I mentioned once before that I was surprised to find myself doubting the authenticity of a saying which the Jesus Seminar voted RED. I had always viewed their results as a fairly skeptical bare minimum. The issue relates to some material that is in both Matthew and Luke (and thus attributed by most scholars to the ‘Q’ source). Matthew’s version, included in the Sermon on the Mount, is for that reason more famous. In fact, this part of Matthew’s Gospel... Read more

I’d like to welcome Richard M to the blog – and since he commented extensively on a discussion on the Debunking Christianity blog about something I wrote, and does not have his own blog, I am offering today’s “guest post” which compiles some of his recent comments. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have, and that perhaps the ensuing discussions will, if not persuade Richard to have a blog of his own, or to begin writing in... Read more

I thought I’d try tinkering with the blog’s layout and appearance a little. With Matrix in the title, I thought maybe what you now see might be a bit more appropriate. Let me know if you have an opinion about it. I’m probably not done tinkering with it for good, so if you make a suggestion, who knows, you might just get what you ask for! I also wonder from time to time whether the various widgets and newsfeeds on... Read more

Thanksgiving reduces the need for theodicy. I don’t mean the holiday that is celebrated in the United States today – although presumably one could attempt to formulate an argument for the existence of a supremely benevolent deity on the basis of turkey, cranberry sauce and stuffing. But those with scarcely enough to survive could legitimately question whether the argument is valid, based as it is on such a small segment of human experience. Nevertheless, even if it wasn’t the most... Read more

“the creator doesn’t always need to be as smart as his creatures” (N. Katherine Hayles, My Mother Was a Computer: Digital Subjects and Literary Texts (University of Chicago Press, 2005) p.196, referring to the ability of computer programs to come up with solutions to problems that had not occurred to the programs’ creators). I found this quote interesting both because it has some relevance to intelligent design and other subjects that interest me. In the specific case that the author... Read more

I recently accused proponents of intelligent design of serious violations of the moral principles their organizations claim to be fighting to uphold. Apparently someone noticed that I was unable to list all the commandments and has taken measures to rectify the matter. A number of blogs such as ERV, Pharyngula and Paralepsis are currently suggesting that Bill Dembski has added theft to the list of sins of which proponents of ID can be accused. Although we all knew they are... Read more

THE ORTHODOX CENTER FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF BIBLICAL STUDIES (OCABS) is pleased to announce the launching of its new, on-line academic journal, The Journal of the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Biblical Studies (JOCABS). The mission of JOCABS is to promote scholarship in biblical studies, homiletics, and religious education among Orthodox and Oriental Orthodox Christians around the world. Although submissions in English are preferred thus ensuring greater accessibility, academic papers in other languages (especially Arabic, Armenian, Finnish, French, German,... Read more

Our ancestors viewed the world very differently than we do. This is not because they were crazy, deluded or primitive. It is because we are further along on the journey of learning and discovery than they were, and we have the advantage of standing on their shoulders. They experienced the Earth as static and unmoving. We experience it on a day-to-day basis precisely as they did, yet also know that in fact it is rotating, even though it doesn’t immediately... Read more

I just had to share this gem from Qalmlea’s blog. Read more

What sort of universe do we live in? We live in a universe that has U2. And I don’t think there will ever be a universal explanation in terms of the laws of physics that allows one to account for the existence of this band. It is a combination of law and chance, which if we wound the clock back, would never arise again in precisely the same way. More importantly, I don’t really think that I’m looking for explanations... Read more