Call To Die

Then [Jesus] said to them all, "If anyone wants to come with Me, he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow Me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of Me will save it. (Luke 9:23-24, HCSB)

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Location: Louisville, Kentucky, United States

follower of Christ, husband of Abby, father of Christian, Georgia Grace, and Rory Faith, deacon at Kosmosdale Baptist Church, tutor with Scholé Christian Tradition and Scholé Academy

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Alvin Plantinga on NPR: A Word of Appreciation and Caution

This past Sunday, NPR Weekend Edition aired an interview with Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga.
[A recording of the broadcast may be heard HERE.]
Plantinga made some excellent points in the interview, including:

1. Scientific laws do not preclude miracles, because scientific laws are for closed systems.
2. Science [as we commonly understand it today] arose from what must be broadly termed as a "Christian" society.
3. Science is today often employed by those who try to use it as an offensive weapon to promote atheism.
4. Everyone accepts beliefs that cannot be scientifically proven (for example: Science presupposes a past, it cannot prove that there has been a past).
5. Science does not cover the entirety of the intellectual enterprise.

Plantinga, in this interview and in other talks I have heard him give, seems to think (if I understand his position correctly) that Science and Religion occupy different spheres, and that each discipline is authoritative in its respective sphere. While there is some truth to this view (no one should try to use the Bible as his or her sole authoritative guide for performing brain surgery, for example), sometimes Science (at least as it is commonly practiced today) seeks to make authoritative pronouncements regarding issues addressed by the Bible (such as the origin of the Universe or human life); in these instances the faithful Christian must side with infallible Scripture over against the fallible observations of men.

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