13:00 +00002009-02-01T10:24:51.800-08:00One of the campaign pledges Barak Obama ran on was to reverse the Bush administration's ban of federal funding for new lines of embryonic stem cell research. Given Obama's now in office, some news publications are spinning the stem cell debate pretty strongly. Time magazine's cover story on stem cell research trumpets "How the Coming Revolution in Stem Cells Could Save your Life" while the http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2009/02/shell-game-on-stem-cells.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-5377071678800797251Wed, 14 Jan 2009 18:43:00 +00002009-01-14T10:50:09.271-08:00This Friday, Ravi Zacharias will be at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa speaking on the topic "Need God? What if I don't?" The RZIM web site states that Ravi will...explain why God is more than a psychological crutch for the weak minded and why success and independent living fade in comparison to knowing the eternal Truth found in God.The event is free, but tickets are required to get into the main http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2009/01/ravi-zacharias-speaking-on-need-for-god.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-763045586897770637Mon, 05 Jan 2009 05:40:00 +00002009-01-04T22:12:48.564-08:00I must admit that I've never been a big football fan. With a name like Esposito, maybe I was destined to like hockey instead. However, I recently read an incredible story of how fans at a high school football game were encouraged to cheer for the other side. As ESPN reporter Rick Reilly writes:They played the oddest game in high school football history last month down in Grapevine, Texas. It was http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2009/01/can-football-game-change-lives-maybe-if.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-3211536620506145076Thu, 01 Jan 2009 22:52:00 +00002009-01-01T16:24:06.850-08:00resourcesAs we start the New Year, many people are looking to improve themselves insome way or another. Perhaps settling down with a good book would be oneoption. I generally find myself reading about four or five bookssimultaneously. Maybe it's ADD, but usually I pick up a title on a subject thatinterests me and I want to research some more, or I have proclivity toward acertain author. In any case, I http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2009/01/books-im-currently-reading.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-7890241291610607526Tue, 23 Dec 2008 20:07:00 +00002008-12-23T12:19:41.639-08:00ChristmasChristmas 2008 is almost here and I must say that I'm pretty excited for this year. It's not because I hope to get the really "good" gifts, though. In fact, I didn't really ask for anything much. The material aspects are just not so important anymore.I must confess that my "tent making" functions have consumed much of my life over the past year. I've not written many articles at all for the site http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2008/12/christmas-2008.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-1435944611808873479Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:40:00 +00002007-09-16T17:43:44.219-07:00Have you ever heard those "scare stories" of how believers will one day havemost of their books banned by overreaching zealots? Normally, Christians think"well, I can see that coming down the line, when Christianity is outlawed inthis country and Christians have to hide underground. Today, in countrieslike China, such things go on all the time, but in most Western nations webelieve that we're http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2007/09/banning-religious-books-in-prison.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-8338483617035501831Sun, 03 Jun 2007 06:53:00 +00002007-06-15T07:45:48.978-07:00Many people I've spoken with bemoan the state of Hollywood and the poor entertainment choices out there. However there are a good number of films with subtle or even overt Christian themes that most haven't seen. So, if you're going to the video store or organizing your Netfilx queue, make sure that these are in there.1. Sergeant York (1941)Gary Cooper won his first Oscar in this movie, based on http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2007/06/ten-movies-every-christian-should-see.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-4876039257120761165Fri, 01 Jun 2007 05:49:00 +00002007-05-31T22:53:32.507-07:00There were a couple of interesting stories that caught my eye in the international news lately. The first, from U.K.'s The Telegraph reported that the British government was asking academics and others at England's universities to look out for students falling under the influence of radical Islamic preachers. The University and College Union, which represents the academics, has labeled such http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2007/05/protecting-extremists-while-allowing.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-3182334243595086918Tue, 08 May 2007 06:17:00 +00002007-05-07T23:19:41.834-07:00I took my family to see Spider-Man 3 this weekend – along with half the industrialized world, as it turns out. Now, there have been spates of super hero movies as of late, with Superman Returns, Batman Begins, the Fantastic Four, X-Men I, II, and III, not to mention the NBC series Heroes. Many of these modern films felt they had to update the superhero genre in order to appeal to a "more http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2007/05/spider-man-values.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-115047148851895958Fri, 16 Jun 2006 15:20:00 +00002006-06-16T08:25:28.283-07:00Last time, I told you about an opportunity I had to talk to a Mormon who was seeking answers after a lecture I had delivered on the problems in The Da Vinci Code. (If you are interested in that talk, you may purchase a copy on CD or DVD video from the Come Reason Store.)As I said, she had been having a lot of difficulty digesting the concept of the Trinity. This is not unexpected. The Trinity http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2006/06/theology-that-makes-difference.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-114986347563332239Fri, 09 Jun 2006 14:29:00 +00002006-06-09T07:31:15.650-07:00Last week I was invited to give a talk about the problems with Dan Brown’s The Da Vinci Code at a church up in Visalia. Now, many Christians have been awash in these discussions for a while. There have been so many books published on this one work of fiction that it is dizzying keeping up with the titles – and it has caused many people to ask whether we as Christians are overreacting. I don’thttp://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2006/06/da-vinci-spreads-gospel.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-114384961094483750Fri, 31 Mar 2006 23:56:00 +00002006-05-20T23:02:27.726-07:00Below is an editorial from the San Francisco Chronicle concering the recent backlash of a "Christian Youth Rally" that took place within the city of SF.EDITORIALIntolerant CityTuesday, March 28, 2006THE IRONY was obviously lost on the clueless San Francisco supervisors when they passed a resolution warning that a Christian youth gathering could "negatively influence the politics of America's mosthttp://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2006/03/californias-tolerant-city-showing-its.aspfoldreformer@gmail.com (foldreformer)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-112467407469282550Mon, 22 Aug 2005 01:16:00 +00002005-08-21T18:30:37.180-07:00An interesting article appeared recently in the San Francisco Chronicle's online site SFGate.com. There, reporter David Ian Miller interviewed Saturday Night Live comedienne Julia Sweeney (of the "It's Pat" sketch fame) on her recent autobiographical play, "Letting Go of God". The next step for Sweeney will be to release a book on the same topic, entitled "My Beautiful Loss of Faith Story".The http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2005/08/letting-go-of-god-while-holding-on-to.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-111989372309947394Mon, 27 Jun 2005 17:06:00 +00002005-06-27T10:38:02.996-07:00Morgan Spurlock has a new television show looking at trying to understand different types of people in the U.S., but don't expect any objectivity from the show. 30 Days , Spurlock's new series on Fox cable channel F/X seeks to document the changing views of individuals who are placed in a radically different environment for thirty days. The show airing Wednesday, June 29 at 10:00 ET (and http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2005/06/disinformation-in-muslims-in-america.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-109833062446642713Thu, 21 Oct 2004 03:36:00 +00002004-11-29T09:12:54.616-08:00Recently I’ve had the opportunity to watch Faith under Fire, Lee Strobel’s new show on PAX TV Saturday nights at 10 PM. What a breath of fresh air. The show is styled as a kind of Hardball dealing with theology, faith and ethics and it features the top luminaries from both sides of each issue. Strobel acts as the facilitator. Previous topics have included “Did Jesus Rise From the Dead?” “Do All http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2004/10/finally-television-that-takes-religion.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6805190.post-109263545956997725Mon, 16 Aug 2004 05:26:00 +00002004-08-25T19:26:07.986-07:00In my latest Come Reason e-Newsletter, I just finished a three-part article on the problems with homosexual marriage. The last installment prompted this response by a good friend of the ministry: It seems that the homosexual has no real world to live in. As far as worldviews go, neither theism nor atheistic views account for homosexuality. The naturalists rely on the principle of "survival of http://www.comereason.org/apologetics-notes/2004/08/is-naturalism-opposed-to-homosexuality.aspnoreply@blogger.com (Lenny)11