(June 28, 2015 at 11:05 am)Cato Wrote:(June 27, 2015 at 9:33 am)Randy Carson Wrote: Wrong. Look at what the original ending of Mark says concerning the resurrection of Jesus.
You're helping to make my case. The author of Mark did not witness the events. He stops his story with a boy saying that Jesus is on his way to Galilee.
Heh...you conveniently skipped over a bit there, Cato.
Quote:Mark 16:5-8
5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed.
6 “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.’”
8 Trembling and bewildered, the women went out and fled from the tomb. They said nothing to anyone, because they were afraid.
Mark declares the resurrection in the words, "He is risen!"
Quote:Why would the author of Mark omit these happenings and the witnessed ascension from his account it they were known to him. This is preposterous. You keep claiming that he knew of these events, which makes the fact that he didn't include them in his story even more ridiculous. It's far more reasonable to conclude that later gospels embellished Mark's story. Take for instance how the boy at the tomb becomes one and then later two angels. The changing to the women's immediate interaction with Jesus (feet rubbing) is a clear addition that begins to set up the physical resurrection. It's all a sham and you've been taken in.
Mark wrote a brief account of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus based upon the preaching of Peter. It's only 16 chapters long. The other gospels are longer and fill in some blanks. Nothing unusual about any of that.
Quote:Consider all the other bullshit believed by people at this time. Care to share with everyone what the locals did during lunar eclipses and why? They went outside and screamed and made a racket to ward off the witches they thought were pulling down the moon. You are relying on a group of people that believed in this and other bullshit as valid testimony for you claims. Your witnesses can easily be dismissed as unreliable.
If you think people should dismiss the gospels, then you ought to provide some reasonable arguments for doing so.
There is a thread entitled, "The Historical Reliability of the New Testament". That would be a great place to post your thoughts.