Category Archives: Apologetics

Can We Trust Josephus When He Mentions Jesus?

Posted on June 26, 2019 by humblesmith

In the first century, the Romans had a Jew named Josephus to write a history of the Jewish people and the wars that took place in Israel. Josephus’ book Antiquities of the Jews  mentions Jesus twice. The first is brief and … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Bible, Church History | 3 Comments

Luke Shows Accurate History

Posted on August 3, 2018 by humblesmith

In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— during the high priesthood of Annas and … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Theology | 2 Comments

Systems of Systems Require a Good Designer

Posted on May 10, 2018 by humblesmith

We think of science as providing modern conveniences, but in actuality scientists provide less of the things that make our lives more enjoyable than we realize. Instead, engineers take the things of science and make them work in practical ways. … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Atheism, Evolution | 20 Comments

A General Evaluation of Christopher Hitchens

Posted on January 1, 2018 by humblesmith

I recently watched an online video of atheist Christopher Hitchens. He was apparently speaking at a Freedom Fest in 2008. Hitchens was quite influential, and to read the comments to the video, he was much beloved and missed by atheists. He … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Skepticism | 7 Comments

Christian and Atheist Discuss the Cause of the Universe and the Easter Bunny

Posted on December 30, 2017 by humblesmith

Christian and Atheist discuss the Easter Bunny and the cause of the universe. A: You xtians are so silly. You believe in a great god in the sky. Us reasonable people do not believe in fantasies like the Easter Bunny. … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics | 15 Comments

Minute Details in Acts Show an Accurate Eyewitness Account

Posted on December 2, 2017 by humblesmith

In Acts 13, we find Paul the apostle traveling around the Mediterranean region. This chapter is typical of the last half of Acts, in that it mentions a series of minute details about local geography and people: v.1: mentions several … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Church History | 2 Comments

Does Secular Historian Josephus Give Historical Corroboration to the New Testament?

Posted on November 6, 2017 by humblesmith

Flavius Josephus was a historian in first century Rome. Of Jewish heritage, he was commissioned by the Romans to write a history of the Jewish people. Josephus mentions Jesus in two passages, one very brief and a second in more … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Church History | 3 Comments

Some Works on Evolution Worth Reading

Posted on September 12, 2017 by humblesmith

Evolutionary biologists have, since Darwin, held that random mutations are filtered by natural selection to produce the biological life that we now see. Since Darwin they have spoken in generalities, assuming that the mutations at the sub-cell level are actually … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Evolution | 1 Comment

A Theoretical Physicist Evaluates the Bible’s View of Creation

Posted on May 8, 2017 by humblesmith
Posted in Apologetics, Bible | Leave a comment

What is the Mess We Are in, and How Did We Get Here?

Posted on January 28, 2017 by humblesmith

Liberal churches have accepted aberrant theologies, or even heresies, while conservative churches have disconnected faith from reason and disconnected the church from the culture. Here we explore the causes of this condition and give some examples of the problems. Influential … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Bible, Church History, Culture, Evolution, Uncategorized | 1 Comment

On the Atheists’ Demand for Evidence

Posted on January 13, 2017 by humblesmith

When asked why they do not believe in God, a common atheist answer is that there is insufficient evidence, or more commonly, there is no evidence at all. In one online conversation I saw recently, one atheist said of God “There is … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Atheism, Skepticism | 6 Comments

If We Communicate Meaningful Messages, Atheism is False

Posted on November 28, 2016 by humblesmith

Atheists are fond of telling us that we do not have free will. Atheist writer Sam Harris has made a book-length explanation of why he believes all human thoughts and actions are predetermined. In his book Free Will he states “One … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Atheism, Philosophy | 6 Comments

Nothing Cannot Cause Any Thing

Posted on July 25, 2016 by humblesmith

If ever there was a time when absolutely nothing existed, there would still be nothing, for nothing cannot cause any thing to exist. All effects must have a cause, as even the king of the skeptics admitted, David Hume. To … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Philosophy, Skepticism | 6 Comments

Greek Scholars and the Watchtower

Posted on July 4, 2016 by humblesmith

I have written on the books written by the Jehovah’s Witnesses, specifically their rendering of John 1:1c, “the word was a god” when all English translations have “the Word was God” or similar. One hundred percent of the Greek scholars … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Bible | 6 Comments

Creation, Big Bang, and Age of the Earth

Posted on June 26, 2016 by humblesmith

Question: Some people believe God created the world in six literal days. Others believe in an old-earth view, with a “big bang.” Is it possible to reconcile old earth and young earth views? Also, why is it easier to believe in … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics | 6 Comments

Do We Get Our Identity From God Or From Nature?

Posted on June 23, 2016 by humblesmith

Question: 1) How much of a person’s identity is uniquely God-given, and how much is merely a combination of genes and environmental factors? Also, 2) how do we know that a human is not merely a highly sophisticated animal?  Response: These … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Uncategorized | 3 Comments

Is Christianity the Only Way?

Posted on June 10, 2016 by humblesmith

This is another in a series of questions about the truth of Christianity. Question: Why do we believe that Christianity is the only way, as opposed to other religions? People in other religions, such as Buddhism or New Age, claim … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Philosophy | 1 Comment

What is the Proper Way to Do Apologetics?

Posted on May 28, 2016 by humblesmith

We are living in what can be considered the golden age of Christian apologetics. There has been more information published defending Christianity in the last twenty five years than in most of the previous twenty centuries. During that time Christian … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics | 8 Comments

Two People Raised Jehovah’s Witnesses Tell Their Story

Posted on April 19, 2016 by humblesmith

A Lesson for Apologists and Members of the Watchtower Here is the personal account of two people who were raised Jehovah’s Witnesses, spent a great deal of time working for their kingdom hall, and lived a life expected by that … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics | 3 Comments

Is Daniel Accurate About the Attack of Nebuchadnezzar?

Posted on March 23, 2016 by humblesmith

The book of Daniel is very accurate prophecy concerning history and the coming messiah, Jesus. As such, it is much attacked by critics. Daniel 1:1-2 say the following: In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Bible | 2 Comments

A Little Apologetic Humor

Posted on January 18, 2016 by humblesmith

We have had a bit of heavy stuff lately, so here is a bit of apologetic humor.  

Posted in Apologetics, Atheism | 3 Comments

Did Ezekiel Prophesy Correctly About Tyre? (Part 5)

Posted on October 29, 2015 by humblesmith

The Origin of Tyre Whether Tyre originated on the land or the island seems to be in some dispute, but for our purposes it is not relevant. Neither is it relevant to determine the location or influence of Tyre in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Bible, Church History | 2 Comments

Christian and Naturalist Discuss Free Will

Posted on July 20, 2015 by humblesmith

Christian and Naturalist discuss free will. For the benefit of newcomers, the kalam cosmological argument goes like this: 1. What begins to exist has a cause. 2. The universe has a beginning. 3. The universe has a cause. N: I’ve … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Philosophy, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Who Is More Reasonable In Religious Discussions?

Posted on April 30, 2015 by humblesmith

The book True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism responds to the claims of modern atheists who are fond of trying to take the rational high ground in the discussion of religion. Tom Gilson is the editor of … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Atheism | 1 Comment

Literary Critics Examine the New Testament

Posted on March 30, 2015 by humblesmith

The facts presented in the New Testament have a large amount of corroboration from sources outside the Bible (see here, and here, and here). The typical objections to these facts is claiming the Bible to be historical fiction and dismissing … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Bible | 5 Comments

What is the Origin of Our Sense of Moral Lapse?

Posted on January 14, 2015 by humblesmith

In the book True Reason (Gilson and Weitnauer, eds.) Samuel Youngs asks “We are brutally aware of how often we come up short (what could be the evolutionary purpose for a sense of abiding discontentment with the world on moral grounds?). (p.176). … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Evolution, Morality | 2 Comments

Why God is Necessary for Rational Thought

Posted on December 6, 2014 by humblesmith

The view presented to us by the modern worldview is that God is either nonexistent or unnecessary. We are told that everything in the physical world can ultimately be explained by the natural sciences. According to this atheistic view, everything … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Atheism, Philosophy | 6 Comments

One Atheist’s Journey To Christianity

Posted on December 5, 2014 by humblesmith
Posted in Apologetics, Atheism | 5 Comments

What is More Trustworthy: Theology or Science?

Posted on November 28, 2014 by humblesmith

I  recently read an article by a seasoned cardiologist saying that medical science has been wrong about the connection between saturated fats and heart disease. This was the second or third time in the last few months that I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Culture | Leave a comment

Is God Necessary for Us to Know Order and Purpose in the World?

Posted on November 27, 2014 by humblesmith

Is it reasonable for us to be able to recognize order and purpose in the world if God does not exist? Thomas Nagel has written a very insightful book titled Mind and Cosmos: Why the Materialist Neo-Darwinian Conception of Nature … Continue reading →

Posted in Apologetics, Atheism, Philosophy | 6 Comments