The Secular Frontier

Washington (CNN) —  Former President Donald Trump is littering his public remarks with fictional stories. This isn’t run-of-the-mill political spin, the kind of statistic-twisting and accomplishment-exaggerating that political candidates of all stripes engage in. Rather, the Republican presidential nominee is telling colorful lies that are completely untethered to reality. https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/19/politics/fact-check-donald-trump-fictional-stories Opinions of Roe v. WadeFacing heavy criticism from Harris and others for appointing three of the Supreme Court justices who overturned the Roe v. Wade abortion rights decision in 2022, Trump concocted a tale that this unpopular decision fulfilled the wishes of “everybody” – including “every Democrat.” “Every Democrat, every Republican, everybody wanted Roe v. Wade terminated and brought back to the states,” Trump said on Fox News in late August. This is not even remotely accurate. Roe was consistently supported b ... Read Article

Last time I said: One popular idea on the internet is Jesus started out as a vague dying/rising savior myth who was later placed in historical fictions/gospels (Euhemerized). How do New Testament specialists teaching New Testament at accredited Secular universities respond to this? The key point is that the dying/rising salvation theme of the Jesus tale is a later development, and so is not at our earliest level of the Jesus salvation message. Against Christ-mythicism, Prof Bart Ehrman notes for Paul righteousness came through the cross/resurrection, that if it came through the law Chris died for nothing (Gal 2:21). Mark wrote a Paul-inspired propaganda document/gospel (euaggelion, as per the Augustus use of the term) selling Jesus’ cross and resurrection as the way to salvation like Paul argued, and yet contrarily Mark said salvation also came through repentance and the Kingdom (Mark 1:14-15), and following the law and giving everything to the poor (Mark 10:17-22). Mark unwittingly or deliberately (wh ... Read Article

Washington (CNN) —  Former President Donald Trump is littering his public remarks with fictional stories. This isn’t run-of-the-mill political spin, the kind of statistic-twisting and accomplishment-exaggerating that political candidates of all stripes engage in. Rather, the Republican presidential nominee is telling colorful lies that are completely untethered to reality. https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/19/politics/fact-check-donald-trump-fictional-stories Harris’ primary performance Trump has repeatedly claimed during the last month that Harris was so unpopular when she previously ran for the presidency, in 2019, that she was the very first candidate to drop out of the crowded Democratic primary. “She was one of 22 people that ran. She was the first one to quit,” he said at a Pennsylvania rally in late August. Not even close. In fact, 13 other Democratic candidates dropped out of the race before Harris did – including the sitting& ... Read Article

One popular idea on the internet is Jesus started out as a vague dying/rising savior myth that was later placed in historical stories (Euhemerized). How do New Testament specialists teaching New Testament at accredited Secular universities respond to this? Against mythicism, Prof Bart Ehrman notes for Paul righteousness came through the cross/resurrection, that if it came through the law Chris died for nothing (Gal 2:21). Mark wrote a propaganda document (euaggelion) selling Jesus’ cross and resurrection as the way to salvation, and yet contrarily said salvation also came through repentance and the Kingdom (Mark 1:14-15), and following the law and giving everything to the poor (Mark 10:17-22). Mark unwittingly incorporated material about the historical Jesus that contradicted his Pauline bias. Popular Christ Mythicists (Earl Doherty; Robert M Price, Thomas Brodie; Richard Carrier) ... Read Article

In Chapter 8 of their Handbook of Christian Apologetics (hereafter: HCA), Christian philosophers Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli make a case for the resurrection of Jesus, and they claim to PROVE that Jesus rose from the dead. Here is a summary of their case: 1. IF Kreeft and Tacelli refuted the four alternative (skeptical) theories, THEN Kreeft and Tacelli have proved that the Christian Theory of the resurrection of Jesus is true. 2. Kreeft and Tacelli refuted (in Chapter 8 of HCA) the four alternative (skeptical) theories. THEREFORE: 3. Kreeft and Tacelli have proved that the Christian Theory of the resurrection of Jesus is true. In a recent post about this case for the resurrection of Jesus, I argued that there was an obvious reason showing that premise (1) is FALSE, and thus that this case FAILS. The obvious reason that premise (1) is FALSE is that other Christian philosophers and apologists criticize at least seven other skeptical theories besides the four skep ... Read Article

In Chapter 8 of their Handbook of Christian Apologetics (hereafter: HCA), Christian philosophers Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli make a case for the resurrection of Jesus, and they claim to PROVE that Jesus rose from the dead. Here is a summary of their case: 1. IF Kreeft and Tacelli refuted the four alternative (skeptical) theories, THEN Kreeft and Tacelli have proved that the Christian Theory of the resurrection of Jesus is true. 2. Kreeft and Tacelli refuted (in Chapter 8 of HCA) the four alternative (skeptical) theories. THEREFORE: 3. Kreeft and Tacelli have proved that the Christian Theory of the resurrection of Jesus is true. This argument FAILS for two simple reasons: premise (1) is FALSE, and premise (2) is FALSE. So, their argument is UNSOUND because it is based on false premises. In this post, I will only discuss premise (1) and one obvious reason why it is false. ONE OBVIOUS REASON WHY PREMISE (1) IS FALSE There are various reasons that show premise (1 ... Read Article

Washington (CNN) —  Former President Donald Trump is littering his public remarks with fictional stories. This isn’t run-of-the-mill political spin, the kind of statistic-twisting and accomplishment-exaggerating that political candidates of all stripes engage in. Rather, the Republican presidential nominee is telling colorful lies that are completely untethered to reality. https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/19/politics/fact-check-donald-trump-fictional-stories Harris’ identity Trump claimed at a convention of Black journalists in late July that Harris used to “only” promote her Indian heritage, then “all of a sudden” made a “turn” and “became a Black person.” Defending the claim, Trump reiterated at the September debate that Harris had “put out” at some point that “she was not Black.” None of that is true. Harris – who was raised in a Black community and graduated from a historically Black university – has embraced her Black identity since ... Read Article

Masaccio’s fresco (1424-28), in the Brancacci Chapel, Florence, emphasizes the nakedness and shame of the original sinners. Photo: Bridgeman Images (wiki) 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not die, 5 for God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food and that it was a delight to the eyes and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves. (Genesis 3:4-7, NRSVUE) Paul's Conversion on the Way to Damascus, a 1601 portrait by Caravaggio (wiki) 17 So Ananias went and entered the house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, ... Read Article

Washington (CNN) —  Former President Donald Trump is littering his public remarks with fictional stories. This isn’t run-of-the-mill political spin, the kind of statistic-twisting and accomplishment-exaggerating that political candidates of all stripes engage in. Rather, the Republican presidential nominee is telling colorful lies that are completely untethered to reality. https://www.cnn.com/2024/09/19/politics/fact-check-donald-trump-fictional-stories Harris and the Russian invasion of Ukraine Trump told a vivid story on Fox News in late August about how President Joe Biden supposedly sent Harris to negotiate with Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2022 in an effort to prevent an invasion of Ukraine. Trump claimed Harris was sent “to see Putin in Russia three days before the attack. She went. She said – she gave her case. He attacked three days later. He attacked three days later. He laughed at her. He thought she was a joke.” Trump also told a versi ... Read Article

Saint Paul (c. 1611) by Peter Paul Rubens (wiki) [Intro] Bart Ehrman’s “New Insights Into The New Testament” Conference (2024 Apostle Paul) [2: Bart’s Preface] Bart Ehrman’s “New Insights Into The New Testament” Conference (2024 Apostle Paul) [3: Benjamin L White] Bart Ehrman’s “New Insights Into The New Testament” Conference (2024 Apostle Paul) [4: Jason Staples] Bart Ehrman’s “New Insights Into The New Testament” Conference (2024 Apostle Paul) [5: Joel Marcus] Bart Ehrman’s “New Insights Into The New Testament” Conference (2024 Apostle Paul) [6: Robyn Faith Walsh] Bart Ehrman’s “New Insights Into The New Testament” Conference (2024 Apostle Paul) [7: Jenny Knust] Bart Ehrman’s “New Insights Into The New Testament” Conference (2024 Apostle Paul) [8: Paula Fredriksen] Bart Ehrman’s “New Insights Into The New Testament” Conference (2024 Apostle Paul) [9: James Tabor] Bart Ehrman’s “New Insights Into The New Testament” Co ... Read Article

It's been really fun following along with the conference presenters. The last presenter, Ehrman, gave an overview of Paul and showed how Paul saw himself as the prophesied one at the end of history who would bring the gentiles to the God of the Jews. Paul sees himself as spreading the gospel to the end of the earth (at that time Spain), and with that the end would come.   It is the Godly figurative opening of eyes that is the key issue, as apocalyptic pharisee Saul’s eyes were opened by his vision of Jesus and he became Paul, or the soldier in Luke whose eyes were open to the innocence of Jesus – a completion of the "eye-opening" started in Eden where sinful Adam and Eve’s eyes were opened to their nakedness, the issue of their questioning/doubting of God's words which evolved into the twisting of God's words by the Jewish elite who conspired against Jesus.  Of course, in this we see that the Jewish notion of sin is only superficially appeasing God's wrath with sacrifice as we see in other anc ... Read Article

James Tabor has a bit of a different take on Paul's apocalyptic thinking. In Tabor's reading, Genesis was the dust prototype of death and decay that would later be replaced by a cosmos of spirit (pneuma). Here are a few gems from the presentation: The salvation is cosmic because all the forms of existence are passing away: being male/female; Jew/Greek; Slave/free; Rich/poor. The setup of this world is passing away (1 Cor 7:29-31) Those who are in Christ have a new spiritual body waiting for them in heaven. Tabor doesn't say this but presumably the pneuma of Christ in you indicates to God who gets the new resurrection body, like the lamb's blood on the door indicated to God which houses were to be passed over in Egypt. In this regard Christ was the ultimate Passover lamb of God. This was helpful to me because with previous presenters I initially thought they meant (correctly or incorrectly) the pneuma/spirit of Christ in you developed into the new spiritual resurrection body, but I think seeing Jesus as t ... Read Article

I've been posting about how Trump is framing himself as the God-chosen candidate, that a vote against Trump is a vote against God. Consider this Truth Social post and picture Trump just shared: "Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle. Be our defense against the wickedness and snares of the Devil. May God rebuke him, we humbly pray, and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly hosts, by the power of God, cast into hell Satan, and all the evil spirits, who prowl about the world seeking the ruin of souls. Amen. (Donald Trump)" Some Christians are not fooled: ... Read Article

Paula Fredriksen is one of the top Pauline scholars in the world and she gave a talk about Jewish henotheism, the idea Paul thought the world was saturated with many gods but that Paul thought his Jewish God was the highest. Here are a couple of ideas from the presentation that I thought were particularly meaty: All monotheists in antiquity were polytheists in that there were many lesser gods under the highest god (henotheism) and Paul shares in this understanding, especially since Paul was working with the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Hebrew scripture, which emphasized this. These gods were constantly in contact with humans in various ways, such as athletic games which were enacted in honor of the gods. Greco Roman and Jewish cities were not secular places but primarily set up to honor the gods, which then was good for the people. Paul is telling the pagans not to show respect to their native gods, but to his Jewish god. Paul is in a struggle between the pneuma of Christ that is in Pa ... Read Article

Prof Jenny Knust had an interesting presentation on sexual language in Paul. For example, she argues it's unfair to isolate Paul's condemnation of homosexual acts, because Paul thinks it would be better not to engage in any sexual acts as all - even heterosexual ones. In ancient times, heterosexuality and homosexuality were acts, not general identifiers of a person's identity as we think today. Paul doesn't act on sexual desire, and he thanks Christ for that. She also made the point that "virgin" had to do with being an unmarried young woman or man rather than the later medical condition of whether the hymen was intact or not. She offered the important point that we can make Paul say many things even if in so doing we go beyond what we really know about Paul. ... Read Article