Politics

Entries Tagged as 'Politics'

Fisking Margaret Mayman: The Flawed Moral Theology on the Smacking Referendum

July 7th, 2009 7 Comments

In “A Christian Perspective on the Child Discipline Referendum,” Rev Dr Margaret Mayman presents a theological justification for retaining the amended section 59 of the Crimes Act 1961, which has criminalised force used against a child for the purposes of parental correction. Mayman began by offering three standard arguments for repealing the old section 59, […]

Tags: Crimes Act · David Benatar · Hermeneutics · Margaret Mayman · Referendum · s59 · Smacking · Theology

No Defences Permitted for the Accused

June 19th, 2009 36 Comments

In, The referendum campaign is underway, No Right Turn’s Idiot/Savant gives an excellent example of an argument we see coming up a lot in the debate around the upcoming referendum on smacking. In addition to trotting out the standard ad hominem, that everyone who supports the reinstatement of the old section 59 of the Crimes […]

Tags: Bad Reasoning · Crimes Act · Defences · Idiot/Savant · Referendum · s59 · Smacking · Sue Bradford · William Blackstone

Is Abortion Liberal?

May 16th, 2009 22 Comments

A submission to The Christian Libertarian Blog Carnival. Laws permitting abortion on demand are often deemed to be liberal. Political liberals are frequently ardent defenders of such laws. My contention is that support for abortion on the grounds of liberality is mistaken. I argue for this position in a two part series: Is Abortion Liberal? […]

Tags: Abortion · Christian Libertarian Blog Carnival · Classical Liberalism · Ethics · Feticide · Liberalism · Libertarianism

Maori and Pakeha are Not Partners to the Treaty of Waitangi

February 11th, 2009 20 Comments

[For the benefit of our international readership: Maori are the indigenous people of New Zealand; Pakeha is a term used to describe Caucasian New Zealanders; The Treaty of Waitangi is a significant founding document of our nation over which many historical and current differences have arisen around its role, interpretation and application.] Recently I read […]

Tags: Jurisprudence · Role of the State · Treaty of Waitangi

Bush’s Legacy

January 16th, 2009 42 Comments

I am always slightly disturbed when I encounter Bush-haters amongst my friends. Disturbed not because it surprises me that Bush-hater exist but because my friends are otherwise smart, informed, thinking people who have a healthy degree of scepticism towards the left-wing, anti-conservative values of the media and hollywood; I just don’t get how they can […]

Tags: George Bush · Iraq · US Politics · War Ethics

Moral Issues and Direct Democracy

December 8th, 2008 10 Comments

I have been involved in a discussion over at MacDoctor Moments on various aspects of the abortion debate, though in this post I don’t want to talk about that issue. In the course of this discussion Chuck advocated for a policy of direct democracy to decide moral issues and it is this that I want […]

Tags: Chuck Bird · MacDoctor · Paul Wolff · Plato · Public Policy · Referenda

So What if She Wore the Same Jacket Twice?

November 23rd, 2008 6 Comments

When I first read reports on the blogosphere about the NZ Herald commenting on Bronagh Key’s wearing the same jacket twice, I thought that the article everyone was linking to must have been related to John Key’s swearing in, where she wore the offending jacket the second time and the fashion comments had to be […]

Tags: Bronagh Key · Feminism · John Key · National Party

Matthew Flannagan on Amazon

Did God Really Command Genocide? Coming to Terms with the Justice of God
Authors: Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan

A common objection to belief in the God of the Bible is that a good, kind, and loving deity would never command the wholesale slaughter of nations. In the tradition of his popular Is God a Moral Monster?, Paul Copan teams up with Matthew Flannagan to tackle some of the most confusing and uncomfortable passages of Scripture. Together they help the Christian and nonbeliever alike understand the biblical, theological, philosophical, and ethical implications of Old Testament warfare passages.

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True Reason: Confronting the Irrationality of the New Atheism Eds: Tom Gilson, Carson Weitnauer

Today's New Atheists proclaim themselves our culture's party of reason. It is a claim they cannot sustain. Reason is the New Atheists' weakness, not their strength and in fact, the Christian faith is a far better place to look for True Reason. Making their case accessible to the first-time inquirer as well as the serious student, this top-flight team of writers presents a sound defense and a strong introduction to the true reason uniquely found in Christianity.

Feat. William Lane Craig, Sean McDowell, John DePoe, Chuck Edwards, Peter Grice, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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In Defense of the Bible: A Comprehensive Apologetic for the Authority of Scripture
Eds: Steven B Cowan and Terry L Wilder

The book begins by examining foundational philosophical approaches to the Bible as well as the methodological challenges those philosophies create for interpreting the Bible. It then addresses textual and historical challenges and how to deal with them. Finally it looks at ethical, scientific, and theological challenges demonstrating the Bible's moral integrity in relationship to contemporary moral emphases.

Feat. R Douglas Geivett, William A Dembski, Mary Jo Sharp, Darrell L Bock, Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Virtues in Action: New Essays in Applied Virtue Ethics
Ed: Michael W Austin

Many philosophers have considered the strengths and weaknesses of a virtue-centered approach to moral theory. Much less attention has been given to how such an approach bears on issues in applied ethics. The essays in this volume apply a virtue-centered perspective to a variety of contemporary moral issues.

Feat. Michael W Austin, Robert K Garcia, Nathan L King, Gregory Bassham, Nancy E Snow, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Holy War in the Bible: Christian Morality and an Old Testament Problem
Eds: Heath A Thomas, Jeremy Evans & Paul Copan

The challenge of a seemingly genocidal God who commands ruthless warfare has bewildered Bible readers for generations. A range of expert contributors engage in a multidisciplinary approach that considers this issue from a variety of perspectives: biblical, ethical, philosophical and theological.

Feat. David Lamb, Paul Copan, Murray Rae, Heath Thomas, Stephen B Chapman, Douglas S Earl, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Come Let Us Reason: New Essays in Christian Apologetics
Eds: William Lane Craig & Paul Copan

The nineteen essays here raise classical philosophical questions in fresh ways, address contemporary challenges for the church, and will deepen the thinking of the next generation of apologists. Packed with dynamic topical discussions and informed by the latest scholarship.

Feat. J P Moreland, William Lane Craig, Gary R Habermas, Craig Keener, Paul Copan, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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True Reason: Christian Responses to the Challenge of Atheism Eds: Tom Gilson, Carson Weitnauer

While New Atheists like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and others proclaim loudly their rationality, clear thinking, and incontrovertible scientific arguments, others are beginning to wonder how genuinely rational they are. Have they proved anything? Have they argued convincingly? Have they pinpointed any real challenges to the credibility of Christian faith?

Feat. William Lane Craig, Sean McDowell, John DePoe, Chuck Edwards, Peter Grice, Matthew Flannagan, et al.

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Entries Tagged as 'Politics'

Fisking Margaret Mayman: The Flawed Moral Theology on the Smacking Referendum

July 7th, 2009 7 Comments

Is Abortion Liberal?

May 16th, 2009 22 Comments

Maori and Pakeha are Not Partners to the Treaty of Waitangi

February 11th, 2009 20 Comments

Bush’s Legacy

January 16th, 2009 42 Comments

Moral Issues and Direct Democracy

December 8th, 2008 10 Comments

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