Undermining Theism - A Look at Two Common Attempts

In the movie Inception, the character Cobb accidentally gives his wife an obsession about the world really being a dream.  This doubt eventually undermines her belief in reality and drives her to suicide.

The secular undercurrents in our culture can do something similar to belief in God.  Rather than presenting real arguments for Atheism (of which there are precisely two), they simply introduce a doubt which prevents people from taking the possibility seriously.

I call these "Underminers" .... and today I want to look at two of them.

What was in the 95 Theses, Anyway?

This year is 500th anniversary of Martin Luther's posting of the 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral - an act which many credit as the beginning of the Protestant movement.

But what were the 95 Theses?  What was Martin Luther protesting at point in his career?  Today I wanted to take a look at this most important document from the great man of history.

Stephen Colbert and Christian Citizenship

Comedian Stephen Colbert is arguably one of the most recognizable Catholics in the world.  One of the few times he is willing to leave character is when he talks about his faith.  And when he does, it is reliably profound and worth listening to.

However, sometimes people goof up. And if you are a late-night comedian, these mistakes are public by default.  So while I don't want to dwell too long on the sins of another, I do want to point out what he did ... because it's something we can all do.

Why I Don't Say "Non-Denominational"

It was freshmen year of college.  I was in a study area when my friend Whitney asked another fella if he was a Christian.  He said yes – and that he was “non-denominational”.

“Oh!” she replied excitedly.  “I’m so glad you are.  Some people make too big a deal of their denomination.” 

The latter part of that remark was a barb intended for me.  I remember being dumbstruck.  Did she know she was engaging in the very tribalism she was condemning?  Who knows.

Either way, for me it highlighted a core problem with the word “non-denominational”.  It is a term which Christians increasingly want to ascribe to themselves.  It's supposed to mean one doesn't want to take part in the divisions which characterize modern Christianity.

One isn’t a Methodist, a Baptist, a Lutheran, a Pentecostal, an Anglican, or a Catholic.  Just a Christian, thank you.  A follower of Christ.

Except… it really doesn’t work that way in practice.  Today I want to explore why.

Was Jesus Crucified on a Wednesday?

Dear Apologist, my friend claims Jesus was really crucified on a Wednesday and the commemoration of Good Friday is an evil Catholic conspiracy .  Where is that coming from?

The Old Testament Background to the Lord's Supper

Anyone who is familiar with the goings on at the Last Supper could probably recite the following lines from heart:

"The Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, 'This is my body that is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.' In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, 'This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.'” – 1Corinthians 11:23-25

What most folks don’t realize is just how pregnant with meaning those few sentences are. So today I wanted to look at some of the streams of Old Testament themes which converge together in Jesus’ words at the Last Supper.

Reading the Crucifixion Accounts Together

Every year I like to lead my students in a Bible study about the crucifixion.  The question is… which account do I use?  Each one has its own nuances and details to expand upon.

So what I came up with was a compilation which attempt to include it all.  Along the way, we’ll stop and focus in on various subjects.

Let’s get started.  We begin just after Pontius Pilate acquiesces to the crowd and gives Him up for crucifixion.  For a clean version, click [here].