No matter how many new toys I buy my dogs they love their old ones.
Here's a little something for G-C to lose his mind over. A late 2d century xtian apologist by the name of Athenagoras of Athens wrote two surviving works, one a plea for clemency towards xtians and the other a treatise on the resurrection of the dead. We know that the apologia dates from the period of 177-180 AD as it is addressed to Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus, and notes that they were jointly ruling the empire which only happened in the 3 years preceding Aurelius' death. Yet, as late as that is and in an intellectual hotspot like Athens, Athenagoras manages to get through the entire text of both works without once mentioning the name "jesus." Now I'm sure G-C would chew off his own leg trying to escape from the trap but the simple explanation ( remember Occam's Razor ) is that the jesus addition to the story had not reached Athens by the last two decades of the 2d century. How does a xtian discuss resurrection without mentioning the godboy's big magic trick? More to the point, why would he want to?
Both of his works are available at Peter Kirby's excellent http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/athenagoras.html site
Here's a little something for G-C to lose his mind over. A late 2d century xtian apologist by the name of Athenagoras of Athens wrote two surviving works, one a plea for clemency towards xtians and the other a treatise on the resurrection of the dead. We know that the apologia dates from the period of 177-180 AD as it is addressed to Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus, and notes that they were jointly ruling the empire which only happened in the 3 years preceding Aurelius' death. Yet, as late as that is and in an intellectual hotspot like Athens, Athenagoras manages to get through the entire text of both works without once mentioning the name "jesus." Now I'm sure G-C would chew off his own leg trying to escape from the trap but the simple explanation ( remember Occam's Razor ) is that the jesus addition to the story had not reached Athens by the last two decades of the 2d century. How does a xtian discuss resurrection without mentioning the godboy's big magic trick? More to the point, why would he want to?
Both of his works are available at Peter Kirby's excellent http://www.earlychristianwritings.com/athenagoras.html site
