This was originally posted on the Radix Fidem forum. I recently read The Cross Examination of Jesus Christ (Randy Singer), about the trial of Jesus under Pontius Pilate, and a few of the milestones that lead up to it. The middle chapters were a mix of Gospel readings, and commentary with personal anecdotes. They were adequate if … Were the Pharisees Hellenized?
Happy New Year. I started the Radix Fidem forum with some help from Ed. It’s more or less an online church community; a very long-term project set at a simmering temperature for now. It’s an oddball concept, for sure, but a church that “exists” online can’t be the weirdest thing you could find on the … The Radix Fidem Forum is Live
One of the beating hearts of material philosophy is the strain to derive universals from particulars: i.e., what could we derive about phenomena, a posteriori from experiencing instances of observed phenomena? This goal might be a good fit for science but in ethical philosophy its application can get dicey. “How ought we to live?” is … Gay Jesus Cake
1. Per Plantinga, and some forms of natural selection, ceteris paribus, life selects for organisms that adapt towards survival cues, not for truth. Plantinga frames this as an argument against evolutionary naturalism. This is not false, but could be true in other cases than have nothing to do with theism. 2. The survival vs truth … Human Minds Prefer Survival More Than Truth
Azure had a comment on “Monoculture and Diversity“: I was thinking of Romans 10:12 – “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him…” And maybe I’ll throw in Exodus 22:21 – “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you … Monoculture and Diversity, Redux
For reference, see Ed’s post here, summarizing ANE (Ancient Near East) feudalist social structure. Noragami is about gods and their work in Japan as they battle phantoms that plague the country’s citizens. The gods are essentially humans in form, with obvious special powers, mostly invisible but can appear to anyone if they decide to. All … Feudalism in Noragami
I went to a wedding this weekend, and the silence of no sanctus bells during the consecration was noticeable. Why not an app for that? There’s nothing in Google Play nor the Apple Store. Sanctus bells aren’t cheap, and they pack a loud punch. The enterprising altar boy can easily connect to the church’s PA … App Idea: Sanctus Bells
Plenty of metal band releases nowadays feature a track, usually in the middle or at the end, that’s a little quieter or more contemplative, probably to break the sonic elephant-gun onslaught of everything else you’re hearing/have heard. If the metal band is Christian, this track is the time to let listeners know you are, in … One Weird Trick for a Worship Band to Make Their Album Go Platinum
Despite being a Supreme Court judge, Potter Stewart opined some wise words: I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description [“hard-core pornography”], and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the … It Is What It Is, Except When It Might Not Be
One of the longest running gags in my mind staples of what I write here is that human reason is incapable of understanding a lot of what it’s purported to understand. This is exemplified best when we believe we’re being “reasonable” or “rational” concerning large, distant, complex events, involving lots of actors…basically anything seen or … Believe Whatever You Want
Ed Hurst, the head pastor over at Kiln of the Soul online parish, offered eldership in his operation, and I accepted. I’ll link to Ed’s announcement when he makes it, just to let everyone know I’m not a complete liar. *ding* Your glasses are ready! You’re not alone in thinking it odd that a church … Eldership Announcement
Interesting conversation between Scott Adams and Stefan, in the early minutes before they get into the politics. I like Adams, but he’s inaccurate in the self-assessment of his childhood religious beliefs, which he describes at around the 1:20 mark. He didn’t necessarily decide to not believe. He didn’t believe in the first place because he … You Don’t Believe in the First Place
My entry for Ed’s Radix Fidem project has been revised (see original here). I added a concluding paragraph, and Ed had his hand in some editing. The last paragraph was a doozy for me, though you can’t really tell—it’s not Shakespeare nor St. Paul. I mulled it over, off and on, for almost a month. … The Epistemology of Belief, Revised
Jill asked me in a comment to describe my ideal state. I obliged: You know, I don’t think anyone has asked me that directly. I don’t know what the ideal state is, but it probably isn’t a state. I can’t really decide for other people under what rulership they should be living–deciding for other people … The Ideal State
Ed talks about where here is in relation to the supernatural domain: With rare exception, all of the Christians I’ve ever met ascribe to some version “Heaven” as somewhere different from here and now. But it seems most of the time a mere idea. It’s not part of their calculus of life. They act as … Natural and Supernatural Co-Location
Happy Easter! Please enjoy my favorite Easter song. If it’s not your first choice in music (understandable), at least read the lyrics, posted below the video. Crucifixion upon the cross Dying for sins, fulfilling prophecy Beaten for His faith Praying for enemies upon sacrifice Forsaken in the eyes of God Sins of man, to Him … Happy Easter, 2016
I made a drive-by comment on a recent Stefan Molyneux video, which caused an avalanche of responses, most of which I didn’t read. I did make one more comment that clarified/reworded the original. I don’t know if it helped. It probably didn’t. In reading the video’s description, the philosophical assumptions are apparent: Question: “I consider … God and Evidence
Please excuse the lack of substantive posts lately. I’ve been busy doing clean up work in the aftermath of Pale Blue Scratch’s release. Things will be back to normal soon…whatever that means. My friend Ben Smith did a series of talks/lectures on philosophy and basic apologetics. I haven’t listened these all the way through, but … Three Apologetics Videos
Well, to provide a tl;dr answer to the question posed in the blog title, He might shoot a lot of B.C. Egyptians, particularly first born sons. He’d also maybe shoot Canaanites—all of them. Lots of the contextual “What would Jesus do in x situation? Let’s find out,” hypotheticals end up being an ad absurdum argument, … Who Would Jesus Shoot? AKA, Stop Putting Jesus in a Clown Suit
Perhaps you’ve read this article regarding the recent San Bernardino shooting, or at least seen an image of the cover with the bold quote. America—as the pinnacle of Western civ, with all its attendant belief systems—as a nation, has nothing to do with God, so I don’t see a reason why God should bother helping … Why Should God Fix Anything?