Christianity Explored Courses ?

[modeller]

Does anyone know much about these courses ? I have been asked with another atheist to go along as dissenting voices, They will be analysing
St Marks gospel and need non believers to ask awkward questions.

I have looked it up on the web but all the reviews are by believers so naturally they are full of platitudes.

This course is a very nice breakfast followed by a video and a discussion.
I have agreed to go along for the first session to see what it's like.
I think there are 7/8 sessions in all , one a month.

[naomi24]

Which course is it?

[modeller]

naomi That is its name : Christianity Explored
They run them all over the country .There is a web site :
http://www.christianityexplored.org/course

[naomi24]

Sorry. Not thinking.

[Wharton]

^Nothing new there then, still got my sense of humour naomi :-)

[naomi24]

Modeller, are they really asking for non-believers to ask awkward questions? I've had a quick look on the website and can see no such invitations. I know the Alpha Course doesn't welcome that.

[society]

Modeller, I bet Naomi could teach this course, and she would eat them alive if they had a quiz. :)

[naomi24]

Society. :o)

[modeller]

Naomi I agree I don't think they really want anything to shake their faith as I found in other groups , on moral issues , my participation was not really welcome.

However it is up to the organiser and this one is a bit different .Here is an extract from an email he sent me :
//Awkward questions are really welcome - in one sense that's what the course is for: ................
I would say that genuine questions or objections people have (HOWEVER awkward or sceptical!) facilitate meaningful disscussion //

//So in essence, if you'd like the chance to genuinely explore what Christianity is about in more depth (even if you think its complete nonsense!) I think this course is really good and worth coming to.//

I have no illusions about their real motives ( saving my soul ) but it's a pleasant way to have nice breakfasts and discussions .

This course is far more specific to St Mark's Gospel and I may find it too spiritual as opposed to historical for my liking . That's why I wrote my OP for info.

[Old_Geezer]

I guess there's one way to find out. Non-believers deciding such a course was worthwhile to them and so experienced and able to pass judgement, must be few and far between Trouble is, if you go into it as already a non-believer would you be in a mood to take much in, or would you be mentally rebelling throughout the course ?

[naomi24]

Modeller, that sounds interesting. Do you have any particular questions in mind?

[modeller]

Oh yes here's a few :
1. Why is St Marks gospel truncated ? It doesn't start until Jesus is 30years old. Nothing about his earlier life despite the fact our 20s are our most productive years.
2. Why didn't Mark say anything about the resurrection ? It stops with the empty tomb, as do the earlier manuscripts . ( No resurrection , no Christianity )
3. When Jesus was baptised there were crowds of people there and suddenly the heavens were rent open and God's voice came from heaven
saying " You are my Son ..........."
So how come no one else heard this great voice ?
We only have Jesus's word for it.
4 How are we meant to communicate with God when even the faithful at shrines admit less than 1% of their prayers are answered. At Lourdes the accepted miracles are 8 out of 3 million .

There will be plenty of challenges to the ' miracles ' as the course progresses if I stay that long.

On a broader point if Jesus is God ( part of the trinity ) then he is equally responsible fo all the slaughter in the OT.




.

[atalanta]

Chapter 9, verse 1. In the Good News Bible, modern version, reads "I tell you, there are some here who will not die until they have seen the Kingdom of God come with power"
In the revised version " Verily I say unto you, there be some here of them that stand by, which shall in no wise taste of death till they see the kingdom of God come with power".
Obviously all those who were around Jesus at that moment have died, and the Kingdom of god has not come
Do please let us all know what explanation you are given for that one.

[jomifl]

modeller, you could always ask why the established churches make up dogma that they can't find in the bible, and how they know what god thinks, since there have never been any words directly attributable to him that even give a clue.,.

[modeller]

Will do !