(February 26, 2015 at 11:17 am)robvalue Wrote: Right, well yeah. You can just pick any random jesus back then and it's "based on" them as much as any other jesus. But if you can't attribute a single word or action to them, in what way is it based on them? That's my problem
I mean, Harry potter may be "based on" a real Harry, but what does that mean? Does it make Harry potter any more real if so?
I asked Richard Carrier that on his blog, basically that I don't even understand the question "was Jesus a person" for precisely the reasons you bring up. And his response was basically, yes, that is exactly the problem you have when attacking the historicity question, and that he deals with it in his essays on the topic.I should try to find the linky...
The fool hath said in his heart, There is a God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good.
Psalm 14, KJV revised edition
