Bible - Fiction?

[RootsBooster]

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were not merely authors, BUT witnesses.

If you don't believe first-hand witnesses, who would you believe?

 

Do you know this or is it just something which you believe?

[angos]

Do you know this or is it just something which you believe?

 

Isn't most of your knowledge based on believing what you have read or been told.

 

For instance the sun is 149,597,870,700 meters from earth, is this something you know because you have measured it, or is it something you simply believe because someone told you or you read it somewhere.

[flamingjimmy]

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were not merely authors, BUT witnesses.

 

Nope, they were probably neither.

 

The gospels were strung together by numerous authors decades after the death of Jesus.

 

Also, lets not forget that they contradict each other in parts.

[Jmack]

If debating the existence of God is pointless, just think how much more pointless it is to read such debates and then debate whether people should even bother debating the existence of God.

 

I'm just surprised how many people are talk about "debating" yet are completely unwilling to accept anyone else's point of view.

[angos]

I'm just surprised how many people are talk about "debating" yet are completely unwilling to accept anyone else's point of view.

 

To accept someone elses point of view you would need to believe or come to recognize that their point of view is valid or correct, that would require them to provide enough evidence to convince you that their point of view is valid or correct.

 

If someone tells me the sun orbits the earth, I wouldn't accept that point of view until they could demonstrate that the sun does in fact orbit the earth.

 

I would try to prove to them that the earth actually orbits the sun, the debate/discussion would end when one of us changes our mind or we agree to disagree.

[poppet2]

Do you know this or is it just something which you believe?

 

Have you not read the works of The historian, Josephus?

 

---------- Post added 09-12-2013 at 19:46 ----------

 

Nope, they were probably neither.

 

The gospels were strung together by numerous authors decades after the death of Jesus.

 

Also, lets not forget that they contradict each other in parts.

 

How many decades and which parts contradict each other?

[flamingjimmy]

Have you not read the works of The historian, Josephus?

Would that be the same Josephus who wasn't born until after the death of Jesus so couldn't possibly have been a witness to his life?

 

Also, what a ridiculous way to put it, as if you've read Josephus! You've probably read the wikipedia page on him sure, but you're clearly no historian.

 

How many decades and which parts contradict each other?

How many decades depends which gospel, they weren't all written at the same time. None of them are thought to have been written during Jesus' lifetime.

 

And which parts contradict each other? Lots

 

They contradict each other about Joseph's ancestry, they contradict each other about where Joseph and Mary lived, they contradict each other about details of the story of the crucifiction, etc.

[poppet2]

Would that be the same Josephus who wasn't born until after the death of Jesus so couldn't possibly have been a witness to his life?

 

Also, what a ridiculous way to put it, as if you've read Josephus! You've probably read the wikipedia page on him sure, but you're clearly no historian.

.

 

I take that as a 'No' then?

 

What is the point of you trying to discuss something when you haven't even taken the time to bother to do your homework? You are obviously not aware of his primary resources then?

[flamingjimmy]

I take that as a 'No' then?

 

What is the point of you trying to discuss something when you haven't even taken the time to bother to do your homework? You are obviously not aware of his primary resources then?

 

Do enlighten me then, how does Josephus establish the authorship of the gospels?

 

Because I think you made that up:

 

Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were not merely authors, BUT witnesses.

If you don't believe first-hand witnesses, who would you believe?

 

Do you know this or is it just something which you believe?

 

Have you not read the works of The historian, Josephus?

 

Or were you not answering him?

[poppet2]

Do enlighten me then, how does Josephus establish the authorship of the gospels?

 

Because I think you made that up:

 

Or were you not answering him?

 

 

I am happy with my beliefs re.The Bible.

The fact that you haven't even bothered to make some effort by looking into this matter in more detail prior to your assertions surprises me. Read the works of Josephus for yourself first, then come on here with your questions. At least then maybe it would prove you have bothered to do some research rather then just sounding like a troll.

 

Without making some effort into research yourself, your argument will go something like this?

Person A. I don't believe in The Bible.

Person B. Gives their reasons for believing in it.

Person A. I don't care, I still don't believe in it.

Person B. Give me your reasons for not believing in it?

Person A. Because I don't, no matter what people say.

Person B. What evidence have you read that led you to dispute what historians say?

Person A. I don't know I can't be bothered to do any research into the subject, I want the easy way out, I want someone to do my research for me and then I will just pick holes in their argument, regardless.

 

A doubting Thomas indeed.