"Gospel Quest" (or The Jesus Timeline)

[Undeceived]

This thread is devoted to discrepancies between the gospels and descrepencies between the gospels and history. It doesn't matter if those descrepncies were because the writers were liars or because they just copied down faulty oral history. The point is that they are really really wrong. That means that they don't prove Jesus.

At this point they are only apparent discrepancies. Any so-called "discrepancy" you find has a Bible scholar's explanation why it is not a discrepancy, but merely a misunderstanding of culture/literature/person ect. The difference between you and I is I believe the scholars. And more importantly, I believe the evidence (scriptural context, historical context, archaeology, ect) that the scholars cite.

If you want to believe god is good, fine, but recognize you'll have to ignore a lot of scripture to do it.

Do you believe that God judges people because he hates them, his own creation? Are there not other possible explanations? Why do you adhere to your explanation over the others?

[Jenny A]

This thread is devoted to discrepancies between the gospels and descrepencies between the gospels and history. It doesn't matter if those descrepncies were because the writers were liars or because they just copied down faulty oral history. The point is that they are really really wrong. That means that they don't prove Jesus.

At this point they are only apparent discrepancies. Any so-called "discrepancy" you find has a Bible scholar's explanation why it is not a discrepancy, but merely a misunderstanding of culture/literature/person ect. The difference between you and I is I believe the scholars. And more importantly, I believe the evidence (scriptural context, historical context, archaeology, ect) that the scholars cite.

In two millennium no one has legitimately explained them. They are discrepancies. No apparent about it.

If you want to believe god is good, fine, but recognize you'll have to ignore a lot of scripture to do it.

Do you believe that God judges people because he hates them, his own creation? Are there not other possible explanations? Why do you adhere to your explanation over the others?

I don't believe in god at all. The god of the Bible is not good unless you rewrite the Bible or ignore it selectively.

[Minimalist]

Any so-called "discrepancy" you find has a Bible scholar's explanation why it is not a discrepancy, but merely a misunderstanding of culture/literature/person ect.

No. That is wrong but it does serve as the basis of apologetics, though. We see the same thing with oil companies pretending that global warming isn't happening. It's an excuse to cover their asses and divert attention from what they are doing.

In the case of bible apologetics you are guilty of falling into the trap outlined here.

Bible-believers are full of clever (and some not so clever) rationalizations. The crucial question, however, is not whether "answers" can be generated in response to Bible difficulties but whether credible answers can be produced. What is the best explanation? Bible-believers seem to think that any loophole, however improbable, that gets the Bible off the hook has solved the problem. Thus, it is not surprising that different, conflicting answers are often presented side by side. It never seems to occur to these people that such logic will also support the story of Goldilocks and the three bears! Or the Koran. Or, anything else. Once we abandon the probable in favor of the improbable--or even the less probable--we have abandoned objectivity. Without objectivity, there is not much hope of finding the truth; we only succeed in confirming our own prejudiced views--even as a group of flat-Earth folks in California did for years in their newsletters.

http://etb-biblical-errancy.blogspot.com...ailed.html

Pretending that you have come up with some clever rationalization doubtlessly makes the believer feel better ( as in, Whew...dodged that bullet) but when you invent asinine rationalizations to save your precious bible from the fate it so richly deserves you can't convince anyone else.

[Undeceived]

Minimalist, are you saying that the majority of Bible scholars are wrong about the Bible? How is that different from saying astrophysicists don't know anything about stars?
I don't mean to make an argument from authority here, but neither should we resort to ad hominem.

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http://etb-biblical-errancy.blogspot.com...ailed.html

https://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.a...ticle=1790

[Wyrd of Gawd]

Minimalist, are you saying that the majority of Bible scholars are wrong about the Bible? How is that different from saying astrophysicists don't know anything about stars?
I don't mean to make an argument from authority here, but neither should we resort to ad hominem.

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http://etb-biblical-errancy.blogspot.com...ailed.html

https://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.a...ticle=1790

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[Baqal]

@Undeceived
-Why do you adhere to your explanation over the others?
Irony. You are doing the same thing. When someone points out God's hatred or wrath, you will say "But what if God is all-loving?" Looks like an "what if" argument is only you can do at the moment.
Open your Bible and go to the following verses:
Psalms 137:9 and Proverbs 6:16-17 (I have the King James version, by the way)
What do you say about this?

[Jenny A]

@ Undeceived. This thread is dedicated to particular contradictions in the Jesus timeline as set forth in the Gospels. This link you posted about Ezikiel has nothing to do with that. https://apologeticspress.org/apcontent.a...ticle=1790 If you'd like a thread explaining the problems with OT prophesy, I could oblige, but here and now the question is are the Gospels' portrayal of Jesus' biography credible? Explain away the contradictions if you can.

[Minimalist]

Minimalist, are you saying that the majority of Bible scholars are wrong about the Bible?

Because we have evidence that it is wrong. Never forget, this....




In spite of reality - your god said Tyre would be covered by the waves and never found again - we have had xtian idiots on this very board who insisted that the prophecy is true.

You aren't bad but I have a very short attention span for the level of stupidity reflected by those people.

Now, you are right about one thing. I have little regard for theologians. They are cranks who study one book and pretend it is real. Give me archaeologists any day.

[Simon Moon]

Minimalist, are you saying that the majority of Bible scholars are wrong about the Bible? How is that different from saying astrophysicists don't know anything about stars?

You seriously can't see the difference between Biblical scholars and astrophysicists?

Lets take a really basic example. If an astrophysicist measures the speed of light, it won't matter what religion they are, they will all get the same result.

The results Biblical scholars get when studying he Bible is very dependent of on their religion.

If a Muslim physicist measures the speed of light at 299,792,458 metres per second, you'd have no reason to believe his or her religion effected their results.

But if a Muslim studied the Bible, you'd have every reason to believe their religion effected their results.

[Undeceived]

Minimalist, are you saying that the majority of Bible scholars are wrong about the Bible? How is that different from saying astrophysicists don't know anything about stars?

The results Biblical scholars get when studying he Bible is very dependent of on their religion.

Are you saying that their belief precedes looking at the evidence? Where did you get an idea like that? Is it possible to just up and believe something without knowing anything about it? Where do you get the idea that blind faith is possible? From science?

There was some evidence that first caused the believing scholar to believe, and that particular examining was not dependent on religion.

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When someone points out God's hatred or wrath, you will say "But what if God is all-loving?" Looks like an "what if" argument is only you can do at the moment.

Please refer to my lengthy post on page 6.

Open your Bible and go to the following verses:
Psalms 137:9 and Proverbs 6:16-17 (I have the King James version, by the way)
What do you say about this?

Psalms 137:9 talks about conquerors happily dashing babies against the rocks-- this was a common practice for conquerors. What's the problem?
Proverbs 6:16-19 talks about God detesting "haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community." Apparently this is because he appreciates an honest tongue, just hands, a pure heart, feet that do not rush into evil, a true witness and people who keep the peace.