Cam & Ray's Cold War Podcast

My guest on #344 is Ben Witherington III, an evangelical Biblical scholar and lecturer on New Testament Studies, who is currently Professor on the New Testament for Doctoral Studies at Asbury Theological Seminary in Wilmore, Kentucky. In our discussion, Prof. Witherington makes a case for the historicity of the New Testament and for the existence of Jesus. While he seems to agree with me on certain facts (eg that Mark, Matthew, Luke and John are anonymous documents and that Paul was not an eyewitness), he makes the argument that they can be treated as eyewitness testimonies. During the show, you'll notice a couple of times when Ben caught me off-guard and I've added my later thoughts into the show, after I had a chance to read up on his claims. I've put some links to further information on those issues below: 1st Century Historians Who Strangely Don't Mention Jesus The Acts of Pilate Who Wrote The Gospel Of John? If you haven't heard my previous show with Robert M Price (who argues that Jesus is a mythological character), then you can find it here. Please support the show by throwing me some cash to cover the bills or, if you're tight on the cash front, by blogging or Twittering about the show or joining the G'Day World Facebook group. There is a list of things you can do to support the show here. The G'Day World theme music: Conquest "Secrets of Life" (mp3) from "End of Days" (Dark Star Records) More On This Album

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My guest today is Robert M Price, a Professor of Theology and Scriptural Studies at the Johnnie Colemon Theological Seminary in Miami Gardens, Florida. He is a fellow of the Jesus Seminar and the author of many books and articles on religion. Some of you may remember Robert from his appearance in the documentary The God Who Wasnt There. Robert joins me today to examine the historical case for Jesus. We examine the evidence for the standard arguments Christians have for believing that Jesus existed: Are the New Testament Gospels or Paul's letters really eyewitness accounts of Jesus' life? Are there any non-Christian contemporary accounts of Jesus' life? Is there any evidence for the Resurrection? Is it true that there is more evidence for Jesus than any other person in history? Is it logical that because we have multiple versions of Jesus' life that is must be true (what is known as the "multiple attestation" argument)? If Jesus didn't exist, why does everybody think he did? You can find out more about Robert on his site and you can listen to his podcast, The Bible Geek. This show is the long-awaited follow-up to my interview with Australian Christian historian and theologian  John Dickson that I did in January 2007. Please support the show by throwing me some cash to cover the bills or, if you're tight on the cash front, by blogging or Twittering about the show or joining the G'Day World Facebook group. There is a list of things you can do to support the show here.  

I had the very great pleasure of hanging out with Pastor Dr Craig Johnson in Paris back in July. We had a terrific time, including some very great laughs walking through the Louvre. Craig is an Evangelical Protestant clergyman. He is the founder and Pastor of Bethel Christian Fellowship in Agoura Hills, California.  He is  currently the host of two weekly television programs: Another Cable Show about God and The Veritas Forum, and he has authored three books: Nehushtan: The Enemy of Revival; The Alexander Code: Alexander the Great and the Hidden Prophecies of the Bible; and Tardemah: The Deep Sleep that Awakens Your Dreams. He has degrees in Theology and Philosophy. While in Paris, we talked a great deal about Hitler and the roots of Antisemitism, something Craig happens to know quite a lot about. So, following on from this blog post I did recently, we chatted today about the roots of Hitler's worldview and whether or not Hitler and the Nazi's were Christians. I, of course, take the position that Hitler and the National Socialist Party were Christians - Craig argues they were not. My main references are: This list of quotes from Hitler's speeches and writings in which he professes his Christian beliefs here. The official National Socialist Party Platform which states: "24. We demand freedom of religion for all religious denominations within the state so long as they do not endanger its existence or oppose the moral senses of the Germanic race. The Party as such advocates the standpoint of a positive Christianity without binding itself confessionally to any one denomination. It combats the Jewish-materialistic spirit within and around us, and is convinced that a lasting recovery of our nation can only succeed from within on the framework: common utility precedes individual utility." I think Hitler was just trying to bring Matthew 13:49-50 to life: 13:49 So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, 13:50 And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. After all, didn't he build furnaces of fire? Craig references a book called "Hitler's Table Talk", which is a series of statements Hitler said in private meetings, which were apparently recorded and transcribed. You can download a copy of "Hitler's Table Talk" here. But you should first read this analysis of the book's English translation which claims that the English version has been deliberately translated to sound much more anti-Christian than the original German. Also read this post which explores the credibility of the men who discovered and translated the document. The bottom line seems to be that Hitler definitely believed in Jesus but thought the version of Christianity developed by Paul of Tarsus was akin to Communism. Hitler also believed he was following in Jesus' footsteps by attacking the Jews. So the question is - does that make him a Christian or not? Please support the show by throwing me some cash to cover the bills or, if you're tight on the cash front, by blogging or Twittering about the show or joining the G'Day World Facebook group. There is a list of things you can do to support the show here.

ANGUS, THONGS AND PERFECT SNOGGING is the new film by British director Gurinder Chadha (BEND IT LIKE BECKHAM, BRIDE AND PREJUDICE). The star of the film is 16 year-old Georgia Groome. I chatted with Georgia today about life, acting and finishing her A levels. I also tried to get her to do a duet with me of "Anything You Can Do, I Can Do Better" from ANNIE GET YOUR GUN, but then I failed to remember the lyrics and she totally PWND me. Please support the show by throwing me some cash to cover the bills or, if you're tight on the cash front, by blogging or Twittering about the show or joining the G'Day World Facebook group. There is a list of things you can do to support the show here.

I don't know how many of you listen to my Biography podcast, but the episode we recorded today is, I think, pretty interesting, so i hope you don't mind me throwing it into this feed. Today we tackle two subjects - Egyptian Pharoah Akhenaten (aka Amenhotep IV) and Moses. Originally we were going to do Moses but as he is (according to the majority of secular scholars) a mythological figure and not historical, I didn’t want to get into the same trouble we did when we talked about Helen of Troy. And then I remembered Akhenaten. Like Moses, Akhenaten was the founder of a monotheistic religion. In fact, he is considered the first person to conceive of monotheism or, at least, to put it into practice on a wide scale. He pre-dated Moses (or at least when Moses would have lived had he actually existed) by 300 - 900 years, depending on where you posit the Moses stories. And, unlike Moses, we have proof Akhenaten lived. However, we only discovered his story in the 19th century, as the record of his reign and the reign of his successors, his wife Nefertiti and his son/step-son Tutenkhamen, were eradicted from the official records, possibly because of his attempts to usher in monotheism into Egypt. You can read the rest of the shownotes here.

This morning I was given an opportunity to interview Hilary Mine, Alcatel-Lucent's Managing Director Australasia and North Asia, about the launch of the Alcatel-Lucent Broadband Environment Challenge 2008 they did this morning in Melbourne with Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy. The Challenge looks to award the Eckermann-TJA Prize ($10,000 provided by Alcatel-Lucent) for the best paper on broadband telecommunications applications and/or solutions that have the potential to deliver significant benefits to environmental sustainability. Hilary and I discussed how the Challenge came together (this is its second year) and some of the ways that broadband might be able to contribute positively to environmental sustainability. Hilary mentioned that she telecommutes one day a week to show her senior team that it is possible and practical. I think more large Australia companies should be encouraging their staff to telecommute. As I mention in the show, we were talking about this stuff back at Ozemail in 1996 and it surprises me that it isn't more commonplace yet. More information about the competition can be found at www.tsa.org.au. Entries close Monday 6 October 2008. To be completely up front (as you know I always am), this is a paid gig and my client is Alcatel-Lucent. Subscribe now to the TPN update email (fill in the below box) to get a weekly list of all of the new episodes on TPN in one easy-to-read format! Enter your email address:  

Today my guests is Donnie Maclurcan, Executive Director of Project Australia, a national organisation helping people launch ideas that seek to create positive social change within communities. Donnie tells me how the idea came together, how it all works, and what they are trying to do. He's a terrific example of someone who has taken the bit between his teeth and is putting action behind the dream of a better country. If you're wondering about the new intro music, it's Dies Irae from Mozart's REQUIEM, a favourite of mine. The lyrics actually come from an old Catholic hymn which starts off: Dies iræ! dies illa Solvet sæclum in favilla Teste David cum Sibylla! Day of wrath! O day of mourning! See fulfilled the prophets' warning, Heaven and earth in ashes burning! I love the piece of music (one of my dreams has always been to put together an annual live performance of it) and the lyrics are kind of fitting, don't you think? A list of all G'Day World episodes here! Subscribe now to the TPN update email (fill in the below box) to get a weekly list of all of the new episodes on TPN in one easy-to-read format! Enter your email address:  

On today's show I'm joined by Sophie Peer, China Campaign Co-ordinator for Amnesty International, Fi Bendall from the Bendall Group, and Ben Barren, social media baron, to discuss the online campaign Amnesty have run over the last 3 weeks to raise awareness of China's human rights record. The campaign asked Australian bloggers to unite and support their Chinese counterparts who have been banned, blocked, denied and imprisoned by the Chinese government for using the Internet to express their right to freedom of speech. The destination site for the campaign was UNCENSOR.com.au. The other site they recommend on the show is Stilgherrian's blog. Subscribe now to the TPN update email (fill in the below box) to get a weekly list of all of the new episodes on TPN in one easy-to-read format! Enter your email address: The G'Day World theme music: Conquest "Secrets of Life" (mp3) from "End of Days" (Dark Star Records) More On This Album

I'm excited today to launch the latest podcast to join the TPN family: I had Katherine Cunningham as a guest on G'Day World back in Oct 2007 and afterwards offered her her own show on TPN. It's taken a while (all my fault!) to get it up and running but I'm very excited about it. Katherine sez: The idea behind, or perhaps between, this show is to open up a conversation, a deep, juicy wet conversation about women, about men, about power, about sex, about passion. Check out the first show or subscribe to the RSS feed or add it to iTunes.

One of the wonderful people I met while in Ajaccio was Allon Klebanoff, an Israeli historian who is the closest thing to a "Renaissance Man" that I've ever met. Allon gave a terrific presentation on naval art during Napoleonic times at the Congress and, over much alcohol and good food during five days, we discussed religion, politics, art, wine, women... and music, which is the subject of today's show. I asked Allon what he'd like to talk about on his first appearance on G'Day World, what his number #1 passion is, and he said "Buck". I first thought that he was a fan of 70's Sci Fi, but I soon learned that "Buckkkh" is how one is supposed to pronounce "Bach". In this very long episode (90 minutes) you will hear Allon talk about Bach's life and career as well as get treated to a number of musical pieces by Bach (as prescribed by Allon) including (in order of appearance): Suite No. 2 in B Minor, BWV 1067: VII. Badinerie - Trevor Pinnock Suite No. 3 in D, BWV 1068: II. Air - Musica Antiqua Köln Italian Concerto in F, BWV 971: III. Presto - Trevor Pinnock Brandenburg Concerto No. 2 in F, BWV 1047: I. - Trevor Pinnock Saint John Passion, BWV 245 (Excerpts): Herr, Unser Herrscher Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565: I. Toccata - Helmut Walcha Toccata, Adagio & Fugue in C Major, BWV 564: II. Adagio - Marie-Claire Alain The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 1 - Musica Antiqua Köln The Art of Fugue, BWV 1080: Contrapunctus 2 - Musica Antiqua Köln Now I warn you - Allon is a funny guy. He doesn't listen to rock, rap or jazz. He is VERY particular about the things that he is passionate about. And he's a walking encyclopedia. I'm not sure I managed to get him to answer my main question "Why is Bach important?", though I did ask him several times. Or maybe I just don't understand. Anyway... strap yourself in and get ready to BACH.

Steve Sammartino is not only the founder of Rentoid.com (see G'Day World #306), he's also one of the smartest money managers that I've ever met. By age 33, Steve had built up a big enough share portfolio to be able to quit his corporate marketing job and live completely on the dividends. That was two years ago. Today, he tells me how he did it - and how you can do it to. Steve's system is foolproof and doesn't require you to know anything about shares or companies or the market. He calls it a "set and forget" system. I call it "The Sammartino Method" and I think we should all listen to this show over and over again. Then we should play it to our kids. Steve's system is so simple and basic that everyone can do it. As he says in the show "All it takes is discipline." If you aren't financially independent (and I'm not), then you can't ever really be in control of your lifestyle. Steve will never have to work another day in his life if he doesn't want to. Imagine the choices you would have in your life if you were in that situation in ten years. The two books that Steve recommends you read are: The Intelligent Investor A Random Walk Down Wall Street Subscribe now to the TPN update email (fill in the below box) to get a weekly list of all of the new episodes on TPN in one easy-to-read format! Enter your email address: The G'Day World theme music: Conquest "Secrets of Life" (mp3) from "End of Days" (Dark Star Records) More On This Album

Today's show is a continuation of the examination I've been doing around the relationship and practices of Gloria Jean's Coffee, Hillsong Church and Mercy Ministries. Today's guest is a former resident of Mercy Ministries in the United States. She spent 7 months inside Mercy about 8 years ago and is still today too frightened of them to use her real name, so she is using the alias "Vickie Lucas". Vickie tells me about how she entered Mercy trying to find help for her bulimia nervosa condition but instead of psychological and clinical treatment, she was subjected to exorcisms, neglect and emotional abuse. She talks about how she was chastised in public by Mercy founder Nancy Alcorn, who claims to be a lifelong celibate, for getting her haircut - apparently according to Mercy that's a clear sign she is possessed by demons making her into a lesbian. The quotes contained in this show by Nancy Alcorn and Peter Irvine are taken from this video by The Cynic Sage. Subscribe now to the TPN update email (fill in the below box) to get a weekly list of all of the new episodes on TPN in one easy-to-read format! Enter your email address: The G'Day World theme music: Conquest "Secrets of Life" (mp3) from "End of Days" (Dark Star Records) More On This Album

In 1980, at age ten, I bought my very first LP record - "Living In A Fantasy" by Leo Sayer. I listened to it constantly - 20 years later I bought it on CD and today it's always on my iPod. Leo has had several Number One hits around the world, "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" (a U.S. Grammy winner for the year's best Rhythm and Blues Song), the romantic ballad, "When I Need You" (1977), which reached number one in both the UK and U.S. He also had remakes of Bobby Vee's "More Than I Can Say" (his fourth UK number 2 hit, and in the U.S., number 2 pop and number one in the adult contemporary chart), and Buddy Holly's "Raining In My Heart" (1979) and "Orchard Road" in 1983. In the U.S., three of his singles - "You Make Me Feel Like Dancing" (1977), "When I Need You," (1977) and "More Than I Can Say" (1980) - were certified gold. This morning he chatted with me for an hour from the city he now calls home - Sydney, Australia. Check out his official site, LeoSayer.com, for updates on his touring schedule and to read his blog updates. Buy his new album "Don't Wait Until Tomorrow" and "Living In A Fantasy" from iTunes: Subscribe now to the TPN update email (fill in the below box) to get a weekly list of all of the new episodes on TPN in one easy-to-read format! Enter your email address:

Subscribe now to the weekly update email (fill in the below box) to get a weekly list of all of the new episodes on TPN in one easy-to-read format! Enter your email address: ====================================================== My guest today is Matt Norman. Matt is an Aussie actor/director/producer who has a new documentary coming out called "Salute The Movie" (watch the trailer here). It tells the story of his uncle Peter Norman. Now, if you're like me, you probably haven't heard the name before but you probably do recognize this photo: Peter Norman is the white guy. He was an Aussie Olympian who won the Silver Medal in the Men's 200 metre race at the 1968 Olympics in Mexico. The two athletes with him on the podium were Tommie Smith and John Carlos. They both raised their fists in the "Black Power" salute. Peter gave his support by wearing the OPHR (Olympic Project for Human Rights) badge. All three were booed when they left the podium and then ostracized in their respective countries for having the audacity to use this opportunity to make a political statement. All three were punished severely by their respective Olympic organizations and in Peter's case, he was not picked for the '72 Olympics, even though he came third in the trials. This story is, of course, extremely relevant today, when Australian and American Olympic athletes are again being gagged by their respective organizations with respect to using the Olympics as an opportunity to speak out about China's human rights abuses in Tibet and Darfur. Will any of them athletes have the balls to speak out? Or will they allow themselves to be gagged? The G'Day World theme music: Conquest "Secrets of Life" (mp3) from "End of Days" (Dark Star Records) More On This Album