Did Jesus Exist? Ehrman’s Complete Failure – Part 1
I was recently asked to participate in a public discussion/debate about the question “Did Jesus Exist?”. I don’t plan to argue in favor of the mythicist position, just because I don’t think I would do it justice. I’m not a mythicist, and I have not studied any mythicists in recent years (I read some of … Did Jesus Exist? Ehrman’s Complete Failure – Part 1
Draft Paper on the Jewish Hearsay Testimony and the Empty Tomb
I wrote this about 10 years ago but never finished it. In light of recent discussions, however, I thought it might be of interest to some readers. Please do not cite without my permission. Jewish_Hearsay_Evidence_v1.0_DRAFT_1
Why I Do Not Equate Religious Belief with Mental Illness
I’m not a psychiatrist, but as a teenager I worked for an elderly woman who I later found out was a paranoid schizophrenic with organic brain decomposition. (As an aside, if you have any empathy at all, it’s impossible to get to know someone like this and not find their situation heartbreaking.) I agree that you … Why I Do Not Equate Religious Belief with Mental Illness
What is Christianity? Part 13
Worldview as a Way of Life? The third objection that James Sire raises against his older conception of worldviews, is that it makes more sense to understand a worldview as being “a way of life” (NTE, p.97) rather than to understand a worldview as being “a system of thought” (NTE, p.98) because of “the practical, … What is Christianity? Part 13
Science and Religion: The Clash of Ideals
In my previous post I argued that science and religion still can and do clash, especially concerning the implications of evolutionary theory and neuroscience. Specifically, an account of human origins that views Homo sapiens, like every other species, as the highly improbable end-product of a very long series of contingencies and accidents, cannot rest easily … Science and Religion: The Clash of Ideals
The Resurrection: Types of Skeptical Views
The traditional Christian view of the resurrection of Jesus involves a number of beliefs or claims: There are different degrees of skepticism about religious beliefs. First, there are different degrees of disbelief or doubt. The strongest sort of skepticism asserts that a specific belief is CLEARLY FALSE. A slightly weaker form of skepticism asserts that … The Resurrection: Types of Skeptical Views
William Lane Craig Admits that His Fine-Tuning Argument is Based Upon Speculation
In my last post, I reported that WLC has reached the same conclusion I have regarding the scale of the universe as evidence against theism. After re-reading his article, I realized I missed an even more important announcement. Although he would deny it, in the same article he also admits that his fine-tuning argument is … William Lane Craig Admits that His Fine-Tuning Argument is Based Upon Speculation
William Lane Craig Endorses My Argument from Scale against Theism!
He doesn’t mention by name, of course, and may not have even had my argument in mind, but the sort of Bayesian considerations he raises support my Bayesian argument from scale, in two ways. First, he agrees with me about the “direction” the evidence points (against theism). Second, he agrees with me about the “magnitude” … William Lane Craig Endorses My Argument from Scale against Theism!
How Science and Religion Still Clash
“Extinguished theologians lie about the cradle of every new science, like the serpents strangled by the infant Hercules.” That is how T.H. Huxley classically expressed the “warfare” theory of the relationship between science and religion. On that theory, science and religion are playing a zero-sum game. One advances at the expense of the other. Eternal … How Science and Religion Still Clash
Apologist Responds? Check. Uncharitable? Check. Uses Cheap Shots and Insults? Check.
I stopped reading Triablogue some time ago, but today I decided to make an exception. After I posted my comment about the twin hypothesis, I thought to myself, “I’ll bet Steve Hays responds to this and uses the ‘Village Atheist’ tag.” My prediction was accurate. (See his post here.) In my comment, I didn’t defend the twin … Apologist Responds? Check. Uncharitable? Check. Uses Cheap Shots and Insults? Check.