Monthly Archives: December 2008

The Russian Courtiers

I’ve been getting all kinds of interesting information out of the excellent 2008 Baylor Survey of Religion, published in the paperback What Americans Really Believe, written by Rodney Stark along with a large research team. Here’s an excerpt from the chapter on “The Godless Revolution That Never Happened.” It follows one of the few tables …

December 31, 2008 – 7:35 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism | Comments (161)

The Longest Year of My Daughter’s Life

Yes, 2008 is going to be the longest year of my daughter’s life—because she was not born yet in 1992, which was the last time a leap second was added to a leap year. 1972, 1976, 1992, and now 2008 are the four years on record that totaled 366 days plus one second.

December 31, 2008 – 11:05 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Just For Fun | Comments Off

Deep Social Change: Four Essential Priorities for 2009

This entry is part 1 of 3 in the series Deep Social Change

We need deep social change. The U.S. election cycle that just ended has once again reminded all Americans of that. For Christians, three issues at the forefront are the economic pain spreading across much of our country, the pending “Freedom of Choice Act” that could open a much wider door for abortion to be practiced, …

December 30, 2008 – 8:08 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Knowing God, Prayer, Service, The Faith, Thinking Christianly | Comments (2)

Could Going To Church Help a Heathen?

Columnist John Tierney asks in the Science section of today’s New York Times, If I’m serious about keeping my New Year’s resolutions in 2009, should I add another one? Should the to-do list include, “Start going to church”? Tierney, who describes himself as “a heathen,” almost seems to be making this into a serious question. …

December 29, 2008 – 9:24 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Evidences, Origins and Science, The Faith | Comments (1)

Atheist Columnist: God and Faith Are Good For Africa

The Times of London column’s headline and sub-head read: As an atheist, I truly believe Africa needs God Missionaries, not aid money, are the solution to Africa’s biggest problem – the crushing passivity of the people’s mindset And the core paragraph says, Now a confirmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian …

December 27, 2008 – 7:02 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in The Faith | Comments (1)

Dark Ages and Light

Earlier this month Nickell John Romjue gave me a book of short stories he had written, Out of the Riven Century: Stories of a Turning Time. I have already reviewed another anthology of his, The Black Box: Darwin, Marx, Nietzsche, Freud – Stories. If I were writing a review again this time I would echo …

December 26, 2008 – 9:19 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in The Faith | Comments (19)

Merry Christmas!

Glory to God in the Highest!

December 25, 2008 – 7:55 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in The Faith | Comments (2)

“Evolution News & Views: My “Neuroscience Denial”?”

Some of you have been watching the exchange between Dr. Steven Novella and Dr. Michael Egnor on neuroscience and mind. The most recent installments are here (Dr. Egnor’s), responding to this from Dr. Novella. Dr. Egnor writes in summary to his post, I’ll get back to Dr. Novella’s specific arguments in my ensuing posts, but …

December 22, 2008 – 7:52 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Origins and Science | Tagged | Comments (26)

“Over Three Hundred Disproofs of God’s Existence”

Some pre-holiday fun for you to enjoy: Over Three Hundred Disproofs of God’s Existence (Hat Tip to Victor Reppert. Merry Christmas, Victor!)

December 21, 2008 – 8:32 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Evidences, Just For Fun | Comments (1)

“Quodlibeta: The deep sleep of Adam”

From Humphrey at Quodlibeta According to many of the self appointed experts of the internet, throughout human history Christianity has been a force of backwardness and oppression, holding back scientific and intellectual advance and resisting the march of progress inch by bloody inch. Prominent among those who have promoted this view was Andrew Dickinson White, …

December 19, 2008 – 5:43 am | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Origins and Science, The Faith | Comments (3)