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Are Christians hypocritical to support the death penalty?

In a previous post on abortion on my own blog, a reader named Matthew Lee raised the issue of how many pro-abortion advocates bring up the death penalty. By doing so, they hope to show that Christians are inconsistent in saying we should never take human life. Now, in one sense I think this is a non-issue. The objection doesn’t…

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Same-sex Marriage Debate with Colin Craig, Louisa Wall and Matthew Flannagan

On Tuesday, 2 October of 2012, The Auckland University Students Association (AUSA) held a debate on the controversial topic of same-sex marriage. The moot for the debate was “This House supports the legalization of same-sex marriage in New Zealand.” Those who filled the 600+ seat lecture theatre to capacity were treated to an electric atmosphere and night of stimulating arguments…

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New milestone: fundamentalist atheism now indistinguishable from parody of itself

Bnonn responds to an article by the Georgia State Director of American Atheists.

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John Hare in Auckland

British classicist, ethicist, and Professor of Philosophical Theology at Yale Divinity School, John Hare will be participating at several public events next week (along with the God and Ethics panel on Tuesday). Hare is a widely acclaimed philosopher, best known for developing an account of the need for God’s assistance in meeting the demands of objective morality. If you’re looking…

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Ethics: What Does God have to do with it?

This July, those of us in Auckland will have the opportunity to hear some of the worlds leading Christian thinkers discuss the relationship between religion and morality. This issue is one that has long been the subject of debate in western culture. Some philosophers and social commentators argue that morality is entirely independent of religion and that faith is in fact…

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Why there can’t be two gods

The first of a three-part series answering some questions about God, raised by an email correspondent named Albert.

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Video from the Bradley v Flannagan Debate

Footage of the debate between Raymond Bradley and Matt Flannagan.

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Auckland Debate: Is God the Source of Morality?

Matthew Flannagan will be debating Raymond Bradley at Auckland University this August.

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Is God the Best Explanation for Moral Values? The McDowell-Corbett Debate

Video and reaction to the debate between Christian apologist Sean McDowell and Jim Corbett on the role of God in justifying moral value.

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Euthyphro’s Problem

In Plato’s Dialogue Euthyphro there appears a problem often put to the defender of Divine Command Theory of Ethics. Here the problem is presented, followed by a brief explanation as to why this problem is not a problem.

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The essence of Christianity is Christ

Peter Kreeft explains that the heart of Christianity is not ethical, but metaphysical.

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Atheistic Moral Platonism

There is an objection to the moral argument for God’s existence, specifically the premise which states the best explanation for the foundation for objective moral values and duties is God. It is the idea that moral values and duties can be plausibly anchored in some transcendent, non-theistic ground. That moral values and duties exist objectively, but as brute facts, not needing an explanation for their existence. They are sort of eternal unchanging ideas that are necessary features of the universe. This position we shall call Atheistic Moral Platonism, and there are three ways we could respond.

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Did God order genocide in the Old Testament against the Canaanites?

A summary of Paul Copan’s paper on the wars in the OT.

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Hitler and the Atheistic detractor of Hell

Another conversation sparked by Rob’s excellent video entitled “Atheists should not criticize Hitler” on YouTube. Thank you Rob! Here BarryLeder asks a hairy question about the morality of a God who would send people to hell. The axioloigcal argument is defended as well as the doctrine of hell.

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Response to the SaviorOfLogic

SaviorOfLogic from YouTube asked a hairy question on the comment of the video; “Atheists should not criticize Hitler.” It was, “What if God forbid’s murder, but then commands you to kill (such as in the promised land), is killing or not killing them the moral action?” Here is the promised response, talking about Divine Command Theory, Euthyphro, and problem of atrocities committed in the old testament, specifically the Conquest of Canaan.

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Atheists Should Not Criticise Hitler

This conversation was in part a response to Rob’s excellent video entitled “Atheists should not criticize Hitler” on You Tube. It discusses the inadequacy of atheism and the adequacy of theism as a basis for morality. Thank you Rob!

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