Little Bilney's text

Today is the 481st anniversary of the execution of Thomas Bilney.

Still without a leg to stand on

I wrote last year about a man (Robbie) with whom I had a long and interesting conversation (see here, here and here).  Well, I just spoke to him again today, and sadly he still holds to the same denials of reason and reality, all the while denouncing those who disagree as unintelligent.

Richard Dawkins vs Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins has engaged in a fourth debate with John Lennox, which I have yet to see.  But it is very interesting to see Professor Dawkins getting involved with Professor Lennox.  This is obviously a different Richard Dawkins who refused to debate William Lane Craig last year!

All relationships are equal, but some are more equal than others?

It has become a mantra in our society, it's repeated by celebrities, politicians, and protesters. It has become a kind of continuous drone that gets into the subconscious, and makes anyone who questions the statement or probes into the assumptions look devoid of sense and full of hate. It is the slogan, "I believe in equality."

A fake realist

I've been away for the last two weeks and haven't been able to get email access - very therapeutic! However, on my trip I got into a very interesting conversation with a man who runs a chip shop.

The twists, tricks and tragedy of Watchtower indoctrination

I was intrigued to listen to a debate on the Unbelievable? radio show over the last couple of weeks on “Jehovah’s Witness” doctrine.  I found it quite striking that they had to get a disfellowshipped American to defend the Watchtower beliefs because no one from the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society in the UK was prepared to participate.  Anyway...

Carrying the torch

It comes every four years, it is a global event, the pinnacle of sporting greatness, the peak of competitive achievement, so when it comes to your doorstep even the least sporting amongst us take some notice.  The Olympic Games, as you know, are being held in London this year, and while most of us won’t be there, in a sense something of the Olympics has come to us.  The Olympic Torch has made its journey around the UK on route to London, and millions have come to get a glimpse of it.  The flame will ignite the cauldron at the Olympic Stadium, which will continue to burn for the duration of the Games.

So far so good

It's a common phrase, and it came to mind the other day as I was reading in Psalm 103.  Verse 12 states

As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.

So far? So good!

Spot the differences

I have been engaged quite a bit recently with those who deny conscious eternal punishment, and I have noticed a recurring problem with their view. When they see texts in the New Testament that appear to teach eternal conscious punishment they will often cite similar language from the Old Testament in which it seems quite clear that it is talking about a temporal punishment, and then they will say that this shows the New Testament isn't talking about eternal conscious punishment at all.

Use intelligence about intolerance

It's been a while since I've written here - sorry!  Things have been particularly busy lately.  I want to issue an appeal in this post, and it springs from a conversation I heard on the Unbelievable? radio show a while ago between David Robertson (Christian) and Mike Lee (atheist).