Indoctrination & Mental Gymnastics

[Lek]

Again, you're saying you believe it's the original authors because we can't prove they aren't. Three in a row.

I won't keep repeating myself, I've made my point, I shall leave you be Good night all.

If you review my posts, you will see that isn't at all what I have been stating. I choose to trust the sources closest to the actual event, such as Papias, who had to access to eyewitnesses or those who lived, or had family or acquaintances who lived at the time of Jesus. The closer a source is to the event it claims to describe, the more it can be trusted to give an accurate account of the event. Everyone is biased. I'm not going to write off these sources because somebody claims that they had ulterior motives for making their claims. There was no money in being a church leader or whatever in those days. You might receive some respect or adulation from other believers, but it also got you persecution from the Jews at first, then later from the Romans.

I respect the evidence and opinions presented by yourself and others. I see it as valid evidence against my beliefs, but not at all conclusive, and not enough to override my trust in the evidence put forth by the early church. This doesn't mean that I believe in Jesus just because it can't be proven that he didn't exist. I see plenty of evidence that he did. But even that isn't the reason I'm a christian. The reason that I'm a christian is that I've opened myself to God and he has shown me the truth.

I understand your frustration with this discussion because it has gotten repetitive and I'm tired too. I did want to make it clear that the reason I believe in Jesus is not because it can't be technically proven otherwise. Thanks for hanging in here with me. I'm all done now.