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Read Me: Topics and Guidelines Stand To Reason
February 7th 2007
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: November 11th 2009
@ 08:11 AM
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Just the Facts, Ma’am by Greg Koukl
There is an old TV show you may have heard of, but probably have never seen unless you are over fifty or watch reruns that are half a century old. It was an austere LAPD police drama called “Dragnet.”
Though the program has been largely forgotten, two lines from the show have not. The first is, “The names have been changed to protect the innocent.” The second is, “Just the facts, Ma’am,” detective Joe Friday’s trademark request of whomever he questioned...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: July 23rd 2009
@ 06:26 PM
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The Myth of Tolerance
by Greg Koukl
Let’s take a look at the confusing and mistaken ways tolerance is used in our culture today. We’ll start with the modern notion of “tolerance,” then show how returning to the classic understanding of tolerance is the only way to restore any useful meaning to the word.
Using the modern definition of tolerance, you will see that no one is tolerant, or ever can be. It’s what my friend Frank Beckwith calls the “passive aggressive tolerance trick.” Let’s...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: January 25th 2009
@ 06:51 PM
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Answering the “New” Atheists—Science: No Safe Haven
Greg Koukl
Infamous New Atheist Christopher Hitchens recently debated Privileged Planet author Jay Wesley Richards at Stanford on the existence of God. In the middle of Richards’s opening remarks, Hitchens cut him off with a pair of questions.
“Do you believe Jesus Christ was born of a virgin?” he interrupted. “Do you believe he was resurrected from the dead?” Richards assented to both. Hitchens shrugged. “I rest my case,” he said...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: February 7th 2008
@ 01:04 PM
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Must We Believe Jesus is God?
Gregory Koukl
If you believe in Christ but reject His unique deity, you might have a very nice religion, but can you call it Christianity?
Must a person believe that Christ is God in order to be saved? I don't think it is necessary for you to be aware of that doctrine and hold to it before you can become a Christian and receive forgiveness. But I think that you have to know some doctrine in order to be a Christian, in order to receive God's gift of salvation. I...
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Daniel Gracely
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Posted: December 22nd 2007
@ 04:09 AM
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Before offering my viewpoint below, I want to express my appreciation to theologyweb for allowing me this response. Although it is a longer-than-usual response, I have kept it focused on one or two primary points, as per the rules of theologyweb. However, it is not always possible to respond with a few short paragraphs on a complicated issue, especially when readers will need some education in dissecting carefully the language of debate. Finally, I want to assure my readers that, despite my...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: December 13th 2007
@ 01:15 PM
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Who Are You to Say?
Greg Koukl
Today I was thinking about a concept that came up in conversation, a challenge raised to Christians who offer their point of view. The challenge is: "Who are you to say?"
This question it comes up in one of two contexts. The first one is secular. You'll hear it quite frequently when another person disagrees with your point of view, especially a moral one. They immediately challenge you with, "Who are you to say?"
Taken at face value this is an attack...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: November 5th 2007
@ 12:37 PM
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Ground Rules for a Mormon Visit
Greg Koukl
Driving to the studio today I passed two young men in white shirts and bicycle helmets pedaling down the road, going from community to community LDS, Mormons on their missionary rounds. It triggered a thought I want to pass on to you because there are times when young men like that will be knocking at your door.
Much could be said about how to respond to them. One thing I have noticed is frequently they are glad to share with you their point of view,...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: October 10th 2007
@ 12:49 PM
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Christianity Is No Leap of Faith
Greg Koukl
I noticed something stunning a few years back while paging through Frederick Coppleston’s landmark work, A History of Philosophy, for a class. Virtually every major thinker in the history of western civilization since Aristotle was a deeply committed Christian theist.
The list is impressive: Irenaeus, Eusebius, Augustine, John Duns Scotus, Anselm of Canterbury, Thomas Aquinas, William of Ockham, Rene Descartes, Gottfried Leibniz. It isn’t until...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: September 7th 2007
@ 04:56 PM
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As a Christian ambassador, your biggest challenge may be making sense of the problem of evil. Surprisingly, though, evil is actually evidence for God, not against Him.
Evil as Evidence for God by Greg Koukl
The wave of best-selling atheist books has forced followers of Christ to confront an age-old objection: the problem evil, considered by some to be the strongest evidence against the existence of God.
I actually think it proves just the opposite. The entire objection hinges on the...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: August 2nd 2007
@ 04:57 PM
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God Doesn't Give Autographs by Gregory Koukl
What does it mean when Christians say the Bible is inspired?
God doesn't give autographs. What I mean by that is that God doesn't allow us, or apparently hasn't in His sovereignty, to keep the autographs of the writings of the Bible. I am tempted to say the original autographs, but the autograph is an original so that would be like saying the original original. In other words, those things that the Apostles actually penned, which copies were made...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: June 29th 2007
@ 06:48 PM
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Gospel Fodder by Greg Koukl
I want to start out this segment responding to a letter. I receive letters on occasion. Often times there is nothing to respond to because they're not that kind of letter. Other times there's a lot to respond to but I'm not capable of making the full response in writing that is required. But there are times when things come up that I think represent a misunderstanding of something I've said, and also if it's delivered in somewhat of a challenging tone which...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: June 5th 2007
@ 01:01 PM
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When Tolerance Is Intolerant by Greg Koukl
There’s one word that can stop you in your track. That word is “tolerance.”
Let’s take a look at the confusing and mistaken ways tolerance is used in our culture today.
Using the modern definition of tolerance, you will see that no one is tolerant, or ever can be. It’s what my friend Frank Beckwith calls the “passive aggressive tolerance trick.” Let’s start with a real life example.
I had the privilege of speaking to...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: May 1st 2007
@ 10:17 PM
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Christianity: Bolted to Reality by Greg Koukl
The other night a friend was telling me about a friend of hers who was quite disdainful of Christianity. It reminded me of a whole raft of people who are dismissive of theism generally and Christianity specifically. Nowadays, they’re not dismissive in a passive kind of way, but people like Richard Dawkins and Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett – the new wave of atheists – are taking shots at Christianity and are doing so quite aggressively. This is...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: March 1st 2007
@ 02:37 PM
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The Lost Tomb of Jesus by Melinda Penner
We saw the documentary yesterday thanks to an advance copy from The Discovery Channel, and our Amy has read the book released in conjunction. We've seen all their evidence.
Simcha Jacobivici, the documentarian, has been saying in interviews that they’re just connecting the dots. I’d say it’s more like first arranging the dots to get a certain picture and then connecting them. Their reasons for arranging the dots in their particular order is full of...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: February 13th 2007
@ 10:12 AM
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When Good Can Be Evil
by Greg Koukl
I would like you to consider for a moment how something can be good and evil at the same time. Then I want to explain why this insight is so important for you as an ambassadors of Christ.
At first glance, to say something is good and not good (evil) at the same time sounds like a contradiction. There is no conflict, though, if the thing is good in one way, and bad in an entirely different way. It is possible, for example, for something to render benefit...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: January 20th 2007
@ 10:26 AM
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There is No Truth by Greg Koukl
I recently was asked a question that I get asked a lot. It's a common challenge Christians face on the campus. It was offered as I spoke in the lecture hall at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Oregon, to a Christian group who had rented the facility.
As I flew back this morning I reflected on the question. I started jotting some notes down, and it was interesting the way it all fell together. The question was this: How do you deal with...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: December 22nd 2006
@ 05:14 PM
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Death by Design by Greg Koukl
by Greg Koukl
I went to Washington for a few days this week and we went to a flower garden in Victoria, British Columbia. I was watching a bumble bee on a flower and I suddenly knew for certain that there was physical death before the Fall.
Let me set this up for you because it's important that you understand where I'm going with this. There is some considerable debate in Christian circles about the age of the earth. There are those who are literal 24-hour...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: December 22nd 2006
@ 12:38 PM
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Solving a Skeptical Problem
Greg Koukl
I want to help you solve a problem that has troubled many Christians. It’s tied directly to “guarding the treasure” entrusted to you. First, think for a moment about this statement Paul made to the Thessalonians:
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe....
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: December 21st 2006
@ 03:48 PM
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Truth Is a Strange Sort of Fiction
Greg Koukl
“Are any of you in this room God?” the professor asked. She scanned the audience slowly, looking for takers. No hands went up.
“God knows ‘TRUTH,’” she continued, writing the word in all caps on the board. “All truth is God’s truth. God is truth. But you are not God. Therefore, you only know ‘truth.’” She then scrawled in lower case this secondary and substandard take on reality next to the superior version that is forever out of reach of...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: November 28th 2006
@ 04:23 PM
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A Ready Ambassador
Greg Koukl
On a flight back from the Midwest I listened while a Christian brother in the row directly behind me vigorously shared his faith with passengers on either side. I was glad for the effort (my wife and I both were praying for him), and he made some fine points, but some of his tactics were questionable. Here is what I learned as I reflected on hiare some tips that can make your witnessing efforts even more effective. They’re simple and practical principles every...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: September 11th 2006
@ 05:21 PM
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“Are any of you in this room God?” the professor asked. She scanned the audience slowly, looking for takers. No hands went up.
“God knows ‘TRUTH,’” she continued, writing the word in all caps on the board. “All truth is God’s truth. God is truth. But you are not God. Therefore, you only know ‘truth.’” She then scrawled in lower case this secondary and substandard take on reality next to the superior version that is forever out of reach of mere humans.
She paused for a moment, letting...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: August 21st 2006
@ 02:09 PM
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The Most Important Thing
by Greg Koukl
Recently I asked myself a question.
If there was one bit of wisdom, one rule of thumb, one single skill I could impart to Christians, one useful tip that would help build their knowledge as a Christian ambassador and help them cultivate a sensible faith, what would it be?
Here’s what I came up with: Never read a Bible verse. That’s right, never read a Bible verse. Instead, always read a paragraph—at least. Here’s why.
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: July 19th 2006
@ 04:28 PM
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The embryonic stem cell research debate is remarkable because neither side—pro-life or pro-abortion—seems to understand the moral logic of its views.
The Confusing Moral Logic of ESCR
by Greg Koukl
Presumably, people who are pro-life hold their views for a reason and are not just emoting. The same could be said of pro-choicers. I’ve long suspected that’s not always the case, though. The recent debate about embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) confirms my doubts.
ESCR is an amazing...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: July 7th 2006
@ 11:16 PM
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Evolution: Philosophy, Not Science by Greg Koukl
I'm mystified by the opening sentence of an article in Friday's Union Tribune (October 25, 1996). It says, "In his most comprehensive statement yet on evolution, Pope John Paul II insisted that faith and science can co-exist."
So far, so good. I agree with the Pope wholeheartedly on this first point. If you heard my opening address at our conference on Science and Faith, you'd know why I think they can co-exist if they are properly...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: June 7th 2006
@ 11:21 PM
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Is the Bible God's Word?
by Greg Koukl
I want to help you solve a problem that has troubled many Christians. First, think for a moment about this statement Paul made to the Thessalonians:
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe. (1Thessolonians 2:13)
Now, here’s the problem. A couple of...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: May 16th 2006
@ 09:00 AM
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The Da Vinci Code Cracks by Greg Koukl
Sometimes challenges to Christianity that seem complicated are not really that difficult. On closer inspection they unravel. You just have to have a plan.
I followed such a plan for this month’s double issue of Solid Ground (find the article at www.str.org) answering the revisionist history in Dan Brown’s blockbuster of blockbusters, The Da Vinci Code. Here it is.
First, isolate the claim. Get a clear fix on precisely what a person is asserting. ...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: April 18th 2006
@ 05:39 PM
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Unbelievable Unbelief
by Greg Koukl
The skeptic says, “If Jesus would only show Himself to me—if God would just work one dramatic miracle—then I’d believe in Him.” This kind of person overestimates himself. Even miracles can be denied or dismissed.
During Jesus’ passion week in Jerusalem, he was called to nearby Bethany because his friend Lazarus was dying. By the time Jesus arrived, Lazarus was gone. In a dramatic scene Jesus called him forth from the tomb alive, still wrapped in burial...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: April 12th 2006
@ 11:15 AM
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Since the Gospel alone transforms lives, some Christians wrongly conclude that political involvement is a waste of time. This myth of political passivity presumes that the Great Commission is our only responsibility. It’s not.
No Hint of Politics by Greg Koukl
It’s not only the left that expresses alarm when Christians jeopardize the “separation” between church and state when they stir from their slumber and begin to make a difference in the public square. Some Believers object, too. One...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: March 21st 2006
@ 02:40 PM
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Historical claims made in The Da Vinci Code - that are made by some "Christian" scholars - depend on the idea that the Bible is an imcomplete record. Books were lost or rejected that provide new information about Jesus. Greg responds to this kind of challenge of "lost" books.
Has archaeology unearthed ancient biblical texts that cast doubt on the current canon of Scripture? Is it possible that Christians don't have the true Bible?
No "Lost" Books by Greg Koukl
Browsing through the...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: January 9th 2006
@ 05:12 PM
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Guard the Treasure
by Greg Koukl
In A.D. 64, a fire broke out in Rome. It raged for six days and seven nights, totally destroying a great part of the city. Nero falsely charged the Christians for the blaze and punished them with, in Tacitus’ words, “the most exquisite tortures,” including being nailed to crosses and set ablaze to serve as torch-lights for Nero’s gardens.
This was the man who, that same year, held the Apostle Paul captive in chains in one of his dungeons.
I’ve seen...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: January 3rd 2006
@ 02:32 PM
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Ambassador’s Creed by Greg Koukl
An ambassador is…
• Ready. An Ambassador is alert for chances to represent Christ and will not back away from a challenge or an opportunity.
• Patient. An Ambassador won’t quarrel, but will listen in order to understand, then with gentleness seek to respectfully engage those who disagree.
• Reasonable. An Ambassador has informed convictions (not just feelings), gives reasons, asks questions, aggressively seeks answers, and will not be stumped by the...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: December 18th 2005
@ 06:02 PM
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The Meaning of Carols by Greg Koukl
This Christmas as you sing carols together with your family or with other Christians in church, would you do something for me? Would you pay close attention to the words? They’re magnificent. Consider these two examples:
Hail! the heaven-born Prince of Peace. Hail the son of Righteousness. Light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in His wings. Mild He lays His glory by, born that man no more may die. Born to raise the sons of earth, born to...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: December 12th 2005
@ 05:30 PM
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The Bible and Capital Punishment by Gregory Koukl
I. The Bible and Capital Punishment
A. Capital punishment was commanded by God in the Old Testament.
1. It preceded the Mosaic Law.
Gen 9:6 Whoever sheds man's blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man.
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: December 5th 2005
@ 05:12 PM
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Ever Hear of the Ten Commandments?
by Greg Koukl
Have you read the Ten Commandments recently? Take a quick personal moral inventory by asking yourself these questions:
• Have you ever given allegiance to anything else over God in your life?
• Have you ever used anything as an object of worship or veneration?
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: November 29th 2005
@ 01:39 PM
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Three Lessons from a Non-Christian
by Greg Koukl
While teaching in France last year, I made a trip by train to the Normandy coast to visit the D-Day battlegrounds. While there, I had three separate encounters with strangers that each illustrate a valuable lesson about being equipped to engage.
Ask your self honestly if you would be equipped to engage these challenges? How would you have responded if you’d been in my shoes? Here are the challenges and my responses.
Roger was a Brit on...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: November 27th 2005
@ 03:58 AM
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The Columbo Tactic
by Greg Koukl
600
You can direct conversations in a non-offensive way by using these three carefully selected questions:
To learn more about what the person believes, ask: What do you mean by that?
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: November 22nd 2005
@ 01:12 PM
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Was the faith of the Founding Fathers deism or Christianity? What does the answer mean for us today? Both the secularists and the Christians have missed the mark.
The Faith of Our Fathers
by Gregory Koukl
There's been a lot of rustle in the press lately--and in many Christian publications--about the faith of the Founding Fathers and the status of the United States as a "Christian nation." Home schooling texts abound with references to our religious heritage, and entire organizations are...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: November 20th 2005
@ 05:19 PM
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Morality from Nature?
by Greg Koukl
It’s common of late to justify one’s “sexual orientation” by an appeal to nature. The claim “I was born this way” is all that’s needed to stem moral criticism of homosexuality. But why settle for this approach? Why think that the state of nature is an appropriate guide to morality?
Seventeenth century Philosopher Thomas Hobbs noted famously, “Life in an unregulated state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” It was precisely this fact,...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: November 14th 2005
@ 02:42 PM
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Morality from Nature?
by Greg Koukl
It’s common of late to justify one’s “sexual orientation” by an appeal to nature. The claim “I was born this way” is all that’s needed to stem moral criticism of homosexuality. But why settle for this approach? Why think that the state of nature is an appropriate guide to morality?
Seventeenth century Philosopher Thomas Hobbs noted famously, “Life in an unregulated state of nature is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short.” It was precisely this fact,...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: November 1st 2005
@ 06:07 PM
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Where Was God?
by Greg Koukl
The photographs alone told the story. Boats jackstrawed like bathtub toys. Buildings ripped from their foundations. Corpses mingled with debris, bobbing in the tide. A little boy, head pulled low in sorrow, teddy bear at his feet.
Katrina. “Our tsunami,” as one person put it.
Time will pass on this tragedy, as it has since 9/11, and since the events of April 20, 1999, when the lives of fourteen teenagers were extinguished at Columbine High School in...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: October 29th 2005
@ 05:27 PM
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Reinventing Our God-Talk
by Greg Koukl
Does this sound familiar?
"I know you think you understand what you thought I said. What you don't understand is that what you thought I said is not what I meant."
Hugh Hewitt once told me when he was on my radio show that as Christians we have to reinvent how we talk about God. I think he's right. Too often we're misunderstood. As a result, we've missed some valuable "moments of truth."
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: October 24th 2005
@ 04:31 PM
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Christian “Faith” vs. Knowledge
by Greg Koukl
For many Christians, faith and knowledge are opposites. The more evidence you have, the less faith involved. The more bizarre and unbelievable the claim, the greater the faith. The greatest faith, then, would be the one farthest removed from reason or evidence.
Two odd conclusions follow from this kind of thinking.
First, apologetics—giving evidence in defense of faith—would actually detrimental to faith. Yet Peter tells us to always be...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: October 15th 2005
@ 03:47 PM
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Oreos & Origins
by Greg Koukl
I want to give a couple of illustrations to try to explain to you why making reference to a designer is legitimate in the scientific arena. As some have argued, whenever you make a reference to a designer, you are making reference to something that is not natural. It is supernatural by definition, therefore you are talking about religion. Well, I guess I have to plead guilty to that. Part of my point earlier was that it's not possible for you to avoid...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: October 9th 2005
@ 05:55 PM
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Should stronger, more capable and more intelligent people have more rights than others?
Wouldn't I Still Be Me?
by Greg Koukl
Those who play the personhood card argue that there is a difference between being a human and being a person. There are, they say, human beings that don't qualify as persons, and therefore should have no legal protection as persons. The unborn is an example of a human who is not a person.
When asked "What's the difference between a mere human and a human person,"...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: October 1st 2005
@ 01:42 AM
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Lynching of Blacks by the KKK. Jewish genocide under the Third Reich. Abortion in America. Do these three have anything in common?
The American Holocaust
by Greg Koukl
Early this fall, the campus of the University of Kansas was rocked by a controversy that made headlines in the national press. Two pro-life groups--the Center for Bioethical Reform and Heartland Life Network--had posted a "pictorial essay" at a prominent crossroads on campus.
Three panels of a seven-by-fourteen foot...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: September 26th 2005
@ 11:50 PM
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A Stone in His Shoe
by Greg Koukl
In some circles there’s pressure for Christian ambassadors to “close the sale” as soon as possible. When pressed for time, get right to the meat of the message. Get to the Gospel. If the person doesn’t respond, you’ve still done your part. Shake the dust off your feet and move on.
A wise ambassador, though, weighs his opportunities ands adopts an appropriate strategy for each occasion. Sometimes, the simple truth of the cross is all that’s needed. The...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: September 21st 2005
@ 02:07 PM
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Do Christians Have a Bias?
by Greg Koukl
Philosopher J.P. Moreland points out that when a Christian deals with issues like science and faith, or the historicity of the Gospels, it’s fair to say that he’s biased in that he has a point of view, like everyone else. But a Christian’s bias doesn’t inform his conclusions in the same way that biases inform the conclusions of a naturalistic scientist--like Carl Sagan--or a liberal critic of the Life of Christ--like Jesus Seminar’s Marcus Borg. ...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: September 13th 2005
@ 05:07 PM
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Take a Tip from Leut. Columbo
by Greg Koukl
Have you ever taken a verbal beating when trying to talk about Jesus? If so, I’ve got a tip for you. It’s the simplest tactic imaginable to help stop a challenger in his tracks, turn the tables, and put you back in the driver’s seat. And it can be done almost effortlessly. Here’s an example.
Once in a restaurant in Seattle, I got into a chat about religion with the waitress. My comments were all met with an approving nod until I said, “When...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: September 11th 2005
@ 09:38 PM
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Silly Putty Bible Study
by Gregory Koukl
21st Century kids have cell phones, DVD players, and video games. When I was a kid we had simpler delights. One was a handful of malleable goo that could be pulled, twisted, or distorted into any shape imaginable. It was called Silly Putty®.
Sadly, many Christians use their Bibles like Silly Putty. Just add the Spirit and the Bible becomes putty in their hands, able to be molded into almost anything at all. Often, the results turn out to be...
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STR Ambassador
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Posted: September 6th 2005
@ 04:29 PM
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How do we know whether a particular thing is true or not, especially when it comes to religious issues? Greg discusses several ways we can know the truth…and ways we can deal with those who reply "Who's to say?"
Testing Religious Truth Claims
by Greg Koukl
It's not unusual for someone to say to me, "I'd like to get together with you and pick your brain." To this I have a standard response: "You can't pick my brain unless you're a brain surgeon, and only then if you use a scalpel. You...
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