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Current time: December 28, 2024, 2:40 am

Poll: Did Jesus of Nazareth exist as an historical person?
This poll is closed.
Yes, absolutely; like Julius Caesar.
18.03%
11 18.03%
Probably.
19.67%
12 19.67%
Unknown.
24.59%
15 24.59%
Not probably.
19.67%
12 19.67%
Definitively not.
18.03%
11 18.03%
Total 61 vote(s) 100%
* You voted for this item. [Show Results]

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Did Jesus exist?
RE: Did Jesus exist?
The essence of religion, there.
Reply
RE: Did Jesus exist?
Could the world have been worse off without the control of religion?
I can think of reasons but I also believe that without that control religion imposed on societies, today we would be better off.

The control of a democratic law is infinitely fairer than the control of a few men in gowns who ultimately can do as they wish.
No God, No fear.
Know God, Know fear.
Reply
RE: Did Jesus exist?
(February 2, 2016 at 1:32 pm)Irrational Wrote: First, you've already made up your mind that you can't determine what would be embarrassing to the authors.
Yes, I've made up my mind that I cant determine what would embarass the author, because I cant.    Yes I've made up my mind that you cannot determine what would embarrass the author, because you haven't.

Quote:So nothing will convince you that we can determine, for example, that the author(s) of Matthew found certain accepted things regarding Jesus as the Messiah to be embarrassing, and hence tried to rectify them.
You have failed to convince me, let's not pretend that another cannot be convinced just to avoid acknowledging our own failures.

Quote:Second, the argument is that certain embarrassments in the Gospel regarding Jesus are indicators that they probably wouldn't have been accepted by believers of the Messiah if they weren't historical facts. Again, there is no hard proof here, just parsimony and the most reasonable explanation given the current evidence.

If the "argument" is an appeal to the probability of a question begging non-sequitur...... I doubt we have much left to discuss.  There's nothing reasonable in any of this. "Hard proof" and parsimony are irrelevant to the situation at hand.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Reply
RE: Did Jesus exist?
(February 2, 2016 at 2:28 pm)Minimalist Wrote:
Quote:Second, the argument is that certain embarrassments in the Gospel regarding Jesus are indicators that they probably wouldn't have been accepted by believers of the Messiah if they weren't historical facts.

The same argument is used in the OT:  "Why would anyone invent a story about being SLAVES in Egypt?"

No, it's not the same thing.

What's theologically embarrassing about the Israelites being slaves at one point?
Reply
RE: Did Jesus exist?
(February 2, 2016 at 10:08 pm)Rhythm Wrote:
(February 2, 2016 at 1:32 pm)Irrational Wrote: First, you've already made up your mind that you can't determine what would be embarrassing to the authors.
Yes, I've made up my mind that I cant determine what would embarass the author, because I cant.    Yes I've made up my mind that you cannot determine what would embarrass the author, because you haven't.

Quote:So nothing will convince you that we can determine, for example, that the author(s) of Matthew found certain accepted things regarding Jesus as the Messiah to be embarrassing, and hence tried to rectify them.
You have failed to convince me, let's not pretend that another cannot be convinced just to avoid acknowledging our own failures.

Quote:Second, the argument is that certain embarrassments in the Gospel regarding Jesus are indicators that they probably wouldn't have been accepted by believers of the Messiah if they weren't historical facts. Again, there is no hard proof here, just parsimony and the most reasonable explanation given the current evidence.

If the "argument" is an appeal to the probability of a question begging non-sequitur...... I doubt we have much left to discuss.  There's nothing reasonable in any of this.  "Hard proof" and parsimony are irrelevant to the situation at hand.

There you go. You're not going to be convinced no matter what.
Reply
RE: Did Jesus exist?
(February 2, 2016 at 10:33 pm)Irrational Wrote:
(February 2, 2016 at 2:28 pm)Minimalist Wrote: The same argument is used in the OT:  "Why would anyone invent a story about being SLAVES in Egypt?"

No, it's not the same thing.

What's theologically embarrassing about the Israelites being slaves at one point?

Why don't you explain that to professor Kitchen?

Quote:As Egyptologist Kitchen asks: “…why on earth invent such a tale about such humiliating origins? Nobody else in Near Eastern antiquity descended to that kind of tale of community beginnings.” (K. A. Kitchen, ibid)
Reply
RE: Did Jesus exist?
(February 2, 2016 at 10:35 pm)Irrational Wrote:
(February 2, 2016 at 10:08 pm)Rhythm Wrote: Yes, I've made up my mind that I cant determine what would embarass the author, because I cant.    Yes I've made up my mind that you cannot determine what would embarrass the author, because you haven't.

You have failed to convince me, let's not pretend that another cannot be convinced just to avoid acknowledging our own failures.


If the "argument" is an appeal to the probability of a question begging non-sequitur...... I doubt we have much left to discuss.  There's nothing reasonable in any of this.  "Hard proof" and parsimony are irrelevant to the situation at hand.

There you go. You're not going to be convinced no matter what.

I'm trying to decide whether or not I should be surprised that this is all you take from that.  

You certainly aren't going to convince me in the manner that you've been attempting too thusfar, and I've explained why, it's irrational. You're appealling to the probability of a question begging non-sequitur....and I didn't even see any math.

What am I supposed to do with that?
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Reply
RE: Did Jesus exist?
(February 3, 2016 at 12:18 am)Minimalist Wrote:
(February 2, 2016 at 10:33 pm)Irrational Wrote: No, it's not the same thing.

What's theologically embarrassing about the Israelites being slaves at one point?

Why don't you explain that to professor Kitchen?

Quote:As Egyptologist Kitchen asks: “…why on earth invent such a tale about such humiliating origins? Nobody else in Near Eastern antiquity descended to that kind of tale of community beginnings.” (K. A. Kitchen, ibid)

From humble beginnings, God rose them up to become men of prominent status and the chosen people of God? That's one good answer. Still not sure what the original authors found embarrassing about that? Or if there is any indicator in the texts that they found this to be embarrassing?

Perhaps that's why most Egyptologists don't think the way this Kitchen does?
Reply
RE: Did Jesus exist?
(February 3, 2016 at 1:04 am)Rhythm Wrote:
(February 2, 2016 at 10:35 pm)Irrational Wrote: There you go. You're not going to be convinced no matter what.

I'm trying to decide whether or not I should be surprised that this is all you take from that.  

You certainly aren't going to convince me in the manner that you've been attempting too thusfar, and I've explained why, it's irrational.  You're appealling to the probability of a question begging non-sequitur....and I didn't even see any math.  

What am I supposed to do with that?

You're not expected to do anything. You know the standard arguments and examples given, I'm sure. I'm sure you also know about how the authors of the Gospels try to rectify certain matters in their books.

So believe what you wish to believe, but I can't agree that you're being reasonable here.
Reply
RE: Did Jesus exist?
(February 3, 2016 at 1:58 am)Irrational Wrote: So believe what you wish to believe, but I can't agree that you're being reasonable here.

You say this as you appeal to probability..with no math included, while begging the question, in pursuit of a non sequitur...and what I'm being "unreasonable" about is not accepting any of that.....

OFC I can't use it, belief isn't even a factor.  Even if I did believe in HJ your argument would still be useless, I still couldn't use it to demonstrate the truth of the HJ proposition, and it's being tore up from the floor to the ceiling still doesn't demonstrate the reverse.  This argument very literally tells us nothing.

I accept jesus for what he demonstrably is and no more. A character in the NT.
I am the Infantry. I am my country’s strength in war, her deterrent in peace. I am the heart of the fight… wherever, whenever. I carry America’s faith and honor against her enemies. I am the Queen of Battle. I am what my country expects me to be, the best trained Soldier in the world. In the race for victory, I am swift, determined, and courageous, armed with a fierce will to win. Never will I fail my country’s trust. Always I fight on…through the foe, to the objective, to triumph overall. If necessary, I will fight to my death. By my steadfast courage, I have won more than 200 years of freedom. I yield not to weakness, to hunger, to cowardice, to fatigue, to superior odds, For I am mentally tough, physically strong, and morally straight. I forsake not, my country, my mission, my comrades, my sacred duty. I am relentless. I am always there, now and forever. I AM THE INFANTRY! FOLLOW ME!
Reply



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