Reasonable Faith Adelaide is a Christian apologetics group that is a local chapter of Reasonable Faith in the US, which is led by Dr William Lane Craig. We aim to provide a specific voice on Christian apologetics in South Australia, are non-denominational and adhere to mainstream Christian beliefs as summarized in the Nicene Creed.
The purposes of Reasonable Faith Adelaide are to:
Provide an articulate, intelligent voice for biblical Christianity in the public arena,
Strengthen the faith and foundational beliefs of believers,
Equip believers to engage unbelievers,
Reach out to unbelievers, and
Create an environment in which the Christian faith is perceived as a viable intellectual option such that the gospel can be heard.
The aim will be to provide events that are of interest to people of all persuasions.
I encourage you to invite friends or acquaintances who are likely to be interested in this venture.
We usually meet at 7-9 pm on every 2nd and 4th Thursday of the month via Zoom. Sign up to receive our twice monthly email using the sign up form on the right hand pane. This does not commit you to pay any money and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Christians are a “house divided” on the meaning of the six days in Genesis 1, the age of the earth, and how much truth there is in evolutionary theory. This year, we are paying particular attention to these topics and are allowing speakers to present and argue for their views. On the 7th of April, Dr Gordon Stanger spoke on “Is an old earth compatible with the Bible?”
Gordon’s main claim is that we should read Genesis 1-11 from a Hebrew perspective. Then we can understand the theological intent of this section of scripture. The Bible is a book on spiritual matters which only briefly and tangentially references planetary and biological creation. The 6 days in Genesis 1 do not have to be interpreted as six 24-hour days.
Dr Gordon Stanger
Dr Gordon Stanger is a geologist, hydrologist, water resources specialist, and a climate-change impact analyst. He is an RFA committee member, semi-retired and is a keen advocate of ‘sensible Christianity’.
A recording of the presentation and discussion is available on YouTube.
On the the 3rd October, there was a presentation on how we should conduct dialogue and respect each other. Apparently this fell on deaf ears.
If God is God, can’t he do anything he chooses? Nothing’s impossible for him, surely, but how could God possibly have a dilemma? Well, he has; and it’s a dilemma of cosmic proportions, a dilemma that’s way beyond anything that you and I will ever face.
Crucifixion by Gabrie Metsu
Firstly, God is love. He loves everything he has made, including you and me, but he’s also holy and can’t tolerate the least deviation from his holiness. It’s us human beings that have brought about this dilemma for God. Love would have God forgive us anything and everything, but holiness would have him wipe us all out (Just consider what we’ve done to the world he gave us, and to one another). So, what’s God to do, and how can he resolve that dilemma?
Geoff Russell
Geoff Russell is a professional electrical engineer. He has a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours from the University of Adelaide, a post-graduate Diploma in Engineering & Computer Applications and an Associate in Theology from the Bible College of South Australia. Geoff is also a valuable member of the Reasonable Faith Adelaide committee.
How do we respond to division on evolution and age of earth? by Dr Kevin Rogers
This year (2022) we are devoting most of our meetings to address issues regarding
Young Earth Creationism (YEC),
Old Earth Creationism (OEC),
the scope and validity of evolutionary theory. and
their implications on Biblical
historicity,
reliability and
inspiration.
The difference between OEC and YEC estimates for the age of the earth is about 100,000 to 1. So, at least one view is diabolically wrong. However, what can be even more diabolical is how we address and treat each other.
The topics that are covered are:
What are the YEC/OEC options?
What are some Biblical perspectives?
How should we handle the division?
What are the advantages of the Christian perspective?
This year we are going to devote most of our meetings to address issues regarding Young Earth Creationism (YEC), Old Earth Creationism (OEC), the scope and validity of evolutionary theory and their relationship to Biblical inspiration. These topics are frequently raised during discussions on other topics.
Opinion is divided within our subscribers and our own committee. The views expressed by the speakers do not necessarily represent the view of Reasonable Faith Adelaide (RFA), as we currently don’t have one. It will be a miracle if we attain unity, but we hope that we at least become better informed and empathetic towards those we disagree with.
Gordon’s arguments can be classified into the following types:
Those that indicate an age longer than the maximum YEC limit,
Those that estimate the age of the earth (estimated to be 4.54 billion years), mainly based on radio-active decay estimates, and
Those that estimate the age of the universe (estimated to be 13.77 billion years).
Dr Gordon Stanger
Dr Gordon Stanger is a geologist, hydrologist, water resources specialist, and a climate-change impact analyst. He is an RFA committee member, semi-retired and is a keen advocate of ‘sensible Christianity’.
Bethlehem features in a number of Old Testament events which have prophetic significance. It is the setting of the Christmas story which is celebrated by many millions world-wide.
Bethlehem is now a Palestinian town that is a popular destination for tourists and pilgrims to visit. The sacred sites include:
The City of David (historic) with its wells,
The Church of the Nativity (built on Jesus’ birth location),
The Shepherd’s Field (2 contested sites),
The Field of Boaz, and
Rachael’s tomb (under Israeli control).
What is the evidence for these locations? In 135 AD the Romans established a pagan shrine and grove over the traditional site of Jesus’ birth. This site has a fascinating history – so is it correct? The other sites of Bethlehem also have controversy, so how likely are they genuine?
Trevor Harris has visited Bethlehem six times and has investigated these sites. He will present and assess the evidence.
