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MindOverMatter
Guest
Hey Phil. Your sites got some nice material. I am curious as to whether you are yourself a Catholic theologion or philosopher?
Have you been in any debates.
Have you been in any debates.
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B
Bonarges
Guest
Have you ever hear Dr. Craig comment on the “reason(s)” why he hasn’t come into the Church?William Lane Craig gets his arguments for God from St. Thomas Aquinas and St. Anselm, his arguments for predestination from Fr. Luis Molina, S.J., when he starts getting his spirituality from St. Ignatius of Loyola, and his doctrine from Pope Benedict XVI, then he’ll be Catholic. I give him to 2010 at the latest.
Just kidding but I do have his 3rd edition of Reasonable Faith, he responds to Dawkins and Dennett (“new atheism”) in the book.
My audio page of course got his best debates, someday I’ll put up an outline summary and review of those. There are probably plenty of Catholic philosophers in the country with his knowledge, but not with his debating/speaking skills.
Phil P
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PhilVaz
Guest
<< Have you ever heard Dr. Craig comment on the “reason(s)” why he hasn’t come into the Church? >>
You know what, good question. I’ve never really heard him comment on anything that would divide Catholics and Protestants, he seems to only mention the “Christian essentials” (i.e. Creeds) in his debates and talks. In one debate with Antony Flew (mp3 audio) from 1998 (who is now a “deist”), he does say “I am not a Calvinist” and explains why he accepts Molinism (after the 16th century Jesuit theologian) on the free will / predestination issue. He might have mentioned transubstantiation once or twice in his question periods, but I’m waiting for the question: “Why aren’t you Catholic?” hee hee.
I am not a theologian or “professional” apologist, but I frequently play one on the Internet.
Phil P
You know what, good question. I’ve never really heard him comment on anything that would divide Catholics and Protestants, he seems to only mention the “Christian essentials” (i.e. Creeds) in his debates and talks. In one debate with Antony Flew (mp3 audio) from 1998 (who is now a “deist”), he does say “I am not a Calvinist” and explains why he accepts Molinism (after the 16th century Jesuit theologian) on the free will / predestination issue. He might have mentioned transubstantiation once or twice in his question periods, but I’m waiting for the question: “Why aren’t you Catholic?” hee hee.
I am not a theologian or “professional” apologist, but I frequently play one on the Internet.
Phil P
B
Bonarges
Guest
I decided to visit his website, and came across this response of his to a question of how one handles nagging doubt in God’s existence. The portion quoted below doesn’t so much deal with the question, but gives some insight into Dr. Craig’s spiritual “orientation”.
“But after an agonizing six month search for God, I was marvelously born of the Spirit on September 11, 1965, at around 8:00 o’clock in the evening. It set my life on a whole new course.”
“It was the testimony of Christ’s Spirit within me that gave me the fundamental assurance that my faith was true; and my refusal to give this up in the face of potential defeaters was not a sacrificium intellectus but was wholly in accord with the deliverances of reason.”
" God has provided a more secure foundation for our faith than the shifting sands of evidence and argument. He has given us the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit as the proper foundation for our knowledge of the great truths of the Gospel."
“First and foremost, you need to be sure that you are a regenerate Christian. If you have not been born anew of the Holy Spirit, then you lack His witness within you and so find yourself cast solely upon such arguments and evidence as you in your limited time and knowledge come across.”
"A couple of years ago, when I was out at Talbot School of Theology teaching a two-week course, a fellow from the Bay area who was visiting his family in San Diego dropped by to talk with me about doubts that were troubling him. As we chatted, I sensed that he had not yet come to have a personal relationship with the Lord. So I asked him, “Would you say that your faith in God is just an intellectual belief based on your assessment of the evidence or would you say that God is a living reality in your life?” When he said it was just the former, I asked, “Have you ever really committed your life to Christ and invited him to be your Savior and Lord?” When he replied that he really hadn’t, I asked him, “Well, would you like to right now?” He said that he would, and so we bowed our heads together in prayer and he prayed with me to ask Christ into his life. After we had prayed, he was so grateful; it was just the step he had needed to take.
If you’ve never been born anew, then I’d urge you to go to God in repentance for your sin, tell Him that you believe He sent his Son to die for your sin and to restore the relationship with Him that you were created to have, and invite the Holy Spirit to come and make you spiritually alive.
But perhaps you’re already a regenerate Christian. Then you need to cultivate the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. You can grieve the Holy Spirit through sin and quench His leading and power by not allowing Him full reign in your life. Confess sin as soon as you’re aware of it, and allow the Holy Spirit to empower and direct you. Be sure to maintain a devotional life, with regular times alone of prayer and Bible study. Take your doubts to God and ask Him to give you grace to persevere. Cultivate the Christian virtues in your life, and then you can claim the promise of II Peter 1. 5-11: “if you do this you will never fall.” Make sure you participate in truly meaningful corporate worship in the setting of a local church. Lone Ranger Christians generally don’t make it, and even a small group setting is no substitute for the church, which is the body of Christ locally, replete with all His gifts. Be sure you’re exercising your own spiritual gift in the context of a local church, so that you are serving others. I assume that you’ve followed through on your conversion by being baptized and regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper. "
Well, what can you say…
“But after an agonizing six month search for God, I was marvelously born of the Spirit on September 11, 1965, at around 8:00 o’clock in the evening. It set my life on a whole new course.”
“It was the testimony of Christ’s Spirit within me that gave me the fundamental assurance that my faith was true; and my refusal to give this up in the face of potential defeaters was not a sacrificium intellectus but was wholly in accord with the deliverances of reason.”
" God has provided a more secure foundation for our faith than the shifting sands of evidence and argument. He has given us the inner testimony of the Holy Spirit as the proper foundation for our knowledge of the great truths of the Gospel."
“First and foremost, you need to be sure that you are a regenerate Christian. If you have not been born anew of the Holy Spirit, then you lack His witness within you and so find yourself cast solely upon such arguments and evidence as you in your limited time and knowledge come across.”
"A couple of years ago, when I was out at Talbot School of Theology teaching a two-week course, a fellow from the Bay area who was visiting his family in San Diego dropped by to talk with me about doubts that were troubling him. As we chatted, I sensed that he had not yet come to have a personal relationship with the Lord. So I asked him, “Would you say that your faith in God is just an intellectual belief based on your assessment of the evidence or would you say that God is a living reality in your life?” When he said it was just the former, I asked, “Have you ever really committed your life to Christ and invited him to be your Savior and Lord?” When he replied that he really hadn’t, I asked him, “Well, would you like to right now?” He said that he would, and so we bowed our heads together in prayer and he prayed with me to ask Christ into his life. After we had prayed, he was so grateful; it was just the step he had needed to take.
If you’ve never been born anew, then I’d urge you to go to God in repentance for your sin, tell Him that you believe He sent his Son to die for your sin and to restore the relationship with Him that you were created to have, and invite the Holy Spirit to come and make you spiritually alive.
But perhaps you’re already a regenerate Christian. Then you need to cultivate the work of the Holy Spirit in your life. You can grieve the Holy Spirit through sin and quench His leading and power by not allowing Him full reign in your life. Confess sin as soon as you’re aware of it, and allow the Holy Spirit to empower and direct you. Be sure to maintain a devotional life, with regular times alone of prayer and Bible study. Take your doubts to God and ask Him to give you grace to persevere. Cultivate the Christian virtues in your life, and then you can claim the promise of II Peter 1. 5-11: “if you do this you will never fall.” Make sure you participate in truly meaningful corporate worship in the setting of a local church. Lone Ranger Christians generally don’t make it, and even a small group setting is no substitute for the church, which is the body of Christ locally, replete with all His gifts. Be sure you’re exercising your own spiritual gift in the context of a local church, so that you are serving others. I assume that you’ve followed through on your conversion by being baptized and regularly celebrate the Lord’s Supper. "
Well, what can you say…
G
grandfather
Guest
The man is thoroughly Protestant. He sounds like a modern, have you been saved yet Evangelical. His understanding of regeneration is a spiritual experience or reciting the sinner’s prayer inviting Jesus into your heart, a lovely sentiment, but certainly not Catholic or scriptural.
Faith comes by hearing says Saint Paul. Faith is of the intellect. Faith is knowledge we receive through believing what God has revealed through public revelation. There is nothing wrong with faith being of the intellect.
Regeneration comes through Baptism says the Church from all ages, not from some formula prayer cooked up by the born again folks a few decades ago.
The man is another confused Protestant. God bless him on his journey.
B
Bonarges
Guest
It’s just amazing to me that a man with his ability to reason things out, can be at the same time, so unreasonable and subjective with regard to his own personal religious experience. It doesn’t appear that he’s applied much effort to studying Church history either.
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