Newsletter 10-07-09

In Christianity, isn't morality determined by 'might makes right'?
by Matt Slick

This is an objection often raised by atheists. Many think that Christianity teaches that God arbitrarily assigns rules for moral behavior and that his ability to enforce those rules is the basis of right and wrong. But this is not the Christian position. God certainly has the ability to enforce the rules he reveals to us. But, what is morally right with God is due to his character, not his power.  The reason it is wrong to lie is because God cannot lie (Titus 1:2). Therefore, right and wrong are not determined by God's ability to be stronger than anyone else. Right and wrong are determined by God revealing his own immutable, holy essence.

Whenever an atheist accuses Christian theology and in particular the Christian God of determining morality from "might makes right", he is misrepresenting the Christian faith.  But, this is often the case with atheists who fail to seriously study what they criticize.

Support

For the first time in a while, the finances are CARM are plummeting.  One more month like this and we'll have to cancel the radio show, cancel our retainer for tech help, and let our once-a-week secretary go.  We are praying for support from the body of Christ and are letting people know.  Please consider supporting us.  You can go to http://school.carm.org/member/signup.php..  We ask for $5 a month, which is very little, but it helps.  Also, we have online schools that are great for learning theology, apologetics, and critical thinking.  Please consider supporting CARM so we can continue to do this work.  Thanks.

Ryan Turner
 
It has been quite refreshing to start focusing on writing articles for CARM again. I have spent the past week writing a number of articles including: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? An Outline, Did Jesus ever exist? , Is the empty tomb of Jesus historical?, An Analysis of the Pre-Pauline Creed in 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, and Do you have to know the date and time when you became a Christian?. (go to www.carm.org/whats-new to read them) I am also almost finished with an article titled: Was the resurrection story of Jesus borrowed from pagan mythology? In this article I will discuss the alleged pagan parallels with Christianity and show how the dying and rising gods in other ancient religions do not provide an adequate basis to explain the resurrection of Jesus.

Matt and I also have been uploading a number of videos to YouTube. You can visit: to see some of the latest videos on Roman Catholicism and general questions by clicking here: http://www.youtube.com/carmvideos 

Slick and Quick


Tech Stuff Needs

 


Love and Hate Mail

Love

  • I'm listening from Denton, Texas. Please keep the show going, its a tremendous resource and highly entertaining. I'm going to talk with my wife about supporting carm on a regular basis. Thanks so much and God bless.
  • May God continue to bless and use the ministry of CARM for his glory and the edification of the Saints. May God grow CARM up more so it can be of greater use to him and blessing ot his people. May he also put a hedge of protection for you and your family and continue to bless you and meet all your needs. Take care and God bless!
  • I just want to say thank you for your site. I've only read about an hour's worth of material and already I feel blessed stumbling upon it. I love the way you guys go into philosophical arguments. Thanks again!
  • I just wanted to say thank you for making such a wide selection of Christian apologetics available online. The CARM website has been a steady and reliable (and trusted) place on the web to get accurate information on what I deal with most: different Christian and non-Christian movements in our culture today. With gnosticism, and likewise oneness Pentecostalism, growing so rapidly in my part of the country, genuine questions arise as to what truth is. I appreciate you putting real questions and answers on your website.
  • I'm just a college student, but thank you so much for your website! I love it! It's amazing! I come to it every time I have a question about anything related. Thank you so much for your work! You're so cool!
  • I am a Christian living in Gilbert AZ, (i.e. a very Mormon town.) I do not attend a church but was raised Baptist and hold on to my beliefs. Recently some friends from work who have retired have contacted us to share information about their Mormon religion. I keep avoiding them.. since I have heard a few things about the religion but no one ever tells us what they are really about.   I want to thank you for posting the Mormonism in a Nutshell video. It was very informative and for me a real eye opener. I now have the background information that I need to have an educated rebuttal to our Mormon friends. In a nutshell. !!

Hate

  • the gospel is not about christ dying on the cross, I`d take a closer look next time if I were you, your salvation depends on it!
  • Bigots.
  • Your persistently narrow view of humanity, society and existence, exemplified in your articles on homosexuality, is both saddening and deeply perplexing. Although, as such, I anticipate that you have a limited capacity to open yourself to intellectual debate.
  • What is your agenda? The work that Pastor Arnold Murray does is pure bible study, line by line, verse by verse. Your summary is "secular" & lacking in spirituality, so it does appear that you are a "naysayer", a man wanting attention, or a "kenite". I searched for something of spiritual value in your words, and it raised the question; " What is your reason or agenda for attacking the Shepherds Chapel" ?The work that Pastor Arnold Murray does is pure bible study, line by line, verse by verse.
  • This is an official sight of an organized hate group, very sad in deed.  Jesus Christ loved all people all faiths and your sight is full of hate and lies of several different faith groups.  Please put your time and efforts in helping people not hating people, the way Jesus did. So little time and so many good things that need to be done.
  • THERE IS NFLATION, JOBLESSNESS, HOMELESSNESS, POVERTY, FOOD & MED. CRISIS, CORRUPTION ETC.IN WORLD THEN WHY YOU ARE WASTING YOUR TIME HERE?
  • Your ego.  You have some truth and some error and so does everyone else. It's what percentage of truth you have that counts while keeping pure motives and a clear conscience toward God without neglecting love to all fellow humans and His creatures.
  • You dominated Paul Young with your theology. By the way, is Paul Young a theologian? Is The Shack a work of theology? Are you proud of how you were able to theologically dominate Paul Young?  You are the perfect example of how "...knowledge puffs up." Your arrogant, preachey and chuckling condescension say much more about you than the weakness of Young's arguments says about him.  You and those like you are precisely why the Emerging Church exists, why the post-modern generation thinks Christians are a disgusting joke, and there are 4000 different denominations. Your much more interested in being Right than in meeting Christ's expectations with respect to His most important commandment.  Congrats again, Brother! Give yourself a big pat on the back on your way home for dominating a FICTION WRITER. Excellent! You're impressive!
  • God is not a spirit but has a body of flesh and bones. Jesus came down to earth and receive a body of flesh and bones. All of us also came down to earth and received a body. Remember, God created us in his own image, which means that if we have a body of flesh and bones, so does he. If all of us receives a body, why wouldn't God himself who send us and his son to earth, have a body? God is all powerful, he himself does not need to come down to earth to receive a body just as he does not need to atone for our sins. By the way, our belief is not called Mormonism, we are, as far as i'm concerned, Christians.

 

 

 

 
 
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