Published on 28 Jan 2015
The Meaning of Life with Gay Byrne, Sunday 1st February, 10.30pmSee more at: http://www.rte.ie/player
31.1.15
26.1.15
Marcus Borg, Leading Liberal Theologian And Historical Jesus Expert, Dies At 72
Marcus Borg, Leading Liberal Theologian And Historical Jesus Expert, Dies At 72
(RNS) Marcus J. Borg, a prominent liberal theologian and Bible
scholar who for a generation helped popularize the intense debates about
the historical Jesus and the veracity and meaning of the New Testament,
died on Wednesday (Jan. 21). He was 72 and had been suffering from
pulmonary fibrosis.
Borg emerged in the 1980s just as academics
and theologians were bringing new energy to the so-called “quest for the
historical Jesus,” the centuries-old effort to disentangle fact from
myth in the Gospels.
Alongside scholars such as John Dominic
Crossan, Borg was a leader in the Jesus Seminar, which brought a
skeptical eye to the Scriptures and in particular to supernatural claims
about Jesus’ miracles and his resurrection from the dead.
Like
other scholars, Borg tended to view Jesus as a Jewish prophet and
teacher who was a product of the religious ferment of first-century
Judaism.
But while Borg questioned the Bible, he never lost his
passion for the spiritual life or his faith in God as “real and a
mystery,” as he put it in his 2014 memoir, “Convictions: How I Learned
What Matters Most,” the last of more than 20 books he wrote.
(RNS) Marcus J. Borg, a prominent liberal theologian and Bible
scholar who for a generation helped popularize the intense debates about
the historical Jesus and the veracity and meaning of the New Testament,
died on Wednesday (Jan. 21). He was 72 and had been suffering from
pulmonary fibrosis.
Borg emerged in the 1980s just as academics
and theologians were bringing new energy to the so-called “quest for the
historical Jesus,” the centuries-old effort to disentangle fact from
myth in the Gospels.
Alongside scholars such as John Dominic
Crossan, Borg was a leader in the Jesus Seminar, which brought a
skeptical eye to the Scriptures and in particular to supernatural claims
about Jesus’ miracles and his resurrection from the dead.
Like
other scholars, Borg tended to view Jesus as a Jewish prophet and
teacher who was a product of the religious ferment of first-century
Judaism.
But while Borg questioned the Bible, he never lost his
passion for the spiritual life or his faith in God as “real and a
mystery,” as he put it in his 2014 memoir, “Convictions: How I Learned
What Matters Most,” the last of more than 20 books he wrote.
16.1.15
Pope sides with Muslim faithful in Charlie Hebdo debate: 'You cannot insult other people's faith'
Pope sides with Muslim faithful in Charlie Hebdo debate: 'You cannot insult other people's faith':
Paris: Pope Francis said there are limits to freedom of expression, weighing in on the side of those in France and elsewhere who say Charlie Hebdo's cartoons of prophet Muhammad went too far.
"You cannot insult other people's faith," he told reporters on Thursday aboard a plane taking him from Sri Lanka to the Philippines as part of his Asian tour. "You can't make fun of other people's faith," The Pope also said killing in the name of God was "an aberration." The comments were broadcast by Radio Vatican.
Speaking his mind again ... Pope Francis attends a press conference aboard a plane during his trip to the Philippines. Photo: AFP
Nine journalists at Charlie Hebdo were among those killed by two self-proclaimed Islamist terrorists who stormed the offices of the satirical magazine in eastern Paris on January 7. The assailants said their actions were meant to "avenge" the prophet, a popular subject for cartoons at the magazine. The Charlie Hebdo shootings were among three such attacks in and near Paris last week that claimed 17 lives before police killed the three gunmen.
The attacks rekindled debate on how far publications can go with religious images that some may find offensive. That came as rallies across France with signs saying "Je suis Charlie," or "I am Charlie," on January 11 drew a record 3.7 million people to the streets to pay homage to the victims and defend freedom of expression.
In its first publication since the attacks on Wednesday, Charlie Hebdo put the prophet Muhammad on its cover, raising hackles in Turkey and Iran. The special issue featured a cartoon of Muhammad, crying, against a green background, holding a board saying "Je suis Charlie" or "I am Charlie." Above his image is written "All is Forgiven." Publishers are printing about 5 million copies in more than 16 languages.
Tributes of drawings, flowers, pens and candles are left in front of the Charlie Hebdo offices.
France's L'Express magazine published an editorial by a professor at Namur University in Belgium, who said there is "a distinction to be made between what one says and how one says it." While Jean-Michel Longneaux agreed on the right to debate everything, he said Charlie Hebdo's "mocking" way of doing things should be off limits.
French comic Dieudonne, who has had several run-ins with the law for what are seen as anti-Semitic comments, was arrested on Wednesday at his home in north France for posting "Je Suis Charlie Coulibaly" on his Twitter account. Amedy Coulibaly was one of the three gunmen in last week's attacks. He will be prosecuted for defending terrorism.
In 2011, Charlie Hebdo published a special edition called "Charia Hebdo" featuring Muhammad as a "guest editor." The cover showed the prophet threatening readers with "100 lashes if you don't die of laughter." Shortly thereafter, Charlie Hebdo's Paris offices were firebombed in an overnight attack. No one was injured.
In 2006, the magazine reprinted cartoons of Muhammad originally published by a Danish newspaper, which had prompted violent protests. Muslim tradition deems the depiction of the prophet as blasphemous. Islamic organisations sued the magazine over the drawings, a case dismissed by a French court in 2008, according to the Charlie Hebdo website.
"In France, one can draw everything, including the prophet," Justice Minister Christiane Taubira said on Thursday after attending a memorial service for one of Charlie Hebdo's cartoonist.
10.1.15
After A Year Without God, Former Pastor Ryan Bell No Longer Believes
After A Year Without God, Former Pastor Ryan Bell No Longer Believes
Religion News Service
Posted:
(RNS) Ryan Bell — the former Seventh-day Adventist pastor who spent 2014 living as an atheist — is ready for his big reveal.
After chronicling the last 12 months on his blog Year Without God, Bell — who
now works as director of community engagement at People Assisting the
Homeless in Southern California — announced in an interview with NPR
that he no longer believes in God.
Bell talked with Religion News Service about his decision and what it will mean to him and his loved
ones. Some answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: This weekend you told NPR: “I don’t think that God exists.” Can you elaborate?
A: I think the best way I can explain the conclusion I’ve come to — and
conclusion is too strong a word for the provisional place I now stand
and work from — is that the intellectual and emotional energy it takes
to figure out how God fits into everything is far greater than dealing
with reality as it presents itself to us.
That probably sounds very nonrational, and I want people to know that I have read several
dozen books and understand a good many of the arguments. I’d just say
that the existence of God seems like an extra layer of complexity that
isn’t necessary. The world makes more sense to me as it is, without
postulating a divine being who is somehow in charge of things.
Q: You also said that you’re “still the same person deep down that I was
before.” What was valuable about the past year? Would you do it again?
A: I would definitely do it again! And I’ll go a step further: I think
others should do it, too. Anytime you can step outside your comfort
zone, you will learn important things about yourself and the world. I’ve
learned that atheists are not the miserable nihilists that many
Christians think they are.
I’ve also had a few remarkable moments
of irony. Once I was in a gathering of atheists and the speaker referred
to “seeing the light” and “finding freedom at last.” It struck me then
that most people really are searching for the same thing.
Q: Do you still plan to write about, speak and work in the atheist community?
A: I do, in some capacity. I don’t think I’ll be joining a crusade to
destroy all religion anytime soon, though some days I’m tempted. I just
know too many good people of faith to see religion as any kind of
universal evil. But I do think that there is much work to be done with
and among atheists.
I have a special interest in post-theists —
people who are in the in-between phase that I’ve been inhabiting for the
past year. There are thousands and thousands of people who are betwixt
and between, and there is next to nothing for them in the world of
religion. I’d like to be a part of that conversation.
Q: After a year, what do you think about the priorities and actions of the atheist movement in the U.S.?
A: On the whole, I love the no-holds-barred search for truth. I love
the honesty and clarity of speech that is so often lacking in religious
circles, where everything is couched in metaphor and innuendo.
On the other hand, I recoil from a one-track-minded scientism that I
sometimes encounter — as though science has all the answers for every
question that a person has ever asked. There is also a kind of smug
condescension that is hard for me. I still have scores of Christian
friends who are not dumb. Their faith is not like believing in Santa
Claus. The more the atheist movement behaves like the traveling
evangelists I encountered as a conservative Christian, the more I cringe
— and for the same reasons.
Q: Your significant other is a Christian. How are you navigating that?
A: It’s challenging sometimes, but she is an open-minded, thoughtful
person. I’d call her a Christian Humanist, or a Humanist in the way of
Jesus, if that makes any sense. I still share a love for the stories of
the radical Jesus preferring the poor and downtrodden, so we’re not as
different as it may seem on the surface. Besides, our relationship is
about more than debates about God’s existence.
Q: What would you like to say to people who question your motives or sincerity?
A: There’s not much I can say. I don’t feel like I need to defend
myself. I’ve only lost money and earning potential this year, but I
wouldn’t change a thing. I guess I can’t prove I’m not being dishonest
any more than I can prove that God doesn’t exist. People will just have
to evaluate the evidence and decide for themselves.
Q: You’ve lived as a Christian and an atheist. What’s one thing you wish
more Christians knew about atheists? One thing you wish more atheists
knew about Christians?
A: I wish more Christians knew that atheists are not nihilists who have
no meaning to their lives or people with no moral compass. They’re not
stubbornly rejecting God. All the atheists I have met have seriously hit
a brick wall while trying to know God.
I wish more atheists knew that Christians care very deeply about knowledge and truth. They are not
stupid. In every group there is a percentage that are ignorant — but if you take a wider view, Christian intellectuals have contributed a great deal to the body of human knowledge through history.
Religion News Service
Posted:
After chronicling the last 12 months on his blog Year Without God, Bell — who
now works as director of community engagement at People Assisting the
Homeless in Southern California — announced in an interview with NPR
that he no longer believes in God.
Bell talked with Religion News Service about his decision and what it will mean to him and his loved
ones. Some answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Q: This weekend you told NPR: “I don’t think that God exists.” Can you elaborate?
A: I think the best way I can explain the conclusion I’ve come to — and
conclusion is too strong a word for the provisional place I now stand
and work from — is that the intellectual and emotional energy it takes
to figure out how God fits into everything is far greater than dealing
with reality as it presents itself to us.
That probably sounds very nonrational, and I want people to know that I have read several
dozen books and understand a good many of the arguments. I’d just say
that the existence of God seems like an extra layer of complexity that
isn’t necessary. The world makes more sense to me as it is, without
postulating a divine being who is somehow in charge of things.
Q: You also said that you’re “still the same person deep down that I was
before.” What was valuable about the past year? Would you do it again?
A: I would definitely do it again! And I’ll go a step further: I think
others should do it, too. Anytime you can step outside your comfort
zone, you will learn important things about yourself and the world. I’ve
learned that atheists are not the miserable nihilists that many
Christians think they are.
I’ve also had a few remarkable moments
of irony. Once I was in a gathering of atheists and the speaker referred
to “seeing the light” and “finding freedom at last.” It struck me then
that most people really are searching for the same thing.
Q: Do you still plan to write about, speak and work in the atheist community?
A: I do, in some capacity. I don’t think I’ll be joining a crusade to
destroy all religion anytime soon, though some days I’m tempted. I just
know too many good people of faith to see religion as any kind of
universal evil. But I do think that there is much work to be done with
and among atheists.
I have a special interest in post-theists —
people who are in the in-between phase that I’ve been inhabiting for the
past year. There are thousands and thousands of people who are betwixt
and between, and there is next to nothing for them in the world of
religion. I’d like to be a part of that conversation.
Q: After a year, what do you think about the priorities and actions of the atheist movement in the U.S.?
A: On the whole, I love the no-holds-barred search for truth. I love
the honesty and clarity of speech that is so often lacking in religious
circles, where everything is couched in metaphor and innuendo.
On the other hand, I recoil from a one-track-minded scientism that I
sometimes encounter — as though science has all the answers for every
question that a person has ever asked. There is also a kind of smug
condescension that is hard for me. I still have scores of Christian
friends who are not dumb. Their faith is not like believing in Santa
Claus. The more the atheist movement behaves like the traveling
evangelists I encountered as a conservative Christian, the more I cringe
— and for the same reasons.
Q: Your significant other is a Christian. How are you navigating that?
A: It’s challenging sometimes, but she is an open-minded, thoughtful
person. I’d call her a Christian Humanist, or a Humanist in the way of
Jesus, if that makes any sense. I still share a love for the stories of
the radical Jesus preferring the poor and downtrodden, so we’re not as
different as it may seem on the surface. Besides, our relationship is
about more than debates about God’s existence.
Q: What would you like to say to people who question your motives or sincerity?
A: There’s not much I can say. I don’t feel like I need to defend
myself. I’ve only lost money and earning potential this year, but I
wouldn’t change a thing. I guess I can’t prove I’m not being dishonest
any more than I can prove that God doesn’t exist. People will just have
to evaluate the evidence and decide for themselves.
Q: You’ve lived as a Christian and an atheist. What’s one thing you wish
more Christians knew about atheists? One thing you wish more atheists
knew about Christians?
A: I wish more Christians knew that atheists are not nihilists who have
no meaning to their lives or people with no moral compass. They’re not
stubbornly rejecting God. All the atheists I have met have seriously hit
a brick wall while trying to know God.
I wish more atheists knew that Christians care very deeply about knowledge and truth. They are not
stupid. In every group there is a percentage that are ignorant — but if you take a wider view, Christian intellectuals have contributed a great deal to the body of human knowledge through history.
Jesus 'Never Existed,' says Historical Researcher - Billionaires Australia
Jesus 'Never Existed,' says Historical Researcher
Jesus of Nazareth was a mythical character who never really existed, according to historical researcher, Michael Paulkovich.
Mr Paulkovich said that he found no verifiable mention of Christ
amongst the writings of 125 authors during the ‘time of Jesus,’ from the
first to third centuries.
Instead, followers of Christianity created him as a figure to
worship, the historian says in an article entitled ‘The Fable of the
Christ’ and a book called ‘No Meek Messiah.’
Despite the supposed global miracles’ carried out by Jesus, there was
a distinct lack of evidence for his existence in the historical texts,
he said.
“When I consider those 126 writers, all of whom should have heard of
Jesus but did not – and Paul and Marcion and Athenagoras and Matthew
with a tetralogy of opposing Christs, the silence from Qumram and
Nazareth and Bethlehem, conflicting Bible stories, and so many other
mysteries and omissions – I must conclude that Christ is a mythical
character.
“Jesus of Nazareth was nothing more than urban (or desert) legend,
likely an agglomeration of several evangelic and deluded rabbis who
might have existed.”
In fact, Mr Paulkovich found just one mention within the writings he
studied, and that was fabricated and added later by editors, he claims.
The book called The Jewish Wars by Roman historian Josephus Flavius, was
written in 95 CE. However, Mr Paulkovich says that the mention of Jesus
was not in fact written in the original text, but rather added at a
later stage.
The historian also says that the Bible contains no evidence of the
actual existence of Jesus, saying that Paul, who is often thought of as
the person who spread the religion that would become Christianity, never
mentions Jesus as a real person.
“Paul is unaware of the virgin mother, and ignorant of Jesus’
nativity, parentage, life events, ministry, miracles, apostles,
betrayal, trial and harrowing passion. Paul knows neither where nor when
Jesus lived, and considers the crucifixion metaphorical.’
Mr Paulkovich also says that Jesus himself would have written
personal accounts had he been real, but that the silence proves his
theory that he was a fictional character.
The highly controversial views are likely to be disputed by the
majority of scholars, who agree that Jesus was a Galilean Jew born
between 7 to 4 BC.
Comments
Jesus of Nazareth was a mythical character who never really existed, according to historical researcher, Michael Paulkovich.
Mr Paulkovich said that he found no verifiable mention of Christ
amongst the writings of 125 authors during the ‘time of Jesus,’ from the
first to third centuries.
Instead, followers of Christianity created him as a figure to
worship, the historian says in an article entitled ‘The Fable of the
Christ’ and a book called ‘No Meek Messiah.’
Despite the supposed global miracles’ carried out by Jesus, there was
a distinct lack of evidence for his existence in the historical texts,
he said.
“When I consider those 126 writers, all of whom should have heard of
Jesus but did not – and Paul and Marcion and Athenagoras and Matthew
with a tetralogy of opposing Christs, the silence from Qumram and
Nazareth and Bethlehem, conflicting Bible stories, and so many other
mysteries and omissions – I must conclude that Christ is a mythical
character.
“Jesus of Nazareth was nothing more than urban (or desert) legend,
likely an agglomeration of several evangelic and deluded rabbis who
might have existed.”
In fact, Mr Paulkovich found just one mention within the writings he
studied, and that was fabricated and added later by editors, he claims.
The book called The Jewish Wars by Roman historian Josephus Flavius, was
written in 95 CE. However, Mr Paulkovich says that the mention of Jesus
was not in fact written in the original text, but rather added at a
later stage.
The historian also says that the Bible contains no evidence of the
actual existence of Jesus, saying that Paul, who is often thought of as
the person who spread the religion that would become Christianity, never
mentions Jesus as a real person.
“Paul is unaware of the virgin mother, and ignorant of Jesus’
nativity, parentage, life events, ministry, miracles, apostles,
betrayal, trial and harrowing passion. Paul knows neither where nor when
Jesus lived, and considers the crucifixion metaphorical.’
Mr Paulkovich also says that Jesus himself would have written
personal accounts had he been real, but that the silence proves his
theory that he was a fictional character.
The highly controversial views are likely to be disputed by the
majority of scholars, who agree that Jesus was a Galilean Jew born
between 7 to 4 BC.
Comments
8.1.15
Religion is a “medieval form of unreason”: Salman Rushdie responds to Paris attacks - Salon.com
Religion is a “medieval form of unreason”: Salman Rushdie responds to Paris attacks - Salon.com
In a statement, the author defended satire
Salman Rushdie is the latest figure to publicly respond to Wednesday’s attacks on Paris’ satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo which left 12 dead.
In the statement, published on the website for English PEN, an organization that promotes freedom of speech, Rushdie not only condemns the shooting, but religion as a whole.
“Religion,
a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry
becomes a real threat to our freedoms,” he wrote. “This religious
totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and
we see the tragic consequences in Paris today.”
Rushdie expresses
his support for the publication and calls for the defense of satire,
“which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny,
dishonesty and stupidity.”
Joanna Rothkopf is an assistant editor at Salon,
focusing on science, health and society. Follow @JoannaRothkopf or email
jrothkopf@salon.com.
In a statement, the author defended satire
and called for "fearless disrespect" of all religions
Salman Rushdie is the latest figure to publicly respond to Wednesday’s attacks on Paris’ satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo which left 12 dead.
“Religion,
a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry
becomes a real threat to our freedoms,” he wrote. “This religious
totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and
we see the tragic consequences in Paris today.”
Rushdie expresses
his support for the publication and calls for the defense of satire,
“which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny,
dishonesty and stupidity.”
Joanna Rothkopf is an assistant editor at Salon,
focusing on science, health and society. Follow @JoannaRothkopf or email
jrothkopf@salon.com.
Demoted Catholic cardinal blames “feminized” church for priest pedophilia - Salon.com
Demoted Catholic cardinal blames “feminized” church for priest pedophilia - Salon.com
Cardinal Raymond Burke says the women's
Cardinal Raymond Burke(Credit: AP/Tom Gannam)American
cardinal Raymond Burke is not a progressive guy. The controversial
religious leader was demoted from his powerful position as the head of
the Vatican’s highest court after criticizing Pope Francis last year,
and has not been shy about spewing vitriol at the LGBT community, women’s rights advocates or the Obama administration. In a recent interview with The New Emangelization Project,
a website dedicated to attracting men to the church, Burke focused his
attention on the “radical” feminists whom he believes have disrupted
catholicism, blaming them for the prevalence of priests molesting
children.
Burke
charged the feminist movement with commandeering the church and forcing
leaders to “constantly address women’s issues at the expense of
addressing critical issues important to men,” and said that it was
“feminization” that led some priests to sexually abuse children:
Jenny Kutner is an assistant editor at Salon, focusing on sex, gender and feminism. Follow @jennykutner or email jkutner@salon.com.
More Jenny Kutner.
Cardinal Raymond Burke says the women's
movement has left religious men "very marginalized"
Cardinal Raymond Burke(Credit: AP/Tom Gannam)cardinal Raymond Burke is not a progressive guy. The controversial
religious leader was demoted from his powerful position as the head of
the Vatican’s highest court after criticizing Pope Francis last year,
and has not been shy about spewing vitriol at the LGBT community, women’s rights advocates or the Obama administration. In a recent interview with The New Emangelization Project,
a website dedicated to attracting men to the church, Burke focused his
attention on the “radical” feminists whom he believes have disrupted
catholicism, blaming them for the prevalence of priests molesting
children.
Burke
charged the feminist movement with commandeering the church and forcing
leaders to “constantly address women’s issues at the expense of
addressing critical issues important to men,” and said that it was
“feminization” that led some priests to sexually abuse children:
The
Church becomes very feminized. Women are wonderful, of course. They
respond very naturally to the invitation to be active in the Church.
Apart from the priest, the sanctuary has become full of women. The
activities in the parish and even the liturgy have been influenced by
women and have become so feminine in many places that men do not want to
get involved. [...]
We can also see that our seminaries are
beginning to attract many strong young men who desire to serve God as
priests. The new crop of young men are manly and confident about their
identity. This is a welcome development, for there was a period of time
when men who were feminized and confused about their own sexual identity
had entered the priesthood; sadly some of these disordered men sexually
abused minors; a terrible tragedy for which the Church mourns.
Jenny Kutner is an assistant editor at Salon, focusing on sex, gender and feminism. Follow @jennykutner or email jkutner@salon.com.
More Jenny Kutner.
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