Articles – Page 22 – Evidence for Christianity

Is Anyone at Home?? (a college paper submitted for ENGL 1A by Johnas Changsek

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible and Science, Creation, The Existence of God .

Note from John Oakes: This is a college lever paper submitted by a user of the web site. It is not at an extremely scholarly level, but I am proud of Johans for doing an excellent job of defending theism in view of scientific knowledge. I hope you enjoy his paper. J. O. […]

Can you help with history of city of Corinth and at present what's their condition?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, Church History, General, History .

Question: Can you help with history of city of Corinth and at present what’s their condition? Answer: Corinth is on the isthmus separating the Peloponesian peninsula from mainland Greece. For this reason, it was in important and wealthy city from ancient times. During the 500’s BC it played a role as the or one of […]

Introduction to World Religions: Judaism

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Other Religions, PowerPoints .

Introduction to World Religions: Judaism. Click on the link below for a Power Point presentation by R. D. Baker (Phoenix, AZ) and Ryan Cartwright (Edmonton, Alberta). This is a general introduction to a course on world religions, followed by the body of the class, which is on the background of Judaism. Power Point: Judaism 2.29 […]

The Problem of Pain and Suffering:? Part II

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Pain and Suffering, Philosophy .

The Problem of Pain and Suffering Part II John Oakes 11/1/06 In the previous essay I proposed a two-pronged strategy to considering the problem of pain and suffering. The existence of evil and of suffering is both an apologetic problem and a human problem. In the first part, I tackled the apologetic issue. […]

The Problem of Pain and Suffering, Part I

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Pain and Suffering, Philosophy .

The Problem of Pain and Suffering John Oakes 9/27/06 This past summer I traveled to the UKon a teaching trip. I was asked to speak on the problem of pain and suffering. When I received the request my first thought was to wonder why they thought I might be qualified to speak on this […]

Isn't the teaching of the Catholic Church about Mary just a "Christian" version of mother goddess worship?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Other Religions .

Comment: The oldest representations of gods are female & one of the oldest is the Venus of Willendorf, dating from the Upper Palaeolithic about 30,000 years ago. Coming closer to the present is the Mother Goddess of Skorba in Malta which dates from the Neolithic about 6,500 years ago. Isis, the Mother Goddess of the […]

An islamic web site claims that the Qur'an gives an accurate value for the speed of light. What do you think about this?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions, Science and the Bible .

Question: I was at an islamic apologetic web site which claimed that the Qur’an has a correct value for the speed of light, which supposedly proves the Qur’an is inspired by Allah. Below is the quote. 299,792.458 km/sis the speed of light in vacuum. However, according to Einstein’s theory of General Relativity, the speed of […]

Isn't it odd that God created such a huge universe which existed for 13 billion years if we exist for such a small time and in such a small place? What was God doing the other 13 billion years?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Science and the Bible, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: If the age of the Cosmos is regarded as 24 hours, Homo Sapiens did not appear until the last second and Jesusdid not appear until almost the last 1/100th of a second. Is it impertinent to enquire what God was doing for the rest of the 13,000,000,000 years ? Was he pondering the future […]

A professor of mine claimed that astrology came from Judaism and that it was part of later Judaism and early Christianity. Is this possible?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, History .

Question: I realize that astrology and the Zodiac today is something that God would not condone, but I heard some argue that the Zodiac was originally a biblical concept that was corrupted during the time of the tower of Babel. Is there any proof supporting this claim? ;Also, in my Rome and Jerusalem class, we […]

Christian Science and Scientology: A Power Point

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Other Religions, PowerPoints .

Christian Science and Scientology. What do they have in common? Not science!!! Click below to view or download the Power Point Presentation Power Point: Christian Science and Scientology 300.00 Kb

Eastern Religions and the New Age Movement: A Power Point

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Other Religions, PowerPoints .

Power Point: Eastern Religion and New Age

I have been developing a theory…. A questioner presents his own philosophy of how religion should work. What is wrong with my idea?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: I have been developing a theory or a concept for living according to God’s plan for mankind. Please tell me where there are flaws in my concept. God created man and all other creation according to his will and pleasure. He differentiated man to be in his own “image,” which I think should read […]

What caused the break-up of Christianity into so many groups? Since the Catholic Church can trace itself to the beginning, doesn't that make them the true church?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General .

Question: I wonder why the break-up in the churchof God. I mean Catholic, Anglican, Baptist, International Church of Christ etc…. Sometimes I imagine why most group claim to be the only Christians among the Christian circle. What caused the break up? How did it happen? What could be done? The Catholic Church has been existing […]

Do you think there were significant scientific changes that occurred with the fall of man? Is it possible it was not until this point that the spiritual and physical realms became separate?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, Science and the Bible .

Question: Do you think there were significant scientific changes that occurred with the fall of man? Is it possible it was not until this point that the spiritual and physical realms became separate, or was it just that Adam and Eve didn?t realize it until then? Also, I remember from chemistry talking about the theory […]

The Jewish High Holy Days: Their meaning and Foreshadows

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Foreshadows and Prefigures, Jesus, Other Religions, Prophecy .

? The Jewish High Holy Days Phillip Lester 9/23/06 Jews all over the world are about to enter a three week period called the High Holy Days. They involve special Jewish celebrations for the fall season. Although they are found in the Scriptures, their position in the Jewish calendar is often overlooked by disciples. They […]

Is speaking in tounges real? Should it be done in church?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Interpretation, General, Miracles, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: Is there such thing as speaking in tongues? In the Bible Paul said he had that spiritual gift and it was his greatest gift (1CO 14), and then I read a study Bible and it said that as Christians we could have the gift but it is not of help to others but just […]

Cosmic Origins?? (Matt Longhorn)

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Bible and Science, Creation, The Existence of God .

Cosmic Origins The significance of the Big Bang for Theism Matt Longhorn, Reading, UK (philosophical_1@hotmail.com) September 21, 2006 The story of our understanding of the universe has been charted well in the agnostic author Robert Jastrow?s – God and the Astronomers. Jastrow traces the Big Bang theory back to mathematical calculations by […]

What is Buddhism? How is Buddha different from Christ?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions .

Question:What is Buddism & its childhood & what is the difference between him & Christ? I’m a Christian ; How can I speak with atheists & what is the main point to persuade them to be a Christian? Answer: Here is a little information on Buddhism, its founder and its teachings: Founder: Gautama Buddha or […]

Isn't belief in the Anthropic Principle/in an intelligent designer intellectually dishonest? Can it be used to predict scientific laws?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, Science and the Bible .

Question/Comment: I just finished reading an article you wrote regarding the ‘evidence’ for an intelligent designer and I found it so intellectually dishonest that it inspired me to write you. I hope that someday you come to see the ‘folly’ that comes with accepting ideas such as the ‘anthropic principle.’ Someday I think you will […]

Can we have the communion on any other day than Sunday? What does the insciption, INRI on the cross mean?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: Can we have the communion on any other day than Sunday? What does the insciption, INRI on the cross mean? Answer: Let me answer the easy question first. INRI is an acronym for a Latin translation of the inscription Pilate had put on the sign he placed on Jesus’ cross. Pilate had a sign […]

The Problem of Pain and Suffering: An outline

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Pain and Suffering .

THE PROBLEM OF PAIN AND SUFFERING I An apologetic/intellectual problem. II A human problem. I Pain and Suffering: an apologetic problem. Agnostic says: God is completely good and all-powerful. Given the pain and suffering in the world, this cannot be true. He could be either: A. All-powerful, but certainly not completely […]

Are miracles still happening today? If we pray for a loved one, will they be healed?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Miracles, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

QUESTION: Are miracles real and still happening today? In other words, if you believe for a loved one to be healed of a certain disease, the miracle can take place? ANSWER: The short answer to your question is “yes.” God is the Sovereign Creator of heaven and earth (Genesis 1:1), so He possesses all the […]

The Book of Mormon: A Summary

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Other Religions .

THE BOOK OF MORMON Joe Fields, Tuscon, Arizona Introduction: The Book of Mormon claims to be the record of God?s dealings with the inhabitants of ancient Mesoamerica (2000 BC to 421 AD). The record tracks the history of two civilizations. The first nation, known as the Jaredites, claims to have come to the […]

How do I know for a fact that the apostles were martyred (which is strong evidence that the gospels are true)? Is Foxe reliable?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General .

Question: The idea that the eye-witnesses (apostles) who were in the position to know the truth and died for it, was to me one of the strongest reasons to believe their testimony of Jesus Christ. Because numerous eye-witnesses don’t die for a know lie. It’s against human nature. I have been told (by non-believers on […]

Was Daniel Written After the Events Foretold?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible, Prophecy .

Note: This excellent article on the date of writing of Daniel was not written by an ARS author. It is taken from the web site www.Christian-ThinkTank.com Good question….Was Daniel written AFTER the events he foretold? [Draft May 16, 1998; 3rd revision draft Dec/2000……………..Intro/Menu] Section One: The Dead Sea Scrolls Manuscript Data ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………. […]

Is the execution of James the Elder reported by Josephus? How do we know the Gospel writers are reliable?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Archaeology and the Bible, Church History, General .

Question: I read your response in the questions and answers archive (in the Church History section) where someone asked how we can be sure that the apostles were martyred, according to non-Christian sources. You said there’s only one non-Christian source (Antiquities of the Jews) which describes the death of an apostle. This is Josephus’ account […]

A Thorough Review of the Testimonium Flavianum

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible, Jesus .

Did Josephus Refer to Jesus? [IMAGE] Note: This article is copyrighted and is by Christopher Rice. It is found at http://www.bede.org.uk/Josephus.htm A Thorough Review of the Testimonium Flavianum By Christopher Price The most important extra-biblical references to Jesus are found in the writings of Josephus. Although some have questioned the authenticity of the passages, modern […]

What is the significance of religious symbols? Should Christians use a cross, and should we be concerned about the power of pagan symbols such as the pentagram?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions, Practical Christianity .

Question: What do you believe is the significance of religious symbols? For example, what is so special about wearing a cross to signify Jesus, since it doesn’t state in the Bible that you should wear one? Also what about other symbols such as the Star of David, the pentagram/upside-down pentagram, inverted cross, freemason compass/square symbol, […]

Judas:? Another Gospel?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible, Philosophy .

?The secret account of the revelation that Jesus spoke in conversation with Judas Iscariot.? These words begin a startling new discovery, announced to the world in April of this year. First there was the Da Vinci Code, now there is the Gospel of Judas. It seems like when it rains it pours. On […]

You state in your book that comparison of Genesis one with science implies transcendent authorship. What about Genesis two? Doesn't that require faith?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, General Apologetics, Science and the Bible .

Comment: You state in your book Is There a God “Comparison of Genesis one with scientific knowledge implies a transcendent source for the creation story.” Why only limit it it to Genesis one? What about Genesis two? Not so brave there – you have to fall back on faith. There is no strict logical implication […]

Isn't belief in a spiritual dimension to reality a circular argument? Doesn't Ockham's Razor logically argue against spiritual explanation of observed phenomena?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy .

Comment: To take as given that spiritual reality exists is to commit to a path that is self-validating and circular. To believe in the “ghost in the machine” is to add a superfluous hypothesis which adds nothing to the explanation of the observed phenomena; in fact it confuses it unnecessarily, as Ockam’s razor would point […]

What is the definition of spirit?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: What is the definition of spirit? Answer: (Note: This is a follow-up to a question about the nature of a soul. To save the reader time, I am pasting my response to that question to the bottom of this answer) It is easier to define soul than spirit for the simple reason that the […]

What are the properties of a soul?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: What are the properties of a soul? Answer: As a scientist I cannot define the word soul. As far as I know, the soul has no physical reality. Rather, it has a spiritual reality; not subject to experiment. It is ontolological, metaphysical. I will freely admit that my belief in a soul rests principally […]

Can discoveries of self-replicating molecules explain how life began on the earth? Can supercomputers calculate the probability?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, Science and the Bible .

Question: Answer: I do try to keep up as much as possible with the new discoveries in evolutionary/molecular biology. I am not sure exactly which aspect of self-replicating molecules you refer to. For example, there are prions, which are the cause of Kreutzfeld-Jacob (mad cow) disease. These molecules are self-replicating, but only within a cell […]

What evidence have you for the existence of a metaphysical soul outside the Bible? Where is the soul located?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: What evidence have you for the existence of a metaphysical soul outside the Bible? Where is the soul located? Where absolute proof is unavailable, we should be able to proceed on the basis of the balance of evidence. For example, if a person is standing at a bus stop and a bus comes along […]

Is it possible that the earth is alive and that we are part of a larger living thing? This would make the idea of us being made in God's image different.

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: I’ve always thought science was the study of God’s creation. If we find that our species is just a part of a living planet, that which was made in His image is a bit bigger than our species. In that case, God’s image is grander than is expressed in humanity-stood-alone, but more like humanity-in-and-of-nature. […]

Is it written that the communion should be taken every Sunday or once in a year?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: Is it written that the communion should be taken every Sunday or once in a year? Answer: The answer to this question is simple. It is not written how often the church should share the communion. For this reason, we should not be dogmatic about this issue. What we can definitely say is that […]

How do we know that the early church did not tamper with the Bible or make it into what they wanted, rather than God choosing the New Testament writings?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, Church History, General .

Question: I have read arguments that the church really shaped the Bible for their own purposes.That is implied by the Da Vinci Code. Some of the people I’ve talked to don’t believe in Jesus because they don’t think the Bible is legitimate, but that Jesus was just a teacher andthat the church turned in him […]

Are Satan and the Devil two different persons? Also, how do you explain Catholic miracles such as stigmata, statues crying holy oil and so forth?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Miracles, Other Religions, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: I was recently told that the original Hebrew word for Satan, is in fact a different word completely, when compared to the word “devil” which is used in the New Testament. The claim is that Satan, and the devil are actually two different entities. What do we actually know about Satan and the Devil […]

The DaVinci Code:? A Review

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible .

The Da Vinci Code: A Review Dan Brown?s book, The Da Vinci Code, has been the best selling book in the past few years. Its only recent rival has been the Harry Potter series. This summera blockbuster movie based on the book, promises to be the biggest movie of the year. What is […]

Outline for class on the resurrection of Jesus

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Jesus .

The Resurrection of Jesus An Outline Q: Is it logical to believe that Jesus was raised from the dead? Q: Why is this important? 1. If Jesus was in fact raised from the dead, this validates all his claims. If not?.. 2. It explains a lot The changed […]

Do Good Friday, Easter Sunday represent the actual date that Jesus was crucified? What is the significance of church on Sundays?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Church History, General .

Question: Do Good Friday, Easter Sunday represent the actual date that Jesus was crucified. and what is the significance of Church on Sunday? Answer: Jesus was crucified on a Friday; on the eve of the Passover. He was raised on the day after the Passover, which was a Sunday. The early church began to commemorate […]

Are the Gospels Reliable?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Apologetics, Bible .

ARE THE GOSPELS RELIABLE? By John Oakes A number of questions have come to the web site from people who question the validity of the gospel accounts. Groups such as the Jesus Seminar have sought to find the ?genuine? sayings and acts of Jesus among what they consider to be the chaff added by believers […]

What is the legitimate relationship between human reasoning and religion/Christianity?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Philosophy, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: What do you think of human reasoning? What are its boundaries when it comes to religion? Would you say that using reason is the wrong way to approach religion? Would you ever say that human reasoning is inaccurate? I was talking to a pastor and he said that reasoning was biased and it got […]

I have heard that the Mormons claim that when Jesus died he traveled in the time to preach to long-dead people in the Old Testament. Any comment on this claim?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Other Religions .

Question; The Mormons claim that when Jesus died he traveled in the time so that he was able to preach to long-dead people in the Old Testament. Any comment on this claim? Secondly what are those sins that do not lead to death? Thirdly, what kind of sins that are unforgiveable? thank you so much.. […]

What to you say to the claim of a Muslim friend that Deuteronomy 18:15-19 is about Muhammad, not Jesus?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in General, Historical and Messianic Prophecy, Other Religions .

Question: A Muslim friend made an outrageous claim to me that in Deuteronomy 18: 15-19 it is speaking of Muhammed and not Jesus. One hole in this claim is that Muhammad was an Arab, not a Jew. (Genesis 22:18). He would be of the house of David (Jeremiah 21:5). What do you think of this? […]

Are The Gospels Accounts Reliable?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible .

Are The Gospels Accounts Reliable? It is a very common phenomenon for scholars and theologians to question the reliability of the gospel accounts as history. Groups such as the Jesus Seminar have sought to find the ?genuine? sayings and acts of Jesus among what they consider to be the chaff added by believers in […]

Please comment on N. F. Gier's claim that the Bible writers believed in a solid "firmament" surrounding the earth.

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, Science and the Bible, Theology and Doctrinal Questions .

Question: If you feel like a heart attack, go to the University of Idaho website, type N.F.Gier in the search box and then select GRE.It’s a reference to his book ” God Reason and the Evangelicals”. Then select Chapter 13. The point is that Genesis one describes the earth as surrounded by a solid “firmament.” […]

How can you explain the contradiction in the Genesis story which has the sun and the moon being created on the fourth day, if there was already day and night on the first day of creation?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Creation, General, Science and the Bible, Supposed Inconsistencies in the Bible .

Question: How can you explain the seeming contradiction in the Genesis story which has the sun and the moon being created on the fourth day, if there was already day and night on the first day of creation? Isn?t this an example of the Bible being contradicted by science and by common sense? Answer: I […]

A Muslim friend told me the original NT word for cross meant stick, and that the meaning changed over time. Is that true?

Dr. John Oakes wrote in Bible Manuscripts and Textual Questions, General, Other Religions, Resurrection of Jesus .

Question: I was talking to a Muslim and he told me that the word that was used in the original Hebrew New Testament for the cross actually meant Stick and that the word has changes over time to mean cross, is this true? Also I am readibng your book “Reasons for Belief.” It is very […]