miracles

A collection of 33 posts

miracles

Should we expect miracles in modern times?

I recently watched a Youtube video by Brian Dalton (aka "Mr. Deity") entitled “No Evidence,” and it got me thinking. His basic argument was that, in both the Old and New Testament, God was not shy in showing that he existed and demonstrating his enormous power. He did

God

The argument against God from sporadic miracles

OnlySky · The argument against God from sporadic miracles | Jonathan MS Pearce I recently debated apologist Jonathan McLatchie about miracles and, during it, I brought up an argument I have been mulling over: the "argument against God from sporadic miracles." This is also a position I discussed a little

David Austin

The Miracles of Jesus

In the closing stages of writing my latest book, The Resurrection: A Critical Examination of the Easter Story [UK] (please grab yourself a copy!), I had a few test readers. One was David Austin, down in Australia, who has provided a few guest articles for your delectation. As you can

Biblical Exegesis

Miracles as Parables

In the closing stages of writing my latest book, The Resurrection: A Critical Examination of the Easter Story [UK] (please grab yourself a copy!), I had a few test readers. One was David Austin, down in Australia, who has provided a few guest articles for your delectation. Here is another

miracles

Disputing Miracles vs Disputing History (I)

I'm sorry, but I can't remember who posted this comment but it is worth dwelling on; if I remember correctly, it was in response to me picking apart biblical narratives for their historical inaccuracies and problems, as well as their naturalistic impossibilities: John, why dispute these

Biblical Exegesis

What's More Likely: Snake or Stake?

A recent comment by WCB on a thread today reminded me of the Exodus claim of Moses' staff: The Staff of Moses is a staff mentioned in the Bible and Quran as a walking stick used by Moses. According to the Book of Exodus in the Bible, the staff

Jesus

My Interview on the Resurrection with Harmonic Atheist

I've done a few interviews with Tim Mills/Harmonic Atheist and I love them. Here is a great chat about my latest book - The Resurrection: A Critical Examination of the Easter Story [UK] - and one that, though long, only skimmed the surface, looking really at my

Biblical Exegesis

Critically Analysing the Resurrection: A Walk-Through

Here is my latest video, walking through my book on the Resurrection of Jesus - The Resurrection: A Critical Examination of the Easter Story [UK]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KiNsU2EMSPE Please like and subscribe and do all the things those UToobers tell you to.     Stay in touch! Like

Biblical Exegesis

My Resurrection Interview with Laughing in Disbelief

Here is the interview I have just had with Andy Hall of Laughing in Disbelief, discussing my new book The Resurrection: A Critical Examination of the Easter Story [UK]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XpdIBMvPxAY Enjoy.     Stay in touch! Like A Tippling Philosopher on Facebook: A Tippling Philosopher You

Biblical Exegesis

Interview about the Resurrection on Monday

Fellow Patheoser Andy Hall is interviewing me about my latest book, The Resurrection: A Critical Examination of the Easter Story [UK]. This is taking place at 7 am EST, or 12 pm BST, UK time. The YouTube streaming link is here: https://youtu.be/XpdIBMvPxAY Be there or be square.

Biblical Exegesis

Paine and Hume Regarding the Resurrection

Is this all we need when considering the Resurrection of Jesus? When examining artifacts from the past, historians assume that nature worked back then as it does today; otherwise, anything goes. American patriot Thomas Paine, in The Age of Reason, asked: “Is it more probable that nature should go out

Biblical Exegesis

Hitchens's Razor vs Bayes's Theorem

John W. Loftus has just endorsed my forthcoming book on the Resurrection in the following manner: Hitchens’s Razor, not Bayes’s Theorem, is the proper tool to use against the “absolute baselessness” of the resurrection belief (per David F. Strauss, as quoted in this book). There’s no objective

miracles

Verifying the Virgin Birth

To return to matters pertaining to Christmas and the Nativity of Jesus, let us think briefly about the virgin birth claims. I have elsewhere discussed the may issues with the claim (see "Debunking the Nativity: The Virgin Birth" and "Debunking the Nativity: The Mistranslation of 'Virgin&

Biblical Exegesis

The Resurrection: What We Do and Don't Have

John Loftus's The Case Against Miracles (UK) is looking like it should be a cracker of a book as an anthology of chapters from different authors presenting a very strong case against the notion of miracles. I am loving his own chapter on the Resurrection ("The Resurrection

John Loftus

The Case Against Miracles

I have a lot to thank John Loftus for. Not only did I used to blog at his Debunking Christianity site, but he also commissioned me to write a chapter in two of his books (I wrote one on morality and one on free will). John recently sent me his

miracles

Kiekeben: Can One Actually Believe in Christianity?

In one of the essays in Loftus's anthology The Case Against Miracles (UK), Robert Price raises an issue that is commonly ignored. Price's essay, “Jesus Christ: Docetic Demigod”, concerns the miracles of the Incarnation and of the Virgin Birth, and is well worth reading for the

Epistemology

More on Miracles or Improbable Events: God's Intentions

I recently wrote a piece concerning specified complexity that theists interpret as God acting and showing his presence. The TL;DR was that massively improbable things happen on a regular basis around our communities such that they become statistically probable, or even certain. It all depends on how you view

math

Miracles, Prayer, Coincidences and Statistical Probability

I went to the pub last night with a couple of mates, one of whom is the founding member of the Tippling Philosophers. Because we are very cool people, we spent a large amount of time talking philosophy and theology. Strap yourselves in, this ain't short. My other

miracles

Some Religious Gullibility

These videos are remarkable. People can be really dumb. I love how in this first one, they are now properly mocking it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHyMAb-qsCA Here is the dead man eating, and being praised for it. I just can't, for the life of me,

Bart Ehrman

The Resurrection Debunked: Naturalistic Explanations

As mentioned in my previous posts, it is that time of year that the historicity of the Easter accounts gets analysed by us skeptics. And found wanting. Very wanting. [caption id="attachment_6627" align="alignright" width="216"] Tintoretto [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

gun control

No Scalise, You Don't Get to Appeal to Miracles, You Dolt.

I don't want to take away from the terrible tragedy that was the baseball ground shooting, but US politician Steve Scalise returned to Congress today and delivered an emotional speech. Problem being, the speech was nonsense, at least in part. This part: "When I was laying out

Biblical Exegesis

Easter Doubt: Matthew and the Guards at the Tomb

In this post, I am going to look at the resurrection account given by Matthew, in particular his addition found in no other Gospel account, that there were guards stationed at the tomb. According to Matthew, the chief priests were worried that the disciples might steal Jesus’ body to fake

Bart Ehrman

Easter Doubt: On the Skepticism of the Resurrection (part 4) – naturalistic explanations

As mentioned in my previous posts, it is that time of year that the historicity of the Easter accounts gets analysed by us skeptics. And found wanting. Very wanting. [caption id="attachment_6627" align="alignright" width="216"] Tintoretto [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons[/caption]

Epistemology

Demon Possession...

Just a short one here to nick a line from a facebook meme...: Isn't it ironic that the ones who believe in demon possession seem to be the only ones who get demon possessed? I like that, and it reminds me very much of how people who have

miracles

Miracles - Guest Post by Geoff Benson

There are many words which have common usage meanings different, or at least at some variance, to their more precise, considered meaning. Generally, it's harmless, of little consequence, but now and again it does cause confusion. There's 'theory', which most of us use in