apologetics

Playing The Mystery Card (incl. McGrath vs Dawkins) from my book Believing Bullshit

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PLAYING THE MYSTERY CARD   Suppose critics point out that not only do you have little in the way of argument to support your particular belief system, there also seems to be powerful evidence against it. If you want, nevertheless, to convince both yourself and others that your beliefs are not nearly as ridiculous as … Playing The Mystery Card (incl. McGrath vs Dawkins) from my book Believing Bullshit

Best of All Possible Persons

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Now this supreme wisdom, united to a goodness that is no less infinite, cannot but have chosen the best… If there were not the best among all possible worlds, God would not have produced any. (Gottfried Leibniz, Theodicy, translated by E.M. Huggard, 1951, p.128) According to Anselm, God is the being than which none greater … Best of All Possible Persons

Did Jesus Exit? – Part 22

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I have argued that the agreement that exists between the seven gospel sources concerning the Minimal Jesus Hypothesis, could be explained on the basis of the common cultural idea of a ‘Messiah’. I conceded, however, that the crucifixion of the Messiah was not a part of the expectation of first century Palestinian Jews, but pointed … Did Jesus Exit? – Part 22

Did Jesus Exit? – Index

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Introduction to the issue: Did Jesus exist? Outline of Did Jesus Exist? By Bart Ehrman. Various skeptical points by Ehrman, especially the insignificance of non-Christian historical sources. Keith Parson’s advice and Bart Ehrman on the Minimal Jesus Hypothesis (MJH). Development and clarification of the Minimal Jesus Hypothesis. About 17,000 Jewish males in Palestine were named … Did Jesus Exit? – Index

Did Jesus Exit? – Part 21

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I have reviewed Q, M, and L passages, looking for crucifixion-related events. The Gospel of Mark includes several crucifixion-related events in Chapters 14 and 15: 1. The Plot to Kill Jesus 2. The Anointing at Bethany 3. Judas Agrees to Betray Jesus 4. The Passover with the Disciples 5. The Institution of the Lord’s Supper … Did Jesus Exit? – Part 21

Did Jesus Exit? – Part 20

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The Minimal Jesus Hypothesis (MJH) can be stated in terms of a list of a dozen attributes: A1. This person was a flesh-and-blood person. A2. This person was an adherent of Judaism. A3. This person was a male descendant of the Hebrew people. A4. This person lived in Palestine as an adult (in his twenties … Did Jesus Exit? – Part 20

Did Jesus Exit? – Part 19

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In Part 14, we saw that Mark portrays Jesus as a devout follower of the Jewish faith. In Part 15, we saw that Q portrays Jesus as a devout follower of the Jewish faith. Does L, the special source used by Luke, portray Jesus as an adherent of Judaism? as a devout follower of the … Did Jesus Exit? – Part 19

One Man’s Modus Ponens…Part 6

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In Chapter 3 of Handbook of Christian Apologetics (hereafter: HOCA), Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli present twenty arguments for the existence of God. The very first argument is one of the Five Ways of Aquinas. This is not surprising, since Kreeft is a Catholic: The universe is the sum total of all these moving things, … One Man’s Modus Ponens…Part 6