Are Religious People or Secular People More Ethical?
In this video, a sociologist shows that on issue after issue (eg Racism), secular people take a more ethical stance than strongly religious people. For example, the more religious someone is, the less likely they are to believe climate change science or to do anything about it. Stay through to the end of the video where the presenter contrasts the efficacy of religion based morality and Darwinian evolution! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRAjw2f2Xsg ... Read Article
Careful Analysis of Objections to the Swoon Theory: Objection #14 (Last Words)
WHERE WE ARE The Christian apologists Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli presented nine objections against the Swoon Theory in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics (published in 1994). I have carefully analyzed those nine objections and then carefully evaluated them. I concluded that each of those nine objections against the Swoon Theory FAIL. So, Kreeft and Tacelli FAILED to refute the Swoon Theory. Because their case for the resurrection of Jesus required them to refute the Swoon Theory, their case for the resurrection in Chapter 8 of Handbook of Christian Apologetics also FAILS. I am in the process of carefully analyzing and evaluating six more objections against the Swoon Theory, objections from other Christian apologists besides Kreeft and Tacelli. In this current post, I will carefully analyze an objection against the Swoon Theory by the Christian apologists Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell (Josh's son), one of the six objections that does not correspond to any of the nine object ... Read Article
Careful Analysis of Objections to the Swoon Theory: Objection #13 (Other Writers)
WHERE WE ARE The Christian apologists Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli presented nine objections against the Swoon Theory in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics (published in 1994). I have carefully analyzed those nine objections and then carefully evaluated them. I concluded that each of those nine objections against the Swoon Theory FAIL. So, Kreeft and Tacelli FAILED to refute the Swoon Theory. Because their case for the resurrection of Jesus required them to refute the Swoon Theory, their case for the resurrection in Chapter 8 of Handbook of Christian Apologetics also FAILS. I am in the process of carefully analyzing and evaluating six more objections against the Swoon Theory, objections from other Christian apologists besides Kreeft and Tacelli. In this current post, I will carefully analyze an objection against the Swoon Theory, one of the objections that does not correspond to any of the nine objections presented by Kreeft and Tacelli in their Handbook of Christian Apologeti ... Read Article
Careful Analysis of Objections to the Swoon Theory: Objection #12 (Paul’s Conversion)
WHERE WE ARE The Christian apologists Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli presented nine objections against the Swoon Theory in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics (published in 1994). I have carefully analyzed those nine objection and then carefully evaluated them. I concluded that each of those nine objections against the Swoon Theory FAIL. So, Kreeft and Tacelli FAILED to refute the Swoon Theory. Because their case for the resurrection of Jesus required them to refute the Swoon Theory, their case for the resurrection in Chapter 8 of Handbook of Christian Apologetics also FAILS. I am in the process of carefully analyzing and evaluating six more objections against the Swoon Theory, objections from other Christian apologists besides Kreeft and Tacelli. I have recently carefully analyzed two objections by the Christian apologist William Craig against the Swoon Theory, objections that do not correspond to any of the nine objections presented by Kreeft and Tacelli: https://secula ... Read Article
Lamb of the Free (conclusion)
I come to the end of blogging through the first half of "Lamb of the Free" which looks at OT sacrifices. We saw that while the day of atonement/decontamination was basically a factory reboot of the sanctuary. However, major moral sin couldn't be addressed through purgation, and so actually contaminated the land itself. Once the land was sufficiently polluted, it couldn't support the temple and the result was exile because God could no longer be attracted to the sanctuary. It was ultimately God's forgiveness, not the sacrificial system, that would restore the people. Rillera comments: This is crucial to note since this explains why no prophet is hoping for or envisioning a grand purgation sacrifice as the solution to moral impurity . This makes sense since it is inconceivable within the framework set forth in the Torah with regards to these grave sins . The fact that the prophets express their hope for restoration completely apart from kipper sacrifices affirms that it was taken for granted that the p ... Read Article
Lamb of the Free (10)
One of the key takeaways from Rillera is that kipper is about the individual doing their part to help decontaminate the holy place from contamination, not an animal substituting for the individual. We read as an analogy to a child taking care of a pet: This is basically what is depicted in Levitical sacrificial system of decontamination . The children ( Israelites ) learn that they are responsible to remove their messes ( ritual impurities and / or sin - contaminations ) and that they are released from this obligation by bringing the decontamination supplies ( the haṭṭā ' t ) to their parents ( priests ) who physically carry out the process of removing the mess ( kipper ) from the public space ( the sanctuary ) on their behalf . Only sancta receive the action of kipper . Priests are engaging in this ritual process of contamination removal for those who contaminated it somehow ( through a major impurity or an inadvertent sin ) , but kipper is not happening " to " or " on " those people (123). Bl ... Read Article
Careful Analysis of Objections to the Swoon Theory: Objection #11 (Deceptive Jesus)
OBJECTION #11 AGAINST THE SWOON THEORY In his book The Son Rises (originally published in 1981, I will use the re-published edition from 2000; hereafter: TSR) the Christian apologist William Craig makes an objection against the Swoon Theory that does not correspond to any of the nine objections raised by Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics. Craig claims that the Swoon Theory "makes Jesus into a deceiver." (TSR, p.39) I will consider this to be Objection #11 (Deceptive Jesus) against the Swoon Theory. Craig states this objection in one brief paragraph: The apparent-death theory [i.e. the Swoon Theory] makes Jesus into a deceiver. The necessary implication of the theory is that Jesus was a charlatan who tricked the disciples into believing that He had been raised from the dead. Such a portrait of Jesus is a figment of the imagination. Jesus was one of the world's great moral teachers, a deeply religious man, if nothing else. It is impossible to cast Him in t ... Read Article
Careful Analysis of Objections to the Swoon Theory: Objection #10 (Jewish Thought)
CRAIG'S OBJECTIONS TO SOME VERSIONS OF THE SWOON THEORY In Reasonable Faith (3rd edition, 2008, hereafter: RF), the Christian apologist William Craig raises an objection against the Swoon Theory that is different than any of the nine objections raised by Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli in their Handbook of Christian Apologetics. According to this objection, Jesus' alleged resurrection was "contrary to Jewish thought" (RF, p.373). Craig distinguishes between two types of versions of the Swoon Theory. Some versions of the Swoon Theory assert that the disciples had intentionally deceived others that Jesus had died on the cross: Some versions of the Apparent Death Hypothesis [i.e. the Swoon Theory] are really variations on the Conspiracy Hypothesis, merely substituting the disciples' hoaxing Jesus' death for their stealing Jesus' body. In such cases, the theory shares all the weaknesses of the Conspiracy Hypothesis. RF, p.373 Other versions of the Swoon Theory do NOT claim that the disciples intent ... Read Article
RIP Daniel Dennett
We lost philosopher and major secular activist Daniel Dennett today. RIP https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nGrRf1wD320 ... Read Article
Lamb of the Free (9)
As I've been reading along the author's study of sacrifice in the old testament, both of purification and atonement, what is clear with atoning sacrifices the issue isn't the salvation of the individual who sinned, but rather sin was a aerial miasma thought to contaminate the holy place and the land which could prevent God from dwelling among his people and so the offering was meant to sanctify the holy place and objects. Other sacrifices were meant to attract God to the holy place. The supreme day of atonement was thus to do a full reset on the defilement of the temple, restoring it to factory specs, and render it holy again. The scope of atonement is that it is limited to sins that defile the sanctuary. The sanctuary can be purged, and particularly nasty sins can be reduced in effect through repentance. But some sins are particularly bad and actually defile the land, and no sin offering can clean the land. We read: [ Leviticus ] provides no countervailing measures for the polluted land . The la ... Read Article
The Apocalypse is Imminent, as usual
As long as there have been Jesus followers the apocalypse warning alarm has been sounding. Jesus thought the end of the age was coming in the lifetime of his disciples, and Paul thought the end had already started. Skip forward a few thousand years, and the actions of Iran against Israel yesterday have prompted megachurch pastor and card carrying religiocrazy John Hagee this morning to announce that we are on the cusp of the Gog Magog war, or in other words the End Times have arrived. See here 30:45 - 34:41 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tccBkvLGfZE Biblical prophecy is not being fulfilled, unless the leaders have the deluded idea in their heads that God wants them to fulfill end time prophecy, in which case it is self-fulfilling prophecy. The should be no doubt why the fundamentalist Christians are backing Israel no matter what, since the bible says Jerusalem is the apple of God's eye and he will bless those who bless Israel. In a way John Hagee and his fellow delusionals are a feather in t ... Read Article
Lamb of the Free (8)
Rillaro points our that Jesus is most basically seen in one sense as the passover lamb. In the chapter currently under consideration, we see in detail passover is not an atonement ritual. He summarizes: the Passover does not have an atoning function , but the first Passover is depicted as having a protective ( pesaḥ ) apotropaic function , anchored as it is in the standard non - sacrificial ritual ingredients and procedures for warding off a threat , applying blood on a house with hyssop branches . All subsequent Passovers function as sacrificial commemorations of this event , celebrated by feasting on a unique type of ( non - atoning ) thanksgiving well - being offering . (64) This chapter is good because it looks at the difference between atoning and non atoning rituals and what function they served in the Jewish cultic life. Earlier regarding sacrifice Rillaro gives the following image that: At its most basic level , then , Israelite sacrifice is about preparing sacred “ food " for God t ... Read Article
Lamb of the Free (7)
In this section, we finnish up Rillera's thoughts on what the Levitical sacrifices are not. There is no connection between the suffering of the animal and the sacrifice, because an animal is killed quickly and humanely, because if an animal is blemished it is no longer fit for sacrifice. The focal point is on the ritual performed transforming the death of the animal to non-killing, not the animal as an object of wrath. Death of the animal is never seen as substituting, neither is it taking on the suffering others deserve. Rillera notes: This is significant because we can now see that when it comes to sacrificial understandings of Jesus's death in the NT , these never occur in the context of Jesus's sufferings and passion . Put another way : when Jesus's sufferings and / or death qua death are the topic , then sacrificial metaphors are avoided (40, see also note 69 on pg 46 on Hebrews) One thing I'll be interested to see is if Rillera brings into focus the brutal death of the scapegoat and ... Read Article
The Joy of Philosophy (Postscript and Poetry)
Previously, Heidegger’s Hegelian Phenomenological Method (Part 1/2) Heidegger’s Hegelian Phenomenological Method (Part 2/2) Dr. Carlo Alvaro and Dr. Richard Carrier Debate the Kalam Cosmological Argument The Joy of Philosophy (4/4) On the Essence of Hiding; or, Philosophical Truth Philosophy and the Will So, in these few posts, I talked a bit about what philosophy is and the problem it is addressing. To fully appreciate what I mean you would have had to have been a teenager in North America in the 90s, a time of profound angst and boredom, before the technological band-aid came, before social media. It was a time of eternal recurrence, as poetized in "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Holmes: I was tired of my ladyWe'd been together too longLike a worn out recordingOf a favorite song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TazHNpt6OTo With Rupert above we sang and danced to the idea that beings lose their lustre merely as a function of our spending time with them. W ... Read Article
The Joy of Philosophy (4/4)
My previous 3 posts in this mini-series were: Heidegger’s Hegelian Phenomenological Method (Part 1/2) Heidegger’s Hegelian Phenomenological Method (Part 2/2) Dr. Carlo Alvaro and Dr. Richard Carrier Debate the Kalam Cosmological Argument Philosophy has to do not only with the "what" of ideas, but also "how" philosophy is being done. Moreover, we have to ask why philosophy is being done, because it is unique as a discipline of inquiry in that it must accomplish something for and in the practitioner. Anthropology, by contrast, is indifferent to transforming the human condition of the anthropologist, as is geography for the geographer. Prof John Bagby notes: By Socrates’ analogy, the philosopher must do more than engage in arguments and explanations: there is an attunement of the psyche, the development and influence of which makes or breaks the philosophical viability of all thinking and discourse. Along with thinking, we need a philosophical temperament, tenor and expertise; a spiri ... Read Article