The Immoral Teachings Of Christianity
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The Immoral Teachings Of Christianity - Christopher Hitchens @ FreedomFest (Part 5).
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Dinesh D'Souza and Christopher Hitchens go at it again at the 2008 Freedom Fest as the "Main Event".
FreedomFest is an annual festival where "free minds meet" to celebrate "great books, great ideas, and great thinkers" in an open-minded society. It is independent, non-partisan, and not affiliated with any organization or think tank.
Founded and produced by Mark Skousen, since 2002, FreedomFest invites the "best and the brightest" from around the world to talk, strategize, socialize, and celebrate liberty. FreedomFest is open to all and is purely egalitarian, where speakers, attendees, and exhibitors are treated as equals.
www.freedomfest.com/
Christopher Hitchens (born 1949) is an author, journalist and literary critic. Currently living in Washington, D.C., he has been a columnist at Vanity Fair, The Atlantic, World Affairs, The Nation, Slate, Free Inquiry, and a variety of other media outlets. Hitchens is also a political observer, whose books - the latest being "God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything" - have made him a staple of talk shows and lecture circuits.
In 2009 Hitchens was listed by Forbes magazine as one of the "25 most influential liberals in U.S. media." The same article noted, though, that he would "likely be aghast to find himself on this list" and that he "styles himself a radical", not a liberal.
www.hitchensweb.com/
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This man was a fine wine which the religious will never appreciate .
Not true.I am a CATHOLIC and love to watch his videos.
Whereas I'm an agnostic and I think he's a bit of a twat. His use of CS Lewis is a bit of a straw man. I don't think Jesus was the son of god - I'm not even certain he existed. But I don't think his philosophy is immoral, quite the contrary. His teaching was to forgive and his example represents redemption. So far as I'm concerned [and it really doesn't matter from a philosophical perspective because good actions should not be motivated by reward according to Christ] that redemption is about virtuous living and the 'Kingdom of Heaven' being the earthly life rather than some assumed alternative post-existence. And Jesus is reported to have said more or less that.
Goran: As Hitchens himself would say, I am happy for your chains. But you must keep me out of it. #ReligionIsPoison
@Tarkus yet Hitchens himself as an evangelical atheist was shackled by his need for certainty. In the face of infinity the only logical position is to say not only that we do not know, but that we can’t know. To disbelieve in something you need to have a definition of that thing. I’m happy to say I don’t believe in the tooth fairy as a real thing (although I must have a concept of it i lend some ownership to. But the infinite? I can’t begin to say - and neither can Hitchens or Dawkins although they are curiously reluctant to concede it. A fear of a Rumsfeldian unknown unknown, which is a somewhat emotionally immature standpoint at best.
@@ChrisWilliams-nf8kl He never strawman-ed C.S. Lewis,he always mentioned that he agreed with him to some extent,but didn't with the conclusion.Because Lewis concluded that Jesus is the son of God,and Christopher thought that he isn't the son of God,therefore Lewis' alternative of him being a lunatic,or an evil man, etc. hold up.
Christ threatens those who don't follow him with hellfire,and pretends to save people from what he himself would inflict upon them. And his central teaching is that you should take no thought for tomorrow,just follow him. Also that the responsibilities of individuals can be thrown on someone else, when personal responsibility is central to even ordinary morality. And he forgives sins inflicted upon others,as though they were inflicted on himself.
Who cares if the murdered father's child doesn't want to forgive the murderer,Jesus already did,even before he committed it.This is a wicked belief.
Cannot fault this logic. May this form of common sense grow and grow with the passing of the ages.
What is your book on how to grow common sense?
@@prophettoatheists8057 Never found one. When I see it I recognise it. It could be an action or words.
It feels good to be alive in this era where religion marches slowly towards its inevitable death.
Been said before...
HAHAHA! You've got to be kidding! Jesus is alive. He's healed me from sickness that the doctors couldn't. 🤣
That sort of "religion" will never pass away!
@@wayfarer1101 I don't think you're completely sane.
@@lucmeeussen9714 Wait and see. 🙂
way Farer: Unfortunately, religion will never pass away. You, however, is another matter. #TimeIsAFlatCircle
Hitchens was such a hero to the free-thinkers. Most atheists (myself included) generally admitted that "if god was real, that would be nice" but he was one of the first to be very vocal about the complete opposite.
More than that, he was an important person to the world. His atheism era may have been his final bow, but it was merely the final act in a long and diverse production that spanned decades.
Hitchens was a god to the atheist. We all desire and reach out for a god.
@@prophettoatheists8057 pssst... your ignorance is showing. Atheist don't think like you do. I have no god. I seek no god. There is no place for god in the universe. Please don't project your childish thinking onto atheists. You only expose your ignorance.
Bravo Mr Hitchens.... every time he speaks he drives another nail in that religious coffin.
The nail driving is over then...
Wake up boys and girls. We were not put on this planet for God to prove to us who He is, we were put here to show God who we are. How are you doing so far?
@@jeffforsythe9514 which god?
@@rightpa The Creator, there is only one true Creator, no name and no form...............falundafa
@@jeffforsythe9514 There is no creator. The universe grew from a seed. I know this to be true as I wrote it on a piece of paper; no one can prove it's wrong, which re-enforces it's truth.
“Until we outgrow this nonsense, we have no chance of emancipating ourselves.“ ~Christopher Hitchens
I emphatically agree.
Well, when Christopher Hitchens died, he emancipating himself straight to Hell.
@@George040270 Well that's an articulate response! Muppet!
The nonsense is atheism. Atheism has NO moral teachings.
No one has written a code of morals for atheists to follow.
@@prophettoatheists8057 Contrary to you we don't need some sky wizard to explicitly tell us what is right and threaten us with eternal torture to know that its wrong to rape and murder, we have those things called common sense and basic decency
Wake up boys and girls. We were not put on this planet for God to prove to us who He is, we were put here to show God who we are. How are you doing so far?
This is one of the best Hitchslaps I've heard to date.
Wake up boys and girls. We were not put on this planet for God to prove to us who He is, we were put here to show God who we are. How are you doing so far?
@@jeffforsythe9514 I've never had an imaginary friend. It's about time you grew out of yours.
@@harfast10 Wake up boys and girls. We were not put on this planet for God to prove to us who He is, we were put here to show God who we are. How are you doing so far?
@@jeffforsythe9514 which god?
Oh my goodness! What did I just hear! That was WOW. I’m numb now.
Beautifully composed.
I used to be a Christian. I can’t go back now. Just because of points like these that tear me apart.
I can’t even share these videos with my parents because they are old now and learning all this now will be shocking and physically disturbing for them; I cannot risk it.
@@reghty You make assumptions : ) Naat good, my friend! Who said I made up my mind from just 1 video : ) ?
It's a very dangerous topic for me to go back to. I get emotionally drained and angry so I like to keep my distance.
How about simply Living, sincerely (as best I could) for 25 years, with my best friend Jesus, and finally about 5 to 6 years of eye opening by beautiful people like Allan Watts, Mr. Hitchens, Sam Harris, Stephen Fry, Richard Dawkins.. and for me, the realizations of Mr. U G Krishnamurthy. And awesome Mr. Bart Ehrman..
Several comedians i have seen only on youtube (what a beautiful creation).. King Marcus Aurelius... The list is unending : )
Mainly it was Mr. Allan Watts for me. My god, he knocked me out!
The one thing I dislike most in this life is being fooled.
And have you seen the first matrix movie? Oh powerful imagery! Especially when Keanu unplugs himself from the system with that pipe his head was connected to. Ufff!
But I've also realized that for many of us peace and joy has been only through belief, and I believe that this is cool too. Whatever helps us live, why not!
Have you seen the Hindi movie OMG? About a man who sues God in court. I'm sure they have subtitles for it.
After a convincing argument, so he thinks, he sees a crowd worshipping a statue of Him? And he's trying to bring it to the ground.
Cheers, my guy : )
This debate he did with D'Souza was perhaps the best he did in his life
Wake up boys and girls. We were not put on this planet for God to prove to us who He is, we were put here to show God who we are. How are you doing so far?
@@jeffforsythe9514 which god?
Well, hopefully we all have that one moment when we do our best in life.
This really is extraordinarily good !! A brilliant man, sorely missed
Wake up boys and girls. We were not put on this planet for God to prove to us who He is, we were put here to show God who we are. How are you doing so far?
@@jeffforsythe9514Keep those beliefs to yourself
Hitch was so well spoken, and damn if he isn't right about practically all of it. I have learned so much from him. I wish I could thank him
Wish upon a star...So Hitch agreed with you in practically all . Thank yourself for being so right.
Asinine fatuity of vicarious redemption. Paltry logic. How hitch pulls out the perfect revitalizing phrases that refresh us and spare us from cliche and the dead letter🌟🌠🌟🌠🌟🌠🌟🌠🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌠
More and more needed now and ever 🙏.
And yet every time the results of prayer is tested the people who were prayed over had worse outcomes. Otherwise it had no affect on anything. You claim that an action is required that does no one any good. When you get sick do you pray or see a doctor? If a car is coming to hit you do you pray or get out of the way? Yet you insist prayer actually does anything than fool your mind into thinking it works.
Bravo! I fully believe in being responsible for my own deeds, good, bad or otherwise!!
Wake up boys and girls. We were not put on this planet for God to prove to us who He is, we were put here to show God who we are. How are you doing so far?
@@jeffforsythe9514 which god?
I totally read that in my head in Christopher's voice.
Wake up boys and girls. We were not put on this planet for God to prove to us who He is, we were put here to show God who we are. How are you doing so far?
@@jeffforsythe9514 which god?
Hitch, I miss you !
A voice of reason amongst the religious trolls who don't even understand why they have been given a brain,however small it might be.
Why do you belittle the women who may have a smaller brain than your? The size of the brain does not determine the ability to reason.
Why have you been given a brain?
WELL SAID!!! I've said almost the same thing for the longest now.
Well said. Here here!
Thanks 🙏
Pretty awesome point.
It's funny that Jesus is able to forgive you for something you did to another person, and he doesn't have to ask whether or not the other person is interested in forgiving you.
Forgiveness is a one way street regardless as to what the other person may be interested in.
Makes perfect sense. Wish more people use more sense.
Amen
my attachment to my faith brings me joy, whilst your happiness is triggered by moments and happenings. this is how I know my God is real and your opinion is yours but hope that it may change one day.
Positively brilliant. Absolutely delightful. Hitch was a rare gift I miss greatly.
Great video!! Great great great video!! Astounding video!! I can Beyond gladly say give credit where credit is due!! I wish more of society spoke like this about Christianity and all other religions as well!!!! Emancipation indeed thank you Christopher Hitchens!!!!
We keep insisting our founding fathers chose Christianity to be our guiding light. I dont know but I am glad they built the wall high between politics and religion. In fact, since these televangelists types are tax free they should have to shoulder some good old fashioned god loving kindness towards those who come upon hard times, lose everything to violent weather, etc instead of living in their mansions while they minister to Africa.
Give credit to Christianity for saving Western culture that we are not under an atheist dictator.
@@prophettoatheists8057How is that due to Christianity?
Hear, Hear!!!
Fine
"There is nothing after death."
Correct.
If Jesus took Men's sins, why are Men still sinning?
That is very possibly one of the highest compliments I've ever been afforded.
Exactly
beautifully spoken
Be human! Don't belittle yourself with such a picture of a creature that cannot speak.
What a brilliant person !! We missed him a lot.
Sorry for the misspells. My fingers are a bit big for these tiny keys.
little bear It's too much to bear, isn't it?
+Danilo Stinghen ba dum tsss
indeed it does.
Very well put, Mr. Hitchens!
Hitchens is like polonium. Thanks for posting this!
200 decades later & the secular humanists still dealing with Gsus. Miss u hitch22. No more etoh challenges
@THEEVANTHETOON - correction to something I wrote -- when I wrote 'purely Origen -- him "quoting Josephus."'
I meant 'purely Origen -- NOT him "quoting Josephus."' Sorry.
Once again Mr Hitchins,just BRILLIANT
Wow, growing up in a staunch Catholic home with Bishops, Mother Superiors, Monsignors et al, I never thought I ever be able to absorb the hard hitting Mr. Hitchens. My father would tan my hide for even talking to an atheist. I found they dont eat their children for breakfast and can be just as evil or good as Christians. I have found the phrase "eternal salvation" rather odd. Hoping not to be struck down by the Creator of the Universe, I can only ask why does he punish us so when we are told we are made in his image and Likeness. I am afraid that religion is luggage we carry forward since a very distant time.
Finally, someone who is clever enough to listen to the other side as well.
Whatever you choose to follow, please, do not be like your father!
I recommend Kristi Burke and DarkMatter for further unwinding of the chains that bind us. It isn't easy, because it's programmed so deeply, but it is possible to offload quite a bit of this. Wishing you well.
@THEEVANTHETOON - You're talking about the "Chrestus" thing? Suetonius mentions that (Ch XXV) being in Claudius' time, which would be 20 years after Jesus died.
@7eardstapa7 proper context is reading it like a book. which means that when someone is giving the order to go ransack a city doesnt mean that the book teaches that ransacking any random city is what to do.
RIP, Mr. Hitchens. Thanks for reiterating what I've been saying for years: that people "forgive" themselves via the religious figure without once consulting those who have been harmed by them. How unbelievably selfish and delusional.
Wake up boys and girls. We were not put on this planet for God to prove to us who He is, we were put here to show God who we are. How are you doing so far?
@@jeffforsythe9514 only if you believe in that stuff. My moral compass - while imperfect - is enough of a guide for me
@@jeffforsythe9514 You Are the one need to wake up and move away from those stupid and negative church, they wordshipping money, women and sex, the church themselves murdering people's whose have believe into magic and they themselves never believe into any gods, try to acting like you actually see god toward any christians and those christians will see you at an psychopath person (meaning even the christians will react to you like you insane).
@@jeffforsythe9514 Your christians church just use money and benefit to buy off people's. I know everything about your church corruptions. You cannot hide from me.
@@jeffforsythe9514 You got brainwashed by christianity and your subconscious is constantly lied itself again your will, you don't have free will in everything.
Hitchens is a genius...RIP good sir.
@MrTruthAddict I completely understand where your coming from, I lived it.
@libomann Thanks for the heads up.
I 3rd it :-)
this Christopher Hitchens fellow is absolutely brilliant, not just in what he says, but in the tones of voice he delivers the words in too
Wake up boys and girls. We were not put on this planet for God to prove to us who He is, we were put here to show God who we are. How are you doing so far?
@@jeffforsythe9514 which god?
Only thing i disagree with hitchens as if jesus truly believed he was the son of god from which he had been told from birth he really just tried to be as good as a man as he could and tried to help mankind and even take on the sins of others which shows he was selfless even if he was just a man he was willing to die for other peoples wrongs thats preety impressive as a mortal
Jon Moris: "Father, why hast thou forsaken me?" #GodIsADick
No it's stupidity. If he existed and was as the gospels described, he was a good but conflicted man.
He wouldnt have believed it, He certainly would have known it in taking man's form to dwell among him. I found Jesus to be an imperfect figure at times in that He was supposed to be both God and man. It's hard to let things go when you were indoctrinated from childhood but I try to keep its place taking what I can from it.
I've watched a lot of Hitchin's videos now, and I want to come with intelligent, informative praise. But all I can think of is:
HITCHINS FTW
@THEEVANTHETOON - Yes, I've read them -- that's why I brought them up. I've been seeking out all the known writings of the 1st and 2nd century in that region, and reading their works. I wrote a research paper about it; I've found over 125 authors so far, who should have, but never heard of Jesus.
As a Christian believer I find this video more amusing than interesting. But I have think about his argument more. So far it is not that convincing.
Kudos to you for actually watching this and thinking of his argument, even if you don't find it convincing. You are much more open minded than the average believer.
I agree. There is not only ample empirical evidence with which to base a belief on (Shroud of Turin has yet to be explained away by any atheist source beyond the credulous "I don't know, but still..."), but the theological necessity for vicarious redemption is entirely over the head of most atheist philosophers that I have witnessed. Rather than understand the Jewish heritage from which the Messiah must emerge, they attack the very foundations of, by all accounts, that very heritage - this includes scapegoating, Passover lambs, the law as a means for us to desire sin as Paul put it in Romans (ever heard of the old saying, 'the law told me not to so I did it anyways'?). Had any scholarly atheist put the time and effort into debunking the theological necessity of the Christ which we bore witness to, that is the sacrificial lamb of God, then we might actually GET somewhere in a debate.
Instead, Hitchens elegantly proposes via his sheer verbosity that we should deny and reject such a sacrifice for our sakes on the basis of... exactly. He has no foundational basis beyond that of Jefferson, faulty syllogisms of C.S. Lewis, and his by-far favorite philosophical treatises provided by Thomas Paine. All had similar contentions, all wrote down why in their own manner. NONE provided any moral foundation as to why they contended beyond conflictions with their taken-for-granted ability to reason which MAY VERY WELL BE FLAWED, all things considered (there is no truth to philosophy, just a better rhetoritician in a debate, as I like to think).
Therefore, Hitchens, along with Dawkins and Harris provide no foundation to their morality. They claim reason is sufficient whilst ignoring the atrocities committed by the reason-based societies of ages past. There is only TRUTH IN YESHUA. The sooner we all come to realize this, the sooner this world will be made pure.
Michael Asta be made pure? In what context? Yours? Your reason is fallible, as is all of ours. The universe has no moral laws or consequences. It bids us no graciousness nor spares us pain. We might as well not exist. Yet you, wit your insecurities and need to feel important, attempt to impart your flawed views on others as if it was truth itself. Lemme tell you something camper. You try and purify anyone in the way your words insinuate, and I’ll put you down so fast, you won’t know what hit you. Check your tone little man.
Andrew Charles Well now you need to define what it means to "accept Jesus". As a Messianic Jew, I entirely fail to see the moral justification in rejecting the Messiah of man. I view the atheist and anti-theistic perspective on Christianity to lack any justification whatsoever; the logic behind the idea of being good without any meta-ethical foundation upon which defines what it even means to be "good" proves to me just how unjustified and irrational the atheistic worldview is. At the very least, Christ offers a basis for morality via his sermons and demonstrations of moral action in Judea. I have yet to meet an atheist who, if he/she does not outright reject the need for a moral foundation as a premise for "good" living (or simply deny the need for morality altogether), can provide an appropriate substitute for an absolute moral code which DOESN'T rely on the premise of evolutionary biology dictating via genes our morality over time (an utterly unproven conjecture, and one which Hitchens himself subscribed to, as does Dawkins).
As a sidenote, if one were to provide culturally relative morality as a basis, I would find them to be so utterly irrational as to fall squarely on the side of incredulity to say the least.
Thoughts?
Andrew Charles Then I am a Christian who was born a Jew, if that seems less confusing to you. With regards to the Deuteronomy passage, the one who foretells signs and has visions all of which come true, and then tells the people to follow "other gods", i.e. not the Almighty infinite and invisible God of the Hebrews, makes the enormous assumption that (1) Christ foretold things which did/will happen, meaning that what was written in the New Testament was not entirely falsifiable if indeed Christ did exist (and I know for a fact that there are even secular historical documents from 1 AD which at least verify his existence), and (2) That Christ demanded that everybody follow "other gods". The "other gods" being referred to by Christians are that Christ was God Almighty of the Jews in the flesh, and that of the Almighty's spirit which descended upon the Earth in its formation and hovered above the waters (as is written in Genesis, one of the few references to God's spirit), included amongst the Almighty Father God.
Christians worship the same God as the Hebrews, and even study the Tanakh in the form of the Old Testament, i.e. the Hebrew Bible. Even the prophets of old claimed that the Son of God would come to the Earth, that the Messiah would save the Jews AND the Gentiles (Isaiah 56) - it just turns out that that very same Messiah would be the Blessed Son of God.
If you're Jewish, then you know that the Jews worship an unformed God, a God who does not manifest in the human form, just as David realized when he asked God if he could make Him a temple to reside in. The God of the Jews is as infinite as the universe, yet made Himself known to Abraham, the first human to become aware of this Truth.
What occurred with Jesus was that God finally became PERSONIFIED. He had form and feelings, He could connect with all humans rather than just the few individuals from His chosen of the human race. That's the greatest miracle of the Christians.
So Deuteronomy does not at all apply to Jesus of Nazareth, especially if he did not lead anybody to worship "other gods".
Without reset button, save option, or replay chance, I'd like to add.
@WhiteStar11111 He is demonstrating an example of Garbage In, Garbage Out. As for more "illustrating" details, I recommend reasonably priced his books, available in fine bookstores everywhere.
@ajax515 You have yet to offer a valid refutation for:
1) Why we cannot trust the sources which mention Bible events ("They are not contemporary" does not work, nor does "historains reject them", because they do not).
2) Why we should assume miracles are impossible. ("There's no evidence" does not work, because not only is this false, but an event can still be "possible" if it has never happened).
3) Why you treat the Gospels differently than any other source.
@THEEVANTHETOON - Two simple questions: who first discovered the tomb was empty; and who first saw "resurrected" Jesus?
@69upinu I'm sorry but I don't understand what you are trying to say. I'm pretty sure we speak different native languages. I'll try to reply:
1) Jars of peanut butter are pasteurized, so they should not contain any living organisms.
2) Great apes do not have verbal language as we understand it (but do have vocalizations that are meaningful to them).
3) I'm just not reading you on the third sentence. Bacteria grow where they find food that they can metabolize and conditions are ok for growth.
@ajax515 A.H. Sayce sums it up when he says "...if there was no record of miracles in the Old and New Testaments, it may be questioned whether so much zeal would have been displayed in endeavouring to throw doubt on the authenticity of their contents" (Sayce, MFHCF, 126). In other words, Sayce believes that if the Bible made no mention of supernatural events, very few people would be unwilling to accept it as historical. However, we cannot rule out the possibility of miracles.
@ajax515 I've lost? I'm not the one 1) arguing in circles, 2) attacking the other person rather than their arguments, 3) rejecting evidence because it does not fit my philosophical view, 4) using weak arguments without evidence, 5) committing the definitional retreat fallacy, and 6) running away from the argument. In short, I'm really not sure how I've lost.
@ciaochowbella - when I read that post of yours, I was absolutely sure it was something I had written, and was surprised my ID was not at the bottom. We're on the same page for sure.
@THEEVANTHETOON - looking forward to chatting later. I have stuff I have to do now... Cheers.
@THEEVANTHETOON - "As for the spliting the moon in half, that is mentioned Sahih Bukhari 5.208. This is part of the Hadith, not the Qur'an" - the Hadith is referencing the Qur'an:
"The hour drew nigh and the moon was rent in twain." - The Moon, Qur'an 54:1
@knowwaie He said specifically, and I quote "I could serve your sentence in prison if I was brave enough." What does that have to to with capital punishment?
@ajax515 The early church fathers, Tacitus, Lucian, Suetonius, Pliny, Thallus, Plegon, Mara Bar Serapion, the Talmud, Josephus, pre-New Testament creeds, Africanus, Trajan, Macrobius, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, Juvenal, Seneca, Hierocles, numerous archaeological finds, and other sources mention New Testament events.
@WorldBibleUnion454 Note his Criteria for salvation at the time of judgment "I have given bread to the hungry man and water to the thirsty man and clothing to the naked person and a boat to the shipwrecked mariner"
@7eardstapa7 Theory-"systematic ideational structure of broad scope, conceived by the human imagination, that encompasses a family of empirical (experiential) laws regarding regularities existing in objects and events, both observed and posited. A scientific theory is a structure suggested by these laws and is devised to explain them in a scientifically rational manner. "
@jhall38 I agree that the question of the origin of life is not settled (it is entirely separate from evolution). However, you make a couple of errors: Inorganic chemicals are those that lack carbon-carbon bonds (with a few exceptions); they are not strictly related to life and have be synthesized in lab processes and industrial processes for years. The Urey-Miller experiment hinted that it is possible to create molecules associated with life from the early Earth, etc.
@jasonwkeller76 How does any of this experience disprove Zeus? As Hitch said in this very video, your work in proving your (specific) god exists is all still ahead of you.
@ciaochowbella (cont.) Paul actually did meet Jesus, although briefly. Paul learned about the Christian faith from Jesus' disciples, as he mentions in his letters.
"NO contemporary mention of this Jesus person by Roman or Jewish historians of the time"
The Talmud, Josephus, Jewish tradition, Tacitus, Lucian, Suetonius, Pliny, Thallus, Phlegon, Mara Bar Serapion, Trajan, Macrobius, Hadrian, Pius, Aurelius, Juvenal, Seneca, Hierocles, and others all mention NT events.
@THEEVANTHETOON - "what did the disciples had to gain by inventing such a myth?" - What did the Greeks and Romans have to gain by inventing myths of Zeus, Jupiter, Hercules, Dionysus, Prometheus? What did the the Phrygians have to gain by inventing Attis? The Persians: Mithra. The Hindus: Krishna?
@allfitch84 That highly reminds me of certain aspects of Buddhism(without the reincarnation of course). I think of myself as a Taoist Atheist, which is kinda like saying "I'm a feline cat".
I like to see myself like a bit of a secular philosopher, taking many concepts and ideas and creating a comprehensive view out of them. I mostly lead to the non-mystical sort of Taoism though.
And thank you for responding. I tend get rather nasty comments on these kind of videos so I was a bit worried.
@flupachi
In the first sentence you used "well" to mean healthy, as opposed to "sick". I'm sure you can see why I thought the "well" in the next sentence would mean the same thing, since you were connecting the two...
@jhall38 While the scientific method can use analogy as a starting point, science does not advance by analogy. You are putting yourself back with the ancient Greeks in terms of understanding how to understand natural processes (which may be appropriate, as a lot of the Bible is nothing more than bronze-age mythology and ways of thinking).
@gekritzl
This is quite unlikely to be interpolated as "Christians" are referred to as "Jews", as the Roman government recognized them until about 60 AD.
"the Annals were indeed never quoted until the 15th century"
I think you misunderstand what he says. He don't possess any Tacitus manuscripts that date before the 11th century. However, most scholars argue for the authenticity of what Tacitus writes. The passage is in perfect Tacitean style. It appears in every known copy of the...
@THEEVANTHETOON - P.S. I still would be interested in your viewpoint regarding my questions about Jesus' mission and so forth. Do tell.
0:34
@otaku3d "Mat 10:34 Think not that I am come to send peace..." I'm not sure why you are quoting these scriptures to me.
@ajax515 "in fact is actually a very sound analogy as the rules of logic apply equally to all of these fields"
1) Scientists have the events right in front of them. Historians don't.
2) Lawyers deal with events that happened less than a few months ago. Historians deal with events that happened centuries ago.
3) There's always some guesswork in being a historian, as a historian will tell you.
4) The analogical fallacy is concluding something based off of an analogy, not evidence.
@ajax515 "Because the universe is not 100% predictable then we must accept any claim despite the lack of evidence?"
John Montgomery says we must accept the Resurrection because of the evidence. Of course, you will deny this evidence because it does not meet your philosophical view, but Montgomery is basically saying we should treat accounts of miracles just like we would treat a source without a miracle. He's saying we should not deny miracles because we do not know everything.
@KayBeeEee1983 Egyptian Book of the Dead was more of a collection of magic spells intended to assist a dead person's journey through the Duat, or underworld, and into the afterlife.
@ajax515 Many theories have risen since the Resurrection, but as of yet, not a single theory accounts for all of the facts (except the Resurrection itself, of course). Would you like to provide an explanation?
@Bill4Banco "16 people in history claimed the title of "the annointed one."
1) How many claimed the title during the 1st century?
2) Do you have evidence for this?
3) Jesus fulfilled all of the Messiac prophecy. Did any of the other 15?
4) Jesus was Resurrected. Were any of these other 15?
@rjwd85 I do study science. Christ on the other hand is no myth. Try talking to Him for yourself and see. Keep watching!
@gekritzl "How long approximately before the entire world heard of Jesus?"
Technically speaking, there are some (though few) isolated cultures that have never heard of Christianity even today. However, in terms of the Roman World, it took 20-30 years for the religion to spread across the Empire, and about 300 more for it to become the official religion.
"And how extensive were the miracles -- isolated to Judea, or farther out than that?"
I'm not sure what you mean by this. Miracles...
@ajax515 "The "church fathers" came along at least 100 years later and assumed that"
What's telling you they assumed their information? They were certainly more well-acquainted, being closer to the events they describe, with the "origin of Jesus" than we are.
@gekritzl Besides, why can't we trust Jesus' disciples? I particularly like what Geisler says about this: "Suppose there were four eyewitnesses to a murder. There was also one witness who arrived on the scene after the actual killing and saw only the victim's body. Another person heard a secondhand report of the killing. In the trial the defense attorney argues: 'Other than the four eyewitnesses, this is a weak case, and the charges should be dismissed for lack of evidence.' Others might...
@gekritzl
"Romans 5:11-21"
Romans 5:11-21 says something completely different than what you recorded.
Honestly, I will have to do more research on what Theologians think, but I currently believe that Adam is a metaphor for mankind. The episode in Genesis 3 recounts that mans' problem is sin and it is this sin that seperates us from God. Romans 3:23 makes it clear that we have all sinned. "Original sin" means that we are all deserving of punishment from the original sin...
@brockunc Free will is very much a part of Christianity. We are not machines. We are not puppets. Our actions are not "determined" by anyone other than ourselves, and are not pre-determined at all. (In the way that you can predict that if you keep crossing the street at a certain speed, and a car keeps coming at you, you can predict that it may hit you. But the car might swerve, or you might turn back... ) You are always free to make your own choices - and you are responsible for them.
@geneolune
6) Note the different literary devices
7) Judge the Bible as you would any other book.
@tsilver33 - I accept forgiveness which I do not deserve because this is how I freely forgive others for their sins against me whether or not they deserve it. Unfortuately, many christians seems to condemn, but we are called to forgive even those who do not repent nor ask for forgiveness. I actually hope the blood of Christ freely forgives everyone whether you seek it or not, but I can't say that is really the case. I hope it is.
@knowwaie What point?
@gekritzl "who first discovered the tomb was empty; and who first saw "resurrected" Jesus?"
Mary Magadalene, "the other Mary", and "other women".
This is not a contradiction, it is a difference. Just because John's Gospel does not mention the other women does not mean it is incorrect. In general, the lack of information provided in other sources does not indicate a contradiction.
@k1ngkoo0pa :) Yeah, I see what you mean. Thanks for being nice, I appreciate it.
I think it may also prove helpful to some of the viewers here to try to evaluate many of the more strident claims of the anti-theist critique ("brights") from a ideological/ metaphysics perspective. Check out the recent article by Jackson Lears in the May 16, 2011 issue of the The Nation entitled "Same Old New Atheism" .The article offers a compelling analysis of Sam Harris' works. Consideration is given to general secularist social perspective
@ajax515 "they could have looked the other way at any time"
1) For the 10+ minutes it would have taken to get the body out of the tomb?
2) The stone that seals tombs make alot of noise. Perhaps these guards were also deaf?
"Just because the body was missing when they returned does not lead to the conclusion that "oh, he must of floated up to heaven""
True, but many people claimed to see the risen Jesus for forty days after the Resurrection.
@gekritzl
...that is, Adam's. Deuteronomy 24:16, on the other hand, makes it clear that we are not to be punished for other's sins, only for our own. "Original sin" was first articulated by Saint Augustine nearly 300 years after the New Testament was written.
@EdM021 - Hi, I can't find the thread for this conversation. Was it in reference to witches, I guess?
In which case, what is in a name? If the original said "Thou shalt not suffer a black-magic doers to live," it doesn't help the case that Christians, for many hundreds of years, used the Bible as a guide to torture and murder innocent people who they claimed were "witches" (or black-magic doers?). The death toll is in the millions (not 19 as Dinesh D'Souza would have us believe).
here here
@seekyefirst80 Personal beliefs are best kept to oneself or those who display an interest in hearing about them.
@gekritzl
...this, but I believe that Adam was a metaphor for mankind. I believe this makes sense given the poetic nature of the first chapters of Genesis.