The Phoenix Arizona Temple (LDS Media Library) is one of the three temples in the Greater Phoenix area. The other two are in Mesa and in Gilbert.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
I published this column in late April of 2001 in the Provo Daily Herald<\/em>:<\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
On 2 May 1985, a remarkable debate took place at Jerry Falwell\u2019s Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia.\u00a0 It pitted a relatively little known evangelical Protestant professor named Gary R. Habermas against Antony G. N. Flew, a prominent British philosopher and an outspoken atheist.\u00a0 The debate focused on the question of \u201cThe Historicity of the Resurrection: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nThe text of the encounter was published in 1987, in a book by Habermas and Flew entitled Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? The Resurrection Debate<\/i>.\u00a0 In its printed version, the debate is accompanied by the transcript of a panel discussion held the following night and by three responses written by the German theologian Wolfhart Pannenberg, the British evangelical theologian James I. Packer, and the eminent American philosopher Charles Hartshorne (who rejects the idea of life after death as unnecessary and undesirable).<\/span><\/p>\nIt is a fascinating discussion that still repays attention and careful consideration.\u00a0 Many will no doubt wonder, though, how such a debate could possibly be worthwhile.\u00a0 Isn\u2019t the resurrection of Christ a matter of faith?\u00a0 Is there enough evidence one way or the other to come to a certain or even a probable judgment?\u00a0 Or, some skeptics might ask, isn\u2019t the whole notion just too silly to take seriously?<\/span><\/p>\nBut Habermas, whom a panel of five professional debate judges, by a vote of three to two, identified as the winner of the contest \u2013 a similar panel of five philosophy professors gave the debate to him by a vote of four to one (the one holding, not that Flew was the winner, but that the debate was a draw) \u2013 makes a surprisingly persuasive case that the New Testament accounts of the resurrection must be taken very seriously as historical evidence.\u00a0 It is not merely a matter of faith beyond, or even against, reason, but of trustworthy historical data reliably preserved.<\/span><\/p>\nHabermas demonstrates that, especially when compared to other ancient historical texts, the New Testament records of the resurrection stem from a time impressively close to the event they claim to describe.\u00a0 Moreover, they clearly seem to contain reports that go back even further, to multiple eyewitnesses who were telling their story within only a few years of Christ\u2019s death.\u00a0 Habermas systematically and methodically dismantles suggestions that the resurrection stories rest on fraud, or hallucination, or the growth of a legend through long and uncontrolled re-telling.\u00a0 He demolishes the notion that Jesus really didn\u2019t die on the cross, but managed \u2013 maimed, massively wounded, nearly dead, drained of blood, having been left without food or water on the cross and then for roughly 36 additional unmedicated hours in the tomb \u2013 to drag himself back to the upper room where the dispirited apostles had gathered, and, thus, to ignite their faith in his glorious and triumphant resurrection.\u00a0 Habermas rightly observes that such an appearance appears grossly insufficient to have set the apostles on a death-defying path to revolutionize the world.\u00a0 Yet something indisputably did precisely that.<\/span><\/p>\nBy contrast, Flew simply repeats that we cannot know about such things, and, following the eighteenth century philosopher David Hume, declares that miracles are so intrinsically unlikely that we just shouldn\u2019t believe accounts of them when we hear them.\u00a0 As one of the philosopher-judges wrote, following the debate, \u201cI was surprised (shocked might be a more accurate word) to see how weak Flew\u2019s . . . approach was.\u00a0 I expected \u2013 if not a new and powerful argument \u2013 at least a distinctly new twist to some old arguments. . . .\u00a0 Since the case against the resurrection was no stronger than that presented by Antony Flew, I would think it was time I began to take the resurrection seriously.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nWhy is the question of the resurrection of Jesus so important?\u00a0 Traditionally, and in fact beginning already in the New Testament, Christians have responded that, if true, the resurrection demonstrates Christ\u2019s deity.\u00a0 It validates his teaching.\u00a0 It confirms his atonement and, implicitly, calls us to accept his redeeming sacrifice.\u00a0 It declares powerfully that he is indeed the Lord, and suggests that, being miraculously still alive, he will truly someday return.\u00a0 It points toward the resurrection of all humanity at some future time and testifies to the existence of a personal, miracle-working God.<\/span><\/p>\nIf the truthfulness of the resurrection be granted, this traditional Christian position seems entirely plausible.\u00a0 And that is very important indeed.<\/span><\/p>\n\u00a0<\/p>\n
Posted from Phoenix, Arizona<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
\u00a0 \u00a0 I published this column in late April of 2001 in the Provo Daily Herald: \u00a0 On 2 May 1985, a remarkable debate took place at Jerry Falwell\u2019s Liberty University, in Lynchburg, Virginia.\u00a0 It pitted a relatively little known evangelical Protestant professor named Gary R. Habermas against Antony G. N. Flew, a prominent British […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1019,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[8663,1356,3445,8666,8660,4507,1369,6669,1366],"class_list":["post-82881","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-antony","tag-christ","tag-debate","tag-flew","tag-gary","tag-habermas","tag-jesus","tag-liberty-university","tag-resurrection"],"yoast_head":"\n
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