Outdated ideas are so...outdated!

A friend of mine sent me the information on this upcomming debate. Some of you might actually get a chance to check it out, but I wanted to pass it along to note the pair of arguments represented. As many of you know, Bishop Spong is a standard-bearer for the Jesus Seminar, and Craig is a leading Christian philosopher and apologist. Note especially the cool, non-emotive language used to describe Spong's position. (I have no way of knowing if Spong penned this description or if some grad student did.)

The Great Resurrection Debate

Bethel College and the Division of Religion and Philosophy are hosting a debate between Dr. William Lane Craig and Bishop John Shelby Spong on the meaning of the resurrection of Jesus. Dr. Craig will make the case, based on historical evidence, that Jesus literally rose from the dead. Bishop Spong will argue that the literal resurrection is a myth and that it is outdated, barbaric, and in need of a new interpretation.

The debate will be held on Palm Sunday (the week before Easter), March 20, at 6 p.m. in the Everest-Rohrer Chapel/Fine Arts Center. It will also bebroadcast live, via satellite, across North America through the CCN satellite network.

Being outdated is always a good reason to disbelieve something, as in, "boy, gravity sure is outdated!", or "man, grandpa sure is outdated!"

I made the point recently in a Bible study that we as a culture have an innate and almost unshakeable sense that if something is new, then it has to be better than whatever it was replacing. Old=bad, New=good! Os Guiness called this attitude "chronological snobbery."