Faith, Evidence, and Belief (What makes belief in God rational?) @thinkingchristian

Thinking Christian In this video, I'll talk about the rationality of theistic belief, which includes the idea of warrant and topics from reformed epistemology.

References:
[1] Emerson Green - 5 Mistakes Atheists Make About Epistemology youtube.com/watch?v=4dalQu-vdMU
[2] David Baggett and Jerry Walls. The Moral Argument: A History
[3] Nick Bostrom. Are We Living in a Computer Simulation? The Philosophical Quarterly, 53(211):243–255, April
[4] David J. Chalmers. Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy.
[5] William L. Craig. The Kalam Cosmological Argument
[6] William Lane Craig. Reasonable faith: Christian truth and apologetics
[7] William Lane Craig and James D. Sinclair. The Kalam Cosmological Argument. In The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, pages 101–201.
[8] Richard Dawkins and Lalla Ward. The god delusion. Houghton Mifflin Company Boston, 2006. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.
[9] Rene Descartes. Meditations On First Philosophy. 1641.
[10] David Hume. An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding.
[11] Thomas Kelly. Evidence. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2016/entries/evidence/.
[12] Stephen C. Meyer. - Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design
[13] Stephen C. Meyer. Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries That Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe
[14] Isaac Newton. Newton’s Principia: The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.
[15] Myron B. Penner. The end of Apologetics: Christian witness in a postmodern context
[16] Alvin Plantinga. The Nature of Necessity. Clarendon Press,
[17] Alvin Plantinga. Warrant and Proper Function
[18] Alvin Plantinga. Warrant: The Current Debate
[19] Alvin Plantinga. Knowledge and Christian Belief.
[20] Thomas Reid. An Inquiry Into the Human Mind 1810
[21] Mitch Stokes. A Shot of Faith (to the Head): Be a Confident Believer in an Age of Cranky Atheists.
[22] Mitch Stokes. How to Be an Atheist (Foreword by J. P. Moreland): Why Many Skeptics Aren’t Skeptical Enough.
[23] Charles Taylor. A Secular Age
[24] Ludwig Wittgenstein. Philosophical Investigations

updated 4 months ago

Faith, Evidence, and Belief (What makes belief in God rational?)

Thinking Christian 2024-06-03 | In this video, I'll talk about the rationality of theistic belief, which includes the idea of warrant and topics from reformed epistemology.

References:
[1] Emerson Green - 5 Mistakes Atheists Make About Epistemology youtube.com/watch?v=4dalQu-vdMU
[2] David Baggett and Jerry Walls. The Moral Argument: A History
[3] Nick Bostrom. Are We Living in a Computer Simulation? The Philosophical Quarterly, 53(211):243–255, April
[4] David J. Chalmers. Reality+: Virtual Worlds and the Problems of Philosophy.
[5] William L. Craig. The Kalam Cosmological Argument
[6] William Lane Craig. Reasonable faith: Christian truth and apologetics
[7] William Lane Craig and James D. Sinclair. The Kalam Cosmological Argument. In The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology, pages 101–201.
[8] Richard Dawkins and Lalla Ward. The god delusion. Houghton Mifflin Company Boston, 2006. ISBN 0-618-68000-4.
[9] Rene Descartes. Meditations On First Philosophy. 1641.
[10] David Hume. An Inquiry Concerning Human Understanding.
[11] Thomas Kelly. Evidence. https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2016/entries/evidence/.
[12] Stephen C. Meyer. - Signature in the Cell: DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design
[13] Stephen C. Meyer. Return of the God Hypothesis: Three Scientific Discoveries That Reveal the Mind Behind the Universe
[14] Isaac Newton. Newton’s Principia: The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy.
[15] Myron B. Penner. The end of Apologetics: Christian witness in a postmodern context
[16] Alvin Plantinga. The Nature of Necessity. Clarendon Press,
[17] Alvin Plantinga. Warrant and Proper Function
[18] Alvin Plantinga. Warrant: The Current Debate
[19] Alvin Plantinga. Knowledge and Christian Belief.
[20] Thomas Reid. An Inquiry Into the Human Mind 1810
[21] Mitch Stokes. A Shot of Faith (to the Head): Be a Confident Believer in an Age of Cranky Atheists.
[22] Mitch Stokes. How to Be an Atheist (Foreword by J. P. Moreland): Why Many Skeptics Aren’t Skeptical Enough.
[23] Charles Taylor. A Secular Age
[24] Ludwig Wittgenstein. Philosophical Investigations

8 Critiques of Verificationism and Logical Positivism

Thinking Christian 2024-10-02 | #philosophy #philosophyofreligion #philosophyofscience #theology #apologetics #science
In this video, I'll talk about 8 big issues with Verificationism and Logical Positivism that eventually led to their demise in philosophy.

References:
[1] A. J. Ayer, Language, Truth, and Logic. Courier Corporation, 1952.
[2] O. Hanfling, “Logical Positivism,” in Routledge History of Philosophy Volume IX, Routledge, 1997.
[3] J. A. Passmore, “Logical Positivism,” Australasian Journal of Psychology and Philosophy, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 129–153, 1944, doi: 10.1080/00048404408541199.
[4] S. Blackburn, “Verification Principle,” The Oxford Dictionary of Philosophy. OUP Oxford, p. 420, Aug. 21, 2008.
[5] Britannica The Editors of Encyclopaedia., “Verifiability Principle,” Encyclopedia Britannica. Apr. 26, 2016. Accessed: Sep. 09, 2024. [Online]. Available: britannica.com/topic/verifiability-principle
[6] J. D. Hunter, Democracy and Solidarity: on the cultural roots of america’s political crisis. in Politics and culture. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2024.
[7] A. MacIntyre, After Virtue. A&C Black, 2013.
[8] Crossway Bibles, Ed., ESV: study Bible: English standard version, ESV text ed. Wheaton, Ill: Crossway Bibles, 2007.
[9] H. Leitgeb and A. Carus, “Rudolf Carnap,” in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Fall 2024., E. N. Zalta and U. Nodelman, Eds., Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2024. Accessed: Sep. 09, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2024/entries/carnap/
[10] R. Carnap, The Logical Syntax of Language. Open Court Publishing, 2002.
[11] W. van Orman Quine, “Two Dogmas of Empiricism,” in Can Theories be Refuted? Essays on the Duhem-Quine Thesis, S. G. Harding, Ed., Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 1976, pp. 41–64. doi: 10.1007/978-94-010-1863-0_2.
[12] L. Henderson, “The Problem of Induction,” in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Winter 2022., E. N. Zalta and U. Nodelman, Eds., Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2022. Accessed: Sep. 16, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2022/entries/induction-problem/
[13] D. Hume, A Treatise on Human Nature: Being an Attempt to Introduce the Experimental Method of Reasoning Into Moral Subjects, and Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, vol. 1. Longmans, Green, and Company, 1878.
[14] W. Pietsch, On the Epistemology of Data Science: Conceptual Tools for a New Inductivism. Springer Nature, 2021.
[15] K. R. Popper, Conjectures and refutations: the growth of scientific knowledge, Repr. in Routledge Classics. London: Routledge, 2007.
[16] R. Carnap, “Testability and Meaning,” Philosophy of Science, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 419–471, Oct. 1936, doi: 10.1086/286432.
[17] H. Andreas, “Theoretical Terms in Science,” in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Fall 2021., E. N. Zalta, Ed., Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2021. Accessed: Sep. 10, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/fall2021/entriesheoretical-terms-science/

Can Science Explain Anything?

Thinking Christian 2024-09-08 | #science #theology #philosophy #philosophyofreligion #philosophyofscience #gravity #newton #issacnewton #history #historyofscience
In this video, I'll explore whether science, properly understood, has any explanatory power at all.
References:
[1] J. C. Lennox, _Can Science Explain Everything?_ Good Book Company, 2019.
[2] J. C. Lennox, _God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God?_ Lion Hudson plc, 2011.
[3] J. Drake, _Introduction to Logic_. Scientific e-Resources, 2018.
[4] M. Stokes, _How to Be an Atheist (Foreword by J. P. Moreland): Why Many Skeptics Aren’t Skeptical Enough_. Crossway, 2016.
[5] I. Newton, _Newton’s Principia: The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy_. D. Adee, 1848.
[6] S. Hawking and L. Mlodinow, _The Grand Design_. Random House Publishing Group, 2010.
[7] A. Chakravartty, “Scientific Realism,” in _The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy_, Summer 2017., E. N. Zalta, Ed., Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2017. Accessed: Sep. 03, 2024. [Online]. Available: [https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2017/entries/scientific-realism/](https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/sum2017/entries/scientific-realism/)
[8] S. Hawking, _A Brief History Of Time: From Big Bang To Black Holes_. Random House, 2009.
[9] L. Wittgenstein, _Philosophical Investigations_. John Wiley & Sons, 2009.

Russells Teapot

Thinking Christian 2024-09-07 | #atheism #theism #apologetics #philosophy #philosophyofreligion #epistemology
In this video I'll explain what Russell's teapot is and four reasons why it is a poor analogy to belief in God
References
[1] R. Monk, Bertrand Russell: The Ghost of Madness, 1921-1970. New York: Free Press, 2000.
[2] S. James, “Collected Papers of Bertrand Russell, Volume 11: : Last Philosophical Testament 1943‐1968,” Reference Reviews vol. 11, no. 5, pp. 10–10, Jan. 1997, doi:10.1108/rr.1997.11.5.10.278
[3] B. Garvey, “Absence of Evidence, Evidence of Absence, and the Atheist’s Teapot,” Ars Disputandi, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 9–22, Jan. 2010, doi: 10.1080/15665399.2010.1082001
[4] M. Truzzi, “Zetetic Ruminatrons on Skepticism and Anomalies in Science,” Citeseer_ vol. 12–13, pp. 7–21, 1987.
[5] A. I. Goldman, “What is Justified Belief?,” in Justification and Knowledge: New Studies in Epistemology, G. Pappas, Ed., D. Reidel, 1979, pp. 1–25.
[6] T. Reid, An Inquiry Into the Human Mind, 6th Ed. Bell & Bradfute, 1810.
[7] E. T. Bell, The Development of Mathematics. Courier Corporation, 2012.
[8] A. Hájek, “Interpretations of Probability,” in The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Winter 2023., E. N. Zalta and U. Nodelman, Eds., Metaphysics Research Lab, Stanford University, 2023. Accessed: Jul. 18, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/win2023/entries/probability-interpret/
[9] N. J. Chambers, Reconsidering creation Ex Nihilo in Genesis 1. in Journal of theological interpretation supplements series. University Park, Pennsylvania: Eisenbrauns, 2020.

Why is there something rather than nothing?

Thinking Christian 2024-08-29 | #philosophy #theology #christianity #god #apologetics #leibniz #theism #reasoning #reason #catholic #islam
In this video, I'll talk about Gottfried Leibniz' and Thomas Aquinas' ideas around why something exists

References:
[1] G. W. Leibniz, “The Principles of Nature and of Grace, Based on Reason,” in Philosophical Papers and Letters, G. W. Leibniz and L. E. Loemker, Eds., Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands, 1989, pp. 636–642. doi: 10.1007/978-94-010-1426-7_67.
[2] G. W. Leibniz, “The Ultimate Origin of Things,” 1697.
[3] T. Aquinas, Summa Theologica. R. & T. Washbourne, 1922.
[4] (Quoted in) D. C. Lindberg and R. L. Numbers, God and Nature: Historical Essays on the Encounter between Christianity and Science. Univ of California Press, 2023.

Can Cultural Relativists Criticize Other Cultures?

Thinking Christian 2024-04-02 | #morality #philosophy #christianity
In this video, I'll explore the question of whether relativists can criticize the moral views of other cultures.

a history of the Christian intellectual tradition...

Thinking Christian 2024-03-24 | #christianity #philosophy #history #apologetics
In this video, I'll talk about the history of the Christian intellectual tradition, which includes the church fathers up to the modern period.
References:
[1] Clement of Alexandria - The Stromata
[2] Rodney Stark - How the West Won
[3] Robert Louis Wilken - The Christians as the Romans Saw Them
[4] Henry Chadwick - Early Christian Thought and the Classical Tradition
[5] James Davison Hunter - To Change the World
[6] Plato - Republic
[7] Plato - Laws
[8] SEP - Saint Augustine
[9] David Lindberg and Ronald Numbers - God and Nature: Historical Essays on the Encounter between Christianity and Science”
[10] Tertullian - On Repentance
[11] Clement of Rome - Recognitions of Clement
[12] Charles Haskins - The Rise of Universities
[13] Augustine - City of God
[14] Phillip E. Johnson - The Genesis and Development of Set Theory

Infinity is NOT a number. Heres why.

Thinking Christian 2024-03-21 | #philosophy #mathematics #infinity #math #maths #numbers #number
In this video, I'll be explaining why infinity is not a number.

References:
[1] Phillip E. Johnson - The Genesis and Development of Set Theory
[2] Walter Rudin - Principles of Analysis.
[3] Eugene Wigner - The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in the natural sciences.

What the heck are numbers?

Thinking Christian 2024-03-16 | #philosophy #mathematics #infinity #math #maths #numbers #number
In this video, I'll be explaining what numbers are, how they are defined, and what their purpose is.

References:
[1] Phillip E. Johnson - The Genesis and Development of Set Theory
[2] Walter Rudin - Principles of Analysis.
[3] Eugene Wigner - The unreasonable effectiveness of mathematics in the natural sciences.

Atheism implies Moral Nihilism. Heres why

Thinking Christian 2024-03-13 | In this video, I'll explain why atheism in particular, and naturalism more generally, both imply moral nihilism.
References:
[1] SEP - Naturalism
[2] G.E. Moore - Principia Ethica
[3] Alasdair MacIntyre - After Virtue
[4] David Hume - A Treatise of Human Nature
[5] A.J. Ayer - Language Truth and Logic
[6] J.L. Mackie - Ethics: Inventing Right and Wrong
[7] James Rachels - The Challenge of Cultural Relativism
[8] Nature - Global evidence of extreme intuitive moral prejudice against atheists
[9] Hunter and Nedelisky - Science and the Good: The Tragic Quest for the Foundations of Morality

#theism #christianity #atheism #morality #naturalism

10 Christian Responses to the Problem of Evil

Thinking Christian 2024-03-11 | #christianity #theism #philosophyofreligion #philosophy #theism
In this video, I'll explain 10 of the most popular Christian responses to the problem of evil. These are called theodicies, which are explanations as to why God allows evil to exist.

See also: philpapers.org/rec/MAYTIY

How Bayes Theorem Started as an Argument for Christianity

Thinking Christian 2024-03-02 | #mathematics #statistics #christianity #apologetics #philosophy #bayestheorem
In this video I'll explain how Bayes' Theorem started as an argument for Christianity, in particular an argument for the resurrection of Jesus as a response to David Hume's argument against miracles.

[1] David Hume - An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding (ECHU) (1748)
[2] Richard Price - An Essay towards solving a Problem in the Doctrine of Chances (1763)
[3] John Earman - Hume’s Abject Failure (2000)
[4] huffpost.com/entry/did-jesus-exist_b_1349544
[5] William Lane Craig - On Guard (2010)
[6] William Lane Craig - Reasonable Faith (2007)
[7] St Augustine - City of God (426)
[8] Harold Jefferys - Scientific Inference (3rd ed.) (1973)
[9] Thomas Sherlock - Tryal of the Witnesses

How can God create time before time?

Thinking Christian 2024-02-24 | #theism #christianity #god #philosophy
In this video, I'll explain why I used to think the idea of God was incoherent because it presupposed the existence of time. I had mistakenly thought creation or causation required time.

References:
[1] WLC - Time and Eternity
[2] Richard Swinburne - Is There a God?
[3] https://iep.utm.edu/god-time/
[4] reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/god-time-and-creation
[5] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/eternity/
[6] CS Lewis - Miracles

Aquinas First Way Explained (Argument from Motion)

Thinking Christian 2024-02-20 | #philosophy #christianity #theism #apologetics #thomas #thomasaquinas
In this video, I'll explain Thomas Aquinas' First Way, which is a proof for the existence of God based on motion/change. Following Aristotle, Aqiunas deduced that there must be a "first mover" or "unmoved mover" that caused everything in the universe.

Discussing Metaethics with Dr. Lance Bush

Thinking Christian 2024-02-06 | ...

Atheism is a lack of belief?

Thinking Christian 2024-01-31 | In this video I'll talk about the two different definitions of atheism, and why many philosophers of religion prefer the "disbelief" rather than the "unbelief" version of it. See this article:
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/atheism-agnosticism/

#atheism #christian #christianity #skepticism #philosophy #philosophyofreligion

There are no airtight arguments for the existence of God

Thinking Christian 2024-01-21 | In this video, I'll talk about the "fact" that there are no airtight arguments for the existence of God. Perhaps surprisingly, I actually agree with this claim, but I want to point out how it can be used in manipulative way, in particular by those with a flawed, question begging, and self-defeating epistemology.

#theism #christian #christianity #god #apologetics

A Response to Kevin Nontradicaths and Moral (and Gastronomical) Realism

Thinking Christian 2024-01-12 | #philosophy #morality #christianity #theism
In this video, I'll be exploring some of the themes in @Kevigen 's video on Gastronomical Realism
See Here: youtube.com/watch?v=dlh8EojO8Vo
Video on Sam Harris from CCKPhilosophy:
youtube.com/watch?v=wxalrwPNkNI&t=1411s&pp=ygUOQ0NLIFNhbSBoYXJyaXM%3D

As I mention, I don't disagree with that much that Kevin says - I think he brings up some good points and found a very interesting paper

Ressentiment (A.K.A. Persecution Complex)

Thinking Christian 2024-01-10 | #nietzsche #philosophy #sociology #christianity
In this video, I'll explain what Nietzsche's theory of Ressentiment (not resentment) and how it shows up in politics today. For an insightful look on Ressentiment on the Christian Right and Progressive Christianity, check out:
James Davison Hunter - To Change the World
amazon.com/Change-World-Tragedy-Possibility-Christianity/dp/0199730806/ref=pd_lpo_sccl_1/145-0496031-5559260?pd_rd_w=Qzisn&content-id=amzn1.sym.1ad2066f-97d2-4731-9356-36b3edf1ae04&pf_rd_p=1ad2066f-97d2-4731-9356-36b3edf1ae04&pf_rd_r=TT2CWJYYF823HWJCZSA6&pd_rd_wg=1pnT4&pd_rd_r=5615a641-d0ad-47cd-966c-8414d876ca23&pd_rd_i=0199730806&psc=1

Why I changed my mind on abortion...

Thinking Christian 2024-01-08 | In this video I'll explain why I changed my mind on abortion.
Good resources:
James Davison Hunter - Culture Wars: The Struggle to Define America
ISBN: 0684867478
amazon.com/Culture-Wars-Struggle-Education-Politics/dp/0465015344
James Davison Hunter - Before the Shooting Begins
amazon.com/Before-Shooting-Begins-Davidson-Hunter-ebook/dp/B001D1SRY6/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1B0BLYIBU18NK&keywords=before+the+shooting+begins&qid=1704702178&s=books&sprefix=before+the+shooting+begins%2Cstripbooks%2C113&sr=1-1
Rebecca McLaughlin - Confronting Christianity
amazon.com/Confronting-Christianity-Questions-Largest-Religion/dp/1433564238
ISBN: 1433564238

#christianity #abortion #debate #culture

Who Created God?

Thinking Christian 2024-01-04 | In this video, I'll talk about the question "Who Created God?"

We will talk about Leibnitz, as well as a bit about contingency and necessity.

#theism #christian #christianity #god #apologetics

Yes, you can prove a negative

Thinking Christian 2023-10-25 | Yes, you can prove a negative
cambridge.org/core/journals/think/article/thinking-tools-you-can-prove-a-negative/0BBE48877743A318F2B9CE24F873904C

#philosophy #epistemology #proof

Atheist (and Naturalist) Morality and Special Pleading

Thinking Christian 2023-10-24 | In this video, I'll explain why I often see atheistic and naturalistic forms of morality or moral realism committing the fallacy of special pleading. I am making this video because I really want to know why it is that so many atheists and naturalists believe in Moral Realism. I find this especially confusing given the work of atheistic scholars like Michael Ruse, Sharon Street, Jonathan Haidt, Richard Joyce, J.L. Mackie who make a compelling case for moral nihilism under naturalism.

What matters of course is having a consistent and coherent belief structure. I'd be curious to hear your reasons in the comments - I promise I'll be respectful and open-minded.

#theism #christianity #atheism #morality #naturalism

Why (I think) the argument from Religious Evil Fails...

Thinking Christian 2023-10-23 | In this video, I'll explain why the argument from religious evil fails, and show how Alvin Plantinga' "Free Will Defense" also applies to the argument from religious evil. You can find the paper here
jstor.org/stable/43670543
Also it shows up as argument 196 from Ex-Apologist's list of arguments for atheism: http://exapologist.blogspot.com/2022/06/120-or-so-arguments-for-atheism.html
#christianity #theology #theism #god

Why I am not a naturalist...

Thinking Christian 2023-10-12 | In this video, I'll explain, why I am not a naturalist

#theism #christianity #philosophy #naturalism

Alvin Plantingas Ontological Argument (Arguments for Christianity)

Thinking Christian 2023-09-30 | I have a SubStack, read more here: thinkingchristian.substack.com

In this video, I'll talk about Alvin Plantinga's Ontological Argument for the existence of God. This is a very different argument than the ones by St Anselm, for instance, and it rests on the idea of possible worlds which I will try to explain briefly and their relationship to modal logic.
References:
[1] https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/logic-modal/
[2] Alvin Plantinga - The Ontological Argument (1965)
[3] WLC - Reasonable Faith
#christianity #theism #god #philosophy #theology

Crash Course Philosophy Misrepresents St Anselm

Thinking Christian 2023-09-29 | In this video, I'll explain how @crashcourse Philosophy ends up mistaking and misrepresenting St Anselm's Ontological Argument. Despite the fact that this is the most viewed video on St Anselm's Ontological Argument, it misunderstands the argument's resting on Platonic Metaphysics, which scholars like Charlesworth, Norman Malcom, and Richard Brecher all point out.

While it is fine to say you are not convinced, my issue is Crash Course Philosophy
#christianity #philosophy #philosophyofreligion #theism #atheism

St. Anselms Ontological Argument (Arguments for Christianity)

Thinking Christian 2023-09-28 | I have a SubStack: Read more here: thinkingchristian.substack.com

In this video, I'll talk about St Anselm's Ontological Argument for the existence of God. I think this is one of the most widely misunderstood arguments in philosophy, because it rests on Platonic Metaphysics (which is largely lost in our society today, which is more Aristotelian thanks to Thomas Aquinas).

References:
[1] https://iep.utm.edu/anselm-ontological-argument/#:~:text=More%20formally%2C%20the%20argument%20is,that%20does%20not%20necessarily%20exist.
[2] Richard Brecher - “Greatness' in Anselm's Ontological Argument” (1974) link: jstor.org/stable/2217714#:~:text='better'%20or%20'more%20perfect,Anselm's%20argument%20for%20his%20existence.
#christianity #theism #god #philosophy #theology

Arguments Arent Evidence?

Thinking Christian 2023-09-26 | In this video, I want to explore the idea that "arguments aren't evidence." I've heard some skeptics, including @DeconvertedMan , argue that arguments are not evidence. Either this is categorically wrong, or (perhaps more likely) I am misunderstanding what the claim is.

Craigs Conceptual Argument (Arguments for Christianity)

Thinking Christian 2023-09-24 | In this video, I'll talk about William Lane Craig's sketch of a conceptual argument for the existence of God, as well as my formulation of this argument.
References:
[1] WLC - Reasonable Faith
[2] Alvin Plantinga - Two Dozen (Or So) Theistic Arguments
appearedtoblogly.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/plantinga-alvin-22two-dozen-or-so-theistic-arguments221.pdf
#christianity #theism #god #philosophy #theology

Pauls Teleological Argument (Arguments for Christianity)

Thinking Christian 2023-09-23 | In this video, I'll talk about my teleological moral argument for the existence of God.
This argument rests on the work of philosophers like Alasdair MacIntyre, Aristotle, and Thomas Aquinas (it is based in part on Analytic Thomism)
#christianity #theism #god #philosophy #theology

Catholic and Protestant Q&A

Thinking Christian 2023-09-23 | ...

Craigs Moral Argument (Arguments for Christianity)

Thinking Christian 2023-09-22 | In this video, I'll talk about William Lane Craig's formulation of the moral argument for the existence of God.
#christianity #theism #god #philosophy #theology

Thinking Christian Live Stream

Thinking Christian 2023-09-22 | ...

John Loftuss Outsider Test of Faith

Thinking Christian 2023-09-21 | #christianity #god #theism #por #philosophy #philosophyofreligion #religion
In this video, I'll respond to Philosopher John Loftus's "Outsider Test of Faith" or his OTF. I'll explain why, despite initially finding it compelling, I eventually came to realize it rested on several assumptions that require justification. While I do not think the argument succeeds as a general argument against religious belief, I do think Loftus's presentation brings up some important points about religious and philosophical pluralism which I attempt to explore in this video.

Anti-Intellectualism in New Atheism...

Thinking Christian 2023-09-21 | In this video, I want to talk about the problem of anti-intellecutalism in some Atheist circles (esoecially with regard to New Atheism), address the problem, and hopefully allow people to move forward.

References
[1] Mark Noll - Scandal of the Evangelical Mind
[2] Tobin et. Al - Profiles of the American University Vol. 2
[3] A Handbook to Literature
[4] Richard Dawkins - The God Delusion
[5] Daniel Dennett - Darwin’s Dangerous Idea
[6] youtube.com/watch?v=wxalrwPNkNI&pp=ygUabW9yYWwgbGFuZHNjYXBlIHNhbSBoYXJyaXM%3D
[7] youtube.com/watch?v=fopo9E7UAVQ&pp=ygUhc29waGlzdHJ5IG9mIGNocmlzdG9waGVyIGhpdGNoZW5z
[8] Justin Brierly - The Surprising Rebirth in Belief in God
[9] Jonathan Haidt - Moral Psychology and the Misunderstanding of Religion
[10] Tim O’ Neil - historyforatheists.com
[11] debunking-christianity.com/2009/03/outsider-test-for-faith_20.html
[12] P.Z. Myers - Why I Am No Longer a Skeptic

#scholarship #christianity #philosophy #theism #atheism

Consensus is not an Epistemology...

Thinking Christian 2023-09-19 | In this video, I'll give several arguments why Consensus is not an epistemology
#christianity #philosophy #theology #theism #epistemology

OConnors Argument from Geographic Distribution (Arguments Against Christianity)

Thinking Christian 2023-09-18 | In this video, I'll explain the argument from geographic distribution/diversity and why it counts as an argument against the existence of God. This idea comes from a video from @CosmicSkeptic which was originally a debate between him and Jonathan McLatchie in May 2022
youtube.com/watch?v=Wu2hvtR5-5M&t=264s&pp=ygUOQWxleCBvIGNvbm5vciA%3D
#philosophy #christianity #theism #theology

Craigs Kalam Cosmological Argument (Arguments for Christianity)

Thinking Christian 2023-09-17 | In this video, I'll talk about William Lane Craig's version of the Kalam Cosmological Argument. According to Michael Martin, the cosmological arguments presented by Craig, Bruce Reichenbach, and Richard Swinburne are "among the most sophisticated and well argued in contemporary theological philosophy."
#christianity #theism #god #philosophy #theology

A Nuanced Take on Christian Nationalism?

Thinking Christian 2023-09-17 | In this video, I'll do my best to try and have a nuanced take on Christian nationalism and share my reasons for, depending on the definition, it can be a good or bad thing.
#christianity #theism #jesus #christian #christiannationalism

Jesus, Kant and Rawls

Thinking Christian 2023-09-16 | In this video, I'll talk about about how the philosophy of Jesus helps us give context and understanding to the philosophies of Immanuel Kant and John Rawls.

#philosophy #christianity #jesus #theism #theology

Simulation Theology 101: 3 - Incarnation

Thinking Christian 2023-09-07 | In this new series, I want to talk about Simulation Theology (Sim Theology) and some of the big questions it asks.

In this video, I'll explain how our experience with simulated worlds and virtual worlds can offer an interesting analogy on incarnation, including Christology. Remember that these are simply analogies, not necessarily an explanation of what happened. Still, I hope this provides some interesting ways to think about incarnation and miracles.

#christianity #philosophy #god #theology

Jesus and...Heidegger?

Thinking Christian 2023-09-05 | In this video, I'll talk about about how the philosophy of Martin Heidegger, one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, can help us understand Christianity and God's relationship to man.

#philosophy #christianity #jesus #theism #theology

Argument from Evil (Arguments for Christianity)

Thinking Christian 2023-08-27 | In this video, I'll talk about the argument from evil for the existence of God
#christianity #theism #god #philosophy #theology

Argument from Gratuitous Evil (Arguments Against Christianity)

Thinking Christian 2023-08-26 | In this video, I'll explain the argument from divine hiddenness and how it relates to God's existence
#philosophy #christianity #theism #theology

Leibnizian Cosmological Argument (Arguments for Christianity)

Thinking Christian 2023-08-24 | In this video, I'll talk about my formulation of the Leibnizian Cosmological Argument
#christianity #theism #god #philosophy #theology

Argument from Divine Hiddenness (Arguments Against Christianity)

Thinking Christian 2023-08-24 | In this video, I'll explain the argument from divine hiddenness and how it relates to God's existence
#christianity #theism #god #philosophy #theology #atheism

Prelude to Arguments For/Against Christianity

Thinking Christian 2023-08-24 | In this video, I'll talk a bit about the new series I'm doing on arguments for/against God/Christianity

When Atheists Argue Against Religion... (Advice to Christians)

Thinking Christian 2023-08-22 | #christianity #god
References:
[1] Jonathan Haidt - Social Psychology and the Misunderstanding of Religion

Does God is Good mean God is God?

Thinking Christian 2023-08-20 | In this video, I want to give two possible answers to what is meant by saying "God is Good." Some argue this is a tautology because God is the source of good or is good by definition.
#god #christianity