The Blogs

Questions, Connecticut, and the Cross

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Sat, 12/15/2012 - 1:50pm

 

The Argument from Reason - a thoughtful (and funny!) video from David Wood

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Fri, 12/07/2012 - 12:48pm

David Wood, a former atheis who is now a Christian, is a philosophy Ph.D. candidate, is an experienced and very competent debater.  He's debated Muslims and atheists in a variety of settings.  He's posted a recently made video that deals with a version of the "Argument from Reason" - an argument that seeks to show God's existence from the fact that humans have reasoning abilities.  In some aspects, David distills arguments that Alvin Plantinga has recently propounded, in his work on "Science and Religion:  Where the Conflict Really Lies."  

Mars Hill and the Muslim*

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Thu, 10/25/2012 - 8:30am

 In orthodox Islam, God is utterly transcendent, which is to say that He is utterly unknowable by human beings.  In fact, one of Islam's premier philosophers and theologians, Imam Al-Ghazali, made the case for God's unknowability. [fn:1]  And Muslim theologian Al-Furuqi writes that God "does not reveal Himself to anyone in any way. God reveals only His will."[fn:2] Muslims claim to know something about God, in terms of what His revealed will is as embodied in the Qur'an.  But they do not claim to know God.

Deriving Dignity Video

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Mon, 10/15/2012 - 10:42pm

I had the distinct pleasure of presenting a lecture on the Christian view of how we understand human dignity for the Ration Christi chapter at Univesity of Michigan Dearborn. For the most part, Christians and Secular Humanists or atheists share a common belief - the humans have intrinsic dignity.  The question is: Which worldview provides basis for human dignity and value.  I argue that the Christian faith not only provides a basis for human value, but does so uniquely.

Nye's Not-so-Niceness Considered

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Fri, 08/31/2012 - 11:56am

Sincerely Sinful - a short musing

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Thu, 08/30/2012 - 11:38am

This is a short one. 

Eastern Mysticism in the Air

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Mon, 09/12/2011 - 2:43pm

Three days ago, as I was boarding a packed plane to Colorado, the flight attendant was encouraging people to place their smaller carry-on items under their seats instead of overhead to make room for those with bigger carry-ons. To coax us into compliance, he said, "Life has taught us that if you are considerate to your fellow passengers, it will come back to you and you'll be given courtesy in the future." It suddenly struck me as a statement espousing the doctrine of karma. How amazing that such an idea is so casually used in Western society.

Poetic Unity Written in Pain

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Sun, 10/03/2010 - 11:39am

I have written about the unity that Arabs and Jews can find in Christ because "He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall" (Eph.2:14).  At the cross and through the empty tomb, God at once showed us all that each of us, regardless of our ethnicity or nationality, are equally wretched, but equally loved. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, those who believe are united in our identity and salvation.

Abdu Murray Nationally Televised Interview on Newswatch

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Mon, 05/18/2009 - 11:31pm

Abdu appeared on Monday, May 18th on CBN's nationally televised program, Newswatch, to discuss his book Apocalypse Later. The link for the broadcast is below. The program is 30 minutes long, and my interview begins at 20:00.

Here's the link:
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2009/May/Former-Muslim-Writes-Plea-for-...

The Passover - Getting Our Arms Around God

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Sat, 04/11/2009 - 1:43pm

By Bruce Rubin

Abdu to Speak at one of the Largest Christian Conventions in the Nation!

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Sun, 03/01/2009 - 2:39pm

We are grateful to the Lord for a tremendous opportunity to spread His Gospel. On March 20-22, The Christian Book Expo will be held in Dallas, Texas. The CBE is open to the public and is a convention where dozens of major publishers and retailers exhibit their latest Christian books and products. Hundreds of the world's leading authors will be present to give workshops, sign books, and interact with the public. God has blessed Aletheia with the opportunity to have Abdu be one of those featured authors!

The Search For What’s Missing

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Wed, 12/24/2008 - 11:26am

Today I happened to glance at the “Top Searches” listed on Yahoo! Online. They were, in order:

1. Gisele Bundchen
2. Kate Beckinsale
3. Rosario Dawson
4. Angie Harmon
5. 2009 Audi A4
6. Duggar Family
7. Laptop Computers
8. College Bowl Tickets
9. Detox Diet
10. Electric Socks

Abdu's Upcoming Book - "Apocalypse Later"

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Sat, 01/19/2008 - 5:53pm

Abdu Murray, one of the founders of Aletheia International, has completed the manuscript for his first book, APOCALYPSE LATER - WHY THE GOSPEL OF PEACE MUST TRUMP THE POLITICS OF PROPHECY IN THE MIDDLE EAST. The book will be published by Kregel Publications and should be available in Christian and secular bookstores everywhere. Also, the book will be available for sale online on Aletheia's products page as well as at our speaking engagements.

To Practice, or Not to Practice - Christians and the Jewish Holy Days

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Fri, 06/08/2007 - 8:59am

Bruce Rubin

As a Messianic or “completed” Jew, one who has accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, I am often asked “why the church does not embrace the Jewish Holidays, instead of “Christianizing” them? After all, when you take a close look, these special days, as defined by the Mosaic Law and Jewish Tradition, are all about Jesus. Over time, I have developed the following response.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Fri, 05/11/2007 - 1:00am

Mickey Badalamenti

A couple days ago, ABC’s Nightline hosted a debate between Christians and atheists. The debate, titled “Does God exist?”, hosted the well known childhood actor Kirk Cameron, now a Christian evangelist, and his colleague in ministry Ray Comfort, squaring off with two individuals from the “Rational Response Squad”, a group dedicated to promoting the atheistic worldview. (Information on the debate, along with video clips, can be found at NBC’s website at http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3148940&page=1).

Tale of the Tomb

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Mon, 03/19/2007 - 10:06pm

It's getting close to Easter and that means several things. It means that believers, even nominal believers, are enjoying Lent, Churches are putting together their Easter programs, and sincere seekers are carefully considering the credibility of the Gospel message. But it also means one other thing that seems to have become something of a tradition this time every year -- the skeptics champion another controversy that challenges the veracity of the Resurrection of Jesus, the central claim of Christianity.

Welcome to Aletheia's New and Improved Website!

Submitted by Abdu Murray on Mon, 02/05/2007 - 3:38pm

I'm so very excited about our new, updated website. In addition to a new, fresher look, there are many, many new features for our visitors to enjoy. In case you haven't already experienced the new features, let me highlight a few for you: