Search Afterall.net

The Center for Naturalism promotes science-based naturalism as a comprehensive worldview - a rational and fulfilling alternative to faith-based religions and other varieties of supernaturalism. The under-standing that we are fully natural beings is the foundation for an effective approach to personal and social concerns, and highlights our intimate connection to the awe-inspiring universe described by science.  Through its educational activities and initiatives, the Center develops constructive applications of naturalism, supports progressive social policy, and in collaboration with other secular groups, helps to build a community of naturalists."
More

Credo: "Christians do not hold the truth, we are held by it." About Tom: "My graduate degree is in Industrial and Organizational Psychology. Science and philosophy are things I do in my free time. Does that hinder my credibility here? I hope not. I do my homework, and I stick to things I understand, or if I have questions you’ll know about it in what I write... I/O Psych is among the most quantitative (i.e. mathematical) of all the social sciences. The “hard” scientists sometimes say that none of the social sciences are really science, but this comes as close as you’re going to get. It has the advantage as well of trying to account for personality, which enters into a lot of my thinking about evidences for God, the ultimate personality. But the main question I invite you to ask is, “Does what I say make sense?” And if it doesn’t, by all means leave a comment and let me know!"

Responding to the current epidemic of atheist manifestos, Dinesh D’Souza applies just the right balm for the troubled soul. Assembling arguments from history, philosophy, theology, and science — yes, science! — he builds a modern and compelling case for faith in a loving God. If you’re seeking the truth about God, the universe, and the meaning of life, this is a great place to look." ~ Francis Collins D'Souza's site is primarily a clearing house for his books. A few articles are available, as well as videos from some of his debates and appearances.

Its mission: "Some think church is irrelevant. Others, out on their own for the first time, are attracted by all the world has to offer and put God on the back burner. Yet many leave because they’ve come to doubt Christianity. In fact, intellectual skepticism is a major reason cited by those who have left. Our mission at CrossExamined.org is to equip high school and college students to know why Christianity is true, how to defend it, and how to refute those who try to corrupt them."

From his bio: "Atheist-turned-Christian Lee Strobel, the former award-winning legal editor of The Chicago Tribune, is a New York Times best-selling author of nearly twenty books and has been interviewed on numerous national television programs, including ABC's 20/20, Fox News, and CNN. Described by the Washington Post as "one of the evangelical community's most popular apologists," Lee shared the prestigious Charles "Kip" Jordon Christian Book of the Year award in 2005 for a curriculum he co-authored about the movie The Passion of the Christ. He also has won awards for his books The Case for Christ, The Case for Faith, The Case for a Creator, and Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary." Lee's site includes his "Ask Lee" blog, a wealth of video resources, and of course, the chance to buy books and videos.

Stand to Reason trains Christians to think more clearly about their faith and to make an even-handed, incisive, yet gracious defense for classical Christianity and classical Christian values in the public square. STR teaches the value of using our minds to love God and share the Gospel. We teach careful reasoning and well thought-out answers so that Christians will participate in public discussion (at home, at work, or at the university) so that the Christian world view has a place in the debate. We encourage Christians to develop coherent answers to questions that challenge Christianity so that their faith is deepened and thereby are emboldened to share the Gospel."

Also see, http://www.bowness.demon.co.uk/map.htm.

From Richard's Website: Richard Carrier is a nationally-renowned author and speaker. As a professional historian, published philosopher, and prominent defender of the American freethought movement, Dr. Carrier has appeared across the country and on national television defending sound historical methods and the ethical worldview of secular naturalism. He holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University in ancient history, specializing in the intellectual history of Greece and Rome, particularly ancient philosophy, religion, and science, with emphasis on the origins of Christianity and the use and progress of science under the Roman empire. He is best known as the author of Sense and Goodness without God and a major contributor to The Empty Tomb, as well as writer and editor-in-chief (now emeritus) for the Secular Web, and for his copious work in history and philosophy online and in print. More

Phil is a pastor, college instructor in philosphy and ethics, theology, and spiritual formation, book lover and hiker. His blog, according to its tagline, is "a set of reflections on the contemporary church, culture, Christian philosophy, and doctrine". Recent posts include the whether doctors have the right to not perform abortions as a matter of conscience, Newsweek's cover story on the demise of America as a Christian nation, a review of the Apologetics Study Bible, and President Obama's honorary degree from Notre Dame.

John on his motivation for the site: "I backed into what I’m doing right now. I initially wanted to explain to people who knew me why I rejected the Christian faith, because several people were surprised about this and they wanted to know. To do this I self-published my first book to explain my reasons. At that point in my mind I was done with the Christian faith. I fully expected to get on with life. Unexpectedly though, I got noticed as a former student of William Lane Craig’s. It hadn’t occurred to me this was important, but people on both sides took notice of it. So I began engaging in the debate online and found the Christian reasoning lame and offensive in the circles I frequented. I was personally attacked by these Christians. This challenged me to no end. It made me want to go for the jugular vein of the faith that justified their abusive treatment of me. I wondered to myself whether they would light the fires that burned me at the stake in a previous century when the church had the power to do so. This made me think about the many heretics who suffered at the hands of Christians because of this same mentality. I decided at that point I would not let their blood be shed in vain, so I took up their cause. It became personal with me."

Luke Muehlhauser ("lukeprog") is an atheist and naturalist who arrived there via a journey as a devout pastor's kid. His story is moving. The tone and discussion here is sympathetic and friendly, and the writing almost always thought provoking. The site includes some impressive resources, like an evaluation of all of William Lane Craig's debates and a voluminous list of debates about God. Luke's site is a beacon of thoughtful and respectful dialogue. Highly Recommended. About itself: "See, believers have two ways of thinking. In most situations, they think with the same logic as most people do: this is our 'common sense.' Tell a believer that the bank stole his money, or that an ancient book says you can heal disease by dancing around a fire, and he will ask for evidence. That is common sense. ... The whole point of my website is this: If a believer applies his special thinking to any other area of life, it becomes clear how irrational that special thinking is. And if he applies common sense to his religion, it becomes clear how irrational that religion is."

Ben Witherington III is an evangelical Biblical scholar, and lecturer on New Testament Studies. Witherington is Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. He is a graduate of UNC, Chapel Hill and holds an M.Div. degree from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from the University of Durham in England. He is an elected member of Studiorum Novi Testamenti Societas, a society dedicated to New Testament studies. Witherington is an author and speaker. He has written over thirty books, and has made many appearances on radio interviews, and on television programs featured on the History Channel, Discovery Channel, and other major networks.

In its own words: In a day and age where chicken soup for the soul was very telling of our culture's starvation with all things spiritual, well maybe we can serve some delicious thomistic tacos for the starving soul. An old recipe indeed; but like Thomas of Aquinas (1225-1274), old is gold. And when you have a man who loved common sense only because it was common sensical to do it, his life, work and legacy is a good recipe for a society where the only thing available in the soup kitchen is what we conjure by our vain attemtps to create sprituality. We should all love Thomas because he loved God. We will give resources to what Thomas wrote as well as resources in apologetics, theology, and philosophy in addition to commentary to politics, reviews, and ministries among other things novel.

Online resources, information, and media. Habermas is distinguished professor and chair of the Department of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University. Habermas has dedicated his professional life to the examination of the relevant historical, philosophical, and theological issues surrounding the death and resurrection of Jesus. His extensive list of publications and debates provides a thorough account of the current state of the issue. Christian believers as well as unbelievers may find within the contents of this site a strong argument for the philosophical possibility of miracles and the historicity of the resurrection of Jesus, as well as the theological and practical implications of this event.

In his own words: "Doug is Professor of Philosophy in the Talbot Department of Philosophy at Biola University (La Mirada, CA). He teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in the areas of epistemology and the philosophy of religion. In addition, he has taught courses on the new atheism, and on film and philosophy. Doug is the author or editor of several books. He is co-editor with Jim Spiegel of the book Faith, Film, and Philosophy: Big Ideas on the Big Screen. He has lectured throughout the United States, and in Canada, England, Scotland, Spain, France, Sweden, China, and Ukraine. Doug’s hobbies include sea kayaking, reading outside his discipline, digital photography, travel, and studying foreign languages. His favorite place in the country is the Olympic Peninsula, Washington. He writes for himself and others. He scavenges for useful tips for writing of all kinds, for any of his hobbies, and for general life management. This blog is devoted to exploring all of these themes . . . and more. Doug has always believed that he fell into philosophy because he’s interested in so many seemingly unrelated things. As a philosopher, he lives with the illusion that they’re all connected."

In its own words: "The Scriptorium is the new media daily of the Torrey Honors Institute at Biola University. Established by John Mark Reynolds, Paul Spears, and Fred Sanders in 2005, the Scriptorium seeks to combat what we perceive to be the decline of a reasonable pursuit of the Christian faith and the transition away from the use of the mind in the Christian journey. This decline is causing Christians to lose their confidence in the truth claims of Christianity. As a result, Christians are also losing their ability to appreciate the depth, richness, and beauty of the works of God in the world. By actively engaging in the conversations of today's culture and challenging the predominant, non-Christian worldviews therein, the Scriptorium is a winsome, thoughtful, active Christian voice in the marketplace of ideas."

Veritas Forums are university events that engage students and faculty in discussions about life's hardest questions and the relevance of Jesus Christ to all of life. The forums are created by local university students, professors, and ministers while shaped and guided by the national Veritas Forum team. Veritas began at Harvard University in 1992 when a visiting student at the Harvard Divinity School, Kelly Monroe, observed that many of her fellow students felt isolated in their search for meaning and truth. This sense of disconnection was particularly striking in contrast with what she learned about Harvard’s spiritual history. As she read these accounts of lives changed and true life found, Kelly wondered: Why not gather these humble and bright believers in person and invite the whole university to join in, exploring our questions in relation to veritas—knowable in and through the life of Jesus Christ? ~ Site's "About" The Veritas Forum's sites features well organized audio recordings of hundreds of talks and exchanges between eminent thinkers on "life's hardest questions".

Reasonable Faith aims to provide in the public arena an intelligent, articulate, and uncompromising yet gracious Christian perspective on the most important issues concerning the truth of the Christian faith today, such as: the existence of God, the meaning of life, the objectivity of truth, the foundation of moral values, the creation of the universe, and the reliability of the Gospels. Reasonable Faith features the work of philosopher and theologian Dr. William Lane Craig in order to carry out its three-fold mission: 1) to provide an articulate, intelligent voice for biblical Christianity in the public arena. 2) to challenge unbelievers with the truth of biblical Christianity. 3) to train Christians to state and defend Christian truth claims with greater effectiveness. ~ About this Site

A "one-stop shopping superstore" in the marketplace of ideas; a searchable collection of resources and interactive opportunities; a ResourceBASE containing thousands of articles, reviews, research papers, essays, books & book chapters, commentaries, video & audio files, poems and more; rooted in the university, sponsored by Christian Leadership Ministries, the faculty outreach and training arm of Campus Crusade for Christ International, Leadership U includes resources from the high school to research levels, with an emphasis on the scholarly; a multi-disciplinary vehicle to help reach professors, students and other thinkers with the best in Christian thought on a variety of compelling issues; a growing community of apologists for the historical Christian faith who are engaging their culture on a variety of fronts; a current-issues-based approach to the deeper issues facing humanity (e.g., evil and suffering, morality and ethics, public policy, philosophy, origins and eternity).