Biblical Criticism & History Forum - earlywritings.com

ARGUMENT FROM THE WOMEN NOT BEING ALLOWED TO TESTIFY IN COURT (1) The gospels say women discovered Jesus's body (2) The story cannot possibly be invented because women's testimony was not allowed in court (3) I have no idea why I brought up courts (4) Therefore, Jesus existed. I believe William Lane...

ARGUMENT FROM JOHN THE BAPTIST IN JOSEPHUS
(1) The gospels mention John the Baptist
(2) Josephus attests that John the Baptist existed
(3) Therefore, Jesus existed.

ARGUMENT FROM GREEK MAGICAL PAPYRI
(1) The Greek Magical Papyri document how pagan mystery religions were just a bunch of hoo-haw
(2) Christianity was way more rational than that
(3) Therefore, Jesus existed.

ARGUMENT FROM EARL DOHERTY (3)
(1) Earl Doherty is the leading proponent of the argument that Jesus did not exist.
(2) Doherty is published by an atheist press.
(3) Therefore, Jesus existed.

ARGUMENT FROM RICHARD BAUCKHAM'S JESUS AND THE EYEWITNESSES
(1) Richard Bauckham wrote a 500 page book explaining how Papias attests to the reliability of eyewitness testimony in the gospels
(2) It's a really big book with lots of footnotes
(3) Therefore, Jesus existed.

ARGUMENT FROM BETHLEHEM NATIVITY
(1) Matthew and Luke have to invent crazy rationales in order to have Jesus born in Bethlehem
(2) There's no way they would do that if he wasn't actually born in Nazareth
(3) Therefore, Jesus existed.

ARGUMENT FROM EARL DOHERTY
(1) Earl Doherty thinks Jesus didn't exist
(2) Earl Doherty is just some guy from Canada
(3) Therefore, Jesus existed.

ARGUMENT FROM SILENCE ABOUT THE FALL OF THE TEMPLE (1) The Pauline Epistles, gospels, and Acts don't say anything about the fall of the Temple (2) Therefore, the Pauline Epistles, gospels, and Acts were all written before 70 (3) That makes them virtually contemporaneous with the events they describe...

ARGUMENT FROM ARISTOTLE
(1) Aristotle proposed that the universe was started by an unmoved mover.
(2) Aristotle was a really, really, smart dude
(3) Therefore, YHWH exists.
(4) Therefore, Jesus existed.

ARGUMENT FROM NIETZSCHE
(1) Nietzsche wrote a lot of mean things about Christianity
(2) Hitler admired Nietzsche
(3) Therefore, Jesus existed.