It is often truly remarked that our classic Christmas story—the one we celebrate in pageants every December and teach to our children—blends elements from two quite distinct narratives, one found in the first two chapters of Matthew and the other in the first two chapters of Luke. In both accounts, Jesus is born in Bethlehem to Joseph and Mary during the reign of Herod the … [Read more...]
Ancient and Modern Historiography: What Are The Gospels?
Introduction Over the years, I have had my share of discussions about the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). There is still an overall skepticism towards them that permeates the culture and college campuses. I have found that many skeptics have never stopped and asked the question, “What Are The Gospels?” What Are The Gospels? When we discuss the Gospels with others I … [Read more...]
Ask the Alliance: Is Jesus a copycat myth?
:::Ask the Alliance Question #6::: Question submitted by Richard: I am a senior at Liberty University. I am definitely a firm believer in the fact that Jesus died on the cross and rose from the grave. I know that he is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have a question. I watched this video on youtube called Real Proof that Jesus was NOT real. I don't believe it, but I would like … [Read more...]
Answering Mythicism
[This post is a work in progress as part of the CAA Catechism.] [Add the title only in the title field, not in the body of the post.] Summary in 400 words or less: Did Jesus Christ ever live? Some skeptics such as Richard Carrier, Earl Doherty, and Dan Barker have promoted Mythicism. Other skeptics such as Bart Ehrman, Tim O’Neill, and Neil Carter have rejected the theory, … [Read more...]
The Resurrection of Jesus and the Cognitive Dissonance Hypothesis
Introduction Cognitive Dissonance is all the rage these days. In other words, more and more skeptics are trying to postulate that the birth of the Jesus movement is the result of cognitive dissonance. As N.T Wright says: “One theory which would go against this conclusion [that the rise of Christianity is best explained by Jesus' bodily resurrection] was very popular a few … [Read more...]
The Myth that the Bible is a Myth
Rice Broock's recent opinion piece on FoxNews speaks about the strong popularity of the History Channel’s “Bible” miniseries and describes how it has once again unearthed the debate over whether the events chronicled in Scripture are history or fiction. Atheists and skeptics have consistently answered that question with the assertion that the Bible is nothing more than a … [Read more...]
Trilemma or Quadrilemma? Answering the "Legend" Critique of C.S. Lewis's Trilemma
C.S. Lewis's famous Liar/Lunatic/Lord trilemma has been criticized for leaving out a fourth option: Legend. There are historical and textual reasons to doubt the legend hypothesis, but I believe it fails even apart from that external evidence. It's vanishingly unlikely to be true, based upon merely the New Testament documents themselves. … [Read more...]
The Day After The End Of The World
As I write this article it’s still Friday December 21st 2012, but I will have to finish it tomorrow the day after the end of the world. I’m still relaxing in my bunker and have made myself hidden like a groundhog. Actually, I have a gym workout yet to do and some errands to run, to get Santa ready for Christmas. All joking aside, I’m saddened by the various people worldwide who … [Read more...]
What’s Wrong With The Zeitgeist Movie?
The Zeitgeist movie has been circulating on the internet since 2007. In the video its director, Peter Joseph, seeks to persuade viewers that the authors of the New Testament essentially plagiarized the concept of the virgin birth, December 25 as Christ’s birth date, the twelve disciples, the miracles, the crucifixion, and the resurrection from astrological sources and pagan … [Read more...]
Stephen Law on the Non-existence of Jesus of Nazareth
Reprinted with the gracious permission of William Lane Craig. In his blog, atheist philosopher Stephen Law formulated the following skeptical argument against Jesus' existence: 1. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. In the absence of extraordinary evidence there's excellent reason to be skeptical about the claims. 2. There is not extraordinary evidence for … [Read more...]