(August 29, 2016 at 2:31 pm)abaris Wrote:(August 29, 2016 at 1:32 pm)Minimalist Wrote: As usual, jesus freaks see what they want to see.
But remember, the meaning of history wasn't the same back then. Hearsay and oral accounts were considered reliable sources. One of the major gripes I have with Bart Ehrman, by the way. He falls into this trap quite often. Not recognizing that the meaning of history itself is totally different than it was some 2000 years ago.
Writers like Livy were using "history" as a contrasting commentary on the decline of morality in their own times. Gospels writers were mere propagandists for a new bullshit religion. And yes, sometimes Ehrman gives them way too much credit..... when he is not trashing them for being error-ridden, heavily-edited, pieces of shit. He is a complex writer.
