Tag Archives: Unbelievable

Podcasts

Audio debate: Did Jesus even exist?

3 Comments

This debate features James Patrick Holding one of the experts on the question of whether there is sufficient evidence outside the New Testament writings to answer the question of whether Jesus ever existed. Note that debate on the Unbelievable radio show start at about 15 minutes into the podcast.

The wacky thing about this debate is the topic of course. No PhD historian has ever taken the position that Jesus never existed in a research publication or book.

This is the last debate in my series of 4 wacky UK debates. I hope you enjoyed them!

Note that debates on the Unbelievable radio show start at about 15 minutes into the podcast.

Unbelievable? 2 May 2009 “Did Jesus exist?”

While non-Christians may doubt the miracles and resurrection of Jesus, few doubt his actual existence.However, Ken Humphreys believes the evidence for Jesus’ very existence is scant and that Christian belief in him is the result of “late and fake” accounts. JP Holding is a vociferous defender of Christian history and doctrine and believes Ken’s scepticism is unfounded and biased.They examine the evidence both in and beyond the Gospels for Jesus’ existence.

For JP Holding see www.tektonics.org

For Ken Humphreys see www.jesusneverexisted.com

If you want to see more debates on weird subjects, featuring fringe atheists, let me know.

Podcasts

Audio debate: Should Christians be coerced to act like non-Christians by the state?

10 Comments

Our next debate in the series of 4 wacky British debates is on whether Christians should be allowed to express their faith in public. In particular, should Christians be allowed to express their faith in the workplace? In the UK, it sounds like it is virtually illegal, just like it was in Stalinist Russia or North Korea today.

The way it works in the UK is like this: if you are a nurse, and you offer to pray for a patient, you’re suspended. Period. The offendedness of thin-skinned atheists cancels out the liberties of Christians. Listening to the atheist Terry Sanderson is like listening to Stalin. American Christians will be shocked to find how atheism leads naturally to fascism. Listen to him for yourself!

Note that debates on the Unbelievable radio show start at about 15 minutes into the podcast.

Unbelievable? 18 Apr 2009 – Are Christians being marginalised?
Premier is inviting Christians to sign the “I am a Christian” declaration at www.iamachristian.org.uk and stand up for their Christian faith. It’s in response to the fact that over 100,000 have downloaded the National Secular Society’s “Debaptism” certificate, renouncing childhood baptismal vows.There have been a number of stories that suggest Christians are being restricted form being open about their Christian faith in the public arena, and now the National Secular Society is urging that hospital chaplains should not be funded by the NHS.Premier’s CEO Peter Kerridge explains why he believes the campaign will encourage Christian to be bold in their faith. Terry Sanderson of the National Secular Society explains why they want to take Christian influence out of the public sphere, while Andrea Williams of Christian Concern for Our Nation explains why she believes the rights of Christians are being challenged.

Sign the declaration at www.iamachristian.org.uk

For Terry Sanderson see www.secularism.org.uk

For Andrea Williams see www.ccfon.org

Atheism naturally leads to heavy-handed censorship of other views.

Human rights and liberties have no place in an atheistic, materialistic universe – it’s just survival of the fittest. And that’s what led atheist regimes to murder 100 million people in the 20th century. Violence, hatred and coercion are natural on atheism. That’s consistent atheism. There are no objective moral values, moral duties and morally significant actions in an atheistic universe. It’s all accidental.

Yes, I am exaggerating for effect, many atheists are not like that, especially the libertarians and fiscal conservatives, who do believe (inconsistently) in morality and freedom of religion. But those are rare! In a materialist universe, there is no such thing as objective human rights and human dignity, so even the fundamental right of free speech and freedom of religious expression can be removed.

UPDATE: I just want to define fascism so people understand what I am saying. Fascism is the system of government in which the values and purposes of the state are imposed on the people through state coercion. When something that someone else says makes you feel bad, and you threaten them with state coercion, you are using the state to force that person to give up their fundamental rights, such as the right to free speech, and act in a state-approved manner. That’s fascism.

Atheists need to learn how to listen to those who disagree with them and tolerate other points of view.

UPDATE: Be sure and check my comparison of a famous, authentic, consistent Christian with a famous, authentic, consistent non-Christian.

Podcasts

Audio debate: Did Jesus rise from the dead?

6 Comments

Sometimes, they do debate serious questions on Unbelievable? radio show. But they feature clearly insane people like Steven Carr. Note that debates on the Unbelievable radio show start at about 15 minutes into the podcast. The Christian debater and callers are woefully uninformed in this debate, so I would recommend listening to something with William Lane Craig instead.

Unbelievable? 11 Apr 2009 – “Did Jesus Rise from the dead?” An atheist perspective

Steven Carr has a prolific presence on the internet as an atheist blogger and debater. He contends that the early Christians did not believe in Jesus’ resurrection and that the Biblical views of resurrection are contradictory.

Canon Michael Cole is a veteran defender of Christian faith and responds to Steven’s criticisms of the resurrection.

For Steven Carr see http://stevencarrwork.blogspot.com/

For Canon Michael Cole see http://www.nationwidechristiantrust.com

I’m trying to give my audience something different here. I prefer formal academic debates, but maybe I need to post things like this for some of the more crazy atheists who leave me weird comments. I don’t know. Maybe my Christian readers will enjoy hearing an unqualified loon rant and rave like a lunatic at the full moon. Your call.

UPDATE: I am, of course, kidding about Steve Carr and I think he did a good job in his debate, whereas his opponent and the callers were not nearly as prepared. I wanted to see how fast he would descend on my blog, and if you read the comments, you’ll see that I wasn’t mean to him at all. But I wanted to engage him in a discussion and I thought this was the best way to get his attention. I apologize for my sneaky tricks, but they worked!

My response to Carr would be two-fold:

1) That word you keep using. Resurrection. I do not think it means what you think it means.

2) How do you square the empty tomb with your idea of a non-physical resurrection? We have multiple early sources for the empty tomb, and piles of evidence for it from those early sources, not the least of which is the testimony of the women followers of Jesus.