What’s New Archive

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What's New Archive ● 2000 ● March

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March 29

Pressured by the church in the wake of Prof. Luedemann's deconversion, the University and the Theological Faculty have effectively barred him from offering courses or advising students. Jesus Seminar Chair Robert W. Funk and other signatories wrote this protest letter.

March 26

The Church characterizes those who pick and choose what to believe to be "cafeteria Catholics." Citing a long list of sins of his predecessors, the Pope conveniently omitted his own crime against women and children, thus making his own apology a "cafeteria confession."

Published new feature article "Falun Gong: Ancient Wisdom or Mere Scientology?" by Joshua Samuel Brown.

Moving to their own inner chi, practitioners of the outlawed Chinese sect Falun Gong meditate in parks all over the world. Fresh from Beijing, Brown reports on his encounters with this controversial new movement.

March 24

Added "House Chaplaincy Fiasco" (2000)

After months of bitter fighting and accusations of religious bigotry, House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) has named the Rev. Daniel Coughlin, a Roman Catholic priest, as the new House chaplain.

March 23

Added A Formal Logic Proof of Atheism (2000) [ 4K ] by Quentin Smith

Smith formulates a formal logic proof of atheism.

March 22

Added "Review of Michael Bauman's Man and Creation" (1994) [ 50K ] by James Lippard

Four-fifths of a review originally posted to the newsgroup talk.origins back in 1994. (If you happen to have the final segment of the review, please contact us.)

March 20

Published an update from II President James Still

Added new author page for Thomas Sheehan

Published electronic version of Professor Sheehan's book The First Coming: How the Kingdom of God Became Christianity (1986-electronic edition 2000) [ index ]

How did Jesus of Nazareth live? How was he raised from the dead? How did he become God? These questions are raised and answered by Professor Thomas Sheehan of Stanford University in this original and provocative narrative of Jesus and first-century Christianity. Sheehan argues that Jesus thought of himself not as God or Christ but as God's eschatological prophet proclaiming God's kingdom, that the resurrection had nothing to do with Jesus coming back to life, and that the affirmation that Jesus was divine first arose among his followers long after his death. Employing the best of contemporary historical-critical scholarship, Sheehan paints a plausible picture of a very human Jesus who came to reform Judaism rather than to found Christianity, who met a tragic end at the hands of the Roman Empire, and who in a matter of decades was proclaimed by his followers to be Christ, Lord, and God. This is an electronic reproduction of the Random House book by the same name.

Added opinion article entitled "Opinion Polls for School Curriculum?" (2000) by J. E. Hill

Hill argues that evolution should be taught in public schools because it's the best scientific theory with the most favorable evidence on its side to explain our natural world and not because it's the most popular.

March 19

Added The Ten Commandments by William Edelen to the Freethought section of the Modern library.

We are being drowned today in biblical ignorance, religious illiteracy and historical stupidity by the religious and political right in this country. In no other place is this so visible as in the prostitution of the 'Ten Commandments.'

Added "Earliest Christianity" (1999) [ 37K ] by G.A. Wells

Professor G.A. Wells continues the debate about the origins of Jesus and the development of Christianity. Drawing on the writings of recent theologians and historians and alluding to his latest book, The Jesus Myth, he throws light on the early history of Christianity.

Added "G. A. Wells Replies to Criticisms of his Books on Jesus" (2000) [ 27K ] by G.A. Wells

Professor Wells replies to Rev. Neals' attacks on his position.

Added A Reply to J. P. Holding's 'Shattering' of My Views on Jesus and an Examination of the Early Pagan and Jewish References to Jesus" (2000) [ 55K ] by G.A. Wells

Wells replies to Holding's attacks, showing how Holding has misunderstood his position. Wells also defends his position on the early Pagan and Jewish references to Jesus.

Added "A Resurrection Debate: The New Testament Evidence in Evangelical and in Critical Perspective" (2000) [ 108K ] by G.A. Wells

Professor Wells' commentary on the debate between Gary Habermas and Antony Flew on the resurrection of Jesus.

Added the G.A. Wells author page

Added the Symposium on "Did Jesus Exist? New Approaches to the Christ Myth Theory" with Earl Doherty (The Jesus Puzzle) and Robert M. Price, to be held on April 22nd, to the Events Page.

March 18

There is a fundamental flaw in Moreland's reasoning that Carrier did not detect when he first wrote this: Moreland assumes that "libertarian, agent acts (human or divine) result in gaps in the causal fabric of the natural world" (p. 133), but this does not necessarily follow. It is possible that the so-called spontaneous libertarian acts of agents will create the appearance of a continuity of causation and thus leave no causal gaps at all. An example is given that explains just one way this could happen.

March 12

Added feature article entitled "The Appeal of Incarnation" (2000) by Paul McRandle

Of the many mad destinies we create in our mythologies, McRandle explores the notion of incarnational thinking whereby we separate the mind from the body. When this happens, religious and political exploitation of the body cannot be far behind.

In a new nationwide poll on the subject of evolution, commissioned by People For the American Way Foundation, 83% of Americans say Darwin's theory of evolution belongs in the nation's science classes.

March 11

Added Thomas Paine by John Patrick Michael Murphy to the Freethought section of the Modern library.

Thomas Paine is the Viet Nam vet of our Founding Fathers. While Washington, Franklin, Jefferson, et al, are memorialized on our coin and currency, in parks, schools, mountains, and rivers, Thomas Paine is largely ignored. He gave his all for our freedom, but abuse and scorn have been his reward. Even his American grave was desecrated and his body taken, allowing an English bishop to scornfully display his skull.

March 7

A note to the 136 members of our SETI@Home team: Check your SETI software version. The current Windows and Mac version is 2.02. We are currently at number 74 in the SETI@Home Group/Clubs listing. We have processed 33,958 units of data. We did this with 76.78 years of personal computer processing time. For those of you who are not yet a member of our team, click here to find out how to join the team!

March 1

Added the November/December 1999 issue of The Skeptical Review [ Index ]

Linked to a new section of the Secular Web, specifically targeted for activists interested in the Separation of Church and State, entitled Current Status of America's Wall of Church-State Separation: A State By State Guide, by Lynne H. Schultz

This is intended to be the most comprehensive compilation of church/state separation issues on the web. Issues are divided into Government, Schools, and Children's Healthcare.

Added links related to the Pledge of Allegiance Restoration Project description and website

For one-hundred and eighty years, Americans respected the religious beliefs of their neighbors, and lived by the motto, E Pluribus Unum: "Out Of Many, One." Then, in 1954, at the height of the Cold War, everything changed.