Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any to pitch some ideas.

Idea #1: “Apologetics Aggregator”
I recently started an aggregator catered specifically towards blogs centering on Apologetics. Mine is the only one currently listed – but please – if you feel like this is something you’re interested in, or something you concentrate on – shoot me an email – rk AT razorskiss DOT net (spam separated). Please list your blog’s title, and it’s RSS url. If you have category-level RSS feeds- please only give me the RSS for the category in which you discuss apologetics. I hope to see you soon.

Idea #2: “Apologetics Symphony”
There is a Best of Me symphony, a “Carnival of the Vanities”, and a “Christian Carnival”. However, I’d like something that could be used as a catalyst to encourage more apologetics-centered work in the blogosphere. I’ve also been talking with Pastor Phil Steiger, of Every Thought Captive, about some collaboration… and other things 😀 What do you think?

Idea #3: “Shade Tree Apologists”
I started a informal group, not too long ago, to counter a tendency I was seeing, on an online gaming forum I debate on, relatively often. The tendency was the same one that we see in our mainstream culture:
1. To marginalize Christianity, or to attempt to debase it.
2. To use out of context Scripture references to somehow “debunk” scriptural arguments used against social and moral issues.
3. To completely misunderstand both the goal, and the motive behind any sort of apologetic defense of Scriptural mandates.

So, out of the members on that forum, and a blogging friend of mine, from my old blogging community, I began a rough, informal “alliance”, which I called the “Shade Tree Apologists.” (You can look at what I’ve done thus far in the preceding link – or, by going to the main page of my site, and scrolling down just a bit on the left. You can find archives of my prior debates, reference tools and sites, and various articles.) In essence, it’s an “alliance”, a reference library, and a way to “encourage one another”, as we are called to do. I’d like to invite anyone, after prayerful consideration to help me build on it, and expand it into the blogosphere.

I’ve been inspired to do the above, to a considerable extent, by Joe Carter, and his Evangelical Outpost, as well as Adrian Warnock, and his work over at his blog.

That’s pretty much it. I’ve felt a strong burden for this for quite some time, and this is the chief reason I built this blog. So, comments, advice, and assistance would be greatly appreciated!

Welcomes
Ed “What the” Heckman, and his blog, Greatest Pursuits. Welcome to the blogosphere – and keep writing stuff like this!

In thinking long and hard about whether or not to start this blog, there has been one concept which has been driving my thinking more than any other; the pursuit of Truth. In nearly every serious debate I see on the internet and in the media there is always at least one side, and sometimes even all sides, where Belief is considered more important than Truth. Reversing these two concepts like this is a sure fire recipe for disaster. Over the past year the pursuit for truth and showing others the truth has become one of the driving passions of my life.

News
James Dobson, of Focus on the Family fame, is featured in a US News and World Report article.

“My purpose in living is not to take a good reputation to the grave,” he says. “I want to do what I think God wants me to do, and I want to do it as wisely and judiciously as possible and let the chips fall where they may.”

(HT: Hugh Hewitt)

Apologetics
Moving Beyond If is today’s “Slice of Infinity” article, from RZIM.

But who can navigate through such a mess of ifs and conditions? If I work harder, if I trust more fully, if I repent more somberly or seek more fervently, then I will find Him. Still for others, the conditions we set before our relationship with God are a matter of hiding: If He really knew me, if I sat before Him without this mask, He wouldn’t want anything to do with me.

In our mess of conditions it is often the simplest logic that escapes us. I am most confronted about the “ifs and thens” I carry when I sit before the “ifs and thens” of Scripture.

Go read the rest. It’s good…

Cults
The Gentle Wind Project lost it’s suit against Rick Ross, a specialist on cult activity. The suit alleged “defamation”. However, there are other defendants – notably, James Bergin and his wife, Judy Garvey.

Gentle Wind’s focus is on “Healing Instruments.” The suit, not surprisingly, focuses on Mr. Ross’ statements that TGWP is a “a rather odd group” and a “purported ‘cult.’ ” However, Mr. Ross is an interesting study himself.
(No endorsement of either of the above groups. However – Apologetics Index is an excellent resource.)

Outrage of the day
The Dutch Soccer club Ajax is reporting that they are trying to “discard their image” as a Jewish club (as they aren’t Jewish), to discourage anti-Semitic behavior from opponents.

Many anti-Ajax chants refer to the Holocaust. Rival fans chant “Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas” and make hissing sounds to imitate the sound of gas flowing.

Despicable.

Joe Carter, from Evangelical Outpost is starting a new deal – “The Evangelical Directory” – the intent is to get all of the Evangelical blogs all networked together. Good idea (although I don’t see how this isn’t another Evangelical Aggregator… maybe he has another idea for it.), and I signed up. By the by – if you haven’t read Joe Carter at EO – do so 😀

Phil from Every Thought Captive is back, with Part #2: The Turn to Community.

In navigating the transition between a Modern culture influenced by the Enlightenment and the Postmodern culture influenced by a deconstruction of the Enlightenment, the topic of Christian apologetics has come up in some circles as something which is up for grabs. It should not be too hard to find an Emergent or pomo writer who asks whether apologetics are still necessary, and more often than not the answer is that apologetics, as they are traditionally understood, are dead and outdated.

Excellent, excellent series. I suggest you go read it.

Every Thought Captive has an interesting topic – and, it seems to be right up my alley.

My basic thesis is that the first reason is an important cultural observation which should help us understand what kind of role apologetics will play in our world today, but that the second reason is, well, basically hogwash. In a short series of posts I want to argue that apologetics are still necessary, and will always be a necessary part of the life of the Christian disciple but that the cultural observation made above will guide us in our understanding about what is important about apologetics today. In short, apologetics are still a necessary and important part of the Church, but it may take on a slightly different face that it has in the past century.

Head on over, and take a look.

No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me… – Luke 4:23

No, not from /.

However, some quotes can be interesting thought provokers. Don’t you think?

Show yourself sharp, go to the right; set yourself; go to the left, wherever your edge is appointed. – Ez. 21:16

Debating, and applied Apologetics.

An Apologist is never an apologist, unless he does actual apologetics, with people. That’s the whole idea.

If the axe is dull and he does not sharpen {its} edge, then he must exert more strength. – Ec. 10:10

Apologetics theory, articles, and issues.

About me, what I’m doing… and about the site.

Studies by topic.

None yet.