new testament - A Tippling Philosopher

Jesus and Exodus Symbolic Parallels

This came to me by way of someone watching one of my recent interviews on YouTube and I think it is interesting enough to warrant some discussion: I have been studying the mythicist position for a while now, and although I'm not a scholar or historian, I have

Biblical Exegesis

Speech in the Bible? Pah!

Can you remember what you said last week? You know, in any conversation? Can you remember what you said last month? How about last year? How about ten years ago? Can you remember your conversations from ten years ago other than general themes of only the most pertinent ones? Can

afterlife

What Does Jesus Say about the Afterlife?

Here is another guest post from Dana Horton, this time looking at Jesus' claims regarding life beyond death (thanks Dana!): What does Jesus say about the afterlife? A lot of us in a western Christian culture just assume there is an afterlife. It is what we grew up believing.

Biblical Exegesis

Totally Disingenuous: William Lane Craig Woefully Mischaracterises Me in His Podcast

I have just been made aware of a podcast in which William Lane Craig takes a couple of my short articles to task. The ones in question are: * The Resurrection, Fideism and Circularity * Supernaturalism (and Motivated Reasoning) He absolutely hammers me. Well, he thinks he does. Because what really happens

Biblical Exegesis

Pearced Off! #6 - Circularity of Believing the New Testament

I am running a series of the old podcast segments from my Pearced Off! section of the Skepticule Podcast (a British skepticism-based podcast now on hiatus) that I used to contribute to. Some of the earlier ones have some quieter audio. Apologies. They run at around ten minutes. Something to

historical Jesus

Why Paul Didn’t Write about the Historical Jesus – an Answer

Here is the first atheistic counterpoint piece from Ed Atkinson in an ongoing conversation between an atheist (ex-evangelical, I believe) and a Christian theologian in training. The first and second guest posts (find them here and here) from Ed Atkinson of Wycombe Skeptics in the Pub, and occasional atheist appearer

Biblical Exegesis

Paul and the Historical Jesus: Continuing the Conversation

Here is the first response in an ongoing conversation between an atheist (ex-evangelical, I believe) and a Christian theologian in training. The first and second guest posts (find them here and here) from Ed Atkinson of Wycombe Skeptics in the Pub, and occasional atheist appearer on Unbelievable on Premier Christian

Biblical Exegesis

Why Paul Didn’t Write about the Historical Jesus

Here is a second guest post (find the first one here) from Ed Atkinson of Wycombe Skeptics in the Pub, and occasional atheist appearer on Unbelievable on Premier Christian Radio in the UK, hosted by Justin Brierley. I will host a dialogue, here for Ed, between Ed and a Christian

Biblical Exegesis

Paul and the Historical Jesus

Here is a guest post from Ed Atkinson of Wycombe Skeptics in the Pub, and occasional appearer on Unbelievable on Premier Christian Radio in the UK, hosted by Justin Brierley. I will host a dialogue, here for Ed, between Ed and a Christian called John Nelson. Join in the debate!

Biblical Exegesis

Merry Christmas Everybody, but It Never Happened Though...

Christmas is upon us; the season of joy and merriment. I have a book called The Nativity: A Critical Examination, which is a topical read, methinks. Given the time of year, let us look at the claims of the (only two) Gospels that actually mention the birth of Jesus. Which

Biblical Exegesis

Joseph of Arimathea as Fictional

Joseph of Arimathea used to be used by William Lane Craig as a pillar of his truth claims for the Resurrection, itself one of the four cornerstones of his apology. Richard Carrier, amongst others, has provided some very interesting viewpoints on the historicity of this figure (or lack thereof). Craig

bible

Ten Reasons for Women to Reject Christianity

This is a guest post from Karne L. Garst who is just releasing a fascinating book called Women Beyond Belief: check it out, as it is shipping now! She recently contributed a guest post, "Christianity, Virginity and Sex". 1. Eve Most Christians believe that God is omnipotent which

equality

Christianity, Virginity and Sex - Guest Post by Karen L. Garst

There are unlikely any two memes in Christianity that have done more to subordinate women than the issues of virginity and sexual desire. From the story of Eve’s bite of fruit in the Garden of Eden to the gospel stories of Jesus’ virgin birth, these two issues have been

Biblical Exegesis

Moral progression and relativism in the testaments

I am on holiday at the moment asked trying to do this on my mobile phone so bear with me. fsck recently made a comment on a thread which included: I don't suppose that cultural relativism is true. I believe that the law was an imperfect tool, limited

new testament

How To Save The Christian Religion - A Bit of Ingersoll

A little Robert Green Ingersoll for you. A trailblazer: HOW TO SAVE THE CHRISTIAN RELIGION EXCERPTED FROM THE DEVIL ROBERT G. INGERSOLL Take from the New Testament the infinite savagery, the shoreless malevolence of eternal pain, the absurdity of salvation by faith, the ignorant belief in the existence of devils,

Biblical Exegesis

Harmonising Jesus With Yahweh. Fail.

Harmonising the Old Testament with the New Testament is a tough job. And don't go trying to use Paul to do that job. Circumcision and genocide are slightly different.

Biblical Exegesis

Matthew and the guards at the tomb

In this post, I am going to look at the resurrection account given by Matthew, in particular his addition found in no other Gospel account, that there were guards stationed at the tomb. According to Matthew, the chief priests were worried that the disciples might steal Jesus’ body to fake

Epistemology

Me & Koresh vs the Gospel Writers & Jesus

Christian: Why is it more probable that your god exists than man made him up? We have an exceptionally high prior probability that your god is false given that we both believe that every other god claimed to be true (before and after) is false. Thus, on prior probability, the

Biblical Exegesis

Reply to Matthew Flannagan on Biblical Moral Relativism

Apologist Matthew Flannagan has criticised my points made on the recent post "Inter-Testamental Moral Relativism" which can also be expressed as "Covenantal Moral Relativism" as Justin Schieber has stated it. In this post I declared that the moral obligations being different between the Old Testamen

Biblical Exegesis

Inter-Testamental Moral Relativism

Theists hate moral relativism. They often accuse atheists and secularists of having it. For them, only the pseudo-moral absolutism of Divine Command Theory, where God's commands decree morality, seems to work in defining some sort of objective morality. The problem is, though, that they aren't very

God's characteristics

God lied or knowingly deceived

Another little piece from my friend Julian Haydon. This one succinctly documents the issue that God seems to have entirely changed his revelation and theological scenario, if you will, from the OT to the NT. The same can be said for the soul, heaven and hell: GOD LIED OR KNOWINGLY

Jesus

Why Science Tells Us Not to Rely on Eyewitness Accounts

The Scientific American reports on the dodginess of eyewitness testimony. This is interesting in light of Gospel apologetics which claim that either the disciples were eyewitnesses or that eyewitnesses in general are reliable. IN 1984 KIRK BLOODSWORTH was convicted of the rape and murder of a nin

Bart Ehrman

Guest post: Peter reviews Ehrman's "How Jesus Became God"

Modern day Christians hold that Jesus and God are one. The Athanasian Creed for instance holds that “…there is one Person of the Father; another of the Son; and another of the Holy Ghost.

Biblical Exegesis

Joseph of Arimathea; a rich prophecy fulfilment

I have spoken about Joseph of Arimathea before, in the videos linked below. Just reading a chapter by Robert M. Price in The End of Christianity, I came across this very simple aspect which shows, to me at any rate, that Matthew's sole job seemed to be to contrive as many random prophecy fulfilments

Bart Ehrman

Ehrman on the Nativity

This is the sort of stuff I talk about in my book The Nativity: A Critical Examination, available from the sidebar over there on your right! From Bart Ehrman's blog: - Christianity In Antiquity (behind a members only wall):