Ehrman claims that historians only deal with what can “probably” happen (This seems to be part of how he defines the discipline.) And since miracles are statistically “improbable”, that they can’t accept them as a legitimate answer, since naturalistic or human explanations are “more probable.”

Two things occur to me.

1) Since under the Christian worldview a miracle has to do with a personal God choosing freely to commit an action, that any attempt to determine it’s probability is flawed*. It seems to me that probability has to do with being able to gauge how likely it is based on regular past occurrences. Since by definition miracles are not regular occurrences, the probability of decisions based on a divine free will can’t be determined.

2) Even if I’m wrong about the probability of free will decisions being determined, in order to gauge how probable it is you would have to have access to God’s mind. Which we don’t, so the probability would be unknown.

In either case, Ehrman is unjustified in stating that the miracle is improbable. Under his view all he can claim is ignorance as to the probability, which under his definition would mean that he would have to stop doing history at that point altogether.

But I might be missing something that’s obvious to everyone else.

*We could say that the frequency of miracles are rare based on our observations. But even in a Christian worldview they are not God’s standard operating procedure on a day to day basis (at least in the earth shattering, amazing, what-just-happened-could-truly-only-be-God kind of way.) But the question here is one particular thing, that is, the resurrection. In fact, miracles in general would have to be judged as singular entities, because of their special category. Meaning, they are supernatural acts of a divine free will in response to special circumstances in a naturalistic world.

It’s been a while. I’ve been drawing. I’ve been posting status updates. I haven’t done much with paragraphs.

I’m withering away. Now I go to write and what comes out?

Sentences on writing.

This year I won’t have a table. I’ll be walking around doing the networking thing. You might see me. I’ll be the white guy in his early 30s walking around carrying a backpack.

If you see me, feel free to stop me, regardless of what I’m doing, and say hello. Insist that you know me and that you go to my website.

Don’t be swayed by the fact that I might say things like “sorry, you’ve got the wrong guy”, “I don’t have a website” or “security!”.

If I’m the white guy with the bag, it’s me.

Across the street there’s a five story building made of brick and window. Windows so big I can see straight through, see the clutter in every office, the knick knacks, and the lack of privacy. It’s Sunday, so no one is at work with the exception of the paint crew beginning to scale the side of the hotel just to the left of my window.

I put my head to the glass and peer down to see them come up. I feel a surge of adrenalin and my palms get sweaty.

I am no fan of heights.

I think this is the longest hiatus I’ve taken from here since I began the blog one dreary day in the middle of a lifeless warehouse. But let’s not dwell on the bad times.

This Saturday is the half marathon. When I see if the 4 months of training are going to pay off in what will be my longest run. Three weeks ago I did 11 miles. So I’m fairly comfortable in saying the 13 shouldn’t be beyond my reach. Making the jump from 6 miles to 7 was the hardest I think. Past that, it was pretty easy. Not sitting on the couch stuffing your face full of Pringles easy, mind you, but easiest enough.

The last 2 weeks I have been seriously sleep deprived. Getting up early to work on a comic (as in 5am early) then heading to Orlando and staying up late and getting up early. The overnight trip back, several opens and staying up late (in one case I realized if I stayed awake 3 more hours I would have been up for 24.) have taken their toll.

Friday night I remember barely being able to function. Saturday I tried to run and couldn’t get past 4 miles. I had to walk 2.5 home because I was out on my long loop. Then Sunday. Sunday my body literally kept trying to go to sleep, despite my efforts to the contrary.

I almost didnt make it through the last prayer at church. I almost fell asleep at lunch. I took a nap, but when I woke up, couldn’t get going. after dinner I almost fell back to sleep. Then, at 8:30, I figured I should pay attention to my body and went to sleep.

10 hours later I got up, and today have felt better than I have in 2 weeks. I have felt FANTASTIC all day. I ran five miles with ease and felt like I almost could have done the marathon tonight.

Sleep good. No sleep, bad.

Noted.

1) They were a band
2) They were not local
3) They were successful enough to play gigs requiring “all access” badges
4) They were not successful enough to have a van.

I sympathized with their frustrating lot.

When I got home I noticed our neighbor mowing her lawn. Then, our neighbor 2 doors down mowed hers. Which, in turn, forced our other immediate neighbor to mow his. This cascaded down to us having to mow ours. And by “us” I mean “Sarah”…I had a meeting to go to.

I’m too lazy to look at the calendar that I can access at the bottom toolbar of my screen.

At any rate, I’ve already done 10 miles, so I should be okay.

It’s just as well that it’s raining, because now I’m fighting off my first cold this year. So far its not bad, but I think it’s the reason I’ve been so sleepy early in the evening. I usually end up getting tired and wanting to go to bed way early, but otherwise feeling fine. Then boom! The sinuses start.

This upcoming week is at least supposed to be warm. So that’s a plus.

You all should go run this week.

Go.

Sunday I broke into the double digits with my run, finishing up 10.14 miles in an hour and 46 minutes. I felt pretty good, having eaten enough carbs to fuel my legs for 5 years.

On my new longer route, which takes me through country two-lane roads is finally seeming familiar to me, though I’m still getting used to the dogs.

There are 2 or 3 medium sized dogs that like to chase after me barking. So far I haven’t come across a big dog while running, but my friend Randy got bit last week on his run.

Now I’m hyper paranoid. It’s pretty disquieting to hear, through your workout music blasting in your ears, a dog barking. A bark that you only heard because the dog is within 5 feet of you.