[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AX7F_y8rLw]
Great bloody stuff from the book of Love and Peace.
Tag: Agnostic
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A Universe From Nothing
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ImvlS8PLIo]
Lawrence Krauss at the Atheist Alliance International 2009, gives a talk on our current picture of the universe, how it will end, and how it could have come from nothing. Krauss is the author of many bestselling books on Physics and Cosmology, including “The Physics of Star Trek.”
This is, by far, the best talk I’ve had the pleasure to listen to. It is a bit long so, if you don’t have much time to listen to the whole talk now, at least listen to this excerpt, it’s just one minute long.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFMmzKDonRY]
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Atheist Sunday School – The Historical Jesus
Today, like many other Sundays, we had Sunday School on Twitter. Since the topic was a bit long, a few of my friends suggested that I should preserve today’s stream of tweets for further reference. In fact, their suggestion was rather that I wrote these as a blog post, but my laziness knows no boundaries. My apologies.
So, to make it less embarrassing, let’s say that this is a raw draft of a future post; also, please consider that we have yet some facts that we need to review in our next Twitter Atheist Sunday School.
This is a fascinating story. In my opinion, everyone should have access to learn about these facts.
This is how we make atheists. 😉
Ok, it's #atheist Sunday School time. Who's up for an avalanche of Jesuses? I actually love this topic. Ready? #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Was there a #Jesus? Of course there was a Jesus! Certainly! The case is, there were many – but no "Jesus of Nazareth." #atheist #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Jesus ben Sirach. This Jesus was reputedly the author of the Book of Sirach aka Ecclesiasticus or Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Ecclesiasticus is part of Old Testament Apocrypha. Ben Sirach, writing in Greek about 180 BC, brought together Jewish 'wisdom'. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Jesus ben Pandira. A wonder-worker during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus 106-79 BC one of the most ruthless of the Maccabean kings #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
This Jesus launched his end-time prophecy which upset the king. He met his own end-time by being hung on a tree – on the eve of a Passover.
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Jesus ben Ananias. Beginning in 62AD, this Jesus caused disquiet in Jerusalem with a non-stop doom-laden mantra of ‘Woe to the city’ #aheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Jesus ben Ananias was considered as nothing more dangerous than a mad man. He died from a rock hurled by a Roman catapult. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Jesus ben Saphat. In the insurrection of 68AD that wrought havoc in Galilee, this Jesus had led the rebels in Tiberias. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
When the city was about to fall to Vespasian’s legionaries Jesus ben Saphat fled north to Tarichea on the Sea of Galilee. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Jesus ben Gamala. During 68/69 AD this Jesus was a leader of the ‘peace party’ in the civil war wrecking Judaea. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
When the Idumeans breached the walls of Jerusalem Jesus ben Gamala was put to death & his body thrown to the dogs and carrion birds #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Jesus ben Thebuth.A priest who in the final capitulation of the city in 69AD, saved his butt by trading the treasures of the Temple #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
But… was there a crucified Jesus? anyone? #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Certainly. Jesus ben Stada – was a Judean agitator who gave the Romans a headache in the early years of the second century. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Jesus ben Stada met his end in the town of Lydda (twenty five miles from Jerusalem) at the hands of a Roman crucifixion crew. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
But… with so many Jesuses could there not have been a 'Jesus of Nazareth'? You might ask. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
See, he problem for this notion is that absolutely nothing corroborates the sacred biography, nothing at all. Nada. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
This 'greatest story' is full of numerous anachronisms, contradictions and absurdities. It just doesn't add up. Let's see… #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
At the time that Joseph & the pregnant Mary allegedly went off to Bethlehem for a Roman census, Galilee was not a Roman province… #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
…therefore there was no reason for the journey. Even if Galilee had been imperial territory, history knows of no universal census #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
This 'universal census' makes no sense. Roman taxes were based on property ownership not on a head count. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
… aaand, we now know that Nazareth did not exist before the second century. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Practically all the events of Jesus’ supposed life appear in the lives of mythical figures of far more ancient origin. Fishy, huh? #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
There's hardly a word of Jesus that is not to be found in a parallel saying of the rabbis. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Another Jesus during the reign of Artaxerxes I of Persia 465-424 BC. His brother John, the High Priest slain him in the holy temple #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
By the Bible, Pilate offered the Jews the release of one prisoner & the cursed race chose Barabbas rather than gentle Jesus… #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
But in the original text, the chosen criminal was Jesus Barabbas – and Bar Abba in Hebrew means ‘Son of the Father’! Coincidence? #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Are we to believe that Pilate had a Jesus, Son of God and a Jesus, Son of the Father in his prison at the same time??!! #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Perhaps the truth is that a single executed criminal helped flesh out the whole fantastic fable. Maybe? #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Gospel writers, in scrambling details, used the Aramaic Barabbas knowing that few Latin or Greek speakers would know its meaning. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
A trial for Jesus, when suspected rebels were habitually arrested and executed by the Romans without trial? How so? #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Philo of Alexandria (On the embassy to Gaius, XXXVIII) speaks of Pilate's 'continual murders of people untried and uncondemned.' #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
And why would the Romans have allowed a convicted felon to be almost immediately removed from his cross and put in a tomb? #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Crucifixion was chosen precisely to make a public point that the most humiliating punishment awaits those who opposed Rome's will. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
"…For penalties relate not so much to retribution as to their exemplary effect." – Quintilian (AD 35-95, Decl 274) #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
At face value, Josephus appears to be the answer to the Christian apologist's dreams on the account for a historical Jesus. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
In a single paragraph, the so-called Testimonium Flavianum, Josephus confirms every salient aspect of the Christ-myth. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
But not a single writer before the 4th century in all their defense against pagan hostility, makes reference to Josephus’ words. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
BUT… not so fast…
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
How could Josephus claim that Jesus had been the answer to his messianic hopes yet remain an orthodox Jew? #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
If Josephus thought Jesus had been 'the Christ' he would have added more about him than a casual aside paragraph in Pilate's story. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
In fact, the Josephus paragraph about Jesus does not appear until the beginning of the fourth century, at the time of Constantine. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Bishop Eusebius, Church propagandist & self-confessed liar-for-god, was the first person known to have quoted Josephus' paragraph. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
This happened about the year 340 AD. This was after the Christians had become the custodians of religious correctness. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Whole libraries of antiquity were torched by the Xians. Yet unlike the works of his Jewish contemporaries, Josephus' histories survived.
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Josephus' histories survived because the Christian censors had a use for them…. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
The Christians planted evidence on Josephus, turning the leading Jewish historian of his day into a witness for Jesus Christ! #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Finding no references to Jesus in Josephus' original work, they interpolated a brief but all-embracing reference based purely on Xian belief
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
There's more, so much more, but that's gonna have to do for today's #AtheistSundaySchool. It's been a long lesson. You liked it? #Atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Thank you all for attending and for your smart nice mentions. We will continue with this topic next time. Owe you guys some replies, sorry.
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 3, 2010
Update:I can't safely say that we're having a fundieless day, for some @'s I've gotten, BUT it'is good. Know why? 'Cause it's #AtheistSundaySchool!
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
So let's resume from where we left off last time. If you missed last Sunday School it's all here » http://bit.ly/d8yvHH #atheism #atheist
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
The third century Church 'Father' Origen drew on all sorts of proofs & witnesses to his arguments in his defense of Christianity. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
Origen quotes from Josephus extensively, yet no reference to his paragraph on Jesus, which would have been the ultimate rebuttal. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
In fact, Origen actually said that Josephus was "not believing in Jesus as the Christ." Of course! Josephus was an orthodox Jew! #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
Josephus relates much more in his records about John the Baptist than about Jesus! Isn't that odd? #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
Josephus reports in great detail the antics of other self-proclaimed messiahs, including Judas of Galilee…. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
….. Theudas the Magician, & the unnamed 'Egyptian Jew' messiah. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
Outside of this single bogus paragraph, in all the extensive histories of Josephus there is not a single reference to Christianity. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
Justus of Tiberias was also an historian, a rival to Josephus, and from the same region. He makes not one mention of Jesus. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
No mention of 'Jesus of Nazareth' in Caius Suetonius' writings. He wrote a biography called Twelve Caesars around the year 112 AD. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
In the biography of Emperor Claudius, Suetonius did write about a "Chrestus." But, Jesus in Rome in 54 AD? Of course not! #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
Jesus supposedly lived in the most well-documented period of antiquity, yet not a single non-Christian source mentions him. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
The awful truth is that the Christian Jesus was manufactured from plundered sources, re-purposed for the needs of the early Church. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
& even more Jesuses contemporaries of the supposed Christ: Jesus ben Phiabi, Jesus ben Sec, Jesus ben Damneus, Jesus ben Gamaliel.. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
Even Saint Paul makes reference to a rival magician, preaching ‘another Jesus’ in 2 Corinthians 11:4. Makes you think, huh? #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
Virgin birth, prodigious youth, miracles, etc. had been ascribed to other gods, centuries before any Jewish holy man strolled about #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
The New Testament is full of prayers & hymns, but the early church did not attribute to Jesus the actual words of any of them…. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
…. something we might have expected of a great 'Teacher'. A sole exception appears to be 'Our Father' – but is it really? #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
The first and principal part of the 'Our Father' is a prayer for the coming of the 'kingdom of God', exactly as in the Kaddish. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
In contrast, the Christian community expressed eschatological hope for the return of its hero – NOT the advent of the 'kingdom.' #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
The 'Our Father' expresses nothing of the Christian belief that the Messiah had arrived in the person of Jesus. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
"Give us our daily bread" is taken from Proverbs (30.8) composed between the 6th – 3rd century BC. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
"Forgive thy neighbour if he hath hurt thee: and then shall thy sins be forgiven to thee" from Ecclesiasticus (28:2) 2nd century BC #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
There is no 'Lord's Prayer' in Mark, but 'Mark' (12.29-30) has 'one of the scribes' ask Jesus 'which is the 1st commandment?' …. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
… & he gives a very Jewish answer:"The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord" Mark 12:29 #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
In Luke this guy had caught sight of Jesus praying (talking to himself if we believe in the Trinity) 'Teach us how to pray' he asks #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
The response is the short version of the 'Lord's Prayer' found in Luke. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
Matthew re-worked Luke's prayer into the longer version known to all. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
In short, the godman's prayer was derived from older Jewish sources. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
The 'Our Father' far from being unique, original, or evidence of a godman, is just a handful of recycled Jewish invocations. #atheism
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
That's gonna have to do for Atheist Sunday School, I have a funeral to attend, and – like always – I'm late. Happy Sunday everyone! Ttyl.
— Monica McGee (@Monicks) October 17, 2010
So, what’s your conclusion? (◕‿~)✿.