Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/12/24/atheism-is-an-intellectual-luxury-for-the-wealthy/ Poor, desperate people are the most likely to cling to religion. In other news, water is wet. Dawkins is so damn smug. Why can't he just respect the opinions of people who believe the world in 6,000 years old? ...

RICHARD BAUCKHAM'S "FORM CRITICS SCARE ME" ARGUMENT FROM "JESUS AND THE EYEWITNESSES" 1. Form critics proposed a long chain of oral transmission 2. The longer oral traditions go on, the greater likelihood of corruption or legend 3. The implications are kind of scary when you thin...

In the Bible, Saul tries to kill David numerous times. I can't believe someone would make that up. It must have really happened.

I mean, if they were just making up all this stuff, they'd have all the royal figures live in perfect harmony, wouldn't they? Why introduce conflict?

RICHARD BAUCKHAM'S "HISTORIAN" ARGUMENT FROM "JESUS AND THE EYEWITNESSES" 1. Jesus is really popular in America 2. Therefore, it is urgent that the "continuing efforts of historians rather than theologians or spiritual leaders" succeed in finding the historical Jesus 3....

ARGUMENT FROM THE HISTORICITY OF CULT LEADERS 1. Religious cults typically start with real people 2. It's hard to believe people would start a religion around some mythical being 3. I'm just going to ignore that fact that every other ancient religion was started with a mythical being 4. Therefore, J...

ARGUMENT FROM THE NORMALCY OF TURNING EXECUTED MEN INTO GOD 1. Some guys followed Jesus, a rabbi with anger management issues 2. When Jesus got whacked, they were terribly embarrassed 3. As people typically do in such a situation, they turned the executed man into God 4. This is so crazy that it mus...

Would they be content with an acknowledgement that Jesus might not have existed or are they arguing that the lack of evidence for his existence proves the events described in the gospel don't go back to an actual historical individual? The crux of the problem (no pun intended) is bigger than whethe...

I wrote a blog post that I won't even link here (it's nothing special) comparing the arguments for Secret Mark being a 'hoax' and those in favor of mythicism and came to the conclusion that there were uncanny parallels. Isn't the strongest argument in favor of Secret Mark being a fake the parallels...

I am not sure its seven. I am preparing a paper arguing that 1 Corinthians was not a letter originally but an introduction to the gospel affixed at the head of the canon. I'm open to anything. Just find some evidence Find me an argument that isn't (a) special pleading, or (b) apologetics. I'm all e...

That's what you were saying in your Miguel Conner interview. People scoff at Secret Mark for its supposed homoeroticism, when just about everything in early Christian literature is extremely anti-female. Paul says it's better to not get married and of course the Jesus figure is celibate and therefor...