Apikorus

So Athena may indeed have sprung forth fully armed from the head of Zeus?

Bede

Apikorus,

As you well know there is a big difference between not rejecting everything (Nomad's position) and accepting everything (the strawman your question implies).

I (and I expect Nomad and Polycarp) do not a priori reject magic and miracles from any tradition. I do, however, reject certain accounts of miracles (such as Athena's birth, Noah's flood, Bran's cauldren) for various reasons.

Yours

Bede

Bede's Library - faith and reason

Emperor of the Universe

Nomad:
I have looked over the various posts you have made both now and in the past, so, sssuming you are telling the truth in that quote (which probably isn't the case), I have a couple of questions for you:
1.Why do you focus so much on the alleged supernatural nature of Jesus while barely ever even commenting on other historical claims of the supernatural?
2.Since you clearly believe supernatural events happened to and/or were caused by Jesus, is there any non-Christian supernatural claim that has ever been made at any time during the entire existence of the human race that you will accept other than those about Jesus?

Apikorus

I didn't say that Athena did come out of Zeus' head; I simply asked if that might be true. I.e. should responsible professors of Classics take the time to examine the viability of this and countless other ancient claims of the supernatural? Or is there, as you seem to suggest, a line beyond which we can a priori adjudge claims as patently false?

hezekiah jones

And some people evidently reject all accounts of all "miracles." Do they simply have access to more "various reasons" than you do?

Family Man

Nomad --

I think your question has already been answered. In terms of the miraculous, she is not going to say yes this happened, or no it did not happen. That is a matter for belief. Therefore, the course is going to concentrate on what can be judged: the non-miraculous. In that sense, the miraculous will be excluded.