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Debunking the Crusades: 5 myths You Probably Believe

...reinforce myths rather than dispelling them. Here are five common myths about the Crusades, along with the historical truth behind them:   Myth 1: The Crusades were an unprovoked attack by Christians on a peaceful Muslim world. Truth: While it’s true that the Crusades were initiated by the Latin Christian West, they were largely in response to Muslim expansion. By the time of the First Crusade in 1096, much of the Christian world had already been conquered by Muslim forces, including regions such as Syria, North Africa, and most of Spain. The Seljuk Turks’ advance into Byzantine territory (a Christian empire) and the capture of Jerusalem were major ca...

Jesus was a pagan copy, and other Christmas myths

...Other myths debunked If not Osiris, Jesus is often claimed to be copied from the Egyptian god Horus... or the Roman god Mithras (fun fact: the Mithras cult actually ended up trying to mimic aspects of Christianity, not the other way around!). Apparently, everyone just copied whoever came before them, and hoped no one would notice! All of these claims are equally as nonsensical as the others and have "facts" which are completely fabricated to push an agenda of causing Christianity disrepute, or give an excuse not to take the New Testament claims seriously and continue in unbelief. But if you look into the actual myths and source texts of these ancient gods,...

The Resurrection as a historical event

...Table of Contents Jesus was raised bodily – and historically The resurrection is what makes Christianity unique! Evidence from Paul The mystery of the resurrection The nature of the resurrection The resurrection is more than physical What with Easter still ringing in our ears, I thought it would be a good time to revisit the topic of resurrection, but from a historical standpoint and why we can trust it as a real, world-changing event. So, what really is the resurrection? How will we be resurrected, and what does it mean for us that Jesus rose again? Let’s explore what this means for us as Christians, and see what the Scriptures say. Jesus wa...

Debunking the Myth: The Council of Nicaea and the Formation of the Biblical Canon

...king such myths is crucial for a more accurate understanding of the historical development of the Christian Bible. Further Reading Creedal Christians: The Nicene Creed | The Sacred Faith: Timeless Truths for Modern Minds The Council of Nicaea (Nicea) and the Bible (tertullian.org) John Meade on The Biblical Canon Lists — Phoenix Seminary (ps.edu) The Council of Nicaea and Biblical Canon — Phoenix Seminary (ps.edu) Synodicon Vetus — Wikipedia Voltaire — Wikipedia Robert Taylor (Radical) — Wikipedia The Project Gutenberg eBook of A Philosophical Dictionary, by Voltaire. Bizarre; Notes and Queries; a Monthly Magazine of H...

Biblical Inspiration and the Canon: How We Got the Bible

...The Bible is often described as “God-breathed,” a phrase taken from 2 Timothy 3:16: “All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” But what does it mean for Scripture to be “inspired,” and how did the books of the Bible come to be recognised as part of the canon — the authoritative collection of writings that make up the Bible? Were they really “decided” at the Council of Nicaea, as some popular myths claim? Table of Contents Understanding Biblical Inspiration What is the Canon? The Septuagint and the Deuterocanonical Books How Were the Books of the Bi...

Horus, Jesus, and Egyptian Mythology: Separating Fact from Fiction

...Egyptian myths. To make the differences even more clear, the story of Horus can also be seen as cyclical, as each new pharaoh was considered to be an incarnation of Horus on Earth. In this context, the death of one pharaoh and the ascension of the next could be seen as a symbolic representation of the eternal and recurring nature of Horus, which is definitely nothing like the resurrection of Jesus. Conclusion The stories of Horus and Jesus may share some superficial similarities on the surface, such as the miraculous conception and the performance of miracles. However, it is essential to keep in mind that ancient Egyptian beliefs and mythology evolved over t...