Parchment & Pen Blog

contra “The Argument from Finite Knowledge” I have heard many people use an illustration when talking about atheism and its viability. Many will say that they can convert an atheist to an agnostic with this simple illustration. Here is how it goes. If someone claims to be an atheist, you can easily convert them to [...]

Hi Michael, I’ve got a very devote Eastern Orthodox friend (he left evangelicalism and converted a few years ago…he is 24…) he goes on and on about all these fantastic miracles…about saints whose bodies do not decay and even omit “fragrance”…um…something about fire that won’t burn a bishops beard or something…I don’t know…sounds legendary… What [...]

I am perfectly aware that apologetics as an intellectual enterprise does not produce faith. I am neither Pelagian nor Semi-Pelagian. I recognize the limitations of the human mind and, more importantly, the human will to understand and accept God outside of the sovereign movements of the Holy Spirit. Having said this, I am a firm believer in [...]

  You may be familiar with a book called 90 Minutes in Heaven: A True Story of Death & Life written by Don Piper (not to be confused with John Piper) and Cecil Murphey. It has been on the New York Times and Amazon best seller list since its release in 2004. In the book, Don [...]

What does it mean to use the Lord’s name in vain? This is a question that might seem self-evident to most people in western society. Whether you are religious or not, you would not even hesitate with your answer, “It means to say G-D.” I am sure that there are more people that can answer this [...]

I found this on an atheistic website and thought that it was interesting. It is the top ten signs you are a fundamentalist Christian. (I think atheists believe that all Christians who believe the Bible are “fundamentalists.”) These kind of posts encourage and discourage me in an odd sort of way. They encourage me because [...]

I have heard this since I was a very young Christian. It seemed somewhat reasonable as it was explained to me by pastors in sermons and Christians as they explained the seriousness of sin. The claim goes something like this: All sin is so bad that even the smallest of sins deserves eternal punishment in [...]

I thought that this was sad, funny, informative, and hard to read all at once. It is from “Friendly Atheist.” It lists 20 things that Christians do that annoy him. I thought that the insights from an outsider was helpful and interesting. I even found myself agreeing with some of them.