Christianity No Longer Makes Sense
Description:... Christianity, the largest religion in the world, no longer makes sense. The human authors who penned the words that became holy scripture lived in a world far removed from ours. They held prescientific beliefs and ancient moral standards. Naturally, the Bible reflects the views of its ancient authors. The problem is that, for Christians, the Bible is supposed to be more than just an interesting record of ancient Near Eastern beliefs. The Bible reveals the will and teachings of God and provides the foundation from which Christian doctrine is built. But the ancient ideas found in the Bible have collided with modernity. Over the last 500 years defenders of the faith have fought scientific and moral change. Once the new science or morality prevails, defenders of the faith then endeavor to adapt (or mute) their scriptural and theological positions. At some point, these efforts must lose credibility. At some point, the cognitive dissonance must be too apparent. This potent little book makes the case that we have indeed reached this point.
Topics covered:
- Over the centuries, Christians have been able to smooth over most of the scientific inaccuracies in the Bible. For example, verses that imply a geocentric cosmology have been reinterpreted as poetic. But the story of Adam and Eve is different. The historicity of this couple and their fall from grace is foundational to the Christian story. Christianity No Longer Makes Sense examines the various attempts by Christian theologians to harmonize the biblical view of human origins and human fallenness with the one uncovered by science.
- Traditional Christian theology holds that non-Christians are destined for an eternity in hell. For some reason, most pastors don't seem keen on advertising this position anymore, yet it is still official doctrine for the vast majority of churches.
- It's no secret that the Bible contains its fair share of curious content. God is seen supporting animal sacrifice, violence, slavery, and sexism. Are such depictions compatible with the God people believe in today? Have defenders of the faith adequately addressed these troubling passages?
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