Role of the State

Entries Tagged as 'Role of the State'

The Separation of Church and Self: Rethinking Separationism

December 16th, 2010 119 Comments

Is it just for a pluralistic society to ground its public policy on religious premises? What role should religion play in such a society? Debate over questions like these has figured in theology, philosophy, political science, jurisprudence and popular culture for centuries. In contemporary Western pluralistic society the debate continues. Even for those unfamiliar with […]

Tags: Christopher Eberle · Coercion Test · Doctrine of Religious Restraint · Endorsement Test · Freedom of Religion · Gerald Gaus · James Madison · John Rawls · Jürgen Habermas · Justice Scalia · Law Studies · Lee v Weisman · Lemon Test · Nicholas Wolterstorff · Philip Devine · Philip Quinn · Philosophy of Religion · Political Philosophy · Religion in Public Life · Richard Rorty · Robert Audi · Separationism · Stephen Carter · Terence Cuneo · Vincent Phillip Muñoz

Contra Mundum: The Number of the Beast

December 1st, 2010 29 Comments

Recently TV3 screened The Omen. This classic horror is a about a boy called Damian who is the predicted anti-Christ and appropriately has the number 666 on his head. This film epitomises how the book of Revelation is understood in contemporary culture; apparently it predicts a future person, the beast or the anti-Christ who will […]

Tags: 616 · 666 · Contra Mundum · Investigate Magazine · Nero · Number of the Beast · Revelation · The Omen

The Theology of the Declaration of Independence

July 4th, 2010 27 Comments

As I write this it is just beginning to be the 4th of July in the United States now, though its been 4th July for some time here in New Zealand. The 4th of July is, of course, Independence Day. Typically in New Zealand, those members of the secular blogosphere, who consider themselves to be […]

Tags: Bill Vallicella · Classical Liberalism · Consenting Adults · David Farrar · Declaration of Independence · Divine Command Theory · Faith and Reason · Liberty · Peter Cresswell · Religion in Public Life · Religious History

Can State Expropriation of Minerals be Justified? Part II

March 9th, 2010 6 Comments

In Can State Expropriation of Minerals be Justified? Part I, I set out a common law property rights argument drawing from the writings of jurists Blackstone and Locke as well as contemporary philosopher Ed Feser. I looked at what circumstances, if any, might justify the state taking of real property, looking specifically at minerals from […]

Tags: Case of Mines · Crown Minerals Act 1991 · Edward Feser · James Parcell · John Locke · Kevin Counsell · Lewis Evans · Neil Quigley · Property Rights · Rights and Freedoms · Sub-Soil Land Rights · Takings · William Blackstone

Can State Expropriation of Minerals be Justified? Part I

March 5th, 2010 22 Comments

New Zealand, like many nations, has a long history of the state taking real property, often without compensation. In this two part series I examine one sub-set of takings, minerals from the sub-soil of privately held property (although the argument herein could apply with equal force to any state taking). Drawing from common law, the […]

Tags: Crown Minerals Act 1991 · Edward Feser · John Locke · Property Rights · Rights and Freedoms · Sub-Soil Land Rights · Takings · William Blackstone

Name Suppression and the Balancing of Rights and Freedoms

December 22nd, 2009 4 Comments

God, via the consent of the governed, gives authority to the state to administer justice against those who violate the rights and freedoms of others. Given this, it is important that the citizens can see that justice is being done. My fellow blogger WhaleOil’s very public battle with New Zealand’s name suppression laws and the […]

Tags: Due Process · Name Suppression · Rights and Freedoms · Thomas J · Whale Oil

A Review of Last Night’s Boscawen, McCoskrie, Evans, Baldock Meeting UPDATED

September 8th, 2009 46 Comments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XFaxThapdQ&feature=player_embedded”>watch

Last night’s meeting with John Boscawen, Bob McCoskrie, Jim Evans and Larry Baldock on amending s59 of the Crimes Act to decriminalise the use of reasonable force for the purposes of parental correction was encouraging. The main themes I came away with from each speaker were: John Boscawen – ACT Party MP John Boscawen has […]

Tags: Bob McCoskrie · Fitzgerald v Muldoon · Jim Evans · John Boscawen · John Key · Larry Baldock · Referenda · s59 · Smacking

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 'Role of the State'

The Separation of Church and Self: Rethinking Separationism

December 16th, 2010 119 Comments

Contra Mundum: The Number of the Beast

December 1st, 2010 29 Comments

The Theology of the Declaration of Independence

July 4th, 2010 27 Comments

Can State Expropriation of Minerals be Justified? Part II

March 9th, 2010 6 Comments

Can State Expropriation of Minerals be Justified? Part I

March 5th, 2010 22 Comments

Name Suppression and the Balancing of Rights and Freedoms

December 22nd, 2009 4 Comments

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