Reddit reviews The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict: Evidence I & II Fully Updated in One Volume To Answer The Questions Challenging Christians in the 21st Century.
We found 22 Reddit comments about The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict: Evidence I & II Fully Updated in One Volume To Answer The Questions Challenging Christians in the 21st Century.. Here are the top ones, ranked by their Reddit score.
New Evidence that Demands a Verdict
More Than a Carpenter
Cold Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels On my to read list.
Faith on Trial: An Attorney Analyzes the Evidence for the Death and Resurrection of Jesus
The Case for Christ
The Case for Faith
The Case for a Creator
The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus On my to read list.
The Historical Jesus: Ancient Evidence for the Life of Christ On my to read list.
Besides the apologetics books, you can watch John Lennox on YouTube. He is a very well-spoken and kind (doesn't attack the other debater) debater. Very well thought out responses. The Dawkins vs Lennox debate was awesome! Ditto Gary Habermas as well.
Hello,
This book is a robust examination of the Christian faith, looking not only at doctrine but the evidence for the truth claims of scripture.
https://www.amazon.com/Cold-Case-Christianity-Homicide-Detective-Investigates/dp/1434704696
I greatly respect your attitude towards your husbands faith. The fact that you're here asking this speaks volumes.
edit: bonus recommdations
https://www.amazon.com/More-Than-Carpenter-Josh-McDowell/dp/1414326270/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
https://www.amazon.com/New-Evidence-That-Demands-Verdict/dp/0785242198/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell.
Hey there, thanks for posting your questions - they are questions many Christians struggle with, and they are questions many have found satisfactory answers to, I hope you do too ! You may get many answers to your questions, some of them contradictory. It's worth remembering that each of us is at a different part of our journey with God and those different answers are more reflective of our own human understanding rather than any issue with God.
Here's some answers from me for you.
Hope thats helped a little ! Blessings !
I suggest picking up the book New Evidence that Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell. Good arguments for the Bible and the resurrection.
Its truly pathetic that an "editorial" like this, which is nothing more or less than christian evangelism, is allowed on Fox News.
> I was mad at my father for beating my mother. I was angry at a man who worked on our farm and sexually abused me from ages 6 to 13. All of this led to me to really despise God, religion and anything to do with the church.
I question whether this is even true. Who "hates God" because they're being abused (unless you were actually being abused by a priest?) Who "hates God" if they are (as he claims he was) an agnostic? It just suspiciously sounds like he's recapitulating (and personalizing) the claim that atheists aren't atheists, they're just people who insincerely deny the existence of god and actually "hate" god. This is a great start, for a "scholar" to even lie (or be lying to himself) about his own origin story.
> The historical evidence really indicated that Jesus died, was buried, and rose on the third day.
Yeah... Pretty sure he's referring to the bible itself. He's being so stingy in this sources! So we have to just take his word for it? Why not unveil (just a little of) this tsunami-like evidence?!
His book is on Amazon, and the reviews (all 5-star) are predictably amusing:
https://www.amazon.com/New-Evidence-That-Demands-Verdict/dp/0785242198
I'm always amazed how baldly christians phrase their own dilemma:
> According to the Apostle Paul, if Christ did not rise from the dead, then Christianity is false, and Christians are to be pitied (1 Corinthians 15:14, 17). But if Jesus did rise, then Christianity is true.
christians have a very difficult time convincing me that jesus was ever taken off the cross. the point of the execution by crucifix wasn't just the torture unto death, it was leaving the corpse on the crucifix to decay and to desecrate the corpse. it's perplexing that this historical fact isn't widely known.
> Why would it? I don't have a problem with it.
Because the credibility of the bible is based on two assumptions:
2)Josh McDowell confirms that early Christians put such a high regard on what they wrote about Jesus so we can conclude that there aren't any errors.
That's it. That is why the the new testament has no credibility. If you don't have a problem with that, you should.
Add these to your reading list:
Specifically on morality:
There also exist multimedia available online related to the above that you can hunt down for yourself.
(As a Catholic naturally I disagree with whatever goes against Catholic teaching in the above works; nevertheless there is much that is good in all of these. Furthermore even though some items are specifically Catholic, much in them would be useful to you.)
Yikes, I mixed up the books! Case for Christ is a great book but the one I was thinking about was this one
http://www.amazon.com/New-Evidence-That-Demands-Verdict/dp/0785242198
Thanks for pointing out my error, this book is the one I was thinking of. I got the author's name mixed up too. Anyways, this book is very unbiased, just laid out information and evidence meant to let the reader decide based on the info in the book.
Reading back, I do not interpret my comments as you've narrated. Can you show an explicit example that shows why you do?
A second reading does not show me that I'm not telling you why I think that way. I guess I'll just try to be more explicit.
Here's how I think. I'm a person who, in their natural state, isn't very reasonable and isn't very logical, like every other human being on the planet (whether they want to admit it or not). I don't think I or anyone else has the cognizance to look at a set of beliefs as broad as Christianity or any other religion and say that it makes completely unfalsifiable claims, especially when there's things like this and this and this and this. I'm not going to go into those books individually and say why I think they're right or wrong. I'm just going to say they offer big boy arguments, believe in something falsifiable, and make arguments towards it. Saying that Descartes or C.S. Lewis had unfalsfiable beliefs is plainly and undeniably false, and worse, is unfair to the fact that they support these arguments with carefully planned logic.
Saying Fred Phelps or the average Bible Belt fundamentalist has unfalsifiable beliefs isn't. So saying the whole kitten kaboodle is unfalsifiable is a sweeping generalization of a broad range of beliefs under the term "religion."
It's just not fair to the people who wrestle with their beliefs and really try to give solid reasons for believing. It puts them in the same category as buck-tooth fundamentalists.
If you want this conversation to continue, I'm going to ask you apologize for attacking my character over something as inconsequential as an internet discussion, and I'm going to further ask you not to do shit like that again. I don't know what kind of filter makes you think any of those statements are "insulting" unless you think it's an insult for someone to say your thinking isn't fair/logical. So far the first and only insults and attacks on character have been made by you. Unless you consider "I guess you don't hear a whole lot of profound statements" a pretty big insult. I agree that it was nasty & mean to say and I've apologized to the person affected.
Not a Church Father, but when I was a new believer this book really helped me. It's big, but it really digs deep into the historic evidence for the faith.
Here are two excellent books that rationally approach the historical evidence as to whether Jesus Christ existed...
The Case for Christ
The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict
http://www.amazon.com/Evidence-Demands-Questions-Challenging-Christians/dp/0785242198/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1372892515&sr=1-1&keywords=Evidence+That+Demands+A+Verdict
Read this book!
And if after reading it you still don't believe...
Then return to this thread and comment
Ok ... evidence from my side ...
> we have so many copies of the New Testament that there is no doubt about what they say on any Christian doctrine. We have so many copies, not to mention all the quotes and paraphrases from the church fathers, that we know all the meaning of the Bible. However, many copies have textual copyist errors, and we are about 97% certain of each word of the New Testament. On one hand, this is a very high percentage. On the other hand, it could be higher. Perhaps a lesson to learn is that God was extremely concerned with preserving 100% of the meaning of the New Testament, but not as concerned with the individual words.
-- http://inerrancy.org/ntmss.htm
Other places to read:
Edit: formatting
Edit 2: add a book
You've read "Warranted Christian Belief" by Plantinga (did you? or something else?) and it didn't answer sufficiently for you most of the questions in your stated OP? ... I'd have a hard time coming up with something better from a philosophical or natural perspective on belief.
I mean, a read through The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict might be a good starting point that's a pretty thorough excerpt from a historical authenticity point of view (scriptural etc. although it's mostly a rehashing and collection of other author's arguments and evidences). I found a lot of personal interest in Pensees by Blaise Pascal - but it's not well organized as it's his collections of personal journaling.
The one bit of info I can offer more than anything is that reading a book is a good way to get your head around a concept that doesn't require action or emotion - but Christianity is such that you need to experience both the intellectual pursuits and corrections of the Bible and the emotional connection with God and his church to really understand it. Go to a local church and ask the pastor/priest why and how they ended up in their position. Go to different churches and get some varying stories. I find that people tend to give more honest reflections of their beliefs when they are physically present than in writing which is carefully combed over and worded for a specific audience. It's only one directional. If you interact, I hope you find some people that can give you a more honest perspective on why Christianity makes sense. -- And I do really mean in person. Reddit is a great source for things, but personal contact is so much more rich.
What's So Great About Christianity by Dinesh D'Souza
Life After Death: The Evidence by Dinesh D'Souza
The New Evidence That Demand a Verdict by Josh McDowell
You have to have a good understanding of what "evidence" means.
Think of a courtroom. The prosecution provides evidence as well as the defense. Then it's up to the jury to decide whether a reasonable person would conclude that the evidence, for or against, is reliable.
It's the same way with the Bible. I can give you tons of evidence regarding the Scriptures, external consistency, internal consistency, textual reliability, etc. This evidence you will either believe, or not believe. But based on the way you asked the question, my assumption is that you will not believe ANY evidence I provide for you.
Another factor is the fact that God doesn't deal in "factual evidence" so much as He deals in "faith". Faith is the currency that God honors. Now that doesn't imply that we are to have "blind faith". God provides plenty of foundations for that faith. But if we are willfully blind, then there's nothing He, or anyone, can do to provide "proof".
For example: I could show you a rock formation which looks amazingly like it had been placed there through a cataclysmic flood (proof of the flood of Noah's day). Others will see that same formation, and conclude it must have been put there through millions of years by erosion.
Or I can show you the structure of a human eye. On one hand, one can see beautiful, and practical design as well as complex optical machinery. Someone else will see the same thing, and conclude it must have come about through millions of years of "selective processes" resulting in a complex organ.
And so on.
The point is, there is no amount of evidence I could provide you which will convince you that the Bible is reliable. If you want a good reference, read "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell. He provides proofs (with sources) on why the Bible can be trusted, even in the small things.
Do I believe that God was there? Yes, by definition, God is eternal, and He was there when it happened.
The New Evidence That Demands A Verdict: Evidence I & II Fully Updated in One Volume To Answer The Questions Challenging Christians in the 21st Century. https://www.amazon.com/dp/0785242198/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_Cil5AbQWFBXQ5
I certainly can answer. The burden of proof is not on me. The evidence is overwhelming. Explain how you dismissed all the evidence.
If she wanted to have a honest discussion with you, I'd imagine that she would give you a more serious book. Something like "Evidence that Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell(link, if you want to read it sometime: http://www.amazon.com/Evidence-Demands-Questions-Challenging-Christians/dp/0785242198/ref=pd_sim_b_1 ), or something of that nature. Of course, it could be that she really isn't that interested in having a honest discussion with you :/. Then again, she may have never actually read anything of that level herself.
These are four books and a lecture series that would certainly be good at getting you started, all of them are academic rigor level, so not something that you'll be able to flip through at the bus stop. They take a bit of time to digest.
https://www.amazon.com/New-Evidence-That-Demands-Verdict/dp/0785242198
https://www.amazon.com/Blackwell-Companion-Natural-Theology/dp/1444350854
https://www.amazon.com/Philosophical-Foundations-Christian-Worldview-Moreland/dp/0830851879/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=6HXK5P412QMRNR2XB37B
https://www.amazon.com/Divine-Hiddenness-Essays-Daniel-Howard-Snyder/dp/0521006104
https://www.amazon.com/Modern-Scholar-Reason-Philosophy-Religion/dp/B001JHT8DI
For me it comes down to the cumulative case for Christianity. I can imagine you must feel very hapy, joyful and open-minded. I would recommend a couple books to you:
2)http://www.amazon.com/Mere-Christianity-C-S-Lewis/dp/0060652926/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1381803860&sr=1-1&keywords=mere+christianity
I think when you are done, that you will see that even with all of the legitimate questions and curiosities that Christianity has, it still is the most logical worldview out there. Also, I would encourage you to find churches outside of the Catholic church as the Catholic church keeps people in bondage. Try and find a solid baptist church. There is no perfect church, but we can find the perfection of love and holiness in Christ.
Also, check out: http://answersforatheists.com/. This addresses many of the common questions and objections to Christianity from a very logical point of view.
You will find lots of good resources on creation.com which will answer your questions. Although your parents may be unaware of the answers, they do indeed exist, for those willing to find them.
Also, Josh McDowell's book, 'The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict' could be worth a read if you can find a copy. Here is one link: https://www.amazon.com/New-Evidence-That-Demands-Verdict/dp/0785242198
Shalom.