(March 28, 2014 at 11:29 pm)rightcoaster Wrote: Do you think the "cleansing of the Temple" story was a fabrication? If so, what purpose might it have served, since it reflects so badly on Jesus?I incline to the view that the cleansing of the Temple had a factual basis. I take for granted that Jesus was a real itinerant teacher and also that he really was crucified. So the disturbance in the Temple would be the cause of his trial and execution. The story is found in all 4 gospels, which means it is independently attested and thus more likely to be historical.
If it is not historical, the only plausible explanation which I can think of is that it is a manifestation of the anti-Semitism which is found in the gospels. However the trend in the anti-Semitism is to become more virulent as we go from the earliest gospel (Mark) to the latest (John), and I don't see that here.
If you could reason with religious people, there would be no religious people — House
