(May 16, 2023 at 4:31 am)BrianSoddingBoru4 Wrote:Bar- Serapion was born 20y after the supposed death of Jesus. You need to demonstrate that he had RELIABLE informations as to what Jesus asctually has said.....20y after the fact.(May 15, 2023 at 9:46 am)Kingpin Wrote: I may be completely obtuse, but Kerim I'm not following your point. Your subsequent posts are not adding to the clarity either. Others have claimed Jesus is a fictional person, which you accept and still stick to using Him and this good news. It would be no different than quoting what Gandalf said in Lord of the Rings.
If you want to make an argument about something, you need to build a base that can withstand some scrutiny. I of course would argue against Jesus being fictional as there are non-biblical references to Christ, like Tacitus, Mara Bar-Serapion and Phlegon (quoted by Julius Africanus).
Tacitus isn't of much value regarding the historicity of Jesus - he was writing a quarter century after the fact, and was very probably repeating what Christians of his era believed.
Bar-Serapion is even worse, as it isn't at all clear that 'the wise king' referred to is Jesus.
Phlegon never even mentioned Jesus, or anyone remotely like Jesus.
Boru
Its like someone telling us in the early 1980s about Martn Luthers great speeches, in a world without www, phones, radio, or even newspapers.
Phlegon was born 100y after the purpoted fact. Good luck demonstrating that after 100y he had RELIABLE info about what Jesus said.
Tacitus, yeah, afaik he only reports that some people BELIEVED in Jesus. That is totally disconnected form who he was or what he said, without further evidence.
I can confidentially report that the Davidian sect existed, the guys who all commmited suicide. They died for their belief! What does that tell you about the claims of Koresh being a prophet or whatever?
Cetero censeo religionem delendam esse
