Dr Paul Allen

English: Alvin Plantinga after telling a joke at the beginning of a lecture on science and religion delivered at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. (Photo credit: Wikipedia ) The twentieth century has seen philosophers of religion, such as Alvin Plantinga and Richard Swinburne , reaffirm the rationality of faith and reinvigorate traditional debates about reasons for belief in God—catalysed in part by new scientific understandings of the origins of the universe. There’s a growing consensus that belief in God is perfectly rational—unless, of course, you define rationality in terms that deliberately exclude such a belief.5 Rationality is less concerned with adopting a particular starting point or conclusion than with the rules that regulate reflective discussion leading to a conclusion. New Atheist writers often define the term beyond its fundamental sense, holding that it demands we interpret the world in a specific way that excludes belief in God. Yet this interpretation c...

Image via Wikipedia The events of 9/11 were a mortal blow to relativism, because the response of Americans and the response of people the world over, after looking at this heinous attack on human life , was the very “unrelativistic” declaration that “This is evil.” One cannot have such a shocking encounter with pure evil and walk away, saying, “Well, it’s a relative thing.” If we look carefully at the biblical understanding of God and construct our worldview on this basis, we see that God in His providence is a sovereign God, who not only governs nature and the laws of nature but who raises nations up and brings nations low. Within His providence come both blessing and calamity. I do not know why God ordained 9/11, but I know that He did ordain it because if He did not ordain it, it would not have happened. Since it happened, I know for certain that God ordained it in some sense. That is one of the most difficult concepts even for devout Christians to deal with. Yet the conce...

These ten pictures compare and contrast with 9/11. Same location, but a much different picture. The number of casualties will be more than most of us can bear. — Then- Mayor Rudolph Giuliani , Sept. 11 . Before (1980): After (9/11): Before (1990): After (9/11) Before (9/11): After (2001): Before (9/11): After (2011): Before (9/11): After (2011): Before (9/11): After (2011): Before (9/11): After (2011): Before (9/11): After (2011): Before (9/11): After (2011): If only it had been buildings that were damaged. [via  BuzzFeed ] Related articles 1010 WINS 9/11 Series: Rudy Giuliani Looks Back (newyork.cbslocal.com) Elected in 9/11 shadow, NYC mayor deepens the link (sfgate.com) Jets VP worked for Guiliani on 9/11 (nypost.com) Giuliani reflects on impact of 9/11 (politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com) Richard (RJ) Eskow: A Noun, a Verb, and 9/11 (huffingtonpost.com) Remembering 9/11 (video 3) Giuliani's 9/11 National Geographic Channel (rodiagnusdei.w...

Image via Wikipedia The mayor of New York City has disallowed clergy from praying at an event commemorating the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks , sparking indignation from leaders who have pointed to the pivotal role religious groups played in the heroic response to the tragedy. A spokeswoman for Mayor Michael Bloomberg said that, as in previous years, this weekend’s commemoration would include readings “spiritual and personal in nature,” according to an Associated Press report. Bloomberg’s office characterized the affair as focused on relatives of victims. Two steel girders, left standing in the form of a cross at Ground Zero, were hailed a sign of hope in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Christian leaders, however, are calling the ban an insult to the memory of how the faith provided solace and the faithful worked to save lives in the city’s darkest hour. “Nobody was turning religious leaders away from the scene 10 years ago. Why are they being banned ...