One central issue that decides everything: Did Jesus or did He not return from the dead?
1 Corinthians 15:17, "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins."
The Four "E's"
Execution-- Jesus was dead on the cross
Early-- accounts/reports so early rule possibility of mere legend (creed 1 Corinthians 15:3-6)
Empty-- even enemies of Jesus conceded tomb was empty
Eyewitnesses-- appeared to over 515 people
Lee's conclusion: it would take MORE faith to remain an atheist than to become a follower of Christ.
John 1:12, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
Ezekial 36:26, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
John 1:12, "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God."
Ezekial 36:26, "I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh."
HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY!
I watched this and it was an interesting concept, but ultimately empty.
ReplyDeleteHe doesn't have ANY evidence. He cites Biblical accounts, but what I was really interested in seeing was a 3rd party account of someone, unpublished in the Bible, that saw Christ walking around post-resurrection.
There are several times where he makes vague citations to "atheist" scholars and "A highly-regarded" professor at a "main-steam university". Why not name them?
What really got to me was the opening insinuation that you need religion for morals and ethics. I'm about to start Aristotle's Nichomachean Ethics, which is the basis for all Western moral codes. I don't think this guy's character flaws have anything to do with religion in or out of his life.
In fact, I think it's interesting to see the effects of religion on actual morality. There are just as many instances of religious people committing immoral acts as there are atheists. I don't think anyone can point to a time in human history where a religious society necessarily was peaceful.
Ironically, I think if people lived life like Christ, the world would be peaceful (Or like Lao-Tzu or like Buddah). If you can point to ONE person in your Church who is Christ-like, who lives in poverty, who is not materialistic, who lives the life advocated for on the Sermon on the Mount, I'll buy you dinner.
Also, just an FYI, I too will soon be launching a blog. I'm still working on designing it and have some early content ready to go, but once it's up, I hope you contribute regularly. It will simply be titled "Follow Up", where I take outrageous claims and follow up, a function I feel like the media has failed us on.
Michael-
ReplyDeleteHi there! just read your post. I think for the lack of time he didn't name the scholars.. It's hard to wrap a several hundred page book into a 35 minute sermon.
Full details of interviews, full names, etc can be found here in his book the Case for Christ
http://www.amazon.com/Case-Christ-Journalists-Personal-Investigation/dp/0310209307/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1239725951&sr=8-1