ApostateAbe

I would like to set up a Wiki, an online encyclopedia, that compiles and critically analyzes mythicist claims. Anyone would be able to edit it, including mythicists. Each article would be headed by a title of a mythicist claim (the claim as a complete sentence), followed by an accurate summary of the mythicist claim (containing all keywords), followed by citations to mythicist sources containing that claim, followed by a list of counterpoints, potentially followed by lists of counterpoints from other perspectives, followed by references, followed by further reading, including links to mythicist counter-counterpoints.

The "default" perspective of the counterpoints would be the perspective of a typical secular historian (Jesus was a merely-human Jewish religious leader), as this would be the most inclusive perspective, but all other desired viewpoints would be represented under the respective headings within each article (i.e. "Liberal Christian Perspective", "Conservative Christian Perspective" and "Jewish Perspective"). The primary Biblical translation would be the NRSV.

The wiki would have no organization except each claim given a sequential ID number (irrelevant to users) and a list of keyword tags. Hierarchical organization by topic would be more trouble than it is worth, I figure, as the set of topics is a complex web, and users would find this stuff through word searches.

First, let's settle on a name. I am thinking of calling it, "Wiki of Mythicist Claims." The URL would be wiki dot mythicistclaims dot org. I am inspired by the "Index to Creationist Claims" on TalkOrigins.org. Other ideas for a name are welcome.

Also, I won't have much time in my day to set up this thing and administer it. I have the money (if needed), but not so much time. If you are inspired to spend considerable time on this, then all of it will be in your hands.

Anyone who has experience administering a wiki is welcome to give pointers. Someone in this forum administers the Iron Chariots wiki, but I forget who.

Toto

This sounds pointless.

The only common claim that mythicists make is that Jesus of Nazareth did not exist.

Otherwise, mythicists agree with standard historians on many points. There is probably more agreement between mythicists and academic historians on the value of the gospels as history than there is between Christian apologists and mainstream academics on that issue.

And mythicists do not agree with each other on a lot of issues, including the dating of the gospels, the likely authors of the gospels, the degree of corruption of basic scripture, etc. Historicists also do not agree with each other on many of these issues.

ApostateAbe

Thanks for your consideration, and of course you don't have to join me in this if you don't want to. This project is for only those of us who find the mythicist falsehoods prevailing on the Internet to be relevantly harmful to reason and accurate knowledge and in need of efficient correction for anyone looking.

Toto

Will you also list common historicist falsehoods?

When will you drop the false creationism-mythicism comparison?

ApostateAbe

I think the mythicist falsehoods are in greatest need of correction, and a project like this is best executed with a single mission, though I wouldn't discourage anyone from correcting the historicist falsehoods. The comparison between creationism and mythicism is accurate and useful, and I don't see why I would be inclined to drop it.

Toto

The comparison between mythicism and creationism is completely useless and has only poisoned the atmosphere.

ApostateAbe

That is your perspective, and I take your perspective to be a sign of the potency of the comparison. The greatest object of hatred among mythicists is the belief system of creationism, and therefore they really hate looking like creationists. Of course they would take offense even if there was no truth in the comparison, but the apparent truth in the comparison makes the point sting far more painfully.

Sheshbazzar

Enough said. So go. Do your damnedest. We are well accustomed to having to refute stupid shit.

ApostateAbe

Thanks, I appreciate your encouragement!

ApostateAbe

I will be following this article on WikiHow: How to Start a Wiki.