DOCSLIB.ORG

Why I Am a Christian / Norman L

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Why I Am a Christian / Norman L WHY I AM A CHRISTIAN LEADING THINKERS EXPLAIN WHY THEY BELIEVE NORMAN L. GEISLER AND PAUL K. HOFFMAN, EDITORS PDF by ANGEL ([email protected]) © 2001 by Norman L. Geisler and Paul K. Hoffman Published by Baker Books a division of Baker Book House Company P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516–6287 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Why I am a Christian / Norman L. Geisler, Paul K. Hoffman, editors. p. cm. Includes bibliographical references. ISBN 0–8010-1210–4 1. Apologetics. I. Geisler, Norman L. II. Hoffman, Paul K., 1955– BT1103.W49 2001 239—dc21 2001025170 Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION™. NIV™. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations identified KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible. Scripture quotations identified NASB are from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE™. Copyright © The Lockman Foundation 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995. Used by permission. Scripture quotations identified RSV are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1946, 1952, 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA. Used by permission. For information about all releases from Baker Book House, visit our web site: http://www.bakerbooks.com CONTENTS Introduction Norman L. Geisler and Paul K. Hoffman PART 1 WHY I BELIEVE IN TRUTH 1. Why I Am Not a Moral Relativist Francis J. Beckwith 2. Why I Believe Truth Is Real and Knowable Norman L. Geisler PART 2 WHY I BELIEVE IN GOD 3. Why I Am Not an Atheist J. Budziszewski 4. Why I Believe God Exists William Lane Craig 5. Why I Believe the God of the Bible Is the One True God Norman L. Geisler PART 3 WHY I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES 6. Why I Believe in the Possibility of Miracles R. Douglas Geivett 7. Why I Believe the Miracles of Jesus Actually Happened Gary R. Habermas 8. Why I Believe in the Miracle of Divine Creation Hugh Ross PART 4 WHY I BELIEVE THE BIBLE IS THE WORD OF GOD 9. Why I Believe the New Testament Is Historically Reliable Gary R. Habermas 10. Why I Believe the Bible Is Scientifically Reliable Walter Bradley 11. Why I Believe the Bible Alone Is the Word of God Winfried Corduan PART 5 WHY I BELIEVE JESUS IS THE MESSIAH AND SON OF GOD 12. Why I Believe Jesus Is the Promised Messiah Barry R. Leventhal 13. Why I Believe Jesus Is the Son of God Peter Kreeft PART 6 WHY I HAVE CHOSEN TO FOLLOW CHRIST 14. Why I Still Believe in Christ, in Spite of Evil and Suffering John S. Feinberg 15. Why I Have Made Jesus Christ Lord of My Life J. P. Moreland 16. Why I Believe Jesus Christ Is the Ultimate Source for Meaning Ravi Zacharias Afterword Josh McDowell List of Contributors INTRODUCTION NORMAN L. GEISLER AND PAUL K. HOFFMAN Someone once said that there are two types of people in this world: those who divide people into types and those who don’t. Most of us would have to admit that we are dividers. We categorize and label people not for the malicious purpose of fostering divisiveness but for the pleasure derived from cognitive order. Generalizations allow us to systematize knowledge into a pleasantly complete picture or tidy packets of truth. To be sure, labels and categories can occasionally be misleading, but they often present some important truth in a useful mode. They provide a handle on truth. Sometimes a truthful generalization hurts. Take, for example, the statement “lawyers are liars.” This is biting but true, and coeditor Paul K. Hoffman ought to know. He’s made a living practicing law for the past two decades. He, of course, never lies, certainly never to judges, or opposing counsel, or juries, or his clients. But all this may depend on where the meaning of the word lies lies. If the truth is hurtful, discouraging, offensive, or otherwise problematic, he may simply elect to present the facts in the light most favorable to his clients’ legal, emotional, and financial well-being. Be that as it may, one must admit that, in general, lawyers do have a nasty habit of bending the truth, even though some notable exceptions do exist. So there you have it. Though it smarts, we can take the truth. “Lawyers are liars” is indeed a hurtful adage, but Mr. Hoffman’s pain and status as an exception to the rule do not disprove its validity. If a given generalization is false or misleading, it is so not because it is hurtful or because one or more exceptions exist but only because it is, in most cases, simply not true. Indeed, a generalization by definition must have some exceptions. So it is that incidental pain and inaccuracies unavoidably arise from the valuable process of making useful generalizations. As a thinking person, you too undoubtedly find it useful to divide and categorize people and their beliefs. It is likely that you already embrace some generalizations about the Christian faith. You may be a believer seeking to better understand what you believe. Or you may be a skeptic, doubtful but willing to keep an open mind. You may even be a thoroughgoing agnostic or atheist. In any case, you very likely already embrace generalizations of some kind about Christians and Christianity, which may include one or more of the following: 1. Christians are not very intellectual and are often anti-intellectual. 2. The exceptional “intellectual” Christian has, of necessity, adroitly compartmentalized his or her intellect and his or her faith so that never the twain shall meet. 3. Anyone who claims to have “the truth” (as Christians do) obviously doesn’t. 4. The scientific evidence for evolution has rendered a Creator God superfluous. 5. The philosophical arguments for the existence of God were proven long ago to be false and invalid. 6. Even if God does exist, the evidence for his existence is not convincing and certainly not sufficient to compel religious obedience or justify eternal damnation for nonbelief. 7. The Christian faith, as with all religions, is irrational or at best nonrational. 8. Scientists and historians have proven that the Bible is full of myths and errors. 9. Jesus never claimed to be the Son of God but was mistakenly declared to be such by his followers. Now we have seen that exceptions do not disprove a generalization, and we hope you will grant, as well, that your coeditors are quite able to accept a truthful generalization, painful though it may be. That being understood, we invite you to consider the possibility that these particular generalizations provide not a handle on truth but a grip upon a shield. Though useful in warding off uninvited or unappealing claims and propositions, they are not based in fact or on critical reasoning. They are simply not true. 1 This brings us to one of the central purposes of our book: to demonstrate that these and other commonly held beliefs about Christians and Christianity are false. We are confident we can prove this to you if you are willing to keep an open mind and hear us out. If what you genuinely desire is a useful handle on truth, please lay down your shield and read on. NO DOGS OR GUNS ALLOWED Paul Hoffman has the joy of practicing law and living in a terrific town in the Northwest. People are generally quite kind and neighborly in The Dalles, Oregon. Nevertheless, disputes do arise (for how else could a lawyer make a living?), and they are 1 Admittedly, the first generalization may be true, but in all fairness it probably applies to everyone, not just Christians. In general, most people are not very intellectual and are often anti-intellectual. often settled in the Wasco County Courthouse, a stately and handsome, 1914 neoclassical, marble-floored, oak-paneled beauty. Though this grand old courthouse is inspiring in its beauty, it is not without flaws. There have, on different occasions, been two signs near the entrance that have often brought a grin to passersby. The first said, “No dogs allowed, except for seeing-eye dogs.” To whom was the second phrase directed: the blind man or his dog? The other, which is still there, says: No weapons of any kind are allowed in this courthouse. “Weapons” includes, but is not limited to, rifles, shotguns, pistols, knives, mace, and anything else capable of inflicting bodily injury. Is this sign supposed to deter a gun-toting thug from carrying out his evil plan? Can you see it? “Drat,” said the well-armed litigant after carefully reviewing the threatening signs. Disheartened, he turned and walked away with his faithful pit bull, Chopper, by his side. Some things really ought to go without saying. Still, other things do need to be said. So let us say that we welcome you, the reader, to another kind of courthouse, one in which coeditor Norman L. Geisler, having been an expert witness in noted court cases, is very much at home. It too is a dignified place where disputes are settled by presenting evidence and arguments. We treat each other here with respect and honor.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Benedict De Spinoza and EV Ramasamy
    ================================================================== Language in India www.languageinindia.comISSN 1930-2940 Vol. 21:6 June 2021 =============================================================== Benedict de Spinoza and E.V. Ramasamy Periyar: A Study Dr. S. Sridevi Professor of English CTTE College Chennai 11 [email protected] ==================================================================== Abstract This paper aims at studying how Benedict de Spinoza and E.V. Ramasamy Periyar have responded to their socio-economic-political environment, and have produced great thoughts of freedom, equality, and social justice. Both the thinkers were powerful rationalists who viewed religion only as a political power to oppress people. They seem to be responding to oppression created by religion’s social codes and have rebelled against the Establishment. Spinoza was writing against the system hiding his identity as repercussions were quite high in the Dutch Republic against texts that had content against the Establishment. Periyar was a reformer, thinker, and writer and hence, he boldly expressed his views and become the most controversial name during the twentieth century in Tamil Nadu, and his name continues to be used in controversies even now. Keywords: Spinoza, Periyar, religion, caste, rationalism Benedict de Spinoza (1632-1677) ==================================================================== Language in India www.languageinindia.com ISSN 1930-2940 21:6 June 2021 Dr. S. Sridevi Benedict de Spinoza and E.V. Ramasamy Periyar: A Study 162 Courtesy: Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy https://iep.utm.edu/spinoza/ Benedict de Spinoza was born in 1632 in Amsterdam. In Hebrew, his first name was Baruch and in Latin it was Benedictus. The name means ‘blessed.’ He was from a middle class Portuguese-Jewish family. He studied in the congregation’s Talmud Torah school.
    [Show full text]
  • PHAUSI STUDIES NMSU Christian Challenge Freshman Ministry
    PHAUSI STUDIES NMSU Christian Challenge Freshman Ministry VALIDITY OF GOD’S WORD The Trustworthiness of the Bible Each section contains one type of evidence that testifies to the trustworthiness of the Bible. The sections are intended to compliment each other, and verify the Bible from different views. Amazing Prophecy “It has been computed that over one fourth of scripture is taken up with prophecy, and if any of the prophecies can be proven false, the claims of the Bible as a divine revelation are seriously impaired.”1 To date no Bible prophecy can be proven false. o These prophecies concern events in the life of Jesus Christ; specifically, prophecies which He Himself could not cause to be fulfilled by being aware of them. In all cases, the first scripture quoted is the prophecy and the second is the fulfillment.2 . Place of birth Micah 5:2 – “But you, Bethlehem…out of you will come one who will be ruler…” Matthew 2:1 – “After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea…” . Born of a Virgin Isaiah 7:14 – “…the Lord Himself will give you a sign; the virgin will be with child.” Matthew 1:18 – “Before they came together, she was found to be with child.” . Crucified with Sinners Isaiah 53:12 – “…because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors…” Mark 15:27 – “They crucified two robbers with him…” . Hands and Feet Pierced Psalm 22:16 – “…they have pierced my hands and my feet.” Luke 23:33 – “When they came to the place called the Skull, there they crucified him…” .
    [Show full text]
  • Christianity, Islam & Atheism
    Christianity, Islam & Atheism Reflections on Religion, Society & Politics Michael Cooke 2 Christianity, Islam & Atheism About the author Michael Colin Cooke is a retired public servant and trade union activist who has a lifelong interest in South Asian history, politics and culture. He has served as an election monitor in Sri Lanka. Michael is the author of The Lionel Bopage Story: Rebellion, Repression and the Struggle for Justice in Sri Lanka (2011). He has also penned when the occasion demanded a number of articles and film reviews. He lives in Melbourne. Published 2014 ISBN 978-1-876646-15-8 Resistance Books: resistancebooks.com Contents 1.Genesis............................................................................................5 2.The Evolution of a Young Atheist .............................................13 India...................................................................................................................... 13 Living in the ’70s down under.............................................................................. 16 Religious fundamentalism rears its head............................................................. 20 3.Christianity: An Atheist’s Homily ................................................21 Introduction – the paradox that is Christianity................................................... 21 The argument....................................................................................................... 23 It ain’t necessarily so: Part 1................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Non-Fiction Books by Author
    Trace Creek Baptist Church Non-Fiction Books by Author Call # Author Title 236.8 IF "If Christ be not risen--" : essays in resurrection and survival / editors, John Greenhalgh, Elizabeth Russell. 230.992 MAK "Make sure of all things." A compilation of Scriptures from the Holy Bible under seventy main headings ... 306.81 WIL 101 most important things you need to know before you get married : life lessons you're going to learn sooner or later-- / [compiled by] Renae Willis. 248.845 101 101 questions children ask about God / written by David R. Veerman ... [et al.]. 248.845 102 102 questions children ask about the Bible / written by David R. Veerman ... [et al.]. 248.845 103 103 questions children ask about right from wrong / written by David R. Veerman ... [et al.]. 248.845 104 104 questions children ask about heaven & angels / general editor, Daryl J. Lucas ; written by David R. Veerman ... [et al.] ; illustrated by Lil Crump. 082 MEA 12,000 religious quotations / edited and compiled by Frank S. Mead. 248.4 WIL 30 days to discovering personal victory through holiness / compiled by Bruce Wilkinson. 226 FOR 40 days with Jesus / scripture selections by Judy Mitchell ; scripture translations by Randy Hurst. 248.83 THE The A to Z guide to Bible application. 248.83 ATO The A to Z guide to Bible application. 242.643 ALO Alone with God / Ardis Dick Stenbakken, editor. 618.92 AME American Academy of Pediatrics guide to your child's symptoms : the official home reference, birth through adolescence / editors, Donald Schiff, Steven P. Shelov. 252.08 ANE Anecdotes illustrative of New Testament texts.
    [Show full text]
  • A Contextual Examination of Three Historical Stages of Atheism and the Legality of an American Freedom from Religion
    ABSTRACT Rejecting the Definitive: A Contextual Examination of Three Historical Stages of Atheism and the Legality of an American Freedom from Religion Ethan Gjerset Quillen, B.A., M.A., M.A. Mentor: T. Michael Parrish, Ph.D. The trouble with “definitions” is they leave no room for evolution. When a word is concretely defined, it is done so in a particular time and place. Contextual interpretations permit a better understanding of certain heavy words; Atheism as a prime example. In the post-modern world Atheism has become more accepted and popular, especially as a reaction to global terrorism. However, the current definition of Atheism is terribly inaccurate. It cannot be stated properly that pagan Atheism is the same as New Atheism. By interpreting the Atheisms from four stages in the term‟s history a clearer picture of its meaning will come out, hopefully alleviating the stereotypical biases weighed upon it. In the interpretation of the Atheisms from Pagan Antiquity, the Enlightenment, the New Atheist Movement, and the American Judicial and Civil Religious system, a defense of the theory of elastic contextual interpretations, rather than concrete definitions, shall be made. Rejecting the Definitive: A Contextual Examination of Three Historical Stages of Atheism and the Legality of an American Freedom from Religion by Ethan Gjerset Quillen, B.A., M.A. A Thesis Approved by the J.M. Dawson Institute of Church-State Studies ___________________________________ Robyn L. Driskell, Ph.D., Interim Chairperson Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Baylor University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved by the Thesis Committee ___________________________________ T.
    [Show full text]
  • 25 Years of Cosmic Microwave Background Research at Inpe
    Proceedings of the Brazilian Decimetric Array Workshop São José dos Campos, Brazil - July 28 – August 1, 2008 25 YEARS OF COSMIC MICROWAVE BACKGROUND RESEARCH AT INPE Carlos Alexandre Wuensche and Thyrso Villela Divisão de Astrofísica - Instituto de Pesquisas Espaciais - INPE Av. dos Astronautas,1758 – 12201-970, São José dos Campos-SP, Brasil ABSTRACT This article is a report of 25 years of Cosmic Microwave Background activities at INPE. Starting from balloon flights to measure the dipole anisotropy caused by the Earth’s motion inside the CMB radiation field, whose radiometer was a prototype of the DMR radiometer on board COBE satellite, member of the group cross the 90s working both on CMB anisotropy and foreground measurements. In the 2000s, there was a shift to polarization measurements and to data analysis, mostly focusing on map cleaning, non-gaussianity studies and foreground characterization. INTRODUCTION The cosmic microwave background radiation (CMB) is one of the most important cosmological observables presently available to cosmologists. Its properties can unveil information, among others, about the inflationary period, the overall composition of the Universe ( Ω0), the existence of gravitational waves, the age of the Universe and other parameters related to the recombination and decoupling era (Hu and Dodelson, 2002). These observables are critical to understand the physical processes accounting for the formation and evolution of the Universe. The CMB is observed from a few GHz to a few hundreds of GHz. It also observed in various angular scales, varying from less than 1 arcmin to many degrees, each range of scales encoding information about specific physical processes from the early (or not so early) Universe.
    [Show full text]
  • Norman Geisler on Molinism
    Norman Geisler on Molinism http://normangeisler.com What did Norm Geisler say about the Middle-Knowledge, Molinism, and the thought of Luis de Molina? Several people have asked about this by email. This blogpost attempts to provide an answer based on six sources of Norm’s comments on Molinism: 1) Geisler, Norman L. “Molinism,” in Baker Encyclopedia of Christian Apologetics. (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 1999) pp. 493–495. 2) Geisler, Norman L. Chosen but Free: A Balanced View of Divine Election, 2nd edition (Bethany House, 1999) pp. 51-55 3) Geisler, Norman L. Systematic Theology, Volume II: God, Creation (Bethany House, 2003) pp. 206-207 4) Geisler, Norman L. Roman Catholics and Evangelicals: Agreements and Differences (Baker Books, 1995), p. 450-446 5) Classroom lectures by Norm Geisler on God’s Immutability in the course TH540 (“God and Creation”) at Veritas International University, circa 2013. Class #3 - https://vimeo.com/72793620 6) Four private emails answered by Norm Although some paragraphs have been reworded slightly in the attempt to avoid copyright infringement, and the sources have been blended together in a somewhat repetitive and less-than-seamless way, this compilation remains faithful to what Norm wrote and said. The reader is encouraged to acquire the four books cited above to read this material in its original contexts. Apologies are offered in advance for the somewhat hurried and patchwork-nature of this compilation. LUIS DE MOLINA (A.D. 1535–1600) was born in Cuenca, New Castile, Spain. He joined the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) and became a theologian. The theology that bears his name claims to protect the integrity of human free will better than any other system.
    [Show full text]
  • Why I Am Not a Christian: and Other Essays on Religion and Related
    Why I am not a Christian ‘What makes the book valuable is life-long uncomprom- ising intellectual honesty.’ The Times Literary Supplement ‘There is no one who uses English language more beguilingly than Russell, no one smoothes the kinks and creases more artfully out of the most crumpled weaves of thought.’ The Times Bertrand Russell Why I am not a Christian And other essays on religion and related subjects With a new preface by Simon Blackburn London and New York First published 1957 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd, London First published in Routledge Classics 2004 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor and Francis e-Library, 2005. “To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.” © 1996 The Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation Ltd Preface to Routledge Classics edition © 2004 Simon Blackburn All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library ISBN 0-203-49964-6 Master e-book ISBN ISBN 0-203-57427-3 (Adobe eReader Format) ISBN 0–415–32510–2 (Print Edition) CONTENTS Preface to the Routledge Classics Edition vii Editor’s Introduction xvi Preface by Bertrand Russell xxii 1 Why I am not a Christian 1 2 Has Religion Made Useful Contributions to Civilisation? 20 3 Do We Survive Death? 42 4 Seems, Madam? Nay, it is 48 5 On Catholic and Protestant Sceptics 57 6 Life in the Middle Ages 65 7 The Fate of Thomas Paine 70 8 Nice People 84 9 The New Generation 92 10 Our Sexual Ethics 102 11 Freedom and the Colleges 112 vi contents 12 The Existence of God—a Debate Between Bertrand Russell and Father F.
    [Show full text]
  • THE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL TEST D R
    THE BIBLIOGRAPHICAL TEST D r . J o s h D. McDowell & D r . C l a y J o n e s U p d a t e d 0 8 . 1 3 . 1 4 (Adapted from an earlier article by Clay Jones, The Bibliographical Test Updated, Christian Research Journal, vol. 35, no. 3 (2012). Available at www.equip.org/articles/the-bibliographical-test-updated/) SYNOPSIS The bibliographical test examines manuscript reliability and for more than a generation, Christian apologists have employed it to substantiate the transmissional reliability of the Bible. The bibliographical test compares the closeness of the Old and New Testament’s oldest extant manuscripts to its autographs (the date each book was originally penned) and the sheer number of the Biblical extant manuscripts with the number and earliness of extant manuscripts or other ancient documents like Homer, Aristotle, Herodotus and so on. Since the Bible outstrips every other ancient manuscript in sheer number and earliness to the autograph, then the Old and New Testaments have a solid basis to evaluate how accurately they have been transmitted. However, although apologists have stayed abreast of the dates of the earliest extant manuscripts and latest New Testament Greek manuscript counts, we haven’t kept up with the increasing numbers of manuscripts for other ancient authors that classical scholars now recognize. For example, although apologists rightly claim that there are well over 5,000 Greek manuscripts of the New Testament, they have reported the number of manuscripts for Homer’s Iliad to be 643, but the real number of Iliad manuscripts now is actually more than 1,800.
    [Show full text]
  • Reading the Psalms As Prophecy: the Example of Psalm 16
    Leaven Volume 19 Issue 3 The Book of Psalms Article 7 1-1-2011 Reading the Psalms as Prophecy: the Example of Psalm 16 Timothy M. Willis [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Willis, Timothy M. (2011) "Reading the Psalms as Prophecy: the Example of Psalm 16," Leaven: Vol. 19 : Iss. 3 , Article 7. Available at: https://digitalcommons.pepperdine.edu/leaven/vol19/iss3/7 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Religion at Pepperdine Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Leaven by an authorized editor of Pepperdine Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected], [email protected], [email protected]. Willis: Reading the Psalms as Prophecy: the Example of Psalm 16 Reading the Psalms as Prophecy: The Example of Psalm 16 TIMOTHY M. WILLIS orepassages from the book of Psalms are said to be "fulfilled" in the NT than from any other book of the O'T, Many believers over the years have asserted, therefore, that the Psalms are Mprophetic and contain numerous predictions. In other words, we assume that every O'T passage that is "fulfilled" in the NT was a predictive passage in the O'T, This reflects an interpretive perspective known as "direct fulfillment," in which one assumes that "prophecy" = "prediction" and that the sole purpose of the O'T passage was to predict something of the NT.
    [Show full text]
  • Theological Basis of Ethics
    TMSJ 11/2 (Fall 2000) 139-153 THEOLOGICAL BASIS OF ETHICS Larry Pettegrew Professor of Theology Systematic theology must serve as a foundation for any set of moral standards that pleases God and fulfills human nature. Establishing such a set is difficult today because of the emergence of the postmodernism which denies the existence of absolute truth, absolute moral standards, and universal ethics. Advances in science, medicine, and technology increase the difficulty of creating a system of Christian ethics. The inevitable connection between ethics and systematic theology requires that one have a good foundation in systematic theology for his ethics. A separation between the two fields occurred largely as a result of the Enlightenment which caused theology to be viewed as a science. Since the study of a science must be separate from a religious perspective, theology underwent a process of becoming a profession and the responsibility for educating theologians became the responsibility of the college rather than the church. This solidified the barrier between theology and ethics. Who God is must be the root for standards of right and wrong. God’s glory must be the goal of ethics. Love for God must be the basis for one’s love for and behavior toward his fellow man. Other doctrines besides the doctrine of God, especially bibliology, play an important role in determining right ethical standards. * * * * * One of the most popular American movies last year was based on a book by John Irving entitled The Cider House Rules. The Cider House Rules tells the story of a young man eager to discover what life is like outside of the orphanage in which he has spent his childhood years.
    [Show full text]
  • Intervening Material in Sight-Lines Towards Grbs and Qsos
    Programa de Doctorado en F´ısica y Matem´aticas Universidad de Granada Cosmic Lighthouses at High Redshift: Intervening material in sight-lines towards GRBs and QSOs Rub´en S´anchez Ram´ırez Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 10 June 2016 Supervisors: Prof. Javier Gorosabel Urkia, Dr. Antonio de Ugarte Postigo, and Prof. Alberto J. Castro Tirado Instituto de Astrof´ısica de Andaluc´ıa Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cient´ıficas Para todos aquellos que caminaron a mi lado, a´unsin yo mismo entender hacia d´ondeme dirig´ıa... ii In Memoriam Javier Gorosabel Urquia (1969 - 2015) “El polvo de las estrellas se convirti´oun dia en germen de vida. Y de ´elsurgimos nosotros en algun momento. Y asi vivimos, creando y recreando nuestro ambito. Sin descanso. Trabajando pervivimos. Y a esa dura cadena estamos todos atados.” — Izarren Hautsa, Mikel Laboa “La vida son estos momentos que luego se te olvidan”. Esa fue la conclusi´on a la que lleg´oJavier al final de uno de esos fant´asticos d´ıas intensos y maratonianos a los que me ten´ıa acostumbrado. Vi´endolo ahora con perspectiva estaba en lo cierto, porque por m´as que me esfuerce en recordar y explicar lo que era el d´ıa a d´ıa con ´el, no puedo transmitir con justicia lo que realmente fue. La reconstrucci´on de esos momentos es inevitablemente incompleta. Contaros c´omo era Javier como jefe es muy sencillo: ´el nunca se comport´ocomo un jefe conmigo. Nunca orden´o. Siempre me dec´ıa, lleno de orgullo, que no le hac´ıa ni caso.
    [Show full text]