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mid-week apologetics booster (5-9-2024)

Good morning friends, Quote of the week: The entire Christian story is the answer to the problem of evil. Everybody’s dealing with the problem of evil, but only Christianity answers it. That’s what Christianity is. – Frank Turek Now, here are your weekly links:

Who Do You Say Jesus Is? – Paul Washer – YouTube. In this video, Paul washer is actually presenting the C.S. Lewis trilemma argument. He also talks a little bit about how he was a skeptic when he was a youth. Someone witnessed to him and asked him who Jesus was: https://youtu.be/BBfcnp0dcKM?si=CZj2jqMpyzv5j1oi
How to explain the gospel in less than 1000 words | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2024/05/05/how-to-explain-the-gospel-in-less-than-1000-words-3/
New study: gender-affirming surgery associated with suicide attempts | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2024/05/06/new-study-gender-affirming-surgery-associated-with-suicide-attempts/
Ask HN: What nonfiction books do you keep rereading? | Hacker News. Since I am a software developer, I frequently look at Hacker News. I saw this discussion thread where someone answers a question “What nonfiction books do you keep rereading?” by saying “The Bible”. Here is the response this person gives: “The Bible. Even if you don’t care for its spiritual implications, there is a rich history that is used by archaeologists, and many face-value lessons of cause and effect, and even recommendations on how to manage a business and employees. The beautiful non-spiritual message is that humans don’t change, but we can still learn from histories mistakes.”: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=40277933
Catholic vs. Protestant: Praying to Mary | Allie Beth Stuckey Guest: Trent Horn | Ep 997 – YouTube – Today, we sit down with Trent Horn from Catholic Answers to discuss the House’s recent bill aimed at preventing anti-Semitism and some of the biggest differences between Catholic and Protestant theology. Is it anti-Semitic to say that the Jews killed Jesus? Why do Catholics pray to Mary and the saints? Why don’t Catholics believe in sola scriptura? And how do Catholics and Protestants differ in their beliefs about salvation?: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibYS0NF_ZRI
Why We Know the Story of Jesus Isn’t A Legend – YouTube – How can we be sure that the story of Jesus wasn’t changed over time? How do we know that the virgin conception, the miracles and the Resurrection weren’t added to the story late? J. Warner Wallace talks about the nature of evidence tampering in this video, excerpted from his interview with Lee Strobel at a Sunday morning service at Woodlands Church in Woodlands, Texas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFM_aI251us
The Fastest Way To Learn Any Piano Piece – YouTube. I notice little things people say that gives me clues about their worldview. In this video, at 3:07, Jazer says “your brain gets very confused. It is not sure what exactly you want it to learn.” Notice the way he phrases that. He is separating “himself” from “his brain”. This is the kind of statement that shows me that he believes in an immaterial self, the soul, that is distinct from the brain, and that, whether he knows it or not, he cannot be a materialist. There is a concept in philosophy known as dualism, which states that the mind and body are distinct. It is apparent that he is a dualist and not a strict materialist. Now, for all I know, he may be a Christian, or not. But he certainly cannot be a materialistic atheist based on that statement.: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO6dDi55TYY
Rapid Response: You Don’t Need God to Explain Consciousness | Cold Case Christianity – every one of us experiences consciousness. We usually associate that with our mental processing in our brain. But if atheism is true, we’re living in a material universe, which means we’re living in a physical universe consisting of nothing more than space, time, and matter, governed by the laws of physics and chemistry. Can such a material, physical universe produce non-material consciousness?: https://coldcasechristianity.com/writings/rapid-response-you-dont-need-god-to-explain-consciousness/
Is There a First-Century Fragment of Mark’s Gospel? Apparently Not – Canon Fodder: https://michaeljkruger.com/is-there-a-first-century-fragment-of-marks-gospel-apparently-not/
Ken Ham’s Ongoing Quest to ‘Take Back the Rainbow’ | CBN News: https://www2.cbn.com/news/us/ken-hams-ongoing-quest-take-back-rainbow
Cohabitating with Jesus. I am currently reading a book entitled “Not A Fan” by Kyle Idleman. In this book, he defines the difference between being a “fan” of Jesus and actually being a “follower” of Him. This book challenges us to consider what it really means to call yourself a Christian. As I was reading today, I came across a part of the book entitled “Cohabitating with Jesus”. Idleman opened this part of the book with this quote…: https://jasonlsneed.com/2012/07/24/cohabitating-with-jesus/
When Church Is Optional, You Set Up Your Kids To Fail: https://www.patheos.com/blogs/chorusinthechaos/programming-your-children-to-fail-sunday-church/
(ex) CNN news anchor Don Lemon says God doesn’t judge people | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2021/03/16/cnn-news-anchor-don-lemon-says-god-doesnt-judge-people/
Does Secular Historian Josephus Give Historical Corroboration to the New Testament? | Thomistic Bent: https://humblesmith.wordpress.com/2017/11/06/does-secular-historian-josephus-give-historical-corroboration-to-the-new-testament/
Listen: Nancy Pearcey on the Surprising Early History of Darwinism | Evolution News: https://evolutionnews.org/2019/06/listen-nancy-pearcey-on-the-surprising-early-history-of-darwinism/
The Trinity: A brief description and a table showing it biblically: https://carm.org/doctrine-and-theology/trinity-table/
5 Most Shocking Abortion Policies Biden-Harris Openly Support: https://thefederalist.com/2020/10/20/5-most-shocking-abortion-policies-biden-harris-openly-support/
If Mormonism Is Not True¦ | Institute for Religious Research: https://mit.irr.org/if-mormonism-not-true
William Tyndale: Reformer, Translator, Martyr | ReasonableTheology.org: https://reasonabletheology.org/william-tyndale-reformer-translator-martyr/
Blog Post – Friday’s Featured Sermon: “God’s Rainbow Covenant”: https://www.gty.org/library/blog/B180622
Is Apologetics Needed Because of a Lack of Faith? – THINKAPOLOGETICS.COM: https://chab123.wordpress.com/2021/08/06/is-apologetics-needed-because-of-a-lack-of-faith/
Has God Given Enough Evidence for a Rational Faith? – The Stream – As a college student, I explored significant doubts I had about my faith. It bothered me that God didn’t make His existence more obvious. In fact, one skeptic made me wonder: Why doesn’t God write “Jesus Saves” on the moon or “Made by God” on each cell? After carefully examining the evidence, however, I became convinced that God has made himself known (Rom. 1:18–21; 2:14, 15). He has not made Himself known exhaustively, but He has sufficiently. Consider three prominent arguments for the existence of God: https://stream.org/evidence-rational-faith/
Aren’t Christians Just Arrogant Know-It-Alls? – Canon Fodder: https://michaeljkruger.com/arent-christians-just-arrogant-know-it-alls/
“But I only believe in things I can see”: Why Everyone Uses Inferential Reasoning – THINKAPOLOGETICS.COM: https://chab123.wordpress.com/2023/03/31/but-i-only-believe-in-things-i-can-see-why-everyone-uses-inferential-reasoning/
Why should one believe in the validity of the Bible?: https://www.godcontention.org/christian/why-should-one-believe-in-the-validity-of-the-bible
One God or Many Universes? Stephen Meyer Explores How Fine-Tuning Points to Intelligent Design – YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dwa6LfZlGN8
Bible study: what difference does the resurrection of Jesus make? | WINTERY KNIGHT: https://winteryknight.com/2024/05/08/bible-study-what-difference-does-the-resurrection-of-jesus-make-7/

So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. Romans 7:4 Blessings to you all