Atheists Talk

"Lunatic, Liar or Lord?" is referred to as Lewis' Trilemma.  C.S. Lewis in his book Mere Christianity looked at the life of Jesus to conclude that he couldn't have been either a lunatic or a liar so he must have been God.  Not so fast, according to our guest. C. J.Werlemen checks out he story of Jesus as according to the gospels and the epistles and the Acts of the Apostles and based on the contradictory stories and versions of stories told in the New Testament Jesus was more likely a liar.  If Jesus existed at all, CJ finds, there is no way we can say that he was Lord.

  I am going to talk to C.J. about his new book from Dangerous Little Books.  Jesus Lied - He Was Only Human: Debunking the New Testament is one of the most entertaining examples I have ever read of good Christian Unapologetics.  It also contains some swear words, so be forewarned if you are offended by such things.  We won't allow C.J. to swear on the radio.  Also of note, we will be calling to his home in Indonesia, which is the farthest-flung guest shot we have ever had on the show.

C.J. is a native Australian. He's an atheist in a majority Muslim country and a funny writer who also penned God Hates You, Hate Him Back.   If you are seeking a solid review of the full Bible, C J. goes after the Almighty with both guns ablaze.

 

  Robert Green Ingersoll (1833 – 1899) The Great Agnostic

 

On Halloweeen, nothing is as scary to a Christian as a discussion of Robert Ingersoll...

 

MNA members Jim Barri and Steve Petersen will interview Tom Flynn, Executive Director of Center for Inquiry and Editor of Free Inquiry and Manager of the Ingersoll Birthplace Museum in Dresden, NY. We will discuss the life and legacy of Robert Green Ingersoll, The Great Agnostic. Ingersoll is one of America’s great freethinkers. He was born in Dresden, NY. He was the son of a minister, had a photographic memory and was college educated. He became a lawyer and served as Illinois first Attorney General and during the Civil War he was given the rank of Colonel and the command of the 11th Illinois Calvary.

 

He was quoted as his role in the Civil War was to “break the chains from the bodies of men.” Later, he would redefine his role in society to free people from the “phantoms of the soul.” Ingersoll was a successful lawyer and the premier orator of his time and Eugene Debs gave him the title of the “Shakespeare of Oratory.” He traveled the country speaking to large gatherings and politicians requested his endorsement. Ingersoll challenged the religious orthodoxy; he was a contemporary of Elizabeth Cady Stanton, he endorsed women’s rights for the vote, equal pay and equal opportunity to employment, and the right for birth control. Margaret Sanger admired his progressive philosophy. His writings on religion, ethics and other related topics are American Classics and are relevant today.  

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_G._Ingersoll
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=ingersoll&page=museum
http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=ingersoll&page=audio
http://www.freethought-trail.org/
http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_G._Ingersoll
http://www.infidels.org/library/historical/robert_ingersoll/
http://www.centerforinquiry.net/

 

 

Where is Science in the Public Forum Heading? It's time for a discussion!

 
Most know Ira Flatow as a science journalist, producer, and as the host of "Science Friday," broadcast on National Public Radio (NPR) every Friday afternoon. But did you know about his Minnesota connection? He was the original host and writer for the Emmy award winning "Newton's Apple," which broadcast from the television studios at KTCA in St. Paul, Minnesota. Science communicators Greg Laden and Lynn Fellman will ask Ira about the major changes in delivering science news and the effectiveness of new media for science education.  Science is changing our culture and Ira has insights on the value of communicating science through the humanities.

Ira Flatow is a national science journalist working in multiple media: TV, web, blogger, national speaker and book author, and most widely known as the host of the very popular radio show "Science Friday" which is a major stopping point for science geeks on their weekly rounds.

Greg Laden is a scientist, a science educator, author and Scienceblogs.com blogger focused on biological anthropology, the creation-evolution "debate" and human evolution.

Lynn Fellman is a visual artist who also speaks and writes about the intersection of art and science; most recently at the "Personal Genomes" meeting at Cold Spring Harbor Lab.

 

 

Links for Ira Flatow

Ira Flatow's web site
Science Friday
Talking Science - Ira's web site for kids
Science Face to Face

 

Links for Greg Laden
Greg Laden's Blog
Greg on Quiche Moraine

Links for Lynn Fellman
Lynn Fellman's web site
Fellman's current art exhibit
Fellman's article on Science Friday Art and Science blog