(January 31, 2015 at 7:57 pm)Esquilax Wrote:(January 31, 2015 at 7:51 pm)SteveII Wrote: What would be evidence of Joe the Jew having been an eyewitness? Certainly not his claiming to be. Someone else's writing? A stone carved with "Joe was here - 0029 AD"
Perhaps four people might later write that they have known for years Joe was with Jesus. They know all kinds of people who saw Joe. They believe so sincerely that Joe was there that they would be ostracized at best or persecuted for standing up for Joe and his being there. But no...according to your logic, it's not even that we say we can't be sure, we are left with "No, Joe was not there--its a conspiracy".
And if you actually knew who the writers of the four gospels were- which you don't- and they were writing from their own first hand accounts- which they weren't- and Joe had written about things that we at least knew were possible- which magic isn't- then you might have a point there. As it stands, you're overreaching hilariously.
Speaking of, have I told you about the nine hundred gospels saying Jesus was a fake?
Oh, then if we had 4 accounts from named eyewitnesses that wrote miracles happened, then you wouldn't believe them anyway. So the real problem is miracles and not really who did or did not write the narratives.
However it is logically possible, even probable that if God exists, miracles happen. We are starting from 2 different position, you have pre-judged the content according to your worldview. My worldview is open to more options--therefore not irrational to believe the events described and the subsequent events of the early church happened.
