Woops, I had no idea that a blog was included in the package... do people still even read those?

But well, this one has an entry now. Follow-ups not guaranteed... although I may have a couple of nasty rants to get off my chest about Dutch Christians, and do have a certain view on how to best debate with Religious fundamentalists... hm.

Here are some of the details of the lecture.

Title: Spoken by the Prophets: How Interpretation of Jewish Scripture Created the Character of Jesus.

Topic: Hawkins will discuss the conflict between historical Jesus scholarship versus the use of literary criticism and how a better, more probable explanation can be given for the existence of the legend of Jesus.  Offering a new interpretation of the Gospels, Hawkins will explain how the Gospels are not representations of a unique form of Greco-Judaic biography that came about sui generis; instead, the Gospels better express the genre of the Jewish Fiction novel. Hawkins will show this by presenting cases in the Gospel narratives where literary allusions take place not only between the Gospels and the Old Testament, but between the Gospels and Greco-Roman literature. The question of 'why' fictions were written, 'where' the character of Jesus fits in, and 'why' this genre strains the case for a historical Jesus will all be discussed.

Sapient and Explorologist Settle Lawsuit

EFF and Schnader, Harrison, Segal & Lewis, LLP, represent Brian Sapient, who uploaded an excerpt from a documentary that critiqued Geller's performances and abilities to YouTube. Explorologist claimed the clip infringed its copyrights. More information about the case is available here.  Here is a previous post from Sapient on the court case.

The agreement should allow the healthy debate about the existence of 'supernatural powers' to continue without interference. As part of the legal settlement, Explorologist has agreed to license the disputed footage under a non-commercial Creative Commons license, preempting future legal battles over the fair use of the material. A monetary settlement was also reached.

 Where a lack of certainty in one field distracts from the lack of any evidence whatsoever in another.

If you think about the former leaders of the Soviet Union, who comes to mind?

Lenin? Stalin? Khrushchev? Brezhnev? Gorbachev?

If you believe that this list is chronologically complete you've forgotten two that are necessary to understand the fall of the Soviet Union:

Yuri Andropov and Konstantin Chernenko

That is because Yuri Andropov was just 15 months in power and Chernenko just 13 months. They didn't get killed by anyone or removed by force from their office. They simply died of old age while being in office. This at the beginning of the 80s of the last century augmented the problems the Russian economy was already experiencing and gave in the end way for the reformer Gorbachev to become head of the USSR, with all the consequences to that country that we now find written in the books of history.

The decline of the Soviet Empire isn't understandable without also looking at this era of political turmoil at the top of the Soviet state.

Andropov was 68 when he got into office and Chernenko 72 - Just as John McCain will be of age when he gets into office if he is elected President of the United states.

Just in some fairness: Andropov and Chernenko were already sick when they got into office. But anyone should also know that the workload and the stress that comes with leading a superpower isn't healthy for an old man.

[UPDATE - 8/2/08] Cory has since adjusted his perspective on this.  He has shown once more why he is to be respected, despite his beliefs.  Although we disagree, the fact that he continues to show honesty and cordiality, and our continued success at finding some common ground, he has great quality.  I hope one day he will find that to be completely honest he needs to drop his belief in superstition, but until that day (if it comes) I hope to continue being his friend.  (And, as Cory should know, as his friend, I will continue to try to help him free himself of his God addiction, which I think hinders him mentally and physically)  Please read his blog and comment there as a sign of appreciation for his honesty at least in adjusting his position and recognizing his emotional reaction.

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At what point can we stop worrying about this?  Christians, get a grip, please.  Cory Tuchulski (you know him from this blog debate, which we are still waiting for him to continue) from has recently posted a blog echoing Jimmy Akin (another Christian who cannot think beyond what sermons were preached at him) in demanding PZ be fired.  I'm ashamed of Cory, because I know he is not generally like most Christians out there, and I have grown to respect him as a person.

DO THE GOSPELS CONTRADICT EACH OTHER?

By Rook Hawkins

INTRODUCTION

CHAPTER 1: Resurrection and Ascension

CHAPTER 2: Birth Narratives (Next Installment)

(More to Come)

I have a blog in which I engage with Christian Talk Radio. Since I listened a lot to The Way of the Master program (not as much anymore) and almost daily to the Albert Mohler Program.

I guess almost everyone of you know the infamous Atheists Nightmare. The Way of the Master radio program is co-hosted by the guy who came up with it. Doctor Albert Mohler (I guess he holds his doctor in theology) is the president of the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and as such not any less Christian and not any less conservative then Ray Comfort, Kirk Cameron and Todd Friel but a whole lot more sophisticated in his approach.

On Tuesday they had something that started out as quite an interesting debate on the Albert Mohler program, between the host who was sitting in for Doctor Mohler and an historian called Dagmar Herzog. She researches the history of sexuality in the 20th century. Which seems like an interesting field of expertise for a Christian.

What really surprised me was the she got hung up to on this Christian Radio Show. And therefore I wrote a blog-article on my Christian Radio Review website.

You can find it over here:

http://christianrr.blogspot.com/2008/07/amp-hanging-up-on-dagmar-herzog_30.html

This is a long entry, but this stuff needs to be preserved for posterity.  The following is from a post by some theist or another.  I'm posting his original entry, and then my reply.  Feel free to cut and paste my reply anytime someone uses the whole "Evolution is a scam" argument, or any of its corollaries.

Hehe...this article from Slate.com encapsulated the insanity that has forever gripped the anti-abortion movement. The double-speak required to pass this recent bit of legislation is beyond Orwellian. According to this recent mandate, abortion "will terminate the life of a whole, separate, unique, living human being." Huh? Can you run that by me one more time? An implanted embryo is whole, separate, and unique? Then why does a mere separation of the placenta from the uterine wall inevitably result in death? Whether it happens via mechanical methods or spontaneously, it seems to be a near certainty that until the point of viability, which is somewhere between 20 and 28 weeks, detaching this supposedly whole and separate human being will result in its demise.

I agree with the author of this article: Abortions should be renamed "separations," and those who choose separation should no longer be held accountable for the consequences. After all, it is a "whole, separate, unique, and living human being."