I agree most secularists poke fun at the resurrection miracle claim of apologists, but have no good alternative, as even Dr. Bart Ehrman admits, which really isn’t playing fair. See Ehrman’s debate with William Lane Craig (see time 1:14:00 – 1:19:00): Ehrman’s argument is that any argument, however improbable, is still more likely than the … The Noble Lie Theory Of Christian Origins

So, last time I talked about getting beyond the personal sin/sinner’s prayer ideology of the conservative evangelical interpretation of Christianity to the corporate sin issue of things like systemic racism that needs to be made conspicuous and overcome with the liberal/progressive Christian interpretation. Terry Simon has a helpful quote on this: The story of Native … Corporate Sin (2/2)

“The world is ending… Honestly … So, uh, you better get right with God!” As an Atheist/Agnostic, I don’t believe in God or an afterlife or any of that, but I do think there are better and worse interpretations of original Christianity. I am of the interpretive school of liberal Christianity, rather than conservative Christianity. … Corporate Sin

So, Adam and Eve sinned, and we are guilty of that sin, so God sent Jesus to die for our sins and save us. Right? Well, that’s a conservative Christian reading. Against this, many liberal Christians see Adam and Eve as a metaphor. Dr. James McGrath comments: Question: In Paul’s mind Christ is the “second … Conservative vs Liberal Christians: Wait, There’s Another Way To Read This?!

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I posted this back in 2011 on Dr. R Joseph Hoffmann’s blog, but it still bears repeating today: The central drama of the Christian Religion, the crucifixion narrative in Mark, is historical fiction. We can know that Jesus was crucified through other means, but the narrative elements never happened. I want people to understand that … Mark’s Narrative Of The Crucifixion As Historical Fiction

So, last time we were thinking a bit about Mark’s soldier at the cross saying “Now when the centurion who stood facing him saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly (Ἀληθῶς, Alethos) this man was God’s Son!” The word for “truth” in Greek would carry a number of hearings for … (Part 2/2) Jesus and Socrates with Dr Dennis R MacDonald

I just wanted to share this short MythVision interview that came out today where Dennis MacDonald argues Luke’s passion narrative purposefully imitates the death of Socrates: One disagreement I have is how Dennis reads his thesis of the contrast between Mark and Luke into the way he translates Mark 15:39 to be sarcastic. He translates: … Jesus and Socrates with Dr Dennis R MacDonald

Here is a recent short interview Dr Robin Faith Walsh did on the meaning of the empty tomb (see time 1:27 ff) Walsh discusses the History of Greek and Roman literature/culture with bodies disappearing from tombs because the person has become a god, such as in Chariton’s novel.  The empty tomb in Greco-Roman culture was … The Empty Tomb

There are no grounds, as some argue, to think repentance doesn’t sit at the front of the Pauline argument. Schnabel convincingly argues It’s just common sense. Christ on the cross disarmed the power of Satan leading people to God, but this is of no effect if people don’t have a change of heart. Adherents to … (Part 2 Schnabel, Conclusion) Paul And The Problem Of Repentance