“A Leap of Faith”
In a comment on my most recent post about Jesus’ use of the word “faith”, Stig Martinsen points to the phrase “a leap of faith” as evidence that Christians sometimes speak of “faith” in a way that implies belief that goes beyond reason or evidence. I don’t plan to reply to his point here, but … “A Leap of Faith”
Valerie Tarico on the Most Harmful Religious Ideas
We have had an interesting discussion about Karen Armstrong’s essay “The Myth of Religious Violence.” While it is nice to engage with such erudite essays, it is also nice to find something that cuts right through the fog and lays everything out. As a short summary of the harm that religion has done, I think it is … Valerie Tarico on the Most Harmful Religious Ideas
Jesus on Faith – Part 5
Stig Martinsen made a plausible objection to my argument for the idea that Jesus viewed giving EVIDENCE and ARGUMENTS as compatible with promoting FAITH: ============== I have seen the story of doubting Thomas in John 20 interpreted as an example of Jesus endorsing faith as opposed to belief grounded in evidence. I.e. 20:29: Jesus saith unto him, … Jesus on Faith – Part 5
The Boy Who Did Not Come Back From Heaven
One reason for being a skeptic is that people lie…often. Children lie, teenagers lie, college students and young adults lie, older adults lie, and seniors lie. Here is a story that reinforces the need for skepticism. =================== Tyndale House, a major Christian publisher, has announced that it will stop selling “The Boy Who Came Back … The Boy Who Did Not Come Back From Heaven
Is Religious Violence a Myth?
Karen Armstrong is a prolific author on topics in comparative religion. She is a former nun and liberal Christian who has a gift for writing that is both scholarly and readable. I admire her book A History of God, a genuine tour-de-force that traces the history of monotheism, showing how the concept of God has … Is Religious Violence a Myth?
Jesus on Faith – Part 4
Stig Martinsen made a plausible objection to my argument for the idea that Jesus viewed giving EVIDENCE and ARGUMENTS as compatible with promoting FAITH: ============ I have seen the story of doubting Thomas in John 20 interpreted as an example of Jesus endorsing faith as opposed to belief grounded in evidence. I.e. 20:29: Jesus saith unto him, … Jesus on Faith – Part 4
Jesus on Faith – Part 3
Jesus talks about “faith” in Matthew Chapter 6 and also in Matthew Chapter 16 (Mat. 6:25-33 and 16:5-12). In both of these passages, Jesus tells his followers that they have “little faith”, and then Jesus puts forward an ARGUMENT or REASONS in order to INCREASE the FAITH of his followers. But this makes no sense if … Jesus on Faith – Part 3
Jesus on Faith – Part 2
In my previous post on this subject, I argued that the comments of Jesus in Matthew 6:25-33 concerning faith show that Jesus did NOT think that faith means firmly believing something for which one has no evidence (Bertrand Russell’s def. of “faith”) nor that faith means believing in the face of contrary evidence (A.C. Grayling’s def. of … Jesus on Faith – Part 2
Terrorist Outrage in Paris
I am angry. Very angry. We know that Islamic fanatics are mad dogs whose very humanity has been consumed by their devotion to a rabid religion. We have seen them massacre whole communities of innocent people for no reason other than religious bigotry. We have seen them kidnap hundreds of girls and young women then … Terrorist Outrage in Paris
Jesus on Faith
What does the word “faith” mean? According to my dictionary (The American Heritage Dictionary, 2nd College Edition), the word “faith” has several different meanings: Definition 1: A confident belief in the truth, value, trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing. Definition 2: Belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. Definition 3: Loyalty … Jesus on Faith