I'm sorry to post about something so local, but some of you outside of Alabama might find this interesting anyway. Because Jeff Sessions was one of our Senators prior to being appointed to US Attorney General, our state is in the process of holding a special election to replace him. The Democratic nominee, Doug Jones,… Continue reading Why Christians Shouldn’t Support Roy Moore
Category: Bible Study
How Do You Navigate Christianity Without a Compass?
My friend UnkleE and I have been having a wide-ranging discussion on several topics related to Christianity that ultimately come down to epistemology, or how Christians know God's will. The discussion began in my last post, which critiqued a doctrine common to more moderate circles within Christianity. UnkleE had more to say on the subject… Continue reading How Do You Navigate Christianity Without a Compass?
The Light Given
Sometimes, skeptics of Christianity will criticize its approach to justice by asking what happened to the souls of all the people who died before Jesus's ministry, assuming that since they couldn't have had faith in him, they were consigned to Hell. But many Christians believe they can address this issue easily by pointing to Romans… Continue reading The Light Given
Contradiction: Was There a Sojourn in Egypt or Not?
Peter, one of the regular readers here, pointed my attention to a post that shows a discrepancy in what the Bible claims about Jacob's descendants spending 400+ years in Egypt. I won't try to summarize it here -- I wouldn't be able to do it justice. Just check it out for yourself: https://isthatinthebible.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/the-story-of-ezer-and-elead-and-what-it-means-for-the-exodus/
Which Nativity Story?
Well, it's that time of year again. Regular church attendees are going to have to share their pews with people who have finally decided to make it out for their second service of the year. Their belief that Jesus bled and died so they can gain eternal salvation might be unshakable, but it apparently isn't… Continue reading Which Nativity Story?
God and Football, or: Facts Should Matter
For the past few months, my wife and I have been meeting periodically with some family members to discuss our religious differences. The conversations have been interesting. When we tried this during our deconversion six years ago, it didn't go well. Emotions were simply way too high. This time around, we've all come to accept… Continue reading God and Football, or: Facts Should Matter
Is It Fair to Expect Inerrancy from the Bible When We Don’t Expect It from Other Sources?
In the comment thread of my last post, some of us mentioned that it's hard for us to understand the point of view of Christians who believe the Bible can be inspired by God, without holding to the doctrine of inerrancy. unkleE left the following comment: How is it that in everything else in life… Continue reading Is It Fair to Expect Inerrancy from the Bible When We Don’t Expect It from Other Sources?
Letter to a Friend
Several months ago, I received a letter from a childhood friend whom I haven't heard from in a very long time. She and I were both raised in the same fundamentalist branch of Christianity (Church of Christ), and our parents are still very close. Her preacher recently did a series of sermons on evidences for… Continue reading Letter to a Friend
Family Ties: Nebuchadnezzar, Nabonidus, Belshazzar, and Nitocris
Regular readers of this blog may know that one of the first lines of evidence that caused me to begin questioning my Christian faith had to do with the Book of Daniel. There are a number of issues within the book that have led the majority of scholars to conclude that it was not written… Continue reading Family Ties: Nebuchadnezzar, Nabonidus, Belshazzar, and Nitocris
Jewish Disciples Wouldn’t Have Created the Idea of the Resurrection, So It Must Have Really Happened… Right?
If you've discussed the resurrection with Christians before, then you're probably familiar with the above argument. Since first century Jews didn't believe in a bodily resurrection like Jesus's, then they're no way the disciples would have believed it without actually witnessing it for themselves. William Lane Craig has used this argument several times: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpSEZV2EER8#t=7m49s He… Continue reading Jewish Disciples Wouldn’t Have Created the Idea of the Resurrection, So It Must Have Really Happened… Right?
Finding Truth 