Politics / Science / Religion

Philosophical Naturalists Can’t Condemn Criminals

Posted by on April 9, 2017 at 9:49 pm

“Justice, sir, is the great interest of man on earth. It is the ligament which holds civilized beings and civilized nations together.”  — Daniel Webster, early American politician When a wrong has been committed, it’s a normal, healthy human desire to want to see justice done. I am defining “justice” here as fair punishment that […]

Motivations for Atheism

Posted by on April 2, 2017 at 8:36 pm

“In studies on college students, atheists and agnostics reported more anger at God during their lifetimes than believers. A separate study also found this pattern among bereaved individuals.”  — CNN’s Elizabeth Landau reporting on Case Western Reserve University research (Jan. 2011) When asked why they are atheist/humanist/naturalist, most people will tell you that it’s only […]

Pure Fantasy

Posted by on January 14, 2017 at 10:23 pm

“[A]fter many decades of trying to comprehend the gender confusion that persisted even after my sex transition, I came to understand that my grandmother’s cross-dressing of me was emotional child abuse. The psychological harm grew as years went by.” — Walt Heyer You probably saw it — the recent National Geographic cover featuring a “transgendered” […]

Top 10, Again

Posted by on December 18, 2016 at 10:17 pm

It’s that time, again. Time for another year-end list of “top posts” on various topics from preceding years (including the one just ending). I try to pick those that are “evergreen”, though, or at least still interesting/entertaining. In case you’re curious, here are the previous lists: “Celebrating 5 Years of AVftR (plus a Top 10)!”, […]

Godspeed, John Glenn

Posted by on December 11, 2016 at 10:25 pm

“Zero G, and I feel fine.”  — Col. John Glenn On December 8, 2016, America and the world lost a hero and, some might even say, a “living legend”, when former Marine aviator, astronaut, and U.S. Senator John Glenn passed away at the age of 95. He will be laid to rest at Arlington National […]

Truth and Compassion: A Christian Response to Transgenderism

Posted by on October 9, 2016 at 11:40 pm

“The legal/cultural battle over whether biological males who have a female gender identity (or vice versa) can use the public bathroom, spa facility, or school showers reserved for the opposite sex is consuming the attention of the national media and the national conscience. Christians find themselves caught in an awkward situation, facing another obstacle they […]

Political Debates, Unsupported Rhetoric, and Scientific Censorship

Posted by on March 6, 2016 at 9:56 pm

“Human rights can only be assured among a virtuous people. The general government… can never be in danger of degenerating into a monarchy, an oligarchy, an aristocracy, or any despotic or oppressive form so long as there is any virtue in the body of the people.”  — Gen. George Washington I just got home from […]

Newsweek Tells Christians They Are Wrong

Posted by on January 3, 2016 at 9:01 pm

“Newsweek‘s cover story is exactly what happens when a writer fueled by open antipathy to evangelical Christianity tries to throw every argument he can think of against the Bible and its authority. To put the matter plainly, no honest historian would recognize the portrait of Christian history presented in this essay as accurate and no […]

Top 10: The Threequel

Posted by on December 27, 2015 at 7:44 pm

My long-time readers may remember that last year about this time I gave a “Top 10” list of some of my favorite AVftR posts, and that list was itself a sequel to a similar list from our 5-year anniversary post. One benefit (for me), of course, is that it is fairly easy for me to […]

Christianity and the “Modern” Society

Posted by on May 3, 2015 at 11:00 pm

“[T]he history of modernity is the history of secularization, of the retreat of Christian belief to the private sphere.”  — David B. Hart, author and professor I am a bit pressed for time this week, as I prepare to drive up to Maryland to spend several days with family. (Hiding from the downtown riots in […]