A newly released American study draws attention to a “striking decline” in traditional biblical beliefs among those who claim to be evangelicals. The study by Probe Ministries discovered that 60% of those claiming to be ‘born again’ Christians in America, aged between 18 and 39, believe that Buddha and Muhammad are equally valid paths to …
ENFORCED CELIBACY In this second instalment, I examine the policy of the enforced celibacy of clergy. Within the Catholic church, priests and nuns are prohibited from marrying, based upon the belief that abstention from sex and freedom from marital ties will enable them to be more singularly devoted to God’s service. Similarly, within Eastern and …
This is the first in a short series of articles aimed at examining some of the religious rituals and practices that originated many centuries ago and which have persisted into the modern world. The series aims to examine the historical roots of these practices and evaluate the relevance of their continued practice. Let me start …
The first ‘trans woman” (a biological male who claims he is really a woman) has been accepted to compete in the Olympic women’s weightlifting competition. New Zealand transgender weightlifter, Laurel Hubbard, was born Gavin Hubbard, and for many years competed as a male weightlifter for New Zealand, winning many competitions. But in 2013, at the …
In my recent seminar, “Evidence for Belief”, I examined some of the compelling evidence for God’s existence. This included recent cosmological evidence that has led to the stunning conclusion that the universe had a finite beginning and came into existence at a distant point in the past via mechanisms that many scientists are now admitting …
One of the fundamental problems facing society today is that we have lost all concept of sin. Ahh … but there’s that horrible little word: ‘sin”. It’s not a very popular concept anymore, is it? In fact, our modern world seems to have completely rejected the concept, and anyone who still uses the term is …
After a recent funeral I conducted, a highly critical email was sent to the church website. Here it is in full (all names have been changed): “Hi there, I recently attended the funeral of Beryl Smith at your beautiful church. I feel obliged to write, as the minister at the funeral chose to disgrace your …
Sex before marriage has become the norm in our society. “Try before you buy” appears to be the motto of today’s younger generations. In fact, many people are choosing not to ‘buy’ at all, but to lead a permanent lifestyle of casual sex, involving ‘hook ups’ with almost total strangers or engaging in a series …
The long life-spans of the first humans, recorded in the book of Genesis, have been a source of contention for many people. How could people possibly live for hundreds of years? Is this an indication of the Bible’s fanciful nature? Is there any science that could explain such extreme longevity? The answer might surprise you. …