Diogenes the Cynic

There is no evidence that any such records ever existed, but if they had, they would not have survived repeated sacks (sacks which ostensibly included at least one total destruction of the Temple), by invading armies.

sotto voce

Records would have been kept in the Temple?

Diogenes the Cynic

Anything important, yeah. The Temple was the political center as well as the religious one. Where do you think these records would have been kept? Where were all these family bloodlines, requiring thousands and thousands of documents that maybe 3% of the populace could read, being archived? Where were they during the Second Temple period?

sotto voce

In which part of the Temple?

Diogenes the Cynic

The part where they kept the records. ; )

I confess, I don't know the layout of the Temple complex as well as I should.

sotto voce

The Temple was laid out very carefully, with one specific purpose in mind, which, while it acknowledged the twelve tribes, did so only in figurative and spiritual sense. Such 'earthly' items as family records, while important, would have been out of place, quite apart from the enormous volume they would have occupied. The general assumption is that they were kept by local tribal town elders in equivalents of 'town halls'.

ApostateAbe

Reason is generally regarded by Christians as subordinate to faith with respect to religious traditions, and any seeming absurdity can be effectively spun using the tools of rhetoric, if anyone takes the trouble to critically examine the gospels and find the absurdities. Christianity is no different in that respect than any other scripturalist ideology. Absurdities matter only to those who are willing to accept their existence.

sotto voce

Who decided this? Is it ok if we play on a level playing field?

Can anyone explain this without absurd circularity and prejudice?

ApostateAbe

OK, maybe I can explain it sufficiently. The largest organization of Christian creationists is Answers in Genesis, and they have a Statement of Faith. The last item in the list is as follows:

By definition, no apparent, perceived or claimed evidence in any field, including history and chronology, can be valid if it contradicts the scriptural record. Of primary importance is the fact that evidence is always subject to interpretation by fallible people who do not possess all information.

This means that they will believe that any absurdity perceived in the Bible is due to false perception, not actual absurdity, and this is because human reason is fallible and the Bible is seen as infallible. I know that you are not a creationist, but this way of thinking actually represents a heckuva lot of Christians in my part of the world. It doesn't represent all Christians. Maybe you have a different perspective.

sotto voce

Contradiction in terms.