The Mars Hill Club

Bruce Paolozzi has agreed to a third straight week of discussing Kant's 2 Antinomies regarding time/space & qaulity of existence. Following from the philosopher Immanuel Kant's Critiqe of Pure Reason, we are using Kant's observations & arguments as a template for our own discussion of these vital philosophical issues.

Join moderator Bruce Paolozzi as we continue our discussion of Immanuel Kant's Critique of Pure Reason. After our stimulating discussion on Thursday, March 1, we are now prepared to discuss 2 of Kant's 4 "antinomies" -- phillosophical arguments that compare pairs of propositions that appear to be contradictory, but which also appear to both be true. We will be looking specifically at time & space extension & the qaulity of substances.

Note: Without a moderator & topic, Mars Hill Club Live in Costa Mesa, California will not take place tonight, Thursday, February 15. However, we are introducing a new on-line discussion below for free participation, no matter where you are & no matter when you would like to participate. Check our Calendar for upcoming live discussion in Costa Mesa.

Render to Caesar, Render to God: What Do You Owe, & to Whom Do You Owe It?

We've just returned from 10 days in China sharing fellowship with Chinese Christians participating in a symposium co-sponsored by Fuller Theological Seminary on History, Theology, & Apologetics in The Church in China. As I began to understand something about the Christians I was going to work with in China, I guessed I would have more to grow from on this trip than anything my audiences would learn from me. Now that I have returned, I am convinced that China had far more to offer me than I offered.

Thanks to both Bruce Paolozzi & George (Phil) Drake for developing a fascinating thread of discussion on intelligent design (ID) & short age or young earth creationism.

I agree with Phil that ID doesn't claim to be making theological declarations or to be tied to any particular theological issues. I agree with Bruce that many young earth creationists (the title more common than short age)make a false dichotomy between biblical faithfulness & judgments about the age of the earth and/or universe.

"Answering the Toughest Questions About Intelligent Design:" that's the subtitle of William Dembski's recent book, The Design Revolution. It is also the title for the Mars Hill Club discussion scheduled for January 18 (Thursday). Please join us -- either on-line at any time by posting your comments to this blog, or in person January 18 at 7:30 PM in Costa Mesa.

Critics of the Intelligent Design (ID) movement frequently mischaracterize, misunderstand, or are ignorant of its basic tenets. Of course, as with any scientific endeavor, there are lots of legitimate questions which may be sincerely asked. After a number of years debating his critics, Dr. Dembski had heard all the questions and objections of both types. So, he wrote a book to make available sound answers to over forty issues raised by both experts and lay persons.

One of our Mars Hill Club regulars, Chris Wright, contributed the following review of our first Apologetics Jeopardy! event on January 4, moderated by Bruce Paolozzi. Here is his report:

Mars Hill has begun a new and exciting forum for developing disciples trained in the art of clear thinking and persuasive reasoning: Apologetics Jeopardy. If you can drive out to Costa Mesa on a Thursday Mars Hill Jeopardy night (click on the Caldendar to find when the next one is scheduled), you might go home jumping up and down and screaming with more excitement than a TV game show contestant!

Join me this evening (Thursday, January 11) as we take a fascinating journey back through the legal history of the Roman Empire to the first century imperial court. We will look at the evidence from the book of Acts that leads some to conclude that this book, & its prequel, the gospel of Luke, were written as the legal documents defending the apostle Paul in his trial against the charges of the Jewish Sanhedrin before the emperial court of Emperor Nero.

We will cover a number of fascinating historical issues, including the political & religious intrigues of first century Judaism just before the Jewish Revolt (AD 66-73) that reached its apex with the Roman destruction of the Second Temple & the expulsion of the Jews from Jerusalem. We will also survey the Roman legal system, including how one qualified to appeal before the imperial court & what that appeal would have looked like. Then we will look at the legal signatures that abound in Acts. We will derive from that the charges that were likely lodged against Paul by the Sanhedrin, & why Paul chose to appeal his case to Caesar.

In addition to the apologetics prize I have already selected for tomorrow night's winner of our first Apologetics Jeopardy! game, a regular supporter has donated a special prize that will accompany the one I have picked out.

While the prize I am offering will lubricate your mind, our supporter's prize will care for your exterior -- here is his description:

I'd like to sweeten your pot Gretchen. I will donate a luxurious $35 retail 2oz tube of micro layer technology sunscreen face cream to the winner (www.sundurancemlt.com). This is the sunscreen that world famous golfing instructor David Leadbetter uses and has promoted in his sun awareness campaign against melanoma (just in case the macho guys think it is only a girly product). I can substitute that, if the winner wants, with a $44 retail jar of natural dead sea body polish from the St. Regis hotel resort and Spa (eucalyptus, orange/vanilla or pear fragrance). The winner gets their pick.

Thanks for your work developing right thinking Christians.

Whether you've ever attended Mars Hill Club before or not, you will certainly enjoy this Thursday's outing with moderator Bruce Paolozzi. That's right, on January 4, we will be playing our own version of this popular fact, idea, & history game with an apologetics twist & without the question format.

If you love apologetics, that is, giving a reason for the faith you hold, then you will love Apologetics Jeopardy!

I will be offering at least a first prize that will be enjoyed by any apologetics aficionado. If we have enough contestants & the score is close enough, I will also award second & third place prizes.