thoughtful ideas on life's big questions
July 7th, 2013
How do people get to be christians? Do many convert by their own choice, or do most just get born into christian families or christian countries Critics of christianity sometimes point to the “fact” that most people in the world follow the religion of the country they were born into. Therefore, they argue, most people’s […]
June 27th, 2013
Most historians have concluded that a man named Jesus truly lived and died in first century Palestine, and that the gospels tell us significant details about his life. These historians include non-believers and Jews (who generally believe Jesus was no more than an outstanding man) as well as Christians (who generally believe he was divine). […]
June 22nd, 2013
Religious people would like to think that their belief makes them happier and healthier. But is there any evidence of this? I have trawled the internet and found there is a growing interest in this subject. I have found more than 30 medical research papers or books, most of them from the past decade. They […]
June 20th, 2013
Persecution and death threats in their home countries lead many Afghanis, Sri Lankans and others to seek to enter Australia as refugees. Many attempt the often perilous journey to Australia by crowded boat. Many die in the attempt, but most are found to be genuine refugees. We can assimilate these people without too much difficulty, […]
June 15th, 2013
I came across some interesting comments today – about the history and future of western civilisation. I thought they were worth sharing.
June 7th, 2013
I was asked recently how I defined faith, and I thought it worth sharing here.
June 7th, 2013
Website design This website, in one form or another, is more than 7 years old. For most of that time I did the design and coding myself. But a year or so ago I decided I wanted to get the benefit of someone else’s design and coding – more professional graphic design, and coding that […]
June 3rd, 2013
Christians and atheists are often at “war”, especially on the internet. Most people are not all that interested, but things sometimes get a little contentious online. Claims and counter claims are made, often with insufficient or no justification. Is truth a casualty? Unfortunately it seems that, often, it is.
May 30th, 2013
It’s a feel-good story that’s been doing the rounds, but it bears repeating. A potentially nasty situation defused by a simple act of friendliness.
May 26th, 2013
“Why does the world exist?” is one of the most fundamental questions about life. It may be a clue to deep truths about life and perhaps about God. And it can make all but the most ardent theist squirm for lack of a satisfactory answer. “Why does the world exist?” is also a book which […]
A list of all blog posts, in reverse chronological order, is on the Blog archive page.