Cold-Case Christianity

THINK ABOUT THIS: Free Will Is Impossible If We Live In A Strictly Material Universe

Among the attributes that most distinguish humans from all other creatures is our ability to perceive alternative courses of action and to make choices among those alternatives. That’s called “free will.” Our laws and system of justice assume we all have this unique ability.

But if we live in a material universe that is a product of and is governed only by the action/reaction processes of atoms and forces in motion, then there can be no such thing as free will. Our decisions to act in a certain way are nothing more than the consequences of those atoms reacting according to the sequence of causes and effects.

“No set of dominoes is held accountable for how they fall,” contends NBC “Dateline” cold-case detective J. Warner Wallace in the following brief video. “Dominoes have no choice in the matter because they fall in a certain way based on prior physical causes.” Think about it, are you just another domino?

Ever Wonder ‘Who Made God?’

That’s a question often posed by those who deny God’s existence, but, as Tom Hammond explains in “What Time Is Purple,” wondering who made God makes about as much sense as pondering where on the clock does the royal color appear.

“What Time Is Purple” is a mere 45 pages, but it’s full of clarity, logic and common sense about the most important questions we all think about it at one time or another. Be careful, though, as it may cause you to revise how you answer those questions.

To get a free copy of this challenging book, just click on its cover in the sidebar to the right and I will get yours in the mail ASAP.

NOTE: IF THE CONTACT BUTTON DOESN’T WORK FOR YOU, SEND ME YOUR SNAIL MAIL AT mt.hillfaith@gmail.com.

Reasons The Appearance Of Design In Biology Means There IS A Designer

Two aliens from a planet orbiting Proxima Centauri, Earth’s nearest star beyond our Sun, walk into a bar in Amsterdam arguing about Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch,” which they just saw at the Rijks Museum.

Rembrandt’s “The Night Watch.” Screen shot from web site of Rijks Museum in Amsterdam.

After a few minutes of intense debate, one alien looks at the other and announces “say what you will, but I’m telling you this amazing art could only have been created by a great designer. I want to meet this Rembrandt human.”

At that, the other alien stares in amazement at his interstellar colleague, motions to the bartender to bring the two another round, and replies “nah, no way. This thing looks designed but it’s actually nothing more than the result of a chance encounter of materials.”

And your answer is?

What if I told you there are eight reasons one of the aliens is right and other is wrong? Continue reading “Reasons The Appearance Of Design In Biology Means There IS A Designer”

Here’s The ‘Chicken-And-Egg’ Dilemma That Confronts Atheists

Is it really possible to explain the origin of life from non-life without God? Lord knows, smart people like Stephen Hawking and legions of others who deny or ignore the possibility of God as creator have been trying for centuries.

But they face what NBC “Dateline” Cold-Case Detective J. Warner Wallace calls the “Chicken-And-Egg” dilemma regarding the proteins that are the essential building blocks of life. It appears to be unsolvable without God. Continue reading “Here’s The ‘Chicken-And-Egg’ Dilemma That Confronts Atheists”

THINK ABOUT THIS: Honestly, Are You Really As ‘Good’ As Your Dog? Seriously?

There is a magnetic thingie on our refrigerator that says “Lord, help me today to be the person my dog thinks I am.” I swear that, once as I gazed at those words, Twister, our black Lab, gave a dog chuckle, the muttered “Fat chance.” I know that’s what he said because we “get” each other.

There is a serious question to be considered here, though, and that is this: Are we humans “special” in any sense that sets us apart from dogs, cats, buffalo, ants or any of the other of the billions of animals on Earth?

J. Warner Wallace, author of “Cold-Case Christianity” and NBC “Dateline” cold-case detective, addresses this question in response to a student’s recent question.

I will tell you now that Wallace gets it completely wrong on the issue of how smart are Labs, but the rest of his analysis ought to make you think seriously about your place in the world.

THINK ABOUT THIS: If You Can’t Measure Your Thoughts, Do They Really Exist?

If the physical universe that we see, smell, hear, feel and taste is all that exists, how can we account for the fact we all have thoughts and emotions that are just as “real” to us as any of our senses?

This might initially seem like an odd question, but in fact it “points” to one of the most important questions any human being can ever ponder: If the non-material (i.e. thinking, consciousness) is as real as our five material senses (which can be explained merely by physical factors), how do we explain the origin and ultimate significance of the non-material?

J. Warner Wallace, NBC “Dateline’s” cold-case detective, addresses this issue in chapter five of his superb book “God’s Crime Scene.” There he observes this:

Continue reading “THINK ABOUT THIS: If You Can’t Measure Your Thoughts, Do They Really Exist?”

THINK ABOUT THIS: Why Our Brains And Our Minds Aren’t One And The Same Thing

If the material universe is all there is, where do our non-material minds come from?

“If I asked you to close your eyes and think of an imaginary car and encouraged you to envision anything you could imagine related to that car, the resulting vehicle would exist solely in your mind.

“If you are sufficiently creative, your imaginary vehicle would be like no other car on the planet, and only you would know precisely how it looks. Without referencing a physical car external to your body, you imagined the shape, color and textures of the vehicle; it exists only in your conscious thoughts.

“This particular car is not the result of optical input from your eyes. Your brain isn’t referencing optical data from an object in the room. Neurophysiologists cannot open your physical brain and locate the car, its shape or its properties.

“These characteristics cannot be accessed by surgeons sifting through the gray matter of your brain, and even though neurologists may be able to pinpoint a location within the brain where neurological activity correlates with a thought or sensation, this only confirms a casual relationship between two separate things and fails to identify one as the other.

“While physical states can be publicly known, mental states are only privately known. This characteristic of the mind is not shared with the brain; the properties of the brain and the mind are not identical.”

From J. Warner Wallace, “God’s Crime Scene: A cold-case detective examines the evidence for a divinely created universe,” page 125.

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7 Tests That Show The Gospels Are Trustworthy Accounts of Jesus’ Life, Death And Resurrection

Christianity is either established or destroyed by whether or not a single historical event actually happened, as claimed in the four Gospels concerning the resurrection of Jesus.

Cold-Case Detective J. Warner Wallace, left, with investigative partner, Deputy LA District Attorney John Lewin. (Screen shot)

If Jesus was indeed resurrected three days after being crucified dead and buried, then was seen and heard by a multitude of witnesses in the 40 days thereafter, as claimed by the Gospel authors, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, then every human being who ever has or ever will live must decide whether to accept or reject His claim to be God Incarnate and the only way to Heaven.

If Jesus was not physically resurrected as claimed by the Gospels, then, as Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:17-19, “if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile … and we are of all people most to be pitied.”

But how can we know if the eyewitness testimony of the Gospels can be believed? That’s where NBC “Dateline” cold-case detective expert and “Cold-Case Christianity” author J. Warner Wallace comes into this discussion. Continue reading “7 Tests That Show The Gospels Are Trustworthy Accounts of Jesus’ Life, Death And Resurrection”