"How do you explain the empty tomb?"

[FallentoReason]

How is it that Mark found out in the first place if the women told no one?

[Rev. Rye]

Interesting thing; I've twice on this forum dissected a list of "Questions for Not-Yet Believers" where several questions were dedicated to the resurrection story, all the time assuming it was true.

30. How do you explain the empty tomb of Jesus in light of all the evidence that has now proven essentially irrefutable for twenty centuries?
31. If Jesus did not actually die and rise from the dead, how could He (in His condition) have circumvented all of the security measures in place at His tomb?
32. If the authorities stole Jesus' body, why? Why would they have perpetrated the very scenario that they most wanted to prevent?
33. If Jesus merely resuscitated in the tomb, how did He deal with the Roman guard posted just outside its entrance?

For the record, they're here:
Thread 1: http://atheistforums.org/thread-2723.html
Thread 2: http://atheistforums.org/thread-13454.html

[popeyespappy]

Dermestid beetles?

[Jackalope]

How is it that Mark found out in the first place if the women told no one?

Goddidit. Derp.

[Tea Earl Grey Hot]

[FallentoReason]

*Klingon resurrection.

[greneknight]

And they didn't tell anyone because they were afraid. The writer of St Mark was hoping that readers would say to themselves, "Aha! I see it now. The reason why I've never heard of the empty tomb is because unreliable women were the only ones who saw the tomb and further more, they didn't tell anyone as St Mark wrote it."

'The women told no one about it' said 2.2 billion Christians.

Does anyone see the problem here?

I know what you are driving at but one silly thing to do when you are trying to think through religious beliefs is to think rationally. Check your brain at the bags counter before entering.

You see, superstitious people believe that the Holy Spirit inspired the writing of the Holy Gospels and the other books, the number of which is dependent on which church you belong to - 66 for Protestants, more for RCs and even more for Orthodox. Although the women told nobody, the Holy Spirit knew and got the chappies to write whatever they wrote. Naturally, the problem pops up when the writers contradict one another like mad. But faith covers a multitude of sins.

[ThomM]

Actually - it is easy to explain the empty tomb

Since the christ is a fictional character to begin with - they had to come up with a story to explain the lack of a body

So - BODILY ascension up OVER THE CLOUDS in a world of "spirits" that otherwise have no bodies was the best they could come up with.

Of course - how could an ascension happen without a resurrection - and if there was a need for a resurrection - then the tomb had to be empty - or none of it makes any sense.

Of course we now need a crucifixion to explain how there are enough fragments of the actual cross to build an ark!

Ah - and that being the case - we need a great flood for the ark to be in

YOU see - the bible is completely logical -if you look at it backwards

[Minimalist]

How is it that Mark found out in the first place if the women told no one?

The same way someone took notes of jesus' solliloquy in Gethsemane when EVERYONE else was sleeping.

Xtians, being idiots, are untroubled by such literary fuck-ups.