OK. If that's true, then Jesus probably did exist. I never set out to
try and prove that he didn't -- indeed, I was careful to point out that
I believe he probably did.
> Ya know what I find to be a particularly strong arguement?
> Jesus performed many miracles and was resurrected to walk on
> the earth before many witnesses.
This is where your logic breaks down. Eyewitness testimony that Jesus
existed is not hard to accept. However, eyewitness testimony of his
miracles and his resurrection are another matter. As the saying goes,
"extraordinary claims require extraordinary proof". Eyewitness testimony
is not "extraordinary proof". If I read a historical "testimony" that the
Sandia Mountains here in Albuquerque once stood up and did the Foxtrot
with the Sangre de Cristos by Santa Fe, I would be understandably quite
skeptical. But your standard of credulity would require me to accept it as
gospel (so to speak). That is what I am having a hard time with.
> As I said, there are in
> 20th century man's possession, original documentation of
> these events. However, history has no documentation of
> anyone in the first century denying these events. Yes, they
> deny Jesus was the Son of God, but they fail to deny He was
> resurrected.
And therefore, since we have no record of such denials, we should logically
conclude that they never existed?
> If someone were to write a book in 1997 that JFK was
> resurrected and ascended into heaven in a cloud of glory,
> well, I think that ATF would have gotten involved with the
> process somewhere. There would simply be a public outcry to
> deny that these events occured and these writings would just
> go away for lack of credence.
Not surprisingly, since we live in a time when such claims are met with
much greater skepticism.
> Before denying yourself the Kingdom of God, please consider
> all of the facts and faith with an open mind.
That's what I'm doing. Just because I reached a different conclusion from
yourself, that doesn't mean that I don't have an open mind.
_____________________________________________________________
| Russell Stewart |
| http://www.rt66.com/diamond/ |
|_____________________________________________________________|
| Albuquerque, New Mexico | diamond@rt66.com |
|_____________________________|_______________________________|
2 + 2 = 5, for very large values of 2.