Category: TAS Podcast
April 8, 2020 / / Religion

Don’t suffer a witch to live. What is Exodus talking about.

Exodus 22:18 is one of those famous verses. It is the verse that tells us that we shouldn’t suffer a witch to live. But why were the writers of Exodus so against witches?

The context really creates this verse. In this video I dive into the history of this verse, as well as what sort of witch we really are talking about. It isn’t some nice little witch of the forest, who gives out peaceful remedies. It’s a witch who is sinister, and will make you do things you don’t want. And we see that idea form within the context.

To check out more of my work, you can go to http://belzian.com/ or to connect with me go to https://www.facebook.com/amateurscholar/
April 8, 2020 / / Religion

Does God Endorse Genocide? no not really. Looking at 1 samuel 15:3

The Old Testament contains some very barbaric passages. There are some horrendous things in that history, that we shouldn’t try to justify or excuse.

But we can dive into these verses and examine the history behind them. By doing such, we see the flaws in humans, and they don’t necessarily reflect commands and views of God.

In 1 Samuel, we have Samuel claiming to speak on behalf of God and claiming that Saul needs to commit a genocide. But who really is speaking here? I argue that it’s Samuel, and it may be that Samuel is on a bit of a power trip.

In the discussion, I also jump into the history behind the text, and it’s formation, which is quite fascinating.

To check out more of my work, you can go to http://belzian.com/ or to connect with me go to https://www.facebook.com/amateurscholar/
April 8, 2020 / / Religion

Is Paul Sexist? 1 Timothy

Paul is often called sexist, and part of the reason for that is this passage, 1 Timothy 2:12. Yet Paul wasn’t the author of 1 Timothy. 1 Timothy directly contradicts what Paul truly said.

So in this episode, I dive into the verse, and see what we can pull out. In the course of that, I also go which letters are authentic to Paul, and which ones are later forgeries, and how we know that.
March 6, 2020 / / TAS Podcast

Lincoln, the great complicate man

Complicated, that’s what Lincoln was. Yet people continually try to simplify him into either a hero, or a villain based on taking him out of context. Diving into Lincoln, and the topic of slavery, we see just how complicated he was, and how much he grew over time.
March 6, 2020 / / TAS Podcast

Lincoln, the great complicate man

March 6, 2020 / / Social Justice

Custer and his park

There is a movement to change place names, which is coming on the shoulders of a larger issue, a misunderstanding of history. In this episode, I look at one example, and explore the complicated history of Custer in order to show that he, like most people, was complex. So to demonize him, or to make him into a mythical figure doesn’t make sense.
March 6, 2020 / / Religion

Reading through Job and the chaos

Job is a difficult work to get around. The author combines an older folktale with their own poetic material in order to argue against the traditional wisdom of the day. God is challenged in the work, but in the end we do get some answers, even though they aren’t the ones that were sought for.
March 2, 2020 / / TAS Podcast

Greta and her mural

In Bismarck, ND, a proposed mural of Greta Thunberg sparked outrage. But that outrage was voiced only by a minority, yet those involved were able to make it appear as if the community as a whole was divided on the situation. In the days that followed, certain individuals were able to capitalize on that division, and after many conversations, it appeared that the outrage that both sides were voicing was largely hypocritical. Neither side were on morally superior ground, and in the end, the entire community lost. In this episode, I look at how this all played out, and why freedom of speech needs to be protected.
February 28, 2020 / / TAS Podcast

God and Evil, working towards a solution

How can a loving God exists when there is evil? This is one of the major stumbling blocks when it comes to the question of whether God exists. In this episode, I begin looking at the issue in order to see if it is possible to produce a viable answer. This is the first episode in a much larger series that will be looking at the question of theodicy. If a credible explanation can be created, this will lead into the question of God.