"I count myself one of the number of those who write as they learn and learn as they write.” -Augustine via John Calvin
I've been told that Descartes's dictum, cogito ergo sum ("I think, therefore I am") was nothing more than an epic failure in reasoning. And that by this same reasoning you could demonstrate your own existence from your body odor (I stink, therefore I am). Or that all that Descartes's dictum really can demonstrate is that... Continue Reading →
Can God Make A Dog Too Big For Him to Walk?
Check out my first episode: https://youtu.be/wfn9weMVy6U
Here's the outline for my presentation on Charles Taylor in my TEDS course, Religion in the Modern World taught my Dr. Harold Netland. A Brief Overview and engagement with Charles Taylor's chapter, "Western Secularity" in Rethinking Secularism by Calhoun, Juergensmeyer, and VanAntwerpen, eds. (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011). Problem of Definition Taylor begins his... Continue Reading →
Are we living in a computer simulation? Are we just a video game being played by some snot-noised kid on Alpha Centauri? This idea, or family of ideas, is known as The Simulation Hypothesis and it has been gaining more and more traction since philosopher Nick Bostrom wrote his 2003 paper “Are You Living in... Continue Reading →
It's Thunder Thursday folks! Check out the latest SoT podcast with my brother Joel and I. On this episode we discuss "triggering" and when a christian should take offense, if at all. Episode 3: When Should Christians Get Offended? Episode 2: How Our Cognitive Faculties Conflict with the Worldview of Naturalism Episode 1: How to... Continue Reading →
It should be no surprise to anyone reading this that we currently live in an ‘outrage culture’ (also known as a ‘call-out culture’). According to that bastion of cultural wisdom, Urban Dictionary, outrage culture is: “When people play the victim card and bend over backwards to be as offended as possible when they really aren't.... Continue Reading →
Dearly beloved, We are gathered here to celebrate the union of Grant Jacob Rost and Liza Suzanne Braatz. Now, as many of you well know, the story of Grant and Liza is a story as old as time. Their's is a classic love story of boy meets girls and- well, actually that’s not quite true.... Continue Reading →
Check out my podcast on the Ethics of feeding mice to Giant African Bullfrogs I have a fairly successful video on YouTube called Giant African Bullfrogs eating everything in sight. What started off as a fun project to watch my frogs grow and eat has grown completely out of hand. The views started off slow... Continue Reading →
For those who like my posts but aren’t aware that I have another blog just for book reviews, here’s a sample.
If you’ve been paying attention at all lately then you’ve heard some buzz about Jordan Peterson. If you haven’t been paying attention lately then you need to hear what he has to say (half of the guy’s advice is “Pay attention!”).
I’ve been listening to Peterson’s clips and lectures on YouTube since late 2016 when a couple Canadian Christian apologist friends of mine invited me to like a FB page “Support for Jordan Peterson”. Peterson needed a support page because he was embroiled in a scandal over free speech after Canadian Bill C-16 came out which had serious implications for free and compelled speech. I was initially impressed with Peterson’s ability to keep cool under pressure and speak truth in the face of rabid hostility.
Since his initial explosion onto the public scene, Peterson’s philosophical, psychological, and theological views- along along with all his other views- have gained a wider…
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BOOOONNNNKKKK!!!!! That’s the last thing you heard before waves of fear, embarrassment, and shame came flooding into your mind. What happened? You were just buzzed by a Red-Winged Black Bird. A tiny little bird just made you look like a punk in front of everyone at the park. He nosedived in from a high perch... Continue Reading →
“The master heresy is subjectivism. It is the parent of all the others, for only after the objective truth is denied are we “free” to recreate new “truths” in the image of our own desires. Only when we fall asleep to the real world are we “free” to dream nightmare worlds into being.” -Peter Kreeft,... Continue Reading →
“That’s so trivial!” We hear that all the time, but what does it mean? Well, I asked the same question as I was working on my last installment of Silly Philology, I Could Care Less. In that post I brought up the distinction between semantics and triviality or banality, which then led me to question... Continue Reading →
I get confused when people say, “I could care less.” I mean, I guess I know what they’re trying to say, they’re trying convey their disinterest in whatever they’re interlocutor has said or asked. But in actuality, the phrase “I could care less” doesn’t really tell anyone much of anything. Ok, cool, so you could... Continue Reading →
God is the Potter And I am the clay. A constant reminder, That I need today. He pieced me together, In His image I’m formed. He continually shapes me, From dust I’ve been born. But, over the Potter, What right has the clay? Should the pot ask it’s maker, “Why have you made me this... Continue Reading →
They bark, they yap, they yip, they yarp, These dogs, they do not quit! They’ll eat you out of house and home, And on your floor they’ll… poop. Short and stout, with chest puffed out, They rule your house as lord. That is until, that noise so shrill, they hear the ironing board. You may... Continue Reading →
My new toy is awesome, It lights up my mind. It staves off the skeptic, the willfully blind. I use it for choosing, and even for finding, It hides while I'm snoozing but everywhere- binding. It's tethered to feelings as well as the will, It's allegiance debated, by Jack and by Jill. Not human convention,... Continue Reading →
The pile of clothes on the cold tile floor was exceptionally large that night. The off-white layers of ticky-tacky paint were all that was left on the closet shelves. The poorly made- and especially poorly assembled- brown bookcase stood awkwardly erect and empty at the foot of the painfully small bed. All my books had... Continue Reading →
What's the purpose of life? Are we a cosmic accident? Is there intrinsic value to human life? Life in general? Why are we here? Why is anything here? Why should we be asking these questions? There are lots of different answers to these questions and they've been debated for - well forever. Ever since mankind... Continue Reading →
If you're interested in studying theology then you've heard it in one form or another. Usually from older folks. "I don't need your exegesis, I just need extra Jesus!", "Doctrine divides", "when I was young I cared about getting all my ducks in a row, now I just want to love people", "when you're older... Continue Reading →
Parker's Pensées 