Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity, Part 3: How Did the Apostles and Early Christians Come to Believe in the Deity of Christ?

Question: How did the apostles and early Christians come to believe in the deity of Christ?

Discussants: Dr. Ng Kam Weng and Mr. Micheal Lim

You are welcome to join the discussion at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AEkm-BqnCFo

Please forward this message if you find the video discussion helpful.

Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity, Part 2: Why the Canonical Gospels are more reliable than Gnostic Gospels.


Question:
But critics like Elaine Pagels & Bart Ehrman argue that this  traditional history of orthodoxy is skewed because it grants greater authority to the canonical gospels and ignores the other (gnostic ) gospels. Why do you think the canonical four gospels provide more accurate historical information about Jesus than the gnostic gospels?

Discussants: Dr. Ng Kam Weng and Mr. Micheal Lim

You are welcome to join the discussion at:
Why the Canonical Gospels are more reliable than Gnostic Gospels.

Please forward this message if you find the video discussion helpful.

Orthodoxy and Heresy in Earliest Christianity Part 1: Was there diversity of Christian beliefs in the early church as different sects competed for influence?

Question: Many secular university scholars argue that there was diversity of Christian beliefs in the early church as different sects competed with one another for influence. When the sect in Rome gained power it declared itself orthodox and condemned the other sects like Gnosticism to be heretical. What is your response?

Discussants: Dr. Ng Kam Weng and Mr. Micheal Lim

You are welcome to join the discussion at:
Part 1: Was there diversity of Christian beliefs in the early church as different sects competed for influence?

Please forward this message if you find the video discussion helpful.

Bart Ehrman’s Historical Revisionism. Part 2/3. Relegating Orthodoxy in Early Christianity

A. Bauer-Ehrman Revisionist History – “Heresy Preceded Orthodoxy”
Ehrman’s assertion that the early Christians took liberty with scripture flows from his contested claim that there was no defining leadership in the early church. According to Ehrman, there was no notion of orthodoxy in early Christianity. Instead, a variety of “christianities” like the Ebionites, the Marcionites, the Gnostics and “proto-orthodoxy” [Ehrman’s coins the term “proto-orthodoxy” as he refuses to acknowledge that there was orthodoxy in early Christianity] vied for power and influence. Ehrman argues that alternative forms of “christianities” and their sacred writings which include the Gospel of Thomas, the Gospel of Mary and the Gospel of Peter should be regarded to be of equal authenticity (or in Ehrman’s real estimation, of equal inauthenticity) as the four canonical gospels. Indeed, he questions the special regard given the canonical gospels by orthodoxy since to him, the New Testament canon as it is, came to be only when the politically powerful “proto-orthodox” Christians in Rome unilaterally decided which book to be included in or excluded from Christian Scripture, and then applied ecclesiastical machinations and coercive policies to force other Christians to accept their decision. The other forms of “christianities” were then stigmatized  by the victorious “proto-orthodox” party to be heretical and their writings were erased from history until some of them were discovered in Nag Hammadi in 1945. Ehrman writes, Continue reading “Bart Ehrman’s Historical Revisionism. Part 2/3. Relegating Orthodoxy in Early Christianity”

11. Does evolution render the concept of “irreducible complexity” redundant?

𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐: 𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐞-𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐠𝐧

𝐐𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 11: Does evolution render the concept of “irreducible complexity” redundant?

𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬: Dr. Ng Kam Weng and Dr. Rodney Toh.

You are welcome to join the discussion at:
Does evolution render the concept of “irreducible complexity” redundant?

Please forward this message if you find the video discussion helpful.

Part 10. What is intelligent design? How does it compare with the theory of evolution?

Part 2: Fine-tuning of the Universe and Intelligent Design

Question: 10. What is intelligent design? How does it compare with the theory of evolution?

Discussants: Dr. Ng Kam Weng and Dr. Rodney Toh.

You are welcome to join the discussion at:
What is intelligent design? How does it compare with the theory of evolution?

Please forward this message if you find the video discussion helpful.

Part 8: Many Scientists Reject the Idea of Multiverse. Why?

Series: Fine-tuning of the Universe and Intelligent Design

Question: The multiverse theory suggests that there are many universes beyond what we can observe, thus increasing the chances of finding a universe with just the right conditions for life to emerge. However, many scientists reject the idea of multiverse. Why?

Discussants: Dr. Ng Kam Weng and Dr. Rodney Toh.

You are welcome to join the discussion at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJVUwA_SoTE

Please forward this message if you find the video discussion helpful.

Earlier Post:
7. Why is the fine-tuning of the universe not by chance

Bart Ehrman’s Historical Revisionism. Part 1/3. Misquoting Scripture

Bart Ehrman’s primary mission in life is undeniable. It is to discredit Christianity and to deconvert Christians from their faith. Ehrman’s attack on Christianity has been effective because he claims to be speaking as an objective historian (which is debatable), in contrast to apologists and theologians defending their faith and because he is speaking as a lapse fundamentalist with insider-knowledge. Ehrman’s attack on Christianity is comprehensive, but I shall only highlight three of his favorite lines of attack on Christianity. Continue reading “Bart Ehrman’s Historical Revisionism. Part 1/3. Misquoting Scripture”

Part 6: Historical Precursors of Argument from Fine-Tuning and Intelligent Design

Series: Fine-tuning of the Universe and Intelligent Design

Question: The discovery of fine-tuning of the universe which makes life possible has led many scientists to think that this cannot be mere coincidence. Explain what is meant by fine-tuning of the universe and why this discovery is important for Christianity.

Discussants: Dr. Ng Kam Weng and Dr. Rodney Toh.

You are welcome to join the discussion at:
Part 6: Historical Precursors of Argument from Fine-Tuning and Intelligent Design

Please forward this message if you find the video discussion helpful.