God Archives – Rational Faith

Q.39 Does God have an ego problem?

Posted on August 3, 2026 by Duane Caldwell — Leave a reply

The Parable of the Pearl of great worth Matthew 13.45-46

100 Questions

Question 29: How could God send anyone to eternal torture?

Question: What’s wrong with your God’s ego that he needs people praising and worshiping him all the time?

As I considered these two questions it became increasingly clear that these two items—the first about eternal torture and the second about worship and eternal praise—are really opposite sides of the same coin. That coin being the exceeding excellence, glory, majesty, beauty, value, goodness and awesome power of God. In other words, these two things—eternal punishment and eternal worship—are the necessary and appropriate response of each person to the exceeding greatness and goodness of God. That being the case, it’s not surprising that those who do not know God and have absolutely no idea how exceedingly great he is[1] cannot understand either aspect concerning Him.

Q.19 Why do all the scientific studies on prayer say it doesn’t do anything?

Posted on January 15, 2026 by Duane Caldwell

Police officers in prayer in “Courageous”

In this age of easily accessible AI (artificial intelligence) it’s dangerous (in a not-very-wise sense) to make sweeping statements where you’re indicating something is always or never true, as was done with this statement. With AI at your finger tips, such statements are easily checked. I did a check, so let’s start there with what a couple of AI engines found.

The question I asked the AIs was: “How many scientific studies on prayer have there been and are there any (what percentage) that conclude that prayer is effective?”

Grok:
Grok focused in immediately on intercessory prayer and included this in its summary of results. Continue Reading

The Tower of Babel – The End of The Beginning

Posted on January 3, 2026 by Duane Caldwell

Though the events recorded about the tower of Babel take up a scant nine verses in the Bible (Gen 11.1-9), its effects are visible through the ages and are revealed not only in the languages we speak and the physical differences among people groups. The account also foreshadows the times at the end and the “man of lawlessness” foretold in scripture (2 Thess 2.3-4). As we move inexorably further into the last days, the account of the events of Babel remind us not only of the lawless leader, the antichrist, to be revealed but also of the heart of the people who refused to obey God, making themselves easy targets of deception. It serves as a warning. Will you be among those who Continue Reading

Q.23 Isn’t God so distant and different he’s unknowable to humans?

Posted on October 13, 2025 by Duane Caldwell

Adam and Eve in the Garden with the LORD God

On the one hand, this question—”Isn’t God so distant and different he’s unknowable to humans?”—is a reasonable question because, to many people, perhaps to most, God seems distant. On the other hand, it shows how far those same people, for whom God seems distant, have drifted from God’s heart and his original and ongoing intention, which is intimacy with each and every one of us.

When God promised a New Covenant to the House of Israel via the prophet Jeremiah which was meant to apply to all, he said the time is coming when everyone would know him: Continue Reading

Q.37 Only morons would believe in an invisible magic sky-daddy like God.

Posted on July 21, 2025 by Duane Caldwell

“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14.1

The first thing I notice about the person asking this question is the extreme disrespect on display in the question: “Only morons would believe in an invisible magic sky-daddy like God.” Like the ignorance of those who crucified the Lord and did not know what they were doing (Luke 23.34), this person does not realize that in his reference to God, he is insulting and blaspheming the person with the power to send him into everlasting condemnation. (Luke 12.5) Continue Reading

An Advent Sign by Faith – A Christmas meditation

Posted on December 22, 2024 by Duane Caldwell

An angel announces the birth of the messiah to shepherds watching their flocks by night

This Christmas I wanted to bolster the faith of those who believe, inspire faith among those have not yet believed, and I wanted to do so by means of a clear sign or, alternately, a vision–not necessarily a supernatural sign but a natural (non-supernatural) sign. I wasn’t sure that would be possible since it is God who is the author and producer of signs, and I wasn’t sure he’d give one for this humble article. But as I was meditating on the advent narratives and praying about this, God graciously granted my request by opening my eyes to a sign I had not seen before. As I pondered it, it occurred to me that I was not the only one who missed it all these years for reasons explained below. We’ll get to that sign in a moment.

Now, with regard to signs, some may not realize this, but not all signs from God are supernatural. God does not always supernaturally manipulate the natural. Sometimes he simply works behind the scenes to bring about the indicated signs using only natural (non-miraculous) means.

Creation and Inerrancy: Evaluating the Mortenson vs Ross Debate

Posted on October 27, 2024 by Duane Caldwell

Wolf in Sheep's clothing in lab coat with bible surrounded by sheep.

“Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. (Mat 7:15)

There was a recent[1] debate on creation and inerrancy which addressed the question: “Does belief in inerrancy necessitate a particular view of the age of the earth?”[2] In contrast to U.S. political debates this election cycle where moderators prop up one candidate and challenge the other one, this debate was moderated fairly by apologist Frank Turek who holds to the old earth position[3], though you couldn’t detect it from the way he moderated. Debater Terry Mortenson holds to the young earth position, as do I, and the other debater, Hugh Ross, holds to the old earth position. Continue Reading

Q27 Christianity is anti-intellectual. I’d be embarrassed to say I believed any of it.

Posted on August 28, 2024 by Duane Caldwell

“The Thinker” by Auguste Rodin

Before showing the foolishness of being embarrassed when said embarrassment is caused by ignorance of Christian belief, we must deal with the lead and clearly false statement “Christianity is anti-intellectual” which shouts a demand for a definition of “anti-intellectual.” So let’s start there.

From Merriam Webster online:

anti-Intellectual: (adjective) “opposing or hostile to intellectuals or to an intellectual view or approach” [1]

So what’s “Intellectual”? Again from Merriam Webster online:

Intellectual (adjective)
a : of or relating to the intellect or its use
b : developed or chiefly guided by the intellect rather than by emotion or experience : RATIONAL
c: requiring use of the intellect

2 a: given to study, reflection, and speculation
b: engaged in activity requiring the creative use of the intellect [2]

Christianity meets all the definitions of being intellectual, therefore based on the logical principal of non-contradiction, since Christianity is intellectual, it cannot be anti-intellectual. To be precise, Christianity meets all the above uses of the word “intellectual.” For intellectuals who may question it, following is a brief illustration that Christianity in fact meets all aspects of being intellectual.

Q17: You say everything needs a creator, so who created God?

Posted on June 25, 2024 by Duane Caldwell

The question “Who created God?”, is at the heart of the matter for Question 17: “You say everything needs a creator, so who created God?” and it shows a severe misunderstanding of both the nature of God and the cosmological argument for the existence of God—specifically the Kalam cosmological argument [1]. Let’s start with the Kalam cosmological argument, which makes it easy to see where the error crept in.

Apologist William Lane Craig has used this argument as one of the premiere arguments for the proof of the existence of God, so it’s in many of his books. As he points out in “On Guard”, it’s simple, easy to memorize, easy to share and logically “airtight.” It goes like this: Continue Reading

Dune 2 – Reflections on a Secular Messiah

Posted on March 17, 2024 by Duane Caldwell

I went to see Dune 2 this past weekend. I went to enjoy, not take notes for a review, so I don’t consider this a formal movie review. Rather, it’s an informal reflection on themes in this and other movies that deal with control of the world and those who vie for that control, whether those who would control it are presented as a messiah (as in Dune) or a megalomaniac (as in most other Sci-Fi and Fantasy thrillers). Continue Reading