Reply to Atheist JMS Pearce: Bethlehem & Nazareth “Contradictions”

Last updated on: August 27, 2019 at 2:17 pm By Dave Armstrong

Including Extensive Exegetical Analysis of Micah 5:2 Wife Judy’s photograph of the spot where Jesus was born in Bethlehem (October 2014). ***** This is my fourth and last installment of replies to atheist Jonathan MS Pearce‘ skeptical series, Debunking the Nativity. I have previously responded to his claims about the alleged mistranslation of “virgin” (Isaiah 7:14), supposed irreconcilable differences regarding the death of Herod the Great and biblical chronology, and the genealogies of Christ. Presently, I am responding to his paper, “To Bethlehem or Not to Bethlehem”... Read more

Reply to Atheist JMS Pearce: “Contradictory” Genealogies?

Last updated on: December 21, 2018 at 5:20 pm By Dave Armstrong

King David (ancestor of Jesus), by Rembrandt (1606-1669) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***** This is my third installment of replies to atheist Jonathan MS Pearce skeptical series, Debunking the Nativity. I have previously responded to his claims about the alleged mistranslation of “virgin” (Isaiah 7:14), and supposed irreconcilable differences regarding the death of Herod the Great and biblical chronology. Presently, I am responding to two of his papers (both posted on 12-12-16): “Contradictory Genealogies” and “Conflicting Genealogies of Jesus and... Read more

Atheists & Inherent “Omnipotent” Creative Qualities of Godless Matter

Last updated on: July 26, 2017 at 6:19 pm By Dave Armstrong

Fractal image by “hrohmann” (9-15-15) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] *** This is a little (but idea-packed) discussion about these issues in one of my blog comboxes with three atheists (with one getting testy). Their words will be in blue (“Illithid”), green (“islandbrewer”), and purple (“Stupid Atheist”): ***** Thanks for linking to your atheism index [link], I may have missed it before. It seems we have different ideas of what “evidence” is, despite my agreement with your definition above. Your article... Read more

Reply to Atheist JMS Pearce: “Mistranslation” of “Virgin”? (Isaiah 7:14)

Last updated on: July 27, 2017 at 7:18 pm By Dave Armstrong

[many thanks to Glenn Miller of A Christian Thinktank for his extraordinary biblical research, which I’ve massively utilized] Virgin and Child with Four Angels, by Gerard David (c. 1450/1460-1523) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***** Jonathan MS Pearce has written a series, “Debunking the Nativity”: in which he offers up a series of weak, fallacious, highly selective arguments, that he believes are decisive refutations of Christian and biblical contentions regarding the birth and infancy of Jesus. I’ve already dealt with his argument... Read more

Reply to Atheist JMS Pearce: Herod’s Death & Alleged “Contradictions”

Last updated on: August 1, 2017 at 12:10 pm By Dave Armstrong

[many thanks to Jimmy Akin for massive citation of his research] Herod the Great, by James Tissot (1836-1902) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***** Atheist contra-Christian polemicist and biblical skeptic Jonathan MS Pearce has challenged me to grapple with his material on the biblical infancy narratives of Jesus (that, of course, asserts massive contradictions). I’m more than happy to do so. At first I hesitated due to time constraints and a feeling that scholars have done — or could do — a... Read more

Gadarenes, Gerasenes, Swine, & Atheist Skeptics

Last updated on: July 25, 2017 at 12:12 pm By Dave Armstrong

The Swine Driven into the Sea, by James Tissot (1836-1902) [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***** Prominent online atheist Jonathan MS Pearce (A Tippling Philosopher) loves to write about alleged biblical contradictions. He produced the post, “On Harmonising Biblical Contradictions” (7-23-17) and was kind enough to mention my name in the beginning: This is a post I once made for John Loftus at Debunking Christianity [my italics] and contradictions came up in a recent conversation with Dave Armstrong, so here it is.... Read more

Reason, Science, & Logic Not the Exclusive Possessions of Atheists

Last updated on: July 24, 2017 at 11:33 pm By Dave Armstrong

+ Double Standards in How Christian Conversions are Treated, Compared to the Often Chilly Reception of Critiques of Atheist Deconversion Stories / Atheist “Exegesis” of the “Doubting Thomas” Passage Illustration (anonymous) from Nursery Novelties for Little Masters and Misses (1820), showing a “dunce” wearing a fool’s cap with bell and ass’s ears. The loving, infinitely wise atheist comes to give aid to the poor, imbecilic, ignorant Christian, devoid of reason, logic, and facts alike [public domain / Wikimedia Commons] ***** I’ve... Read more

Atheist Double-Standard Demands for (Empirical-Only) “Evidence”

Last updated on: July 24, 2017 at 12:59 pm By Dave Armstrong

Fractal image by “HypnoArt” (8-6-15) [Pixabay / CC0 public domain] ***** “Lark62” is an atheist. Her words will be in blue. Her comments can be found in their entire larger context in the combox for my paper, “Atheist Deconversion: Dialogue #2: Jonathan MS Pearce” (7-20-17). *** Lark62 [female: “frumpy, boring middle aged lady”] clearly came to his discussion with me already extremely hostile to Christianity. Checking out comments listed on her Disqus profile, anyone can readily observe that: The problem with... Read more

Not Many “Angry Atheists” Online? You be the Judge

Last updated on: July 24, 2017 at 1:04 am By Dave Armstrong

[Pexels.com / Pixabay / CC0 license] ***** Recently, I had the distinct blessing (Mt 5:11-12) of being the target of 21 out of [literally] 54 atheists who appeared in a combox of a post on the blog run by atheist Jonathan MS Pearce (and also a second one). It started out on the topic of my critiques of deconversion stories, and then quickly descended into an avalanche of complaining (and, well, lying) about my strict, zero-tolerance-of-insults moderation policy on my blog: then to... Read more

Atheist Anthony Toohey Defends His Deconversion (Pt. 1)

Last updated on: July 21, 2017 at 6:18 pm By Dave Armstrong

A change of vision by Erik Pevernagie, oil on canvas (3-24-11) [Wikimedia Commons / Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license] ***** I admire that. I critiqued his story, and he has stepped up to the plate and defended himself, and has done a pretty good job. His words will be in blue. ***** You call your story that I critiqued “a tightly distilled version of my (overlong) deconversion . . .” Duly noted. I didn’t know that you had a longer one in print. If I had known... Read more