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?

Above transgender cyclist Austin Killips won a North Carolina race by five minutes, leading the second-place finisher to suggest creating a separate category. See article here. We would not have a flyweight boxer compete against a heavyweight boxer because such a pairing grossly leans in favor of the heavyweight. This is why the UFC heavyweight … Trans Rights And Sports

PREVIOUSLY, Did St. Mark Read Plato / Did Plato Read Moses? (2/2) Did St. Mark Read Plato / Did Plato Read Moses? AND NOW, THE POST SCRIPT Truths today are usually understood as “facts” or things that are “correct,” information, and intelligence is therefore whoever has learned the most through rote and can do the … (Post Script Summary) Did St. Mark Read Plato / Did Plato Read Moses?

Above: Saint Paul delivering the Areopagus Sermon in Athens, by Raphael, 1515. LAST TIME: Did St. Mark Read Plato / Did Plato Read Moses? NOW, THE CONCLUSION. Let’s consider the Unknown God Paul is preaching about in the above pictured sermon. Here is a brief, general introduction: Paul gave this speech: Let’s try to think … (2/2) Did St. Mark Read Plato / Did Plato Read Moses?

The fact that we can detect Jesus’ followers moving away from his more radical teachings is evidence that we can see a radical teacher/healer who existed, contra the Christ Myth Theory. It’s remarkable that we focus so intently on personal salvation and what Jesus did “for” us, that we ignore corporate sin and what we … Did St. Mark Read Plato / Did Plato Read Moses?