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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."
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The impossible could not have happened, therefore the impossible must be possible in spite of appearances. ... Exactly! It is absurd — improbable — it cannot be. So I myself have said. And yet, my friend, there it is! One cannot escape from the facts.
"God by Design?" in God and Design: The Teleological Argument and Modern Science, N.A. Manson, ed. (2003), pp. 93-4.
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It ought to be regarded as a major embarrassment to natural theology that the very idea of something like a universe's being "created" by some minded being is sufficiently mind-boggling that any attempt to provide a detailed account of how it might be done is bound to look silly, or mythical, or a vaguely anthropomorphized version of some familiar physical process. Creation stories abound in human societies, as we know. Accounts ascribe the creation to various mythical beings, chief gods among a sizable polytheistic committee, giant tortoises, super-mom hens, and, one is tempted to say, God-knows-what. The Judeo-Christian account does no better, and perhaps does a bit worse, in proposing a "six-day" process of creation.
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For two hundred years, the First
Amendment's guarantee of freedom of conscience, speech, and assembly,
as well as of government neutrality towards religious parties, has
enabled the diverse melting pot that is America to live in relative
peace despite our many deep differences. Today that founding principle
is being sorely tested by a proposed mosque to be built within a stone's throw
of Ground Zero, the "hallowed ground" where twenty-seven hundred
Americans were murdered by militant Islamists when they flew two
hijacked planes into the World Trade Center's "Twin Towers". Many sage
voices whom I respect, along with a majority of Americans, have stated their opposition to the mosque's
location. The reasons offered are several: 1)
Islamists have a tradition of erecting mosques at locations of decisive
victory over "the infidels" and the Park 51 Mosque, suspiciously dubbed The Cordoba House at
first, will be seen as such a monument by Muslims around the world; 2)
The mosque's imam, Feisal Abdul Rauf, supports Sharia law, has declined to condemn Hamas as a terrorist organization, and called the U.S. an accomplice to the 9/11 attack; 3) The mosque
will be felt as "a thumb in the eye" by the many families and friends of the
victims of the 9/11 attack; 4) In nations where Islamists have jurisdiction, there is rarely any religious freedom to be had, and non-Islamic houses of worship are prohibited. Opponents of the mosque generally recognize that its erection cannot be prevented by legislative means. So, after the failed attempt to designate the location an historic landmark, some have suggested resorting to the creative use of zoning
laws or perhaps even enlisting New York City's powerful unions to refuse participation in its construction. Less insidiously, others have simply appealed to the mosque's backers to reconsider the location in deference to public sensibilities. I want to argue that not only should we tolerate the Park 51 Mosque as legally we must, but that we should embrace the mosque as a momentous opportunity to reaffirm and rearticulate our principled and pragmatic commitment to protecting disfavored minorities. There are many reasons for this, but one is primary: In one sense, we are all Muslims. Whatever our ideological affiliation, we too either have been, are, or may become a disfavored minority. Because we are all susceptible to the vagaries of popular opinion, tolerating minorities is crucial, most of all when it is hardest to do so. If my exhortation is disagreeable to you, please indulge me a little further, because our response in this matter is of the greatest import, especially in a time as diverse and divisive as our own.
William A. Dembski, John. Wilson, eds. (ISI Books: June 1, 2004)
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If you've never heard the term "post-Darwinian," welcome to the world of thinkers who reject evolutionary theory and its reliance on the notion of chance (i.e. "random mutation"). In this provocative volume, biologists, mathematicians and physicists as well as theologians and other intellectuals — many affiliated with the Discovery Institute, which espouses the concept of intelligent design — argue, as editor Dembski writes, that "the preponderance of evidence goes against Darwinism." The contributors invoke mathematics and statistics to support their theory that an "intelligent cause is necessary to explain at least some of the diversity of life." In other words, the degree of diversity and complexity in life forms implies the need for an intelligent designer. The nature and identity of this designer is not discussed by all the writers; others call this intelligence God. ~ Publishers Weekly
Robert Wuthnow (University of California Press: Jul 7, 2003), 319 pages.
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Wuthnow and his associates interviewed 100 successful artists who are interested in spirituality, offering many of their stories in this topically organized book. Ceramicists, painters, dancers, sculptors, musicians and writers talked to interviewers about their spiritual journeys, their professional lives and the way the two have informed each other, often to the point of becoming indistinguishable. While each artist's story is unique, many common themes emerge: often dealing with family trauma, these artists were spiritually curious children who asked tough questions and emerged as adults who found solace through a series of spiritual practices, romantic relationships and artistic pursuits. Compelling in some respects, these biographies are unfortunately pervaded by narcissism. In particular, several of the artists Wuthnow features have lived nomadically with children in tow, often separating them from the other parent. Wuthnow anticipates that his subjects will be perceived as self-absorbed spiritual dabblers, and takes pains on several occasions to argue that they are not. He does a fine job of finding common themes in these narratives, particularly many interviewees' appreciation of mystery and ineffability, and admiringly calls artists the spiritual leaders of our time. Artistically minded readers will likely agree with this assertion, and discover in these pages a vibrant perspective on spirituality and the meaning of contemporary life.
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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.