I’ve been doing some great podcasting lately, so this is just a start, until I actually listen to the “big conversation”. I saw Tom Holland’s 40 minute talk about why he became a Christian as a result of studying history on my suggestion list. It happened just a few years ago, and I think it’s something we’ll hear more and more of, as Christianity tries to claim its place as a positive influence according to historical fact, not just the Pope saying so.
Tom Holland & AC Grayling • History: Did Christianity give us our human values? - YouTube
I skimmed this article to get the gist of his story, and, well, not convinced. I’m not sure how much I want to say against him though, because it’s one of those things that provides a path out of Christianity, or at least from a fundamentalist version to a more progressive one.
Tom Holland: “I began to realise that actually, in almost every way, I am Christian.” | Erik Strandness (patheos.com)
But that has nothing to do with the existence of a god. If Jesus lived he was a man.
If he was influential in teaching certain morals, that is a good thing but that does not give him extraordinary powers such as walking on water. That’s myth.
I am a humanist in the mold of Karl Popper. Does that make Popper a holy man and the son of god? No, it makes us both humanists, as was Jesus. Christ was a humanist, no more, no less.
It’s all good, until you introduce an exclusive supernatural agency. That’s when it all becomes muddled.
That’s the path I hope people take, but many will take this as a sign that God works through his agents or some such. That the miracle is how God spoke through them. Whatever.
Yes, goodness is only achievable through Christianity. It is impossible to be good unless it is a result of God inspired Christian teaching. The prejudicial exclusivity alone renders the concept moot.
Ya I see that as a good thing. If you look at the full history of Christianity it’s a progression from full on fundamentalism, to more progressive ideas and eventually it’ll die out completely once people see you can be a good person without the overhead of all the negative baggage.
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