I’m excited that I’m signed up for the New Insights Into The New Testament Conference in late September which has 10 All Star New Testament experts/specialists presenters. For instance, Prof Robyn Faith Walsh will be presenting who is most known for her theory that highly educated (though not necessarily rich) Greco Romans wrote the Gospels. … New Insights Into The New Testament Conference (September 2023)

Isaac Asimov outlined three principles to govern robot/human interaction: In the movie I, Robot with Will Smith, we see a futuristic world based on these laws where we see what happens when they come into conflict with one another: We see similar conflict of laws in the New Testament.  Jesus redefines the Law saying (1) … Jesus and I, Robot

EDITED 8/3/2023 4:29pm Atlantic Canada Time by John MacDonald Previously: (Part 1) The Philosophy of History: Professor Bart Ehrman’s New Course Comparing and Contrasting The Apostle Paul With The Historical Jesus (Part 2) The Philosophy of History: Professor Bart Ehrman’s New Course Comparing and Contrasting The Apostle Paul With The Historical Jesus (Part 3) The … (2/2) No, Jesus Did Not Believe in the Inerrancy of the Bible: In Awe Of Jesus On The Cross

Previously: (Part 1) The Philosophy of History: Professor Bart Ehrman’s New Course Comparing and Contrasting The Apostle Paul With The Historical Jesus (Part 2) The Philosophy of History: Professor Bart Ehrman’s New Course Comparing and Contrasting The Apostle Paul With The Historical Jesus (Part 3) The Philosophy of History: Professor Bart Ehrman’s New Course Comparing … No, Jesus Did Not Believe in the Inerrancy of the Bible

One thing I run into a lot is theists asking if secularists don’t have God to stamp his authority on things being right and wrong, isn’t morality just whatever strikes your fancy, like Roman spectators cheering christians being fed to the lions, or cultural cannibalism, or Palestinians celebrating 9/11? This issue is resolved somewhat when … Objective Morality

One way to read the evidence is as Ehrman does here that the ripping of the veil is what Jesus accomplished through his penal substitution super blood magic atoning death, removing the barrier between man and God. Another reading is the Moral Influence reading that the world turned on God’s specially chosen beloved (agapetos) son, … Bart Ehrman On The Tearing Of The Temple Veil

I guess the classic online treatment of lying in the bible is this passage from the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible: Is it wrong to lie? No. 1 God rewarded the Egyptian midwives for lying to the Pharaoh. And the king of Egypt called for the midwives, and said unto them, Why have ye done this thing, … An Interesting Video From MythVision Podcast On YHWH And Lying

This is a new interesting well-produced video from Derek at MythVision talking about the ancient idea that the reason a body would go missing is that the dead person had been thought to have become deified. So, the gospel accounts of the empty tomb fit this general mythic structure. Moreover, Derek points out that even … Some Empty Tomb Analysis From Derek at MythVision Podcast!

Prof Ehrman has a new blog post out today about Were Jesus Followers Really Armed and Dangerous in the Garden of Gethsemane? For regular readers here I tend to think the disciples did clash with the arresting party, whether they were armed or not, because it fits in with the general problem of Mark having … Bart Ehrman on The Arrest of Jesus

Friedrich Nietzsche ― Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals It is not immediately evident what we mean when we call something “good.”  For instance, a Blue Jay may be a “good” bird of prey, but we might think it evil for raiding nests and devouring babies of other birds. What was noble about antiquity, … Resolving Euthyphro: If God Was A Slave Or Servant, What Would He Call Holy/Demonic?