Doctor X

Not to totally tangent this, there were presidents of the Continental Congresses--first and second. They did not count as presidents of the US--which was not declared until the end of the Second Continental Congress.

Trying to keep this relevant . . . well it demonstrates how precise history has to be. The only reason I can make the statements above is because we have the documentation. In the case of biblical history, the documentation just is not there.

--J.D.

offa

Thank you very much Doctor X (and Bob K). I am sure that lots of people think I make things up. Your response to my former response indicates that I am not some wierdo spaceman. My goal is to be "thought" provoking as opposed to provoking. I often have "hoof-in-mouth" and am embar(assed) to have to answer.

My apologies for going off topic, and, you have taught me a great deal.

diana

Nah. One example is a contention, two is an argument, and three is proof.

So far, the assertion that you aren't some wierdo spaceman is only a contention.

d

offa

that was sweet. My son, usaf ssgt hupp, is stationed in Baghdad.

NOGO

Actually it would be nice to state the reasons for doubting the story as Christians are taught and in particular reasons for doubting the existance of Jesus.

tracer

I belong to a fourth camp:

4. Jesus really existed, buit he was a cult leader like David Koresh, one of several self-proclaimed "Christs" who cashed in on a kind of "messiah fever" prevalent in Israel during the mid-1st century C.E.. The Jewish splinter-cult of Jesus would have faded into historical obscurity had it not been for Paul, who (A) roamed around establishing new "branch chruches" for the cult, and (B) allowed gentiles to become cult members.

godfry n. glad

George Washington was the first President of the United States of America to be elected under the provisions of the newly adopted and ratified Constitution.

Yes, there were earlier "presidents", those being the men who presided over the Continental Congress during the war and those who presided over the convening of the representatives of the Confederation. Remember, the United States existed as a free nation for nine years under the Articles of Confederation... before the Constitution was written, promulgated, argued over and adopted.

"Erased"? Meaning what? It sounds like you're saying George had hits put out on anybody who held the title "president".... Nothing has been "erased." There's more than sufficient historical evidence, if you're willing to look for it.

godfry

NOGO

I would suggest this as a forth camp.

Different books of the New Testament speak of different kinds of Jesus Christs. In some cases he is a man, in another case he is a spirit possessing a man and in still other cases he is a spirit with no man. Take you pick.

Phineas Flapdoodle

Those DO appear to absolutely fall into either 1 or 2 above. yes.

Nope, no fourth camp yet, IMO. (edited to add: "Tracer's" fourth camp idea gets my vote for a good possible fourth, now that I've finished reading this thread.

Happy New Year!!
Stephen

diana

If y'all check the link I gave on the first page to Peter Kirby's review of the different positions, you'll see there are, technically, far more than three camps.

d