Times When Belief Interferes With Sound Judgment

First up, a church sues former members for being critical of their beliefs.  Think they’re being a bit ballsy here?  Well, here are their reasons and you can be the judge: “We have not gone hastily to court,” O’Neal said in a statement released to msnbc.com. “For three and a half years this group has [...]

North Carolina Bans Gay Marriage…

North Carolina voters Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a proposed amendment to the state’s constitution which limits marriage to traditional one man-one woman marriages. With all of the state’s 100 counties reporting, the amendment won in a landslide, with 61 percent of the vote. via NBC Politics – North Carolina approves ban on same-sex marriage by wide [...]

More on Qeiyafa

Recent MSNBC coverage on Qeiyafa had this little tidbit: Will these finds settle the debate over the historical David? Garfinkel would like to think so. “Various suggestions that completely deny the biblical tradition regarding King David and argue that he was a mythological figure, or just a leader of a small tribe, are now shown [...]

The Qeiyafa Discovery and King David: The Da Vinci Connection

Perhaps you have not heard but there has been some new buzz in the field over some shrines that were discovered.  Here is a snippet of the recent press release: Jerusalem, May 8, 2012—Prof. Yosef Garfinkel, the Yigal Yadin Professor of Archaeology at the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, announced today [...]

Neil deGrasse Tyson Sets the Record Straight

I’m so happy about this video, I can’t really express it.   This is precisely what I have been saying for a while now.  I’m glad to see someone held in such high esteem saying the exact same thing.    Watch the video and then scroll down. Now here is what is happening.  In response to [...]

Honor and Cheating Students

The American Scholar has an interesting article published on the increase of students cheating in their classes in order to get ahead.  Here is a snippet: One of the gloomiest recent reports about the nation’s colleges and universities reinforces the suspicion that students are studying less, reading less, and learning less all the time: “American [...]

Therefore Aliens…

io9 had an interesting article circulating today about alien abductees, their portraits (themselves and the images they have drawn of their encounters) and the stories they tell.  The stories seem to be very personal, but that is where my sympathy ends.  Clearly there is something wrong here; either a mental issue or a craving for [...]

Public Apology to Stephanie Fisher

I’d like to take a moment to admit I was wrong. A few days ago, I was in a sour mood.  I had not had a whole lot of sleep because I was up for the past few nights working on homework and also on a paper for submission (regarding Ehrman’s recent book).  As a [...]

Face of Jesus? Now the Talpiot Claims are Just Silly.

Mark Goodacre just last night posted up an image of a stain on the side of one of the Ossuaries of the Patio Tomb (Talpiot B).  Here it is: Frankly, I disagree.  I think it is the Colonel, fearless in pose; a prophecy from beyond that he would make some of the most scrumptious chicken [...]

A Request for Easter Thoughts

As Easter approaches there will of course be an innumerable amount of garbage proclaiming to be ‘fact’ about the death and resurrection of Jesus.   Over years past, I have largely ignored this time of year; but this year I’d like to do something different.  I want to hear from you, my readers, and also my [...]