(July 18, 2014 at 11:04 am)Minimalist Wrote: Bart Ehrman refers to the gospel of markmatthewlukejohn to highlight the xtian tendency to run all this bullshit together into one story making a mockery of all 4 and saddling them with the inconsistencies you mention.
These were different stories, told to different groups at different times and each author had a different purpose in mind.
Four turds not one.
What I find interesting is not the little factual inconsistencies, but that they suggest doctrinal and/or mythic growth. How Jesus reacts to death is very telling. Whether you choose, his birth, baptism, how he answers questions about himself, his death, or his resurrection, the Jesus' of the Gospels are rather different. They go from human prophet, to acknowledged son of god, to born son of god, to god on earth.
It's also interesting to ask who was the intended audience for each gospel. Many odd additions to the story can be explained that way.
If there is a god, I want to believe that there is a god. If there is not a god, I want to believe that there is no god.
