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Colbert Report – Robert Wright on the Evolution of God

OK…it is hard for me to resist posting the occasional clip from the Colbert Report because it is a humorous way of thinking about important religious and philosophical topics. That being said, Wright, who resists being classified as a new atheist, still is making some pretty big claims about the three largest monotheistic religions–Islam, Judaism, and Christianity. Now I’m concerned with Christianity and think it stands up to scrutiny. But he makes some dubios claims about God being an illusion (cf. Freud, Marx, and Feuerbach) and that Jesus really claim to be the Son of God (both of these are common objections). I wonder if Wright is familiar with Lord Jesus Christ: Devotion to Jesus in Earliest Christianity by Larry Hurtado?

A quick word about worldview and explanatory resources. If naturalism is true, then all you have in your explanatory cubbard are physics and chemistry being acted on by (blind) natural selection. So Morality and Religion must have an evolutionary account. That is what Wright tries to offer. (more after you watch the interaction)

The Colbert Report Mon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Robert Wright
www.colbertnation.com
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For another perspective by a sociologist of religion, see:

Wright has been interviewed by Bill Moyers (PBS), reviewed by Dinesh D’Souza and blogged on by Cornelius Hunter.

Also he had a provocative and lively on-air debate / conversation on the Hugh Hewitt Show with Philosopher John Mark Reynolds. Audio available here. (HT / Uncommon Descent)

What is clear is that this book and the ideas it contains will be part of the cultural conversation about religion for a while.

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The A-Word: Does Our Generation Care about Apologetics?

On Tuesday, Aug. 25 @ 10 AM PT engage in a live-streamed interview with author/speaker, Sean McDowell, about his book Apologetics for a New Generation. We’ll all have an opportunity to discuss the question of whether apologetics, which has recently gotten a bad rap for being too traditional and authoritative, is still relevant to culture. We’ll also be giving away the digital copy of Sean’s book for free for 24 hours beginning when the interview starts.

Click here to watch

It is very important that we learn to communicate truth in relationship for this generation. Join the conversation…Sean is an insightful thinker and can help us engage better…

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Got Wisdom?

I need wisdom, insight, and knowledge–in short…a lot of input. But God provides if we ask!

Proverbs 2:1-6
1 My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, 2 turning your ear to wisdom and applying your heart to understanding, 3 and if you call out for insight and cry aloud for understanding, 4 and if you look for it as for silver and search for it as for hidden treasure, 5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.

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How Christianity Changed the World

This is a wonderful and important read. In my opinion every Christian ought to read through a copy. Yes there have been dark spots in the history of Christianity, but the rich heritage of a Christian worldview is often forgotten or denied.

From the Back Cover
Western civilization is becoming increasingly pluralistic, secularized, and biblically illiterate. Many people today have little sense of how their lives have benefited from Christianity’s influence, often viewing the church with hostility or resentment. How Christianity Changed the World is a topically arranged Christian history for Christians and non- Christians. Grounded in solid research and written in a popular style, this book is both a helpful apologetic tool in talking with unbelievers and a source of evidence for why Christianity deserves credit for many of the humane, social, scientific, and cultural advances in the Western world in the last two thousand years. Photographs, timelines, and charts enhance each chapter. This edition features questions for reflection and discussion for each chapter.

About the Author
Alvin J. Schmidt [Ph.D., University of Nebraska) retired in 1999 as professor of sociology at Illinois College in Jacksonville, Illinois, where he still lives. He is the author of several books, including The Great Divide: The Failure of Islam and the Triumph of he West, and served as a consulting editor for Dictionary of Cults, Sects, Religions and the Occult.