The Truth that wasn't

I came across a website ad for a documentary and decided for the heck of it to look at the information offered there. It's called "The God who wasn't" a documentary that supposedly proves that Jesus didn't exist. I was willing to give it a look, so I looked at some of the clips.

Right away I found two arguments that rung false.

(From "The Earth and the Sun")
"But ultimately a lot of kicking and screaming the earth did revolve around the sun. Christianity was wrong about the solar system, what if they were wrong about something else too?"
Straw man argument AND an ad-honemim attack. There is nowhere in the bible that says concretely that the sun revolves around the earth. There is the passage in Joshua 10:13 that talks about the sun standing still, but that's from the point of view of people who are standing on earth and didn't know how the solar system works. Believe it or not (According to the story, believing weather the story itself isn't true isn't the issue here) it did look like the sun was standing still. The bible nowhere says, "The sun revolves around the earth." Christians who misunderstood the bible said so, but people make mistakes.

(From "Did Jesus begin as a myth?")
"...Or in the gospel of peter is says harod had Jesus killed. Well how could this be uh a matter of diversity if it was a recent event that people remembered?"
Harod Antipas (20 BC to c. 40 AD)[1] is recorded as mocking Jesus and sending him on to Pontius Pilate, Governor from 26 AD to 36 AD [1]. Both lived at the same time and, according to the records had a part in the death of Jesus. There is apparently no contradiction. Simple research clears this right up.

So in closing, I wouldn't say, "Definitely don't see it" (As they say Christians are doing), but I'd say be cautious since these two examples I felt were particularly misleading (quite possibly intentionally) and unfair. (And I didn't have to resort to complaining about background images either!).

The idea that Christianity is inspired by older "Christs" is something I have definitely heard of before, I'm not a theologian, but I suggest reading C. S. Lewis' excellent book "Mere Christianity" to get a balanced look from a Christian perspective as well.

[1] Wikipedia

Choices, Choices, Choices

well, it looks like the other person is too busy so the whole group thing fell through. She pointed me to Critters.com, which is a large online writer's group. Looks pretty good so far, I sent in my first chapter and am waiting in line for crits back (Mine will be sent out at the end of this month).

One of the main challanges I'm having with this novel is the detailed plot. I have a very good idea of where the story is going overall, and how it's going in, but sometimes I get a bit caught up with all the possibilities. I'm afraid I'll make the wrong choice.

Guess that's just one more thing a writer's got to figure out. Right now I don't really think of myself as a "real" writer, but I'm finding out (which I knew, but now I KNOW) is that it takes a LOT of hard work. This used to be a hobby, now it's a JOB.

I just finished reading Frank Peretti's recent thriller "House" (No has nothing to do with Hugh Lorrie), which I hear is going to be a movie soon. Two pairs of travelers find themselves in a haunted house and playing a strange game with only three rules set by a deranged manic. "1: God came in to my house and I killed nim. 2: I will kill whoever comes in to my house 3: Give me a body and I might let rule 2 slide. Game over at dawn." It was interesting, not the best by Peretti, but a descent read.

I'm also currently reading "A Wrinkle in time" By Madame L'ingle. The book won a newberry and is considered a classic, so I should have read it sooner.

I also just listend to this podcast with PVP's Scott Kurtz supposedly talking to TV's Adam West. I'm not surer if it is really him. Mr. West is kind of... Strange. It makes me think that on of the following:
1: Adam West is a senile old man.
2: Adam West doesn't mind making fun of himself to random callers.
3: this is Adam West, but preplanned for comedic effect.
4: This is an impersonator.

Also, welcome to my first two readers! Hopefully this is a good sign that people will actually come and read my blog, so I'm not talking to myself. :P