Posted on May 17, 2024
by John MacDonald
So, I have a new essay out - part 1 of three on Robyn Faith Walsh. Check it out: Gospels, Classics, and the Erasure of the Community: A Critical Review Testing the Hypothesis of Robyn Faith Walsh’s The Origins of Early Christian Literature, Part A
Part A: Jesus in the Light of Greco-Roman Philosophy and Highly Sophisticated Engagement with the Old Testament ... Read Article
Posted on May 15, 2024
by Bradley Bowen
A DILEMMA IMPLIES THERE ARE ONLY TWO KINDS OF SKEPTICAL THEORIES
When Christian apologists discuss skeptical theories about the alleged resurrection of Jesus, they often think in terms of an old dilemma between the disciples of Jesus being either DECEIVED or DECEIVERS.
According to Christian apologists, Jesus' eleven remaining disciples (the twelve minus Judas Iscariot) all proclaimed that Jesus had physically risen from the dead after he had died on the cross. So, if Jesus had NOT physically risen from the dead, then either the eleven disciples had been DECEIVED into sincerely but mistakenly believing that Jesus had risen from the dead OR the eleven disciples were DECEIVERS who did not believe that Jesus had actually risen from the dead but who lied to others and falsely claimed to have seen the risen Jesus.
This dilemma between being DECEIVED or being DECEIVERS indicates that skeptical theories about the alleged resurrection of Jesus can all be divided into these two categories.
One common ske ... Read Article
Posted on May 14, 2024
by John MacDonald
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12bU6BFsStU
Sufficiently advanced aliens would be able to capture vast quantities of energy from their star using a massive structure called a Dyson sphere. Such a device would give off an infrared heat signature - and astronomers have just spotted 60 stars that seem to match. See the article HERE. ... Read Article
Posted on May 12, 2024
by John MacDonald
The argument seems to be they should be allowed to have the jets because they really enjoy using them.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWt5PJhCmmg ... Read Article
Posted on May 11, 2024
by John MacDonald
One of the slam dunks scholars as diverse as Bart Ehrman and John Loftus name against the existence of the Christian God is the problem of horrendous suffering, for surely the world is not reflective of a powerful, loving God. If there is such a God, why are 3 year-olds dying of cancer?
In reality though, this is not the trump card many think it is. Apologist Michael Coren suggests that Christians are perfectly aware of this issue and that the real trump card is that Justice is promised in the next life, not this one. We see this, for instance, with the parable of the non repentant (while he was alive) rich man and his family and Lazarus in Luke's gospel. We read, for instance,
The Rich Man and Lazarus
19 “There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. 20 And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, 21 who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick ... Read Article
Posted on May 11, 2024
by John MacDonald
The "not religiously affiliated" group is now a large societal group, although strict atheism is not yet surging. See article HERE. ... Read Article
Posted on May 8, 2024
by John MacDonald
Hypatia was an ancient female philosopher who taught neoplatonism. Though she saw rationality in the universe that was in some sense divine, she did not ascribe to any particular god and welcomed students of all backgrounds to her school. See the 5 minute video here to learn about Hypatia and how she was brutally murdered by Christians. via Aeon ... Read Article
Posted on May 7, 2024
by John MacDonald
Check out this week's Misquoting Jesus podcast to see why Bart thinks Jesus was left on the cross to be food for the birds!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BXmyB6OT30 ... Read Article
Posted on May 3, 2024
by John MacDonald
I come from the Continental Philosophy tradition and this professor's sentiments are mine as well: ... Read Article
Posted on May 1, 2024
by Bradley Bowen
I have previously done a careful analysis of nine objections against the Swoon Theory presented by the Christian apologists Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics (1994; hereafter: HCA):
https://secularfrontier.infidels.org/2024/04/careful-analysis-of-objections-to-the-swoon-theory-index
More recently, I have done a careful analysis of six more objections to the Swoon Theory presented by other Christian apologists, objections that do not correspond to any of the nine objections raised by Kreeft and Tacelli:
Objection #15 (Jesus' Wounds) is the most recent addition to objections I will analyze and evaluate.
I had initially thought Objection #15 was redundant with Objection #1 (Deadliness of Roman Crucifixion) presented by Kreeft and Tacelli in HCA. But on further reflection, I realized that these were two different objections, because Objection #1 focuses on the motivation and expertise of Roman soldiers in carrying out crucifixions, while Objection # ... Read Article
Posted on May 1, 2024
by Bradley Bowen
WHERE WE ARE
The Christian apologists Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli presented nine objections against the Swoon Theory in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics (published in 1994). I have carefully analyzed those nine objections and then carefully evaluated them. I concluded that each of those nine objections against the Swoon Theory FAIL. So, Kreeft and Tacelli FAILED to refute the Swoon Theory. Because their case for the resurrection of Jesus required them to refute the Swoon Theory, their case for the resurrection in Chapter 8 of Handbook of Christian Apologetics also FAILS.
I am in the process of carefully analyzing and evaluating six more objections against the Swoon Theory, objections from other Christian apologists besides Kreeft and Tacelli.
In this current post, I will carefully analyze one last objection against the Swoon Theory, one of the six objections by other Christian apologists that do not correspond to any of the nine objections presented by Kreeft and Tacelli in ... Read Article
Posted on April 30, 2024
by John MacDonald
In this video, a sociologist shows that on issue after issue (eg Racism), secular people take a more ethical stance than strongly religious people. For example, the more religious someone is, the less likely they are to believe climate change science or to do anything about it. Stay through to the end of the video where the presenter contrasts the efficacy of religion based morality and Darwinian evolution!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRAjw2f2Xsg ... Read Article
Posted on April 28, 2024
by Bradley Bowen
WHERE WE ARE
The Christian apologists Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli presented nine objections against the Swoon Theory in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics (published in 1994). I have carefully analyzed those nine objections and then carefully evaluated them. I concluded that each of those nine objections against the Swoon Theory FAIL. So, Kreeft and Tacelli FAILED to refute the Swoon Theory. Because their case for the resurrection of Jesus required them to refute the Swoon Theory, their case for the resurrection in Chapter 8 of Handbook of Christian Apologetics also FAILS.
I am in the process of carefully analyzing and evaluating six more objections against the Swoon Theory, objections from other Christian apologists besides Kreeft and Tacelli.
In this current post, I will carefully analyze an objection against the Swoon Theory by the Christian apologists Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell (Josh's son), one of the six objections that does not correspond to any of the nine object ... Read Article
Posted on April 26, 2024
by Bradley Bowen
WHERE WE ARE
The Christian apologists Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli presented nine objections against the Swoon Theory in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics (published in 1994). I have carefully analyzed those nine objections and then carefully evaluated them. I concluded that each of those nine objections against the Swoon Theory FAIL. So, Kreeft and Tacelli FAILED to refute the Swoon Theory. Because their case for the resurrection of Jesus required them to refute the Swoon Theory, their case for the resurrection in Chapter 8 of Handbook of Christian Apologetics also FAILS.
I am in the process of carefully analyzing and evaluating six more objections against the Swoon Theory, objections from other Christian apologists besides Kreeft and Tacelli.
In this current post, I will carefully analyze an objection against the Swoon Theory, one of the objections that does not correspond to any of the nine objections presented by Kreeft and Tacelli in their Handbook of Christian Apologeti ... Read Article
Posted on April 24, 2024
by Bradley Bowen
WHERE WE ARE
The Christian apologists Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli presented nine objections against the Swoon Theory in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics (published in 1994). I have carefully analyzed those nine objection and then carefully evaluated them. I concluded that each of those nine objections against the Swoon Theory FAIL. So, Kreeft and Tacelli FAILED to refute the Swoon Theory. Because their case for the resurrection of Jesus required them to refute the Swoon Theory, their case for the resurrection in Chapter 8 of Handbook of Christian Apologetics also FAILS.
I am in the process of carefully analyzing and evaluating six more objections against the Swoon Theory, objections from other Christian apologists besides Kreeft and Tacelli.
I have recently carefully analyzed two objections by the Christian apologist William Craig against the Swoon Theory, objections that do not correspond to any of the nine objections presented by Kreeft and Tacelli:
https://secula ... Read Article