Monthly Archives: May 2010

Christian Carnival CCCXXVIII – Parableman

Christian Carnival time: ever wonder that means? The Christian Carnival is a weekly collection of some of the best posts of the Christian blogosphere. It’s open to Christians of Protestant, Orthodox, and Roman Catholic convictions. One of the goals of this carnival is to offer our readers to a broad range of Christian thought…. [From …

May 20, 2010 – 2:01 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Miscellanea | Comments Off

“I just can’t take naturalism seriously”

From Trent Dougherty at the Prosblogion: I just can’t take naturalism seriously. That is, I can’t take seriously any view that entails either the proposition that some contingent fact occurred for no reason or that in essentials, the universe (or world or nature or whatever you want to call it) couldn’t have been relevantly different …

May 19, 2010 – 4:26 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in New Atheism | Tagged | Comments (17)

Rising Toward Reality

This entry is part 3 of 4 in the series Rising Above

I promised a post on the question, “Isn’t Christian ethics a matter of self-interest after all?” It’s turning out to be two posts rather than one. Some of what I write on this will be exploratory and experimental, the product of my own reflection and not others’ thinking. That means I’m especially wide open to …

May 18, 2010 – 7:24 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Ethics | Comments (72)

Who Else Would You Follow?

A dialogue: “Do you mean to tell me you follow Jesus Christ?” “Sure! Who else in history would you choose to follow?” So begins my guest column in today’s Newport News Daily Press. The link above will expire in a few weeks. Here is a permanently available pdf. I do not write the headlines for …

May 16, 2010 – 2:15 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in The Faith | Tagged | Comments (10)

College Students Suspended for Praying: Case Settled, Questions Remain

Religious freedom under assault: The Peralta Community College District has settled a federal lawsuit over its punishment of two College of Alameda students who were praying on campus. The four-college district will pay $90,000 in legal fees to students Kandy Kyriacou and Ojoma Omaga, who were threatened with suspension after they prayed in class and …

May 16, 2010 – 1:00 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Life and Choices, Prayer, The Faith | Tagged , , | Comments (5)

Rising Above by Stooping Low, and How That Makes Sense After All

This entry is part 2 of 4 in the series Rising Above

Last Thursday I wrote asking “why rise above?” Why take it as important to rise above our own wants, needs, concerns, and interests? There is an important follow-on question: how does one rise above? In God’s economy, one rises by stooping. It that is so, it opens up several important questions. I’ll begin with whether …

May 15, 2010 – 8:42 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Deep Social Change, Service, The Faith | Tagged | Comments Off

“Darwinism as “grand and stupid prejudice”

A brilliant article cited at Uncommon Descent.

May 15, 2010 – 2:15 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Origins and Science | Comments Off

For Your Comments: A “Metaethical, Neo-Humean Limerick”

Russell Blackford wrote this “metaethical, neo-Humean limerick.” I looked for a copyright notice on his page and didn’t find one, so I’m hoping he won’t mind if I bring it over here in full, for discussion. First rule: whatever you think of the message, at least enjoy the limerick-ness of it! Though an “is” alone …

May 15, 2010 – 1:28 pm | By Tom Gilson | Posted in Ethics | Comments Off