An Atheist Reads The Case for Christ: Chapter 2

[COEXISTential]

The thing I don't get about this overweening desire to find historicity in The Bible is that it has absolutely no bearing on the truth of the claims attached to that historicity. Elizabeth Kostova's 'The Historian' is dense with historical facts, it doesn't mean that Dracula is indeed still alive. Giving a story as much generally accepted truth as possible is what makes soap operas popular. Giving a God as many human qualities as possible is what makes them popular.

[Tenchi593]

By his logic the necronomicon is true because Abdul Alhazred says he's simply recording events in the beginning the necronomicon, also people believe it, so... Praise Cthulu!

[Alleyprowler]

Strobel could have saved a lot of ink by writing, "The Bible said it, I believe it, that settles it." The pseudo-journalistic/academic crap is just embarrassing..

[RedRhys125]

The four gospels remind me of the film "Rashomon".

[fdasherv]

Yes, the gospels were intended to be records of some significance. But accuracy and veracity were not among the chief concerns of the authors. They wanted followers by any means.

[suniseclipsed]

The Case for Christ only seems to be convincing if you're already convinced. I may have found the book compelling when I was a Christian, but not now. I've had a couple Christians recommend this book to me when in fact I had already read it and remained unconvinced. I do like how you're breaking down all the arguments and showing the flaws. It will make for a good reference for me if confronted with claims from the book.

[synapsidJ]

Even if the gospels were true they are a joke. 2&1/2 to 3 years of divine revelations replaced by stories that leave it unclear on which day our savior died? Ambiguous genealogies and details of his humanly life.The best part is Jesus says to love him is to keep his commandments but we don't know have a reliable list.

Anyway I enjoy the channel, nice work.

[ambygirl1008]

Hitch-22!!! :D

[ambygirl1008]

I love your beard. 

[bobsmeerfak]

Great stuff, Steve. Looking forward.

[itsjustameme]

RE: Joseph had two fathers.

Alternative explanation: Perhaps God is not against gay marriage after all. Apparently he is all for it and in this case he even blessed the union between the two men with a child.

Christians should be wary of prohibiting gay marriage. It may be that the second coming depend on it.

[saintpine]

ProfMTH has showen that there has been no "would not die for a lie" case in his videos.

[michaelsmith2911]

37:33 And something that I would argue is still mmore plausible is plain old ordinary run-of-the-mill religious mysticism. These people were powerfully motivated to believe they were a part of something divine in nature, and likely could have cared less that there was no evidence for their claims. They simply believed what they wanted to believe.

[PrecambrianLullaby]

"historicity"... was that a happen-stance or did you just really want to use that word?

[stevelikes2curse]

@PrecambrianLullaby It was the first appropriate word that jumped to mind at that instance.

[PrecambrianLullaby]

@stevelikes2curse so happen-stance, then.. hmm... well i'd still be happy to have used it if i were you. =D not an everyday word.

[TheSeanFW]

Is that a Hagerstown Suns hat? lol.

[stevelikes2curse]

@TheSeanFW It is indeed.

[GuineaPigDan]

I'm enjoying these critiques of CFC so far. Do you plan on covering Strobel's other books like Case for Faith next?

[stevelikes2curse]

@GuineaPigDan Probably not next, but at some point. I'd like to continue doing these after Case for Christ is finished. Next is probably going to be C.S. Lewis's Mere Christianity. Then I might go back to Strobel for Case for Faith, or one of his other ones.

[JJPHILLYLG]

The Bias Test? HAHAHAHAHAHA!

Is The Case for Christ a book developed by an asshole, someone who is arrogant or annoying? Here's a forth a which stands for all of the above.

[claudiaquat]

Vogon apologetics.

[CatCommunist]

Another bitchin' episode! This is fast becoming my favorite YouTube channel.

[stevelikes2curse]

@CatCommunist You are too kind!

[angrywhenroused]

Steve this is turning into ironman Vlogging, keep up the good work so we don't have to

[stevelikes2curse]

@angrywhenroused Wait until we get into some of the later chapters, when Strobel and his experts start addressing some of the issues I've been bringing up (the census, the non-Christian sources, etc.). I expect to reach Catholic-like levels of masochism and self-loathing.

[DoctorMeh]

I really enjoy these

[stevelikes2curse]

@DoctorMeh Thanks! It's very gratifying to know that.

[ShadowPa1adin]

Like I usually say: Even if the gospels were written only a few short years apart from the life of Christ, it doesn't mean that the gospels present an accurate and reliable picture of the historical Christ any more than literature put out by the Church of Scientology present an accurate and reliable picture of L. Ron Hubbard.

[stevelikes2curse]

@ShadowPa1adin Exactly. Scientology is another great subject for transferring these arguments and showing them to be pretty unconvincing.

[TheFeltbegone]

Why do you torture yourself so? Get help!

[misternu]

will you be posting your notes at all? or do you just have a script. I'd like to be able to have something with me on my phone next time I talk to someone about this, I may end up just writing something myself

[stevelikes2curse]

@misternu I could post my notes if that would be of help to you. I had 13 pages of notes for this one, and eight for the previous one, I think. Let me post them to my blog, and I'll PM you with a link, probably later tonight at some point.

[ijustwannadance123]

@stevelikes2curse Could you PM me with the links to your notes i would very much appreciate that.

[stevelikes2curse]

@ijustwannadance123 Sure thing!

And for everyone else who might be interested in reading the notes, I'll post links to them in the descriptions of each video. And I'll start doing that for all of them from now on. The notes are essentially the same as the videos, only written out in bullet-points, but I understand some of you might have a use for them, so you shall have them.

[TheNakedAtheist]

All one need do is look at all the false evidence, testimony, and documentation that has sprung up in a very short time surrounding things like the holocaust, or 9/11 in just 10 years to see how easily people with vested interests can distort the truth. Now imagine if a government came to power that promoted those conspiratorial versions of the truth, and systematically destroyed evidence of what actually happened.

[finderfinder100]

The more videos about this book the more I think lee strobel is a rube. So far it sounds like its going to be a whole book of Circular reasoning.

[xorthan]

Excellent job, Steve. I especially like the repeated comparisons to Mormonism and other religions who use the exact same tactics in defending the validity of their claims.

[oelarnes]

Very well done!

[xorthan]

Just to clarify - I don't think "Jesus visiting the underworld" is mentioned in the gospels, but in 1 Peter.

[stevelikes2curse]

@xorthan Ah, yes. You're right. A fair point, seeing as how Strobel is limiting his scope to the gospels.

[SycorTheosPhilos]

Great work. I really appreciate your reference to other religions by using the author's same line of "reasoning". Fantastic, my man. I look forward to future installments. :]

[altonnukemshouse]

27:22 for some nose picking

[stevelikes2curse]

@altonnukemshouse You gotta do what you gotta do.

My own position is that it was more of a scratch than a pick.

[EdgePitSwing]

YA!  Another episode!