tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2006306063991276362012-01-23T19:42:07.136-08:00Conway Wong's Blog On Christianity, Theology, Apologetics, Philosophy, Bioethics, Martial Arts, and PoliticsConway Wongnoreply@blogger.comBlogger871100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-19893140242407284492011-11-21T22:35:00.000-08:002011-12-12T12:06:15.288-08:00

Secular liberalism is the view that because reasonable people disagree on fundamental issues such as the nature of reality, human beings, and deeply held moral and religious beliefs, then the state ought not to embrace any one of these views as the correct one in its legislation.[1] This is because it is wrong for a position to be imposed as a law that constrains another’s liberty if it is

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-5980867794854565002011-08-18T20:26:00.000-07:002011-08-19T21:40:39.493-07:00

I’d like to offer a little bit of perspective on the issue of the age of the earth for my fellow Christians who hold to the Bible’s inerrancy. The age of the earth is an important theological issue, but it isn’t THE issue. This is in the context of returning over the weekend from the Cross-Examined Instructor Academy (offers training in how to deliver apologetic presentations; I highly

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-82753150969090241452011-04-08T22:15:00.000-07:002011-04-09T17:10:50.103-07:00

On March 30, 2011, the noted scholars, Lawrence Krauss and William Lane Craig, debated the question, “Is There Evidence for God?” Craig provided five arguments using evidence from philosophy, cosmology, moral experience, and history to build his case that there is good evidence for the existence of God. Krauss, on the other hand, put together a largely incoherent tangle of odd statements about

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-46215699104765886052010-11-15T20:56:00.000-08:002010-11-15T20:58:34.744-08:00

MidLife Martial Arts Training Black Belt Magazine

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-18786894954785571322010-11-12T20:13:00.000-08:002010-11-12T20:31:31.606-08:00

Euthyphro’s God-Loved Piety as a Modified Divine Command Theory: A Review EssayIntroductionIn Plato’s dialogue the Euthyphro,[1] Socrates argues against a common moral notion that piety (or holiness) is a matter of what the gods say it is. Socrates asks the following question: “Is the pious being loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is being loved by the gods?”[2]

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-70322507145113614882010-09-04T21:01:00.000-07:002010-09-04T21:09:01.621-07:00

Shuri-Ryu Karate Lessons at St. Ann Community Center#1 Community Center DriveSt. Ann, MO 63074314-429-4545Fall 2010 SessionSession 1: September 7 - October 19Registration Ends September 5Tuesdays from 6pm-8pm.Ages 8 and up.Residents: $31 Non-residents: $41 Session 2: November 2 - December 14Registration Ends October 31Tuesdays from 6pm-8pm.Ages 8 and up.Residents: $31 Non-residents: $41

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-13894809168179213412010-02-12T22:01:00.000-08:002010-02-12T22:03:36.626-08:00

The Center for Public Christianity has a series of short web videos of noted Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga. God bless him.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-86102694398135409522010-02-11T20:44:00.000-08:002010-02-11T20:53:39.117-08:00

It's been a long while since I blogged. I really didn't have much to say and was busy living life: working for a living, raising children, training, and studying. However, this got me going and has to be the biggest BS around (with all the other BS) coming out of the Obama administration. According to the article, VP Joe Biden and President Obama (through Robert Gibbs, the chief White House

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-77281407237361776952009-06-17T17:37:00.000-07:002009-06-17T17:42:20.450-07:00

I came across an article about Feeding Crane Kung-Fu Master Liu Chang I coming to Christ a few months back during a seminar with Goju-Ryu Sensei Kimo Wall. It goes to show all of us that even the most physically powerful amongst us can and do feel the tender love of Jesus through Christians who follow Him.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-79714275300522271942009-04-12T20:04:00.000-07:002009-04-12T20:05:10.712-07:00

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. [4] Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,"

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-71206629069961231112009-03-06T21:10:00.001-08:002009-04-12T20:01:31.854-07:00

William Lane Craig, Assessing the New Testament Evidence for the Historicity of the Resurrection of Jesus (Lewiston, NY: Edwin Mellen Press, 1989), pp. 442.Becoming acquainted with William Lane Craig's work in the early 1990s, I only later found out that in addition to being a expert on the Kalam cosmological argument for God's existence, Craig also defended the historicity of the Resurrection of

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-75308533165854441432009-02-10T21:04:00.001-08:002009-02-10T21:22:05.264-08:00

After spending some time recently in Phoenix visiting family, my wife and I thought it would be good to expose our daughter to more of her Chinese cultural heritage. We thought it would be a good idea to take her to the Divine Performing Arts show held at the Touhill Performing Arts Center on the campus of the University of Missouri - St. Louis. DPA was billed as a dance troupe that was

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-67703424550938709232009-01-21T21:02:00.000-08:002009-01-22T07:59:25.029-08:00

An argument from moral ontology for God’s existence can be stated like this:1. If God does not exist, then objective moral values do not exist.2. Objective moral values do exist.3. Therefore, God exists.Premise 1 connects God’s existence to account for the existence of objective moral values. If God doesn’t exist, then objective moral values do not exist either. Premise 2 affirms that objective

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-66010409280689315612009-01-15T22:46:00.000-08:002009-01-21T21:21:13.052-08:00

IntroductionBelow is a summary and analysis of a debate that took place at Iowa State University in 2004 on the Resurrection of Jesus: Fact or Fiction? The disputants were Dr. William Lane Craig and Dr. Hector Avalos.Summary of the DebateCraig’s Opening StatementIn order to preempt using the same strategy in this debate, Craig references a previous debate in which Avalos allegedly used

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-23485737068016225282009-01-04T20:31:00.000-08:002009-01-04T20:32:35.821-08:00

To be ignorant and simple now—not to be able to meet the enemies on their own ground—would be to throw down our weapons, and to betray our uneducated brethren who have, under God, no defence but us against the intellectual attacks of the heathen. Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered. -- C.S. Lewis

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-78701684440191385922009-01-02T15:31:00.000-08:002009-01-02T15:35:26.975-08:00

Some young earth creationists (YEC) offer several scientific reasons for not believing that the earth is only thousands of years old. I disagree and think these arguments are not good ones.YEC Argument #1 - The Hubble constant, star ages, and the age of the universe are in conflict so we can’t trust the standard cosmological big bang model. The discrepancy about the age of the universe being

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-2130463328593236722008-12-31T12:13:00.000-08:002009-01-01T14:15:42.912-08:00

During the recent Christmas season, I have not had a chance to write a post on the atheist bus campaign that was in the news. The American Humanist Association has been running a bus campaign in Washington, DC that asks people “Why believe in a god? Just be good for goodness’ sake.”Of course, the obvious question that I would ask the humanist is, “What do you mean by good?” For humanism is a form

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-19200607147648120372008-12-31T08:03:00.000-08:002008-12-31T08:09:26.321-08:00

I found a series of articles by the comparative religion scholar James Malcom Arlandson to be very well-written and argued. They reside on the www.answering-islam.org site. Thus, it is very relevant topic for the church in an age of Islamic terrorism that must wrestle with the Christian pacifist position. Here are the articles:1. Jesus, Pacifism, and the Sword2. Pacifism and the Sword in the

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-3489848792650775212008-12-30T07:46:00.000-08:002008-12-30T07:50:24.218-08:00

Abortion right activists denigrate pro-life activists for using graphic images of aborted fetuses. I understand how disturbing such images are. I myself don't like to look at such things and was shocked and angry the first time I saw images of aborted human babies. I think I was in high school when the pastor of my church literally put the pictures in my face without warning. I quickly looked

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-8948486571839658072008-12-29T16:07:00.000-08:002008-12-29T19:02:28.647-08:00

Just wanted to express some more thoughts and streams of consciousness on this whole embryonic stem cell debate. Technically speaking, there is no such thing as "the embryo" if one is talking about a separate type or kind of entity. It's not accurate to say there is this thing called an embryo that all of a sudden - POOF - and a human being (a human organism) comes out of nowhere. "The embryo" is

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-43024111272116312412008-12-28T12:29:00.000-08:002008-12-28T12:37:55.006-08:00

Some argue that the product arising from the somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) is not an embryo. However, the product that arises from SCNT is indeed an embryo that is a member of the species in which the cells were taken from. Dolly the sheep embryo arose from SCNT. Once implanted and with a lot of luck, Dolly the baby sheep was born. Now are we to believe that Dolly wasn't a real sheep

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-63206670265863326512008-12-27T15:38:00.000-08:002008-12-27T15:45:56.953-08:00

I received a pamphlet in the mail several years ago from the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures. Unfortunately, it was a very slick presentation that the worst politicians would be proud of.It first asked if my family would have the same access to the same medical treatments available to other Americans. The initiative that the Coalition supported prevents the voters of Missouri from banning

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-89813649334974816312008-12-26T09:00:00.000-08:002008-12-26T09:06:32.412-08:00

A distinction from philosophy may help here when talking about the Trinity: We must be careful not to confuse the "is" of identity with the "is" of predication. What's the difference?1. Caroline is my daughter.2. Caroline is cute.Sentence 1 says that "Caroline" is the same thing as "my daughter." This is the "is" of identity. Sentence 2 says "Caroline" has some type of property or quality called

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-4612876305561494212008-12-25T08:46:00.001-08:002008-12-25T08:57:43.488-08:00

Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King;Peace on earth, and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!"Joyful, all ye nations rise, Join the triumph of the skies;With th'anglic host proclaim, "Christ is born in Bethlehem!"Hark! the herald angels sing, "Glory to the newborn King."Christ, by highest heav'n adored; Christ, the everlasting Lord!Late in time behold Him come, Offspring of

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-92195743974191203002008-12-24T14:01:00.000-08:002008-12-26T09:11:08.238-08:00

Some argue that Christians should not engage in apologetics and should instead just share their faith stories in conversations with people. I agree that sitting down with others and having conversations and not formal debates is the best thing to do on a personal level. My wife and I certainly practice this not because we’re trying to convert people (as if we were even able to do this; only God

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-83293577883254033602008-11-17T21:34:00.000-08:002008-11-17T21:37:31.165-08:00

I mentioned that I participated in a panel discussion answering questions on God's existence. Here it is. Click on Clues for God Q & A.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-82230400609064427972008-11-12T21:49:00.000-08:002008-12-21T20:05:54.445-08:00

Two Arguments for God’s ExistenceIntroductionAlvin Plantinga, one of the foremost philosophers of our era, has presented a lecture to various academic audiences entitled “Two Dozen (or so) Theistic Arguments.”[1] Instead of two dozen, I wanted to sketch out two arguments that I find persuasive for why I think God exists. Admittedly, these arguments do not show with absolute certainty that God

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-88050505095430337742008-11-12T21:35:00.000-08:002008-11-17T21:39:20.795-08:00

My church has been doing a sermon series called "Doubting Your Doubts" where we've been looking at the big questions that doubters ask concerning the Christian faith. In addition to the sermons, we've been having our community groups study these doubts by reading Tim Keller's book The Reason for God. We also are doing mid-week Doubting Forums to answer questions people may have. I just

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-87307635032639381502008-11-05T22:09:00.000-08:002008-11-05T22:18:33.565-08:00

Well, it cannot be denied...our new President will be Barack Obama. Despite the fact that he was not my candidate, nor can I imagine how he could ever be my candidate, he will be my President. My family will pray for him to lead well. But those areas where we disagree, I will oppose him vigorously. It is good to know, though, that despite differences amongst Americans on political party, we are

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-34286920718576280712008-10-18T12:31:00.000-07:002008-10-18T12:37:29.209-07:00

Senator Obama in the last Presidential Debate shown earlier this week is trying to confuse the issue concerning his vote against Illinois' version of the Born Alive Infant Protection Act. Can we really trust such a man who lacks courage to defend his own beliefs honestly? Please see this article written by Princeton's Robert P. George - one of my own intellectual contemporary heroes.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-19054630272447224712008-09-16T20:47:00.000-07:002008-09-16T21:31:08.226-07:00

William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith, 3rd Edition (Wheaton: Crossway, 2008), 415 pp.When I found out that William Lane Craig was revising his book on apologetics, Reasonable Faith, I couldn't wait to get my hot little hands on it. As soon as it was available on Amazon.com, I ordered myself a copy. It does not dissappoint. Even though Craig removes an entire chapter out of the 3rd edition (the

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-35850005427912750842008-09-01T19:55:00.000-07:002008-09-01T19:58:34.470-07:00

Father Jonathan Morris writes an insightful letter to Democrats about Obama's recent "above my paygrade" abortion comment. If only they will listen.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-4679157381042763912008-08-31T22:07:00.000-07:002008-12-30T08:22:33.351-08:00

On August 17, 2008, I successfully tested for my 1st degree (shodan) black belt in Aikido. Here's a group shot of the participating black belts that day. From left to right: Patrick, Mike, Eric, Dan, me, Sensei Freeman, Earl, Kyle, and Andre'.Here I am performing an irimi nage (entering throw) on Kyle. I think I felt his feet brush up against my hair.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-29889704915414119672008-08-31T21:59:00.000-07:002008-08-31T22:00:41.882-07:00

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-4324423094698809582008-08-27T22:01:00.000-07:002008-08-27T22:07:18.748-07:00

I did not see the broadcast on tv but was able to read the transcripts.Amongst the questions, two stood out to me concerning the pro-life issue.Rick Warren asked a very profound question to both Obama and McCain that has both ethical, executive, legislative, and judicial implications: AT WHAT POINT DOES A BABY GET HUMAN RIGHTS IN YOUR VIEW?1. Obama answers with this dodge:WELL, I THINK THAT

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-45345215186753365772008-08-09T06:39:00.000-07:002008-08-09T23:21:57.662-07:00

A bit of humor concerning school choice, parents, education, and government. Quod erat demonstradum.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-2926714740740677262008-07-02T22:14:00.000-07:002008-07-02T22:26:25.066-07:00

This is an article that confuses religious tolerance with religious relativism. Tolerance and relativism are not the same thing. Tolerance has been redefined in many quarters to mean acceptance or agreement. However, the classic notion of tolerance is putting up with something that one may disagree with or dislike. For example, I like Hong Kong kung fu action movies. Others may hate them,

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-45623350587147345812008-06-21T20:44:00.000-07:002008-09-16T20:46:18.978-07:00

Christianitytoday.com recently posted this interview with New York city pastor Tim Keller. I recently read Pastor Keller's book _The Reason for God_. It is a really good book that provides some answers to questions that people may have concerning Christianity. What makes it special is that Keller is quite well-read with contemporary challenges posed to traditional Christianity and uses

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-41248901066742397202008-05-06T21:40:00.000-07:002008-05-06T22:42:27.444-07:00

Jim Wallis was interviewed last month by Ted Olsen of Christianity Today magazine. One may read the article online here.From what I've read, Wallis' stance on abortion amounts to this: don't worry about the legality of abortion, trying to ban it or criminalize it, but let's focus on trying to reduce the abortion rate.Now, I can certainly echo support for coming up with measures to decrease the

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-26693227830974927332008-04-15T22:03:00.001-07:002008-12-30T08:23:20.857-08:00

I competed in the United States Karate Alliance National tournament for the first time at the end of March 2008. Here are some photos.Sensei Milt Calander (middle) with his students. From left to right: Joe Martinez, me, Christina Van Geeson, and Greg Holmes. Greg took home both the weapons and kata grandchampionships. Greg was also promoted to 5th Dan. Christina won 1st place in her divisions in

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-25548947772608697802008-04-02T22:53:00.000-07:002008-04-17T20:40:31.468-07:00

March 14-16 was the annual International Shuri-Ryu Association seminar held in Ft. Wayne, IN. Here I am with Hanshi Robert Bowles, Shuri-Ryu Chief Instructor and stylehead of Shuri-Ryu for the ISA. Hanshi Bowles taught eiku bo at the seminar. To my surprise, two of my teachers when I was a kid at the Trias dojo were also there. Chief Instructors Sensei Dale Benson and Sensei Tony

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-24271929082493205322008-03-19T22:42:00.000-07:002008-03-20T21:06:53.175-07:00

How do we deal with the passages in the Old Testament where God commands the Israelites to kill everyone in the land - including women and children? This is a very difficult question to answer and I’m afraid I don’t have an ultimately good answer either. In fact, my church community group and I have been struggling with this one. What one can do is to hopefully provide context that may

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-79498345606827691482008-02-16T21:27:00.000-08:002008-09-16T20:47:49.721-07:00

Lee Strobel, The Case for the Real Jesus (Zondervan, 2007).In may ways The Case for the Real Jesus is a sequel to Strobel's The Case for Christ. Since the earlier book, many sensational books, movies, and cable documentaries have attempted to portray the Jesus that the church worships and serves as the Christ of dead dogma. This Jesus is a figment of people's imagination. Worse, some conspiracy

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-83037874195026000982008-02-10T00:17:00.000-08:002008-02-10T00:25:51.397-08:00

Because I am a dad and because I teach aikido to kids, their safety is extremely important to me. So, as I peruse books and other material concerning child safety, I'll post my thoughts on them.I recently watched a DVD called "Stranger Safety" with my daughter. It is created by Julie Clark (founder of Baby Einstein Company) and John Walsh (host of America's Most Wanted). It is divided into two

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-35113423175238681052008-02-10T00:01:00.000-08:002009-03-05T21:31:22.327-08:00

I first met Grandmaster Trias as a 12 year old kid (with my 8 year old brother) looking to take martial art lessons. After pestering my mom for many months, she finally took me to the Trias International Institute for Karate and Judo on McDowell Rd. in Phoenix, AZ. Grandmaster Trias was on all fours fixing the floor in the hallway. After learning that I was ethnically Chinese (specifically

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-46990878202465450742008-02-09T23:54:00.000-08:002008-02-09T23:56:38.213-08:00

Angry White Pyjamas: A Scrawny Oxford Poet Takes Lessons From the Tokyo Riot Police (Harper Paperbacks, 2001) by Robert Twigger.A fellow dojo mate at Three Rivers Aikido mentioned this book to me. The book as gone through several printings with different subtitles. It is about Twigger's experience studying Yoshinkan Aikido in Japan in the mid 1990s. Yoshinkan Aikido is founded by Shihan Gozo

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-2053133962316418692008-02-09T23:50:00.000-08:002008-02-09T23:53:11.725-08:00

The Weaponless Warriors (Ohara Publications, 1974)by Richard Kim.The last time I read this book I was a teenager. It is a classic work on the Okinawan masters of karate that is an easy read. Each chapter presents one major historical figure in the development and spread of Okinawan karate such as Choki Motobu, Chojun Miyagi, Chotoku Kyan, Sokon Matsumura, and Tode "Karate" Sakugawa.If one is

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-78108382994276954072008-02-03T21:28:00.000-08:002008-04-01T20:31:20.390-07:00

A student of the martial arts is always grateful to his teachers. Here are mine:In Okinawan Shuri-Ryu Karate Do, my teachers are:* Grandmaster Robert Trias* * Sensei Tony Bisanz* * Sensei Larry Heimer* * Sensei Chris Hoshiyama* Sensei Milt CalanderIn Aikido, my teacher is Sensei Elliot Freeman.My first teacher is the late Grandmaster Robert Trias. Grandmaster Trias is the founder of Shuri-Ryu

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-83257896248809729402008-01-28T20:57:00.000-08:002008-02-01T18:40:38.811-08:00

Gracie Jiu-jitsu opened the eyes of many martial artists in the 90s and beyond to the importance of ground fighting and grappling. A martial artist is not a complete fighter until he knows the ground game. As a practioner of Brazilian Jiu-jitsu and karate has told me recently, jiu-jitsu gives you the option of going to the ground if it gives you an advantage and it helps you to survive the

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-22053952716734931182008-01-24T21:29:00.000-08:002008-02-13T08:13:44.526-08:00

Christianitytoday.com posted an interview with Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama concerning his outreach to evangelical voters. I'd like to focus my remarks on his statements concerning the abortion issue:-----------------------------CT: For many evangelicals, abortion is a key, if not the key factor in their vote. You voted against banning partial birth abortion and voted against

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-24401149178223965052008-01-08T20:35:00.001-08:002008-01-09T16:19:32.859-08:00

The Republican race for picking their presidential candidate is underway with Huckabee and McCain emerging as the early leaders. However, the race is far from over, such that I'd like to express my own ideas on who's the best candidate.First off, my general political convictions are conservative. My convictions are Reaganesque emphasizing three things: (1) a strong military and foreign policy, (2

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-74291550417676471332008-01-07T21:47:00.000-08:002008-01-07T21:51:21.175-08:00

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-13533999891793950652008-01-02T20:14:00.000-08:002008-01-02T22:11:06.707-08:00

In his book Warranted Christian Belief, the powerhouse Christian philosopher Alvin Plantinga discusses how some theologians (such as Gordon Kaufman) think that our concepts of God are incoherent, impossible, or at least deeply problematic. It is argued by them that if God really is infinite and transcendent, then any concepts we have about Him couldn't be applied to a being of that sort. God is

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-14188303069132441472007-12-26T21:44:00.000-08:002007-12-26T22:23:14.517-08:00

This Christmas vacation was spent back in our hometown of Phoenix, AZ. Like always, the weather in Phoenix is beautiful this time of year. I could do more winters like this anytime!After a 3 hour flight from St. Louis with 2 kids in tow, we arrived safe and sound. We spent most of the time catching up with family and friends. So and so got married, had a kid, lives now in Texas, serves as a

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-17334066191582130542007-12-24T23:46:00.000-08:002007-12-25T00:11:46.158-08:00

Christmas Scriptural Meditation:For God, who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Cor. 4:6Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with Godsomething to be grasped,but made himself nothing,taking the very

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-91882559444003571962007-12-24T09:01:00.001-08:002007-12-24T09:18:34.136-08:00

Hanshi Robert Yarnall of St. Louis. This picture was taken at the 2006 USKK Internationals held in Peoria, IL. Tante Ramoran. Tante is a student of Sensei Guy Holtzman of Palm Springs, CA. We had some real kumite battles as brown belts.Me with Sensei Greg Holmes the 2007 USKA World Grandchampion in Kata.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-76892253635104713332007-12-23T19:51:00.001-08:002007-12-24T09:24:47.391-08:00

My friend, Rick Buss, studies with Sensei Greg Holmes (Sensei Calander's top ranked student and my senior.) Picture is 2005. Sparring with Master Santiago, 7th Dan Tae Kwon Do. Santiago came to St. Louis to celebrate Sensei Freeman's 50th birthday (2005).2006 USKK Internationals. Sensei Calander (on my right) and Sensei Tom Awad.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-75851667996923562502007-12-20T09:17:00.001-08:002007-12-21T20:56:21.469-08:00

Grandchampion kata runoff for the 2005 Shorin-Ryu Pro Am held in St. Louis. I won my division running the Shuri-Ryu form Gopeisho. Here I ran the Shuri-Ryu breath form Tensho. Didn't take home the big prize though.Caroline's first lesson with the jo-staff. She's 3 in the picture.After practicing at the park.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-44385275815050580652007-12-19T21:19:00.000-08:002007-12-19T21:32:51.919-08:00

A proud Caroline with her yellow belt certificate!All those involved in testing the kids for their ranks. Caroline with a big smile and hands on hips. Sempai Bob Dill who taught Saturday classes at Three Rivers Aikido for many years. Caroline is performing the throw kote gaeshe (wrist twist). Caroline abusing her daddy with an ubi tori (finger lock).

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-79374773451716405442007-12-19T20:32:00.000-08:002007-12-20T09:16:05.741-08:00

Good looking guy...in hakama!Three Rivers Aikido instructors (minus the kids). Sensei Freeman in the middle.Recent rank test in November '07. I was testing for my shodan in aikido. Unfortunately, I didn't get the shodan. There's always next time.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-88903601049705136812007-12-16T22:20:00.000-08:002008-12-25T09:28:59.137-08:00

The following is a paper I wrote for my graduate course in Philosophy of Law this past semester. It reviews Justice Scalia's originalism and how originalists see the constitutional right to abortion as a prime example of judicial activism.----------------------------------------Originalism and the Flawed Constitutional Right to AbortionThe text is the law, and it is the text that must be observed

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-28822432769728747462007-12-10T15:19:00.000-08:002007-12-10T15:21:17.437-08:00

There is a prima facie moral obligation to obey the law. However, I would argue that the moral obligation is a trivial one if we do not know what specific law is under discussion. There are three general arguments given to why there is a prima facie moral obligation to obey the law: gratitude, consent, and the utilitarian argument. The first argument for why we have a moral obligation to obey

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-21355619808589344242007-12-10T15:14:00.000-08:002007-12-10T15:17:35.018-08:00

Natural Law Theory (NLT) holds that there is a necessary connection between law and morality. Two contrasting views of NLT are the theories of St. Thomas Aquinas and Lon Fuller. Aquinas’s NLT says that a law’s legal authority depends specifically upon an external moral standard called natural law that holds across all societies. Natural law, in Aquinas’ view, is the eternal law of God’s plan for

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-30709687693948941472007-11-22T17:17:00.000-08:002007-11-22T19:32:14.599-08:00

Happy Thanksgiving.There are many things that I am thankful for. I am thankful for my wife and kids who make life worth living. I am thankful for my God who loved me enough to send His Son as my substitute to die on a Roman Cross two thousand years ago to pay for my sins. I am thankful to my country who God has blessed my family by bringing my folks here. I am thankful to our soldiers in Iraq,

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-56397582695320905592007-11-22T12:46:00.000-08:002007-11-22T12:53:03.731-08:00

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-46669603407178028422007-11-17T21:28:00.000-08:002008-12-30T08:06:36.260-08:00

A little more about me than what my profile says...Growing Up: I am a son of Chinese immigrants. As such, I love my country, the United States of America, and the ideals she aspires to. I was raised in Phoenix, AZ and am the eldest of three boys. Growing up, I was poor but didn't know it. My parents eventually were able to own their own small business and live the American dream. They were able

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-89952541040647871792007-11-16T22:14:00.000-08:002007-11-16T22:33:31.596-08:00

Originalism is a theory of Constitutional interpretation that focuses upon the text of the Constitution in seeking it's original meaning at the time it was promulgated. Thus, an originalist jurist would seek to obtain the Constitution's original meaning through historical analysis and then apply that meaning to contempory issues that come before the Court. Originalists argue that if the

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-64094863151619476552007-11-13T21:30:00.001-08:002007-12-19T21:13:35.239-08:00

The following is from my martial arts blog. I'm beginning to migrate some of those things onto this blog because I don't want to manage two blogs at the same time.------------------------Check out this aikido demonstration by Shihan Hiroshi Isoyama. Shihan Isoyama shows a martial emphasis in his aikido. It is my bias that whatever martial art one practices needs to be practical for self-defense.

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-84413161359265239342007-11-08T21:24:00.000-08:002007-11-13T21:17:07.142-08:00

The following is from my martial arts blog. I'm beginning to migrate some of those things onto this blog because I don't want to manage two blogs at the same time.------------------------Christianity abounds with metaphysical beliefs. Some martial arts abound with metaphysical beliefs as well. Could they conflict? The answer is: it depends. Metaphysics is the branch of philosophy that studies

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-78357836355068131882007-11-08T21:16:00.000-08:002007-11-08T21:29:21.806-08:00

The following is from my martial arts blog. I'm beginning to migrate some of those things onto this blog because I don't want to manage two blogs at the same time.---------------I am a Christian of an evangelical flavor. I am also a student of the martial arts. Is there an ethical conflict here? The short answer would be no, but I suspect it's more complex than that.First, how can I, as a

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-65116051376076129192007-09-29T20:48:00.001-07:002007-09-30T23:49:05.492-07:00

Christianity Today magazine posted this article on their website recently. It concerns the founding pastor of Mars Hill Church in Seattle who is also president of the Acts 29 church planting network. My pastor, Darrin Patrick, is the vice-president of Acts 29 and the lead pastor of my church - The Journey of St. Louis. Mars Hill Church serves as a mentor to many young "missional" emerging

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-53846207527423141972007-09-27T17:45:00.000-07:002007-10-06T15:23:15.537-07:00

There they go again. This story tells of how Democrats are adding hate crimes legislation into the new defense spending bill to equip our soldiers with what they need in Iraq and Afghanistan. What does one have to do with the other? Senator Kennedy is quoted as saying that because we are fighting terrorism abroad we need to fight terrorism at home with this hate crimes legislation. Has Senator

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-30948128763757605492007-09-23T16:19:00.000-07:002007-09-27T18:08:51.241-07:00

Several years ago my family and I spent our vacation on a cruise ship to the Bahamas. I know. I know. We were suffering for God on a cruise ship in the Bahamas. Anyway, on the last day, my almost 3-year-old daughter and I were riding in an elevator to get to the breakfast area. The elevator was packed with like-minded and hungry people trying to get last minute munching in. As happens on a packed

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-62808410834626428922007-09-20T20:56:00.000-07:002007-09-20T21:28:47.788-07:00

How would Jesus vote on the abortion issue?I think everyone interested in their government wants to know that their political views or political party has the divine stamp of approval. However, Jesus cannot be put in a voter’s guide as such.Unlike some politically liberal Christians, I have trouble believing that Jesus would vote for a Democrat simply because Democrats champion the poor and

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-83892575740203750982007-08-27T06:33:00.000-07:002007-09-29T21:28:28.604-07:00

Cheney: The Untold Story of America's Most Powerful and Controversial Vice President (Harper Collins, 2007).by Stephen F. HayesThis biography by Hayes, a senior writer for the conservative magazine the Weekly Standard, is based upon hundreds of hours of interviews with Cheney and people that know him well, including President Bush.What we find out is already known about him: he is highly

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-50292567549529209042007-08-21T22:20:00.000-07:002008-12-30T08:25:44.669-08:00

Well, I've bought the 8th edition of Philosophy of Law edited by Joel Feinberg and Jules Coleman for my philosophy of law graduate course this semester and attended the first class yesterday afternoon. It looks like this semester will be a lot of reading (as usual), but the material will be very interesting as we will be discussing many controversial subjects that pertain to our legal and

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-63860513479625198752007-07-26T22:55:00.000-07:002007-07-28T22:35:30.275-07:00

Alvin Plantinga, is his book The Nature of Necessity, gives a version of the Ontological Argument for God's existence that can be simplified thus (the numbering is his):--------(42) There is a possible world in which unsurpassable greatness is exemplified.(43) The proposition a thing has unsurpassable greatness if and only if it has maximal excellence in every possible world is necessarily true.(

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-62498917425093533872007-07-15T22:04:00.000-07:002007-09-21T19:29:56.169-07:00

What is going on with Amnesty International? This story says they have gone from not taking a position on abortion to being pro-abortion rights.And to think that I was a part of my local high school's Amnesty International chapter! Of course it was during those formative high school years that I began rethinking my political views and moved from moderately liberal to conservative.How could an

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-5824052076624418242007-07-12T22:38:00.000-07:002007-10-29T20:21:47.044-07:00

This is a great speech by Arizona Senator John McCain.Though I disagree with the Senator on several key issues, when it comes to the war in Iraq, he's dead on accurate. We must not lose in Iraq.The terrorists are in it to win. Are we in it to win or do we just want to pull out when things get tough? The strategy of Rumsfeld-Casey didn't work for the past 3 years. Why would some senators and

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-7599097529576158702007-07-11T21:25:00.000-07:002007-09-21T19:13:51.449-07:00

This article states the disturbing fact that the misdiagnosis of being in a vegetative state has not fallen in the last 15 years. Do you feel safe going to the hospital?

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-46614135244300775662007-07-07T21:24:00.000-07:002007-07-19T21:26:22.174-07:00

I recently read John Leslie's article 'The Prerequisites of Life in our Universe' reproduced in William Lane Craig's anthology on philosophy of religion (Philosophy of Religion: A Reader and Guide, New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 2002) concerning design in the universe. After going through some of the remarkable cosmological constants that appear to be fine-tuned in order for life to

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-39265754465303127972007-07-04T14:03:00.001-07:002007-09-29T21:29:04.868-07:00

J.P. Moreland. Scaling the Secular City: A Defense of Christianity (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987).J.P. Moreland is a professor of philosophy at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University. He has succeeded in writing a fine defense of the Christian faith and interacts with the many modern objections that try to uproot that faith.In Chapter One, Moreland begins to build his case for the existence of

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-81214158107817389022007-07-04T13:49:00.000-07:002007-09-29T21:29:22.356-07:00

Craig L. Blomberg and Stephen E. Robinson, How Wide the Divide?: A Mormon and an Evangelical in Conversation (Dowers Grove, InterVarsity Press, 1997).This is the first time in print that a Mormon scholar and an Evangelical scholar have discussed each other’s religious beliefs together in a respectful manner. Dr. Craig Blomberg is a professor of New Testament at Denver Seminary, and Dr. Stephen

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-69049944048060161602007-06-28T09:09:00.000-07:002007-09-21T19:07:56.470-07:00

I saw this story in the Southern Baptist press online concerning Republican Presidential Candidate Mitt Romney.I'm curious why some Evangelicals seem so wrong headed on the issue of electing a Mormon to be President of the United States. It seems to parallel the tactics of the "radical" left who attack politicians who run for public office simply because they hold to Christian convictions. Isn't

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-87634144739284760872007-06-22T23:12:00.000-07:002007-09-16T20:57:16.979-07:00

In this paper, I am going to defend three major pro-life contentions: the real issue in the abortion controversy is the status of the unborn; the unborn is a human being; and there is no morally relevant difference between human beings and human persons. Therefore, the unborn deserves to be protected from harm. I will treat each major contention in turn.I. The Real IssueImagine that you are in

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-55000193310161510762007-06-22T23:00:00.000-07:002007-09-29T21:29:34.355-07:00

The Face that Demonstrates the Farce of Evolution by Hank Hanegraaff. Nashville, TN: Word Publishing, 1998. 240 pages, index, appendices. Hardcover; $18.95.I originally published this book review in the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, Volume 51, Number 3, September 1999. pp. 192-193.Hanegraaff is the host of the popular Christian radio

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-200630606399127636.post-20941712288864710412007-06-20T09:04:00.000-07:002007-07-04T14:00:24.897-07:00

I am against a certain type of stem cell research known as human embryonic stem cell research (HESCR), and I am against using frozen leftover human embryos created through invitro-fertilization for stem cell research. I do not oppose all research involving human stem cells. In fact, opponents of HESCR see the use of non-embryonic stem cells (commonly called adult stem cells) or some type of

Conway Wongnoreply@blogger.com0