Benjamin Franklin

Does the we refer to people discussing this issue on this thread or the New Testament scholars ?

BF

Sauron

Researching it ? Yes.

But rescuing it? No.

When historians encounter a claim that is obviously historical error, they don't spend years trying to wiggle a way to make it correct. They simply accept that the document in question (whatever it is) cannot be trusted 100%. Then they move on, and continue studying the document.

In other words, they don't have any emotional baggage that makes them unwilling to accept an error in an ancient text.

Contrast that with the attitude of christians, who can't accept even the *idea* of a historical error in the bible. So when they encounter such a historical error, what do they do? They create all kinds of contrived and impossible scenarios, to rescue the scripture from being labeled wrong.

By the way: I'm still waiting on that list of five historical facts that are found in the bible and nowhere else.

Benjamin Franklin

That' easy

1. The resurrection of Christ
2. King Herod's slaughter of the firstborns
3. The resurrection of saints in the Gospel of Matthew
4. Joshua's stopping of the sun
5. The three hours of darkness during Christ's crucifixon


BF

Justin70

And what makes you think that these 'events' are 'facts' instead of just stories or hersay?

Peter Kirby

A word to the wise is enough: irony.

best,
Peter Kirby

Benjamin Franklin

My lame joke aside, your point illustrates precisely how difficult it is to come up with a satisfactory answer to Sauron's question, other than to engage in a relatively subjective debate on the strength of the argument from silence since the answers required are by definition, "facts" that have no independent confirmation outside the bible.


BF

Ps - I was tempted to put in the flood and creation accounts until I recalled other religions have similar stories.