Atheist Star Shows His Ignorance  

My hometown of Charleston was treated recently to a public conversation between Dr. Richard Dawkins, arguably the world’s most famous atheist, and Dr. Herb Silverman, inarguably South Carolina’s most famous atheist.    

Dr. Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist who has authored 11 best-selling books on atheism, and Dr. Silverman is a retired mathematics professor who founded the Secular Coalition for America.

I could not attend the interview with Dawkins because I was with my grandsons that night, but from what I read in the newspaper account -- and it mirrored what I have read in his books -- the man does not know what he’s talking about.

I feel qualified to say that because I spent 20 years researching Jesus of Nazareth up close up and personal before I wrote The Gospel of Yeshua, and the Jesus I found was nothing like the Jesus Dawkins ridiculed. 

For example, Dawkins found it “an astonishing idea that the only reason you are good is because you’re frightened of the great camera in the sky.”   That would astonish most Christians, too (fundamentalists excepted).  Jesus spent his entire career teaching people to love, never to fear, and I defy Dawkins to show otherwise.

Dawkins also wondered how anybody could believe Jesus actually turned water into wine.  Well, Dick, most Christians would agree with you. They don’t believe that either. That story only occurs in the Book of John, which was never intended to be taken as fact.  Matthew, Mark and Luke tell the facts of Jesus’ life; John focuses on truth, and as a result most scholars agree it is a classic of spiritual writing.  The fact that Dawkins apparently doesn’t know that displays his ignorance. 

I promised to keep this blog under 300 words, so I’ll continue this tomorrow.

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On Catholic Priests and Millstones

Whenever I read of Catholic priests sexually abusing children, I can’t help but wonder if they’ve ever seen a millstone.

The reason I wonder is that priests, as professional Christians, know very well one of Jesus’ most famous sayings:  “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.  If any of  you put a stumbling block before one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for you if a great millstone were fastened around your neck and you were drowned in the depth of the sea.”  (Matt. 18:5-6, NRSV)

Have you ever seen a millstone?

I saw one several years ago when I was researching The Gospel of Yeshua.  It was a wheel cut from a single block of granite, and as I recall it was at least eight feet tall and made a track about five feet wide.  

Picture yourself with that thing tied to your neck and tossed into the ocean.  Think about it. 

Can anyone explain to me how it is even remotely possible that so many Christ-believing priests can preach that passage every day and still do what they do?

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Why I am a Jesusian

When asked what my religion is, I reply that I am a Jesusian.

You've never heard of Jesusians because it's a word I coined to describe my religious belief.  I think many Christians will agree it describes theirs as well.

A Jesusian is someone who believes Jesus may or may not have been the Messiah (God's chosen one), but his importance was his teaching.  Thus, "Jesusian" instead of "Christian."

I'm a Jesusian (pronounced jee-SOO-sian) because I reseached Jesus for 20 years before writing a book about him, and based on the biblical books of Matthew, Mark and Luke, that's what Jesus wanted.

In fact, in those three books, which are short biographies, he is reported to have claimed the Messiahship one time only -- and that time, the only witnessess were people who were trying to have him crucified.  He never claimed the title again, although he had plenty of occasions to do so.

There are two reasons Jesus did not want people to label him the Messiah.  One, he knew his enemies would crucify him for blasphemy before he could get his teaching out.  And two, if people thought he was the Messiah, they would worship him instead of following him.

His first prediction came true about a year after he started teaching.

His second has been coming true among many Christians ever since.

(By the way, the Book of John does quote Jesus often as claiming the Messiahship.  But John was written many years after the other three, all of whom certainly would have written about that had it happened.  Read Matthew, Mark and Luke as factual stories, and read John as his conclusions.)

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