(November 8, 2012 at 3:51 pm)Reasonable_Jeff Wrote: I believe there is compelling evidence to warrant a belief in Jesus as a historic person who did in fact rise from the grave.
There is some evidence that there was a historical figure that the Biblical Jesus character is based on, but there is none that he rose from the dead.
The city of Troy was discovered using the Iliad as a source. Does that mean that Zeus existed?
Quote:Whether or not a snake talked...I don't know...could be literal or it could be a literary device. Either way it doesn't affect the evidence for Jesus which is the focal point for me.
What is the algorithm that you personally apply to the Bible in order to determine which parts are literary devices or literal?
You'd believe if you just opened your heart" is a terrible argument for religion. It's basically saying, "If you bias yourself enough, you can convince yourself that this is true." If religion were true, people wouldn't need faith to believe it -- it would be supported by good evidence.
