Hello everyone! I just finished reading a book I checked out from the library, Jesus Skeptic: A Journalist Explores the Credibility and Impact of Christianity by John Dickerson. Dickerson, who is an award-winning investigative journalist, spent years reading primary sources and interviewing modern Christians to find out how Jesus has shaped civilization as we know it. Though he was a nonbeliever when he began his investigation, he was awed by the volume of evidence that Jesus was important and became a follower of Christ.
First, he examines the pivotal role that Christ-followers had in what he identified as the five most important advances that make the modern world better than the ancient world.
1. The development and spread of university education
2. The development of modern medicine
3. The end of slavery
4. The rise of literacy
5. The Scientific Revolution
Then, he discusses evidence for Jesus' existence and evidence (notably His God-sized influence unparalleled by any famous person in history) that His claim to be God may be true. Dickerson concludes with the evidence of "the parade of transformed lives": modern people who are transformed by Jesus' teachings, including himself.
One of the things I appreciated most about the book was it's emphasis on primary sources. In fact, some of the sources Dickerson used and more information about the historical figures he discusses is accessible from the book's website, Jesusskeptic.com (you could even use the website on its own if you can't find the book for some reason).
Whether or not you are a Christian, this book is an enlightening read.
@windar12q @ekrause1406 @S.M.S. @cwh @Kirk Peters @agetoage07 @burrawang @burrawang @T_aquaticus @crtgavrilescu
Hello ekrause1406,
I will try to get around to reading this book, but I must say by what I have read so far, I am not inspired. Though its objective is rational, it is irrational in its attempt to mitigate. What is coming over loud and clear is, God had got it wrong in the first place. If we keep changing the message from what the Bible says to what our moral compass is telling us, then the Bible is not the word of a God.
I thought you were very brave to speak publicly. Hope you are now getting more relaxed.
Keep well ekrause.
I looked over the website! Thanks for sharing!
This is probably me getting all sectarian, but I was happy to see a lot of Lutherans on the list, especially, (It would seem), in the great scientists section. Kepler, Brahe, and Linnaeus immediately come to mind (although I noted several others). I also noticed that Luther himself made it onto the site at one point... :)
I would be interested in hearing more of your thoughts on the book/site, @windar12q! I, personally, rather enjoyed investigating it! :)
Hi Jonathan,
I, unlike you, attribute the arts to man's intuition. The arts can be inspired by war, love, hate, jealousy, wanting, leaving, mythology and religion; the list goes on. It's not so much the object, but the subject that inspires. Sometimes the war is not real, sometimes the love is not real, but they are imperative when instilling great artistic achievements.
My point is, great things come from great minds and not from one's belief.
I don't think I will ever be religious; it isn't in my genes.
Keep well Jonathan, good to hear from you.
I would just like to add, at this moment of writing I am watching the crowds gathering in London. Their main aim is to destroy any statue that relates to slavery. I also find slavery abhorrent, but what stands out to me is the hypocrisy of a lot of the multitude. In their mind-set, the statues have got to go,but the Bible that condones slavery, remains intact. This is another example of the danger religion regurgitates time after time and still it goes unnoticed by those who mitigate down many paths to excuse it. If the statues deserve to go, then so does the Bible.
I would love to hear your defence of this situation?
Greetings, @windar12q!
I'm not sure that the statue-toppling that you mention is motivated by Christianity/religion, so this might not actually be a case of hypocrisy.
That said, I think it is important to devote some thought to definitions, including what "slavery" actually is and how it is different between different cultures and times. I am certainly not going to defend slavery. The word as we use it today stands for a horrific practice that has rightly been opposed by many, many Christians over the centuries. However, I think that the conversation about slavery--especially when it relates to Scripture's treatment of the subject--desperately needs a bit more nuance.
For instance, the Bible contains some great themes of liberation, that is, the freeing of slaves. Who hasn't heard the story of the Exodus, for example? Also, a great theme seen throughout the scriptures is the freeing of all humanity from slavery to sin, death, and the devil. Although all mankind is/was enslaved to those things, Christ has broken their hold over us through his death and resurrection. In this sense, the entire story of the Scriptures could be described as a liberation of slaves. Also, if I remember correctly, it was common in the early church for Christians to free any slaves that they owned.
Thanks for the discussion! I look forward to hearing your thoughts!
Greetings to all once again!
It just occurred to me that the website @ekrause1406 shared would do well to include a page about how Christians have advanced art/music/literature. That would also be interesting.