The image quotes something I wrote a while back in a post with the title “Human First.” I was reminded of it in a recent discussion on Facebook, and so thought I would excerpt a quote to share. Read more
The image quotes something I wrote a while back in a post with the title “Human First.” I was reminded of it in a recent discussion on Facebook, and so thought I would excerpt a quote to share. Read more
PZ Myers shared the above graphic, which uses a comparison to illustrate the problems with claiming that the Noah’s ark story is a factual one. But it seemed to need to be updated, given the fact that Ken Ham’s ark replica park is sinking. And of course, like so many conservative Christians, he is happy to attribute his successes to divine power, but thinks it makes sense to blame Satan for his failures. Read more
David Hayward has created another thought-provoking cartoon. It illustrates the difficulties inherent in speaking about God. God, as the ultimate reality, transcends our understanding. For that very reason, those who desire certainty regularly fall prey to those who offer them substitutes, the less than ultimate, who claim to being God closer to them and to their comprehension. And as part of the package, they tend to offer control, guilt, and abuse. The question that remains is whether we can disentangle... Read more
A few years ago, I wrote a post with the title “Advice for Those Buying a Used Religion.” The title was inspired by an analogy Carl Sagan makes in his book The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God, which is essentially a transcript of his Gifford Lectures. I thought it was time someone turned his words into one of these internet quote images. And rather than just offer one, I thought I would make... Read more
The image below is a small version of an infographic created by Julie Anne Kent (the full sized pdf version is here). I'm gearing up to teach again, and as regular readers know, information literacy (and where possible information fluency) are important emphases. What are some of the best tools, guides, and infographics you've come across in this area? Read more
Steve Caruso shared the video below featuring Christopher Rollston and Gabriel Barkay talking about the James Ossuary. (If you missed it, see also Steve’s recent Twitter exchange with Jesus.) Of related interest, the Israel Antiquities Authorities has an online archaeological database that is full of useful resources. Read more
There are lots of problems with a literalistic approach to Genesis, and to the Bible in general. But the biggest is that it denies that God so transcends our human comprehension that God can only be pointed to through symbols. The final editor of Genesis presumably understood this. He placed side by side two depictions of God creating which have different orders, chronologies, and other details. And so in addition to being a rejection of the God the Bible points... Read more
There has been a lot of confusion about how to refer to the various Doctors, as a result of the surprises thrown our way in connection with the 50th anniversary. Peter Capaldi’s Doctor is the Twelfth Doctor, but the thirteenth regeneration. I’m not sure why adding the term “incarnation” helps in the chart above, since the post-regeneration David Tennant, when he directed the excess regeneration energy into his previously-severed hand and thus did not change appearance, also did not change... Read more
David Gowler of Emory University is currently writing a book about the reception history of the parables. He has decided to blog through the process of writing the book, and has set up a blog for this purpose, called A Chorus of Voices. I know it will be of interest to some readers of this blog. Read more
The above definition came my way via the Patheos Progressive Christian portal page on Facebook, although it did not originate there. Read more
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