While interviewing prominent atheists at the Atheist Convention in Memphis, my team and I filmed with Dr. Susan Blackmore. Blackmore was brought up as a Christian but in her words, whose “belief just sort of gently withered away.” Now an ardent atheist, I asked Blackmore about the miracles of the New Testament. She told me,

“The miracles of the New Testament if there were, well they’re described as miracles aren’t they. What’s the chance of those having been true? I’m particularly interested in the way that stories change and build up, as a psychologist I know the psychology of the way we remember certain things and forget others which is also very important in paranormal claims and if you think about a book that has survived for two thousand years, the reason it will have survived is because stories like that go down very well with people. They like to think that the dead can be brought to life and the lame made to walk and the blind made to see. I don’t think for a minute those things happened as described there in the same way that I’ve investigated people in the 20^th century when I was doing this work who claimed to do those things, healers and found no evidence that they did any more than be at their best a human being giving time and care and love to somebody who is sick, can help.

Confronted with such an argument, how would you answer Susan Blackmore? Could you defend the truth of Jesus’ miracles? Sadly, many cannot defend their faith when faced with criticism.  To counter the rising tide of biblical illiteracy, Cristie Jo and I are creating multiple digital products and resources beyond the documentary that will give Christians the answers they need to counter these arguments.

About Susan Blackmore

Researchers, Drs. Jerry and Cristie Jo Johnston, are Executive Producing a quick-paced film via trans continental, staccato interviews documenting the shocking rise of the non-religious.