(January 7, 2022 at 8:12 pm)Paleophyte Wrote: Jesus then mumbles some imprecations about everybody in general, casts out the kids demons (Which were never cast in, read the kid's charts dude!), and instantly heals him. Because few things are easier to heal than conditions that only last a few minutes. Until the next seizure of course, but by then you're well out of town. At no point in the story does Jesus have the basic wits to tell the father to Stop leaving your epileptic kid next to fire or water you fucking moron! And when asked why only he could do it Jesus goes holier-than-thou and reveals that it's because his faith is bigger, thicker, and harder. Did you feel the mountains move?
I think the real story has been severely distorted.
The NT Bible is trying to claim to be history. But how should a historian evaluate the stories in it?
Was there really a kid and a parent who met Jesus because he had a reputation to heal people? I doubt it.
I doubt it because there are from 30 to 35 “miracles” in the NT and they are all far fetched.
However, what you are proposing is a possibility.
For example, I think it was in a Louis Theroux documentary for the BBC. It was about prophets and gurus. There was a physicist who was following a guru in India. Apparently, there are hundreds of them there.
Louis Theroux asked him (physicist) why he follows that guru. Why does he think that the guru is special.
The guy (physicist) said that the guru can generate matter out of thin air. The guru was in a store once and was going to buy something. The guru pounded his foot on the ground and money appeared under his foot. The guy (physicist) states that he saw that with his own eyes.
^^^^^So yes, there are certain tricks that the prophet might perform to impress the superstitious.
Was there really an old man named Zechariah and an old wife named Elizabeth and they are childless all their lives and the angel Gabriel visited them and said she is going to have a child and they must name him John? (Luke 1:8)
I highly doubt it. It is probably pure fabrication. I have such a person in my family. They make up none sense to add some flavor to their lives.
As long as people listen to them and believe, they continue to make up fake stories. They are not journalists. They are people who love to get attention.
Let’s list the possibilities:
1. The story about the kid with epilepsy is a total fabrication.
2. The story about the kid with epilepsy really happened and Jesus prayed and rubbed his head and said to the kid you’ll be fine and the witnesses chose to believe the kid is healed.
3. Jesus, the kid and the parent planned the entire thing and setup a show for the witnesses.
4. Jesus is satan or god or an ALF and he uses his advanced tech to heal the kid and the witnesses chose to believe the kid is healed.
What’s the historian going to do? Which one is the most likely explanation for the entire series of wild claims in the NT Bible?
I would say that 1 or 2 would work fine on a superstitious population.
I would say 3 is less likely. Look at Luke 1:8.
Luke 1:8 sounds like a #1.
Since there are 30 to 35 miracles in the NT Bible, probably most of them are pure fabrication.
Check this one:
Quote:Matthew 4:23 KING JAMES VERSION
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. {4:24} And his fame went throughout all Syria: and they brought unto him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and those which were possessed with devils, and those which were lunatick, and those that had the palsy; and he healed them. {4:25} And there followed him great multitudes of people from Galilee, and from Decapolis, and from Jerusalem, and from Judaea, and from beyond Jordan.
Would you say the above is a #1, #2, #3, #4?
