"Philosophical" Article Items

Skeptics often opine that Christ is not real but propose Christ the myth.   They suggest the Christ narrative is copied from a long line of other “gods” that have preceded Christ in time.  There has been a history of gods and goddesses in ancient civilizations, each with specific characteristics that made them appealing to ancient peoples.  These deities had diverse responsibilities.  Some were for fertility, crops, various sicknesses, and celebrations, among many others.  Skeptics object that out of all the gods and goddesses throughout ancient history, why should we believe Christ is a real “god”? Skeptics support their conclusion by… Read More »

Roman toleration of religions and practices of its conquered populations was much greater than in previous empires.  Most ancient civilizations would prohibit other religious practices, for example, and force conquered peoples to accept the gods of their conquerors.  His message would have been severely suppressed if Christ had been born into any of these intolerant nations. Roman Toleration The Romans differed from prior empires in allowing their conquered population more autonomy.  Rome wanted peace throughout its Empire and came to the practical conclusion that they would need some tolerance to have this peace. Rome, at its peak, conquered nations on… Read More »

Roman roads helped the message of Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire more quickly and efficiently.  Building an integrated road system throughout the Empire did not happen with serious planning.  It also required much time and treasure to build a road system where there was none. One reason for this extraordinary building effort was that roads enabled quicker movement of Roman soldiers throughout the Empire wherever needed.  Peace throughout the Roman world allowed resources to be reallocated from war to infrastructure improvement.  But it also enabled Christian missionaries to spread the Good News more quickly. History of Transportation Throughout the… Read More »

The Roman rule set the stage for the expansion of the Christian message.  It conquered vast areas of the known world, leading to temporary peace throughout its kingdom  This time of peace enabled the Christian message to spread throughout the known world. According to legend, the twin brothers Romulus and Remus fought it out over the founding of Rome.  Romulus eventually won after he killed his brother and became the first King of Rome in 753 BC.  Initially, Rome was conquered by the Etruscans and was ruled by a series of seven Kings until 509 BC. The last king, Lucius… Read More »

Proving the Resurrection Proving the Resurrection beyond a reasonable doubt using extra-Biblical sources would be very important.  One of the charges against traditional Christianity is that miracles, particularly the Resurrection, are impossible. Who was Christ?  Can Christ be found outside the Bible?  Is it possible to show Christ was the Son of God without a reasonable doubt using historical evidence alone? In short, is it possible to prove that Christ, as portrayed in the Bible, existed without using Scripture?  Even more importantly, is it possible to show that he, “beyond a reasonable doubt,” arose from the grave, appeared to numerous… Read More »

“Teleology” refers to explanations that offer design and purpose.  The teleological argument claims that certain aspects of the natural world are best explained as resulting from a designer.  The argument often goes even further to suggest that certain aspects of the natural world could not have come about without outside intervention or a designer. This argument only proposes “a designer” and does not presuppose anything else about the characteristics of the designer.  Several concepts are contained within the teleologic argument, including irreducible complexity, intelligent design, and finely-tuning physical constants.  The teleological argument suggests that choices by a Creator made to… Read More »