Layman

And don't mention methodology - there is NO methodology for separating fact from fiction.

Once again Toto steps in to rescue the thread, but spares some time to slam me.

Toto

Layman, I don't know why you thought that post was slamming you, but now I will:

Please stop the one line posts that do not contribute to the thread, such as your last post.

mike_decock

[Mode Mode]
Gentlemen,

Could we please tone down the amount of sarcasm, disparaging remarks and one-liners?

Thanks,

-Mike...

P.S. There's a separate forum to make complaints about moderation.

spin

What meaning do you get out of your reformulation?

And to Toto Layman wrote, substituting "fact" for "truth" in Toto's original statement:
What does this mean and how does it cash out in your mind in historiography?

Disparaging remark removed by MD

spin

Amaleq13

Carrier was quoted:
I agree that substantial time and effort is involved in the kind of study required to obtain a good understanding of how folks in the first few centuries of the Common Era thought, reacted, behaved, and believed. I also agree that, for conclusions of that sort, a reliance upon the opinions of experts can be justified. Relying on the number of opinions as an indicator of truth, though, continues to be a logical error. It has not been my experience that there exists anything resembling a "consensus" with regard to reaching the sort of understanding described above. Kloppenborg, in Excavating Q, provides a wide variety of often contrary expert attempts to place Q in a socio-economic context. He doesn't just list the scholars on one side or the other. Instead, he explains the basis for their differing conclusions and explains why he finds a given conclusion credible or not.

If the opinions offered had been based on this sort of understanding or research, the conclusions would have been much more compelling than the mere assertions founded on logical errors and a faulty understanding of the evidence they appear to be.

Celsus

That is half true, in that I am not half of the mods.
This is also half true, because there are plenty of other reasons involved in my resignation. I would, however, prefer you both not to speculate or speak on my behalf.

Back to your scheduled programs, and please remember the moderators here have a difficult time-consuming job which rapidly becomes no fun when all they can do is tidy up bickering.

Joel