Episode 83 Exodus; Pursued by Pharaoh

The Biblical account of the Jewish slavery in and exodus from Egypt is regarded by many as a historical fact, give or take a few miracles. But what does modern archaeology have to say on the subject? We dive into the evidence (or lack thereof) for this ancient tale.
Luke and Justin take on recent criticisms concerning the roots for morality and the sacrificial practices of ancient Jews and early Christians. Dave takes a look at another springtime resurrection god in a PolyAtheism segment and the doubtcasters discuss Terry Jones trip to Michigan, a "miraculously healed" child, and some people in the Philippines who take their Easter celebrations very serisously. Also, more bad news and some potentially good news out of the on-going Catholic sex abuse scandal.

RD Extra: Religion and the Roots of Morality

This RD Extra features a lecture by Luke Galen entitled The Roots of Morality: Does Religion Play a Role or is the Tail Wagging the Dog? Grand Rapids Community College hosted and sponsored the event as part of the 2010-2011 Psychology Department Speakers Series. A pdf file of Luke's lecture slides can be downloaded here.

Description:

In this presentation, Dr. Galen, PhD, Associate Professor of Psychology at Grand Valley State University, will consider the root of morality and pro-social behavior. Are we kind and considerate of others because religion creates a set of rules and "commandments" or are these behaviors a natural result of our evolutionary need to live in community? Dr. Galen will also cover related topics such as why humans construct religions and how religion can create prejudicial beliefs and behaviors.

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Video: The Roots of Morality by Luke Galen

Here is a lecture by RD's Luke Galen entitled The Roots of Morality: Does Religion Play a Role or is the Tail Wagging the Dog? It's a great overview of several topics discussed in past "God Thinks Like You" segments. If you enjoy this lecture please leave a positive comment on YouTube and be sure to tell your friends about doubtcast.org. Many thanks to the psychology department at Grand Rapids Community College for hosting and sponsoring the event.