tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81703900688456475262009-10-15T08:10:01.788-07:00...into the LightRyft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-41171556794403462512009-06-18T02:08:00.001-07:002009-06-18T02:09:17.232-07:00

CLOSED I have suspended activity on this blog for the time being. I have invested in a domain and created a web site to publish not only my own writing but that of others too, as a growing collaborative enterprise of authors with a range of view points exploring and examining ideas and topics related to philosophy, religion, and science. I am publishing from the perspective of Christian theism,

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-23573837502837378782009-02-17T23:21:00.000-08:002009-02-17T23:27:40.856-08:00

A reader who I will call 'Doug' had a rebuttal to my Problem of Suffering critique:Your argument seems to be that gratuitous suffering cannot exist because a God who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent would not allow it. The problem is that the presence of gratuitous suffering is the test; we must establish that it does or doesn't exist without deferring to the conclusion we're trying

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-8544433720839527562009-02-12T22:54:00.001-08:002009-02-12T22:54:56.497-08:00

From the EthicalAtheist.com web page "Questions for God" [1]: Why don't you show yourself? You supposedly made us and want us to believe in you, right? Why the big mystery? You're also omnipresent, right? Why don't you show yourself to all of us at once and have a personal discussion with us? You can pick the date and time, we'll all stop what we are doing, I'm sure. Why doesn't God dance

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-73612256187793400462009-02-10T20:07:00.001-08:002009-02-10T20:07:13.821-08:00

(To listen, click here) Britney, I'm sorry for the lies we told. We took you into our arms, then left you cold. Britney, I'm sorry for this cruel, cruel world. We sell the beauty but destroy the girl. Britney, I'm sorry for your broken heart. We stood aside and watched you fall apart. I'm sorry we told you fame would fill you up, And money moves the man, so drink the

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-21489239907686501402009-02-07T22:16:00.000-08:002009-02-08T01:18:54.385-08:00

Cleaning up and organizing my blog this evening, I noticed this brief excerpt from Sam Harris sitting as an unpublished 'Draft' in my index of blog posts. Evidently I had intended to compose a response but for some reason forgot all about it. It is a succinct Problem of Evil argument which I pulled from his "An Atheist Manifesto" [1]: [God is responsible for human suffering. There is no other

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-31737434799576478272009-02-07T00:12:00.001-08:002009-02-07T20:50:10.106-08:00

The broken clock is a comfort. It helps me sleep tonight. Maybe it can stop tomorrow from stealing all my time. And I am here still waiting, though I still have my doubts. I am damaged, at best—like You've already figured out. I'm falling apart, I'm barely breathing, With a broken heart that's still beating. In the pain there is healing, In Your name I find meaning.

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-68424813590419849522009-02-06T22:37:00.000-08:002009-02-07T23:00:58.007-08:00

When someone wishes to criticize 'X' despite possessing a demonstrable ignorance thereof (e.g., a creationist attack against evolution by someone who does not even understand the basics of evolution), what would that be called? There simply must be something more excoriating than "ignorant." Is that really the most censorious term available? It hardly seems adequate. I need something that will

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-81650828622452186632009-02-05T23:05:00.000-08:002009-02-07T23:01:17.459-08:00

David Silverman is the Communications Director for the web site American Atheists [1], which describes itself as an organization laboring for the civil liberties of Atheists, a total wall of separation between church and state, and providing information about Atheism [2]. A philosopher could almost make a career out of critiquing the ideas and propaganda that are published at that site, but in

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I had a Christian lady send me a question by email about the Problem of Evil (PoE)—pertaining to her specific case, having been confronted by an atheist on the issue. Evidently this atheist told her that the PoE "proves that the God of the Bible doesn't exist." I told her I can guarantee that the argument he produces to support that claim will be invalid in at least one way, possibly more. She

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-50571411688366773152008-12-28T22:58:00.000-08:002008-12-29T00:16:03.008-08:00

So I just received an email from yet another reader who wanted to wish me a 'Merry Christmas'. Make no mistake, I sincerely appreciate the warm wishes, the fact that these people think of me and take time out of their day to write me such endearing sentiments. That really means a lot to me personally and I am grateful. But it was another reminder of this wretched holiday. Bah, I deplore it.

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-69404832592065469822008-12-27T22:14:00.000-08:002008-12-28T06:02:26.236-08:00

Nothing proves who your real friends are quite like misfortune. When misfortune hits—and what form it takes rarely matters—a real sense of loneliness can envelope me. The perception of that loneliness is not an illusion; I am genuinely alone because, when misfortune befalls me, a number of so-called friends are suddenly nowhere to be found. And that loneliness is palpable because it is precisely

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-70837445123147305812008-12-22T14:58:00.001-08:002008-12-22T14:58:36.929-08:00

Evidently there are some atheists who do not know how to read—which is quite an extraordinary paradox, given their apparent ability to write. You see, despite the fact that my former blog Apologia has been declared 'Closed' for more than a year, it continues to receive drive-by comments from these visitors. (Some might argue that perhaps these visitors are linked to the specific article in

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-76199061951640651982008-12-17T18:47:00.001-08:002009-01-05T23:28:38.298-08:00

It seems that my discussion with Skjæveland on the Problem of Evil (i.e., how it supposedly demonstrates the probability that God doesn’t exist) has drawn to a tentative close. And I want to highlight the term “tentative” because he has not exactly given up yet. Let me explain where we’re at thus far and how we got here. First, a little background information on Skjæveland. He is a 23-year old

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-791091358028168852008-12-14T02:39:00.001-08:002009-01-05T23:29:27.126-08:00

I am currently engaged in an email discussion with a young Norwegian by the name of Håvard Skjæveland on the Problem of Evil argument against the existence of God. (His internet footprint is outdated, he tells me, so take whatever you find about him with a grain of salt.) Our discussion began about four days ago and is still ongoing. Once it is completed, I intend to publish the results here in

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When it comes to understanding the concept of God as a "personal God," who loves me, cares for me, and desires to have a relationship with me, I just don't get it. It doesn't make sense to me; I feel awkward when I pray, and just don't understand how, out of 6 billion people, I matter a hill of beans to the guy who created the universe. Surely, having done that, he has much more important

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-87133817023204130332008-11-16T04:14:00.001-08:002008-11-16T04:19:10.358-08:00

This is from an old email but I thought I would turn it into a blog post because I think it conveys some important points for consideration, to meditate upon. The question was asked: What does it feel like to be Christian? Did you just know you were saved, like—bam—"Hey, I'm saved now" or what? I'll be frank with you: there is no simple one-size-fits-all answer to this question. That will

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-85450813556625744382008-11-14T19:03:00.001-08:002008-11-14T19:03:01.129-08:00

"Disgusting," a friend commented on my Facebook profile when the social networking web site publicized my becoming a Barack Obama supporter. I stared at that word for several minutes, dumbfounded. I could not decide how to feel or how to react. I felt a number of conflicting feelings simultaneously, mostly because that person had been my best friend for the last four years and typically had

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In a message board conversation I observed someone saying: The idea of God, having a Son, who is born by a virgin, never sins, never makes a mistake while walking the earth, is crucified, resurrected in three days, and the result of this transpiration of events was the forgiveness of everyone's sins, with the possibility of eternal life with God, is fantastically illogical . . . and this is

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So I was cruising around The Huffington Post this evening. (Yes, indeed I was. Remember, I am someone who reads from several different points of view, rather than just swallowing the party line from those who advocate a point of view that resonates with mine.) Of particular interest to me was an article entitled "The Victorious Jesus" written by Christine Wicker. I raised my eyebrows in a gesture

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-86197651793744442732008-11-08T00:55:00.000-08:002008-11-08T00:57:04.591-08:00

Pulled from Atheism.org in their "Quotation of the Minute" box:"[Given the legitimacy of purely hypothetical questions] . . . even if God would not approve of torture, it is still true, according to the divine command theory, that if He were to approve of torture, then torture would be right." (Layman, p. 38)Layman has latched onto the Euthyphro dilemma, which has no compelling force against

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-86987352512128490852008-11-07T15:57:00.000-08:002009-01-05T23:30:17.659-08:00

INTRODUCTIONIf one is willing to believe the rhetoric, it is Problem of Evil arguments that make the most convincing case for Atheism. Obviously I have witnessed this rhetoric coming from the ranks of atheists but, curiously enough, I also witness some Christian ministers and apologists saying the same thing. Personally, I am nowhere near convinced; I have yet to discover a Problem of Evil

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-3346355342774677942008-11-06T22:15:00.001-08:002008-11-06T22:16:42.937-08:00

During the last four days there has still been nothing posted at Debunking Christianity that actually attempts to debunk Christianity. There have been three posts: one regards a debate between John Lennox and Michael Shermer; another is Loftus requesting help with some research project, asking Christians to answer what best explains animal suffering; and the third is Garman wrestling with the

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-36580557284430728552008-11-06T17:33:00.001-08:002008-11-06T22:05:28.856-08:00

Under my last blog post "President Barack Obama" a gentlemen by the name of Matthew left some thoughts and questions for me (here):David - yours is the first Christian blog that I've read that is supportive of Obama. All others have focussed on his extreme pro-abortion and pro-homosexual stances - were these not issues for you from a Christian standpoint?Oh, and just to play Devil's Advocate, God

Ryft Braelochhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08622513371720116352ryftbraeloch@gmail.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8170390068845647526.post-44854322903896805262008-11-04T20:25:00.000-08:002008-11-06T22:05:40.269-08:00

To the American people, I extend to you what is sincerely the most heartfelt and incredibly enthusiastic congratulations from your Canadian neighbors on the election of Barack Obama to the office of the President of the United States of America. I know I do not speak for all Canadians but I can assure you I speak for most of them, given the core message from an unprecedented flood of emails that

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This evening I discovered a new blog. It is not the blog itself that is new; it is simply new to me, as I had not previously encountered it nor had it brought to my attention. (I have not yet figured out a way to determine the date a blog was created when it does not display any navigation by 'date'. Someone should create a service that simplifies this area of research.)At any rate, it should be

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