New book: The Greatest Hoax on Earth: Refuting Dawkins on Evolution

Dr. Jonathan Sarfati has written a new book. Sarfati is arguably the most able defender of creationism alive today. From the CMI webpage:

The Greatest Hoax on Earth? meets Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth head-on. Dr Sarfati firmly and comprehensively answers Dawkins’ challenge, chapter after chapter, covering a vast range of disciplines in his trademark crisp, clear style. He convincingly shows, for those with ears to hear, that to believe the Bible’s account of Creation/Fall/Redemption straightforwardly not only does not commit intellectual suicide, it is if anything the intellectually superior position.

The introduction to the book is available free.

Has Science Disproved God? Thinking Matters Auckland

This just came in on the newswire…

Just a reminder to come to tomorrow night’s event featuring a panel of scientists, philosophers and theologians whom you can fire questions at around the topic “Has Science Disproved God?” at the University of Auckland.

The speakers are:

Neil Broom (PhD) is Professor and Head of the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering at the University of Auckland. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand in 2008 and is the author of the book How Blind Is the Watchmaker?: Nature’s Design & the Limits of Naturalistic Science.

Jeff Tallon (PhD) is Distinguished Scientist at Industrial Research Ltd and a former Professor of Physics at Victoria University. He is internationally known for his research in high-temperature superconductors, is a Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand and in 2002 was awarded the Rutherford Medal, New Zealand’s highest science award.

Robert Mann (PhD) previously taught biochemistry and environmental studies at the University of Auckland and and has been on the council of the New Zealand Association of Scientists.

Matthew Flannagan (PhD) adjunct lecturer in Philosophy at Laidlaw College and Bethlehem Tertiary Institute and is currently teaching philosophy, ethics and religious studies at St Peters College. He specialises in applied ethics and the interface between philosophy and theology. He is a prominent New Zealand Christian commentator, debater and blogger.

When: Thursday 11 March at 7pm

Where: OGGB 4 (260-073 Owen G Glenn Building), 12 Grafton Road, The University of Auckland

The organisers – Thinking Matters, the sponsors – TSCF and I have had a lot of feedback and buzz around this event. We are expecting a good turnout and people seem to be getting their questions ready; topics that look set to come up include the scientific evidence for and against God, issues around Naturalism and the project of science itself but you can raise any related question you like!

Now to the lay person these topics may sound complicated, however, I have been assured by the organisers that this is a lay-friendly event. All the PhD’s on the panel will be speaking plain english and breaking down anything complicated so that the rest of us can follow. I am bringing my teenagers and some of their friends so that should give you an idea of how accessible it will be.

New Paper Critiquing Dawkins’ New Atheism Published in ‘Think’

This is from the blog of the Evangelical Philosophical Society. Their journal is Philosophia Christi.

My paper ‘The Emperor’s Incoherent new Clothes – Pointing the Finger at Dawkins’ Atheism’ has just been published in the latest edition of Think (Number 24, Volume 9, Spring 2010).

Buy the God Delusion — highly recommended!!!

“…I have written elsewhere that The God Delusion makes me ashamed to be an atheist. Let me say that again. Let me say also that I am proud to be the focus of the invective of the new atheists. They are a bloody disaster and I want to be on the front line of those who say so.”

Atheist Philosopher of Science, Michael Ruse.

Richard Dawkins stumped by creationists’ question (RAW FTGE)

Random feeds from Thinking Matters New Zealand

• Debate: Women in the Bible and the Qur’an
• A Familiar Conversation: Part 1
• Audio Resources from J. P. Moreland
• Crowns Rolling in the Dust
• Closer to Truth Interviews William Lane Craig
• Talk Is Moving
• Genesis, Myth and History
• A Familiar Conversation: Part 2
• Thinking Matters Forum at Auckland University
• Free Resource – Study Guide to Biblical Doctrine

Random feeds from Apologetics 315

• Three Apologetics Lectures by Doug Groothuis
• Book Review: A Sceptic's Guide to Atheism by Peter S. Williams
• Terminology Tuesday: General Revelation
• James Spiegel Answers Questions About The Making of an Atheist
• Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (03/05 - 03/12)
• Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (02/19 - 02/26)
• Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (02/26 - 03/05)
• Apologetics Toolkit: Tips for Lifelong Learning #04
• DVD Series: Philosophy of Religion with William Lane Craig
• Terminology Tuesday: Nihilism

The God Delusion Debate (Dawkins-Lennox)

The full video of this debate is online here.

On October 3rd of 2007 in Birmingham, Alabama, Professor Richard Dawkins and his Oxford University colleague Professor John Lennox engaged in a lively debate over what is arguably the most critical question of our time: the existence of God. The debate centered on Dawkins’ views as expressed in his best-seller, The God Delusion, and their validity over and against the Christian faith. Both presenters agreed to the format and topics of discussion.

HT to http://apologetics315.blogspot.com

Will Richard Dawkins debate William Lane Craig?

Richard Dawkins stumped by creationists’ question (RAW FTGE)

TSCF are delighted to announce the launch of Catalyst Books today

The Tertiary Students Christian Fellowship is an evangelical student ministry that works at campuses both internationally and around New Zealand. They also have a dedicated program, called Catalyst, that serves graduates, both in the workplace and in post-graduate study.

TSCF have in the past provided quality books at their conferences but today, they have launched Catalyst Books, an online store that will provide a range of titles to assist graduates in relating their faith to life, study and work.

One of the great things about the store is that they offer books that seek to relate the Gospel directly to each academic discipline, from architecture to psychology. They also offer free shipping.

Make sure you head over to their site and take a look.

Apple Sex Apps

Well done to Apple. They have removed many of the sexually explicit apps from the iStore. I hope their buddies at Google will follow suit. I am sick of seeing “FLIRT NOW” with pretty chicks in low-cut girly blouses flashed in front of my eyes. I’m a happily married man who does not need Google or any other sleazy advertiser to lead me to stumble.

Funny how Google talk about “Do no evil” yet feel the need to allow advertisers to force this sort of smut upon me. If I forced my Christianity upon others like they force their their hormone generating advertising upon me, I reckon they would be more than a little upset. Plainly their understanding of evil is very different to mine, which really leads once again to the reality that the Google definition of evil comes from a worldview that is very different to the Christian worldview. Their definition is just Pi radians in the opposite direction.

One man, for one woman, for life. HT to Darryl for that line I think!

Recommended reading:

Exposed!

Olive Tree Bible Software for the iPhone and iPod Touch

It was with great excitement that I purchased Olive Tree’s iPod Touch Bible software (well, the reader was free) and ESV Study Bible with 80,000 notes and maps and commentary and other stuff. Better still, the discount of the product was 25% with an additional 10% for being a first time customer.

The software itself is still evolving (yes, evolution can just mean change over time) but even at this early stage it is very good. Three “touches” will take you to any verse in the entire Bible. Split screen action means that you can have the Bible text in the top section of the screen and a synced commentary in the bottom section. Maps can be zoomed in and out using the two finger salute, I mean pinch.

To be perfectly honest, few things shock me these days, for good or for bad, but the touch screen interface on the iPod Touch is astonishing. It is so good that I have found myself using my laptop very little as the Touch does email, RSS, MP3s, web browsing, and Bible study! It is an online device as it has built-in wifi and connects in a few seconds after the instant-power-on is actuated.

What is going to happen next is quite fascinating. The Apple iPad will be an iPod Touch on steroids and the Bible study tools developed for the iPad will be nothing short of amazing I suspect. Imagine carrying a library in a digital book: maps, commentaries, multiple translations, original language tools, Spurgeon’s and MacArthur’s books libraries, all John Piper’s free eBooks, and of course an RSS feed to Manawatu Apologetics! I wonder if my Pastor would be hip enough to use one of these mega-devices?

Why do we not have the death penalty?

OPINION

So a 39 year old father of two is knifed to death in Auckland. The killer will be caught, his DNA matched to confirm that he is indeed the killer, and millions will be spent on a court case and 15 or so years of meals and accommodation and rehab in prison.

In the meantime, the Mohini family will go thru a living hell (to quote Bob Dylan) and the children will live with no earthly father for the rest of their lives.

I think our society has its sums wrong. The killer has taken a life that was not his to take. Only God has the right to take another life because only God holds the privileged position of creator and sustainer of all things. The killer has taken the life of a human being, a person made in the Imago Dei. A person stamped with the image of God in his very being. The killer has violated the divine law, and now our justice system will almost certainly practice further injustice towards the Mohini family by showing them that the life of a husband/father is worth only 15 or so years.

FREE Audio Book by Mark Driscoll — Religion Saves

This audio book is free this month here: http://christianaudio.com/product_info.php?products_id=2028

Narrated by Mark Driscoll & published by Crossway

In his distinctively edgy—yet theologically sound—style, Pastor Mark Driscoll addresses the nine most pressing questions posed by visitors to the Mars Hill Church website.

Inspired by 1 Corinthians, in which Paul answers a series of questions posed by the people in the Corinthian church, in 2008 Pastor Mark Driscoll of Mars Hill Church in Seattle polled the visitors of his church’s website to determine their most pressing questions. Visitors were allowed to vote up to 10 times per day, and in the end, 893 questions were asked and 343,203 votes were cast. The top nine questions are now each answered in this audio version of Religion Saves.

After an introduction devoted to the misconception that religion can save us, Driscoll tackles questions relating to birth control, humor, predestination, grace, sexual sin, faith and works, dating, the emerging church, and the regulative principle. Because the purpose of this audiobook is to address commonly asked questions, all listeners will find relevant, engaging material, presented in Driscoll’s distinctively edgy – yet theologically sound – style.

Oh, and the coupon code to get it free is “FEB2010″

The Apple iPad and Theological Study

An incredibly exciting device, long speculated by many people, has finally been revealed to the masses. You can check out the videos of both the keynote speech by Steve Jobs, and the iPad video here:

http://www.apple.com/nz/ipad/#video

This device will no doubt revolutionize the way many of us access information. The great pricing will guarantee that millions will buy it, and the consuming masses guarantee lots of dollars for the numerous developers that will be writing software for the beast right now as you read.

I did a quick search for Bible software and found this:

http://www.olivetree.com/

Of course, this will not run on the iPad right now … I am having you on … in fact it will run this app right now as the iPad will run iPhone and iPod Touch applications without modification.

However, the Olive Tree company will no doubt modify this app to use the large screen and make tremendous improvements to a product that is already highly rated by users on the Apple store.

Given the base price is $499 USD, these should land in New Zealand for about $700 NZD I would expect Here’s hoping!

Apologetics For A New Generation

I feel so lost…I’m not sure what I believe anymore. Can you help me?

For every teenage or college-age person who shares these thoughts, many more hide similar feelings inside. This generation’s faith is constantly under attack from the secular media, skeptical teachers, and unbelieving peers. You may wonder, How can I help?

Working with young adults every day, Sean McDowell understands their situation and shares your concern. His first-rate team of contributors, including Dan Kimball, Josh McDowell, and Brian Godawa, shows how you can helps members of a new generation plant thier feet firmly on the truth. Find out how you can talk them through the process of…

• formulating a biblical worldview and applying scriptural principles to everyday issues
• articulating their questions and addressing their doubts in a safe environment
• becoming confident in their faith and effective in the witness

The truth never gets old, but people need to hear it in fresh, new ways. Find out how you can effectively share your answers to life’s big questions with a new generation.

Available online are the FREE study and a FREE chapter, both in PDF format. You can find both on this page:

http://www.conversantlife.com/apologetics-for-a-new-generation