It is bad enough that so many people believe things without any evidence. What is worse is that some people have no conception of evidence and regard facts as just someone else’s opinion. -Thomas Sowell
We only have one life to live. We have one life to make the best sense of the world and figure out what is real. I for one, do not want to be intellectually dishonest with myself. I do not want to create a reality in my head independent of experience or evidence. As such, this blog is dedicated to critical thinking, intellectual honesty, and reading comprehension. Truth is the goal.
When I deal with people talking Negative Theology, they seem to discard reading comprehension (such as the fact that language is ambiguous and a phrase without context can have a large variety of meanings). When I talk to these people, I think to myself “What are you doing? Do you just want to be right or are you seeking truth? What evidence do we have to validate your belief? Does your evidence pass critical thinking tests? Or are you fashioning a reality based on what you want to be true.” It boggles my mind.
I see all these stories about cancer and death. It is scary stuff. Any one of us can die at any time. I would rather have truth than winning some debate. When I am dead, the truth will matter, winning debates will not.
About the Author
Age: 31.
Graduated in 2006, Cum Laude with both Computer Science and Political Science majors and both Mathematics and Economics minors. I enjoy computer gaming and travel.
I have traveled to 27 different countries across three continents: USA, Canada, Greece, Turkey, Ireland, Scotland, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, Hungary, Romania, Liechtenstein, Switzerland, Italy, the Vatican, France, Spain, Qatar, Iraq, Costa Rica, South Korea, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia and Hong Kong.
I currently have four beautiful children.
And I always appreciate emails linking to my posts with spelling corrections.
christopher.c.fisher@gmail.com
reality is not optional 
Christopher, I’d like to post a few of your blog’s articles from time to time on my blog, RightNerve.com. What are your requirements, or would you rather that not be done? Or would you rather approve them on an individual basis? I’ll agree to whatever. Thanks! – Greg Perry
That would be excellent. No requirements necessary. I would appreciate a link to the original.
I do that too, you know ;-)
Just a question: if God is a liar, who can trust Him? Is He equal to thr drvil then?
It seems you have a Manichean view of the devil. See https://realityisnotoptional.com/2013/06/20/understanding-satan/
And
https://realityisnotoptional.com/2014/11/10/satan-borrows-gods-power-to-use-against-job/
Hi Christopher, just read your blog on the book of Matthew being written before Mark. I really enjoyed it, do you have a divinity degree? Not that it makes a difference, I was just wondering if you’ve had any formal training in the field. Also, I have seen Ehrman and Shabir Ally make this evolution of the Gospels argument in the past. What evidence do they have in the scholarly works to make this claim? What are they basing it on? Literary style, et al.? I understand their refusal (well at least in Ehrman’s case) to believe that Jesus couldn’t have known about the destruction of the temple, but is there anything more tangible other than a Q source, which no one even knows exists? Also, are there any main stream scholars that take Matthew being written first seriously? If so, can you point them out to me? I’d really love to read their materials. Thanks so much for taking the time to post these articles.
Typically degrees are less important than individual self-directed study, in my experience. I don’t have a divinity degree.
The secular scholars all put Mark first, because of length. The idea is that the longer gospels were embellishments on the former. This doesn’t explain the overlap between Matthew and Luke that is absent in Mark. There is a good image here of the complications in the various overlaps: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Synoptic_Overlap_by_Words_en.svg/2000px-Synoptic_Overlap_by_Words_en.svg.png
Norman Geisler and AT Robinson (Robinson gives ranges which allow either option) are candidates for Matthew priority. Here is the wikipedea article on the “Augustinian hypothesis”: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Augustinian_hypothesis
Nice image. I’ve never seen an analysis like that before. Thanks!
Here is the full PDF of Redating the New Testament, worth a read:
Click to access redating-testament.pdf
That website says “Closed”. Shame. I would have liked to see what he had to say. Any other sites out there you recommend on this issue?
Love your, blog, Christopher! Please keep writing !!!
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Can you post a permanent link for your discord?
I stumbled upon your website while looking into ceremonial cleansing at the Apollinarian Mystery Games. I look forward to reading and thinking about what you have posted.