The Templeton Committee met for the first time on October 21, 2015. Pastor Michael Tavella had received a $5000 grant from the John Templeton Foundation through the auspices of Earl Whipple, a staff member of the organization and a member of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church. The grant will be used to develop a manual for churches and individual Christians on how we should conduct ourselves when in conversation with atheists and others who do not attend Church (the “nones”), either one on one or in a public forum. The biblical basis for the project is I Peter 3: 15b-16. The proposal includes field testing the manual in church adult classes and then holding at least one public forum in which Christians and non-Christians dialogue with one another. These conversations will constitute a Christian defense of the faith (ἀπολογία, apologia, English-apology) and a witness to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. For this deed, they were thrown out of the Garden of Eden. The serpent was the one who told Adam and Eve that if they ate of this fruit, they would be “like God, knowing good and evil.” …
Last time, the topic was our aspirations in life, especially a yearning for God to fulfill our lives. Writers, like Feuerbach and Freud, have criticized Christianity for representing wish-fulfillment. Freud called belief an illusion. We desire eternal life, but fulfillment is not possible. God does not exist; He is merely a projection of our desires. …
We all have dreams and hopes for our lives. These aspirations may change as we mature, but we always have them. The deepest of these aspirations has to do with our relationship with God and the hope that is grounded in Him. How does this idea pertain to atheists? Even atheists have aspirations; but, of…
Marcianus Aristides was a second century Christian apologist, who addressed his work to the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius (138-161). He begins his address by stating that in his contemplation of the orderly creation he has concluded that the hidden God stands behind all that is moved. He decided to investigate this Mover without the pretense…
In America the spiritual life and the exercise of religion are being squeezed out by the sights and sounds around us. Among these phenomena are: Street and highway noise Noise in the market place (e.g. blaring music in the stores) Constant advertising, reaching especially into the home (telephone soliciting) The media (though we have a…
Nihilism is a philosophical and theological view that human life has no ultimate meaning.–no God, no morality, no sense. The word from Latin literally means nothing. We find it in the English word, annihilate. Signs of nihilism in America include: Great decline in belief in God and religious practice including churchgoing Decline of public and…
Intolerant of any opinion that differs from their own, distorting the views of others, and using ad hominem attacks to advance their argument sound to many moderns like Christians throughout history. These characteristics are impressed on us by those who actually do these things, namely left wing activists. Right wing ideologues can do the same…
In the first centuries after the death and resurrection of Christ, several Christian writers produced apologies for the Christian faith. Among their intended audiences were the Jewish community, the Roman government, the philosophers, and the pagans. In several articles over the next year we will closely examine some of these works. An early apology outside…
In the last chapters of the Gospel of John Saint Thomas plays the pre-eminent part as the doubter. At an appearance of the resurrected Jesus, Thomas was not present. When the apostles told him that they had seen the Lord, he did not believe. He said, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of…
Christian practice is grounded in Christian faith. Faith leads to faithfulness; belief leads to action. Among essential elements of this practice are gratitude, humility, and wonder. The Christian disciple must be ever grateful for all that God has done in his life. Contained in the First Article of the Creed and an essential part of…
