Bible Humper

I was sifting through some of the old links I've collected, and I found a rather amazing claim that I'd like to have confirmed before I go whipping it out with any confidence.

According to <a href="http://www.ffrf.org/nontracts/jesus.html" target="_blank">this site, which talks about the immorality of Jesus,</a> the Jesus Seminar has concluded that a mere 15% of what is reported about Jesus in the NT is authentic!

I couldn't find anything about this at the Jesus Seminar site, but I figured that you people would already know all about it.

Is this an accurate claim?

Uzzah

I've read both "The Five Gospels" and "The Acts of Jesus" and from what I can recall, that sounds about right. Although that number represents the "he did definately do/say this" category. So it's a little misleading.

Personally, as a jesus myther. I'd put the number a little lower....say...around 0%.


Uzzah

Bible Humper

Thanks for the reply, Uzzah!

Yeah, it's obvious to anyone who doesn't have to believe in this dribble that Jesus = Mithras, but the fact that these are Christian scholars coming to these conclusions adds to the agony!

Ok, this is what I need to know about here. Is the 85% considered to be "probably"?

The way this guy wrote it, he is clearly claiming that they have concluded that 85% of it is certainly, or almost certainly, not true.

[ December 12, 2002: Message edited by: Bible Humper ]</p>

JusticeMachine

Did they say what the source of that knowledge is or did they just say that it is true.

You know they say 85% of people make up statistics, or is it 75%

Toto

That figure is based on a vote by the fellows of the Jesus Seminar, which (as I recall - I'm not taking the time to look up the details) is open to anyone with a PhD in New Testament Studies, but which has been boycotted by the more conservative or inerrantist scholars.

The seminar started by deciding (or assuming) who Jesus was, and then deciding what he was likely to have said among the reports in the Gospels of what he said.

The methodology leaves a lot to be desired, but it is an indication of the best that people who have studied the question can come up with.

Artemus

Isn't that an oxymoron? (I'm actually serious. How can an inerrantist be considered a scholar when they have presupposed the conclusion?)

Bible Humper

So would it be more accurate for me to say that the Jesus Seminar's Christian scholars have concluded that 85% of what is written about Jesus in the NT is *dubious* or *untrue*?

[ December 12, 2002: Message edited by: Bible Humper ]</p>

Toto

Not exactly. They break things down into 4 categories: definitely didn't say it, probably didn't say it, possibly said something like it, and most probably said it (represented by black, grey, pink, and red balls.) I think the 15% refers to the "red", or most probably said it, category. You would have to get the 4 part break down to find out the percentage that is "dubious" or "untrue".

<a href="http://religion.rutgers.edu/jseminar/" target="_blank">Jesus Seminar</a>

<a href="http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_jsem.htm" target="_blank">Religious Tolerance page on the Jesus Seminar</a>

godfry n. glad

JusticeMachine did state:

Y'know... I had always heard that it was 42.7% of statistics were made up on the spot by the person citing them.

godfry n. glad

Bible Humper

Awesome. Thanks a lot, Toto.