Author Topic: What Is God Made From?  (Read 159361 times)

Jack Knave

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #825 on: July 08, 2015, 01:10:40 PM »
Alien

I see you are not answering my posts. Am I too tough for you? Have I shown you what your position really is, flawed and misguided?!

Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #826 on: July 08, 2015, 02:20:03 PM »
Yes, so the question is whether they are correct in their reporting.

Yes, so the question is whether they are correct in their interpretation.

Questions that you haven't even come close to answering.
Such as?

The two that you mentioned in your post that I quoted.
Eh?
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Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #827 on: July 08, 2015, 02:24:10 PM »
So independent witnesses (at least 5, we count only the writers)

This is a lie.
No, it isn't. For it to be a lie it would need to be a false statement and intentionally so.

You know for a fact that two of the synoptic accounts were copied from the third.
It is highly probable that Matthew and Luke had access to a copy of Mark when they were writing their own accounts (and maybe Luke had a copy of Matthew as well). That does not mean that everything in Luke and Matthew were copied from Mark, as you know. Of particular interest is whether the crucifixion and resurrection accounts in Matthew and Luke were copied from Mark (and, possibly, Luke copying his crucifixion and resurrection accounts from Matthew). That Matthew and Luke's accounts on the resurrection are independent of Mark is blindingly obvious as Mark has no record of anyone meeting the risen Jesus. There are other parts of their crucifixion and resurrection accounts which are independent of Mark's (and of each other's). They are different and record some different things. Isn't that why you have claimed in the past that they are incompatible?

Added: One place where this can be seen is http://sites.utoronto.ca/religion/synopsis/meta-syn.htm. We can see that Luke and Matthew both added material to what was in Mark and that Luke and Matthew have some different material from each other.
« Last Edit: July 08, 2015, 02:44:51 PM by Alien »
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Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #828 on: July 08, 2015, 02:25:34 PM »
So independent witnesses (at least 5, we count only the writers)

This is a lie.
No, it isn't. For it to be a lie it would need to be a false statement and intentionally so.

You know for a fact that two of the synoptic accounts were copied from the third.

Using other sources as well, though. Luke used Mark + L + Q, Matthew used Mark + M + Q
Possibly. Some scholars do not believe there ever was a Q. If interested in that view, look up Mark Goodacre on Google. He seems to put this across well.

As you say though there is stuff in Luke (the so-called "L" material) and in Matthew (the so-called "M" material) which is in neither of the either gospels.
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Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #829 on: July 08, 2015, 02:26:39 PM »
...  Unfortunately, they could all derive from one oral source, so we really can't say that they are independent....
That would be Jesus then.
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BeRational

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #830 on: July 08, 2015, 02:27:34 PM »
...  Unfortunately, they could all derive from one oral source, so we really can't say that they are independent....
That would be Jesus then.

Why?
I see gullible people, everywhere!

Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #831 on: July 08, 2015, 02:27:52 PM »
So what would there motivation be to be "creative"? So that some of them could lead a life of hardship and some get killed for it (2 Corinthians 11:23-27, for example)? So that they could be persecuted by their fellow Jews (Acts 8:1, for example)?

Do you really think Christians are the only people who have died for a cause?  People died for the cause of removing Saddam Hussein before he could use his weapons of mass destruction.  Come to think of it, people died for the cause of keeping Hussein in power.
Yes and? What is your point?
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In their creativity, how did they manage to stop the Jewish authorities from showing people Jesus' corpse?

Do you know how quickly a corpse in a mass grave decomposes? 

Maybe they did produce the body.  Perhaps that is why not all Jews are converted to Christianity.
And the evidence for this is what?
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How did they manage to convince Paul, their persecutor, to follow Jesus?

It's a damned sight easier to persuade an enemy to join your cause than to resurrect a dead body.
For us, yes. And?
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Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #832 on: July 08, 2015, 02:28:42 PM »
...And their names are? Come on, Gordon. If you are going to say that this is equivalent to what is recorded in the gospels, back it up. The gospels and a couple of other NT books give names of the witnesses.

What are the names of the N. Korean witnesses?

Who knows, and who cares since that isn't the point, as I'm sure you realise: they might not even exist, which fits with how propaganda works.

However, we have an authoritative report that says that a) there was a remarkable event, and b) there were witnesses. I'm inclined to disbelieve both a) and b)! My point is that this report isn't credible based on anecdotal report of witness who, if they exist, may be telling lies in support of their cause - there is the same risk with the NT.
So with your North Korean witnesses we have no good reason to believe them and every reason to disbelieve them. For this to be a valid analogy, please tell us why we have no good reason to believe the NT witnesses and every reason to disbelieve them.

You do realise that if you can't do that it is not a valid analogy, don't you?

Simple.

Considering the NT claims (about a dead person not staying dead), and with a similar application of inductive reasoning as per the claim of unbelievable golf tells us, as you say, that 'we have no good reason to believe the NT witnesses and every reason to disbelieve them', since 3-day dead people always stay dead (ask any undertaker for confirmation that this is so)

Human artifice, Alan, should never be under-estimated.
 
So why should I trust your statement to be honest and not the NT statements? After all, human artifice, Gordon, should never be under-estimated.

So, my pointing out to you that people being potentially dishonest in support of a cause is a dishonest position for me to hold to?
Nope. I take you to be honest. I have no evidence to the contrary. I take the NT accounts to be honest. I have no evidence to the contrary.

That would seem to be the consistent thing to do.
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Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #833 on: July 08, 2015, 02:29:47 PM »
I think Alien is a bit of a lost cause.

Logic and reason have little value.

Words in his book are really really true.

Words in other books of course he can quickly dismiss.

Cue BR leaving!

Why?

Pointing out that Alien makes obvious mistakes, may help him not make them in future.

Don't be so condescending!

Pointing out the truth is condescending now?

He claims that Jesus rose from the dead because it is written in a book that some people claimed to have eaten with him later.

That is crazy, and wrong.
Yes, it would be. However, that is not the claim I have made. It misses out important stuff.

Yet again.
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Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #834 on: July 08, 2015, 02:30:33 PM »
Alien

I see you are not answering my posts. Am I too tough for you? Have I shown you what your position really is, flawed and misguided?!
Thanks for the laugh.

Which posts have I missed? Please do always remind me if I miss any. Seriously.
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Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #835 on: July 08, 2015, 02:31:16 PM »
...  Unfortunately, they could all derive from one oral source, so we really can't say that they are independent....
That would be Jesus then.

Why?
Because he is the person the gospels were written about and the person they mainly quoted?
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BeRational

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #836 on: July 08, 2015, 02:44:37 PM »
...  Unfortunately, they could all derive from one oral source, so we really can't say that they are independent....
That would be Jesus then.

Why?
Because he is the person the gospels were written about and the person they mainly quoted?

So what. The same could be said for Harry Potter.

You do not even know that Jesus existed, let alone was quoted accurately.
I see gullible people, everywhere!

floo

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #837 on: July 08, 2015, 05:12:52 PM »
...  Unfortunately, they could all derive from one oral source, so we really can't say that they are independent....
That would be Jesus then.

Why?
Because he is the person the gospels were written about and the person they mainly quoted?

So what? There is no reliable evidence that any of what is claimed for Jesus is true!

Jack Knave

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #838 on: July 08, 2015, 05:30:39 PM »
Alien

I see you are not answering my posts. Am I too tough for you? Have I shown you what your position really is, flawed and misguided?!
Thanks for the laugh.

Which posts have I missed? Please do always remind me if I miss any. Seriously.
It was no laugh mate I was being serious!!!  ;D

576, 577

743 and 764

from what I can tell these 4.

Gordon

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #839 on: July 08, 2015, 06:37:25 PM »
...And their names are? Come on, Gordon. If you are going to say that this is equivalent to what is recorded in the gospels, back it up. The gospels and a couple of other NT books give names of the witnesses.

What are the names of the N. Korean witnesses?

Who knows, and who cares since that isn't the point, as I'm sure you realise: they might not even exist, which fits with how propaganda works.

However, we have an authoritative report that says that a) there was a remarkable event, and b) there were witnesses. I'm inclined to disbelieve both a) and b)! My point is that this report isn't credible based on anecdotal report of witness who, if they exist, may be telling lies in support of their cause - there is the same risk with the NT.
So with your North Korean witnesses we have no good reason to believe them and every reason to disbelieve them. For this to be a valid analogy, please tell us why we have no good reason to believe the NT witnesses and every reason to disbelieve them.

You do realise that if you can't do that it is not a valid analogy, don't you?

Simple.

Considering the NT claims (about a dead person not staying dead), and with a similar application of inductive reasoning as per the claim of unbelievable golf tells us, as you say, that 'we have no good reason to believe the NT witnesses and every reason to disbelieve them', since 3-day dead people always stay dead (ask any undertaker for confirmation that this is so)

Human artifice, Alan, should never be under-estimated.
 
So why should I trust your statement to be honest and not the NT statements? After all, human artifice, Gordon, should never be under-estimated.

So, my pointing out to you that people being potentially dishonest in support of a cause is a dishonest position for me to hold to?
Nope. I take you to be honest. I have no evidence to the contrary. I take the NT accounts to be honest. I have no evidence to the contrary.

That would seem to be the consistent thing to do.

Problem here, Alan, is that it would be foolish inconsistency on your part if you are applying equal weight to my honesty and that of those responsible for the NT since I'm not making claims that are consistent with those made in the NT.

For example, I claim I am typing this from Cornwall, where we are on holiday with our grand-children, and this can be easily checked if you get yourself here before Friday evening. Since I'm claiming nothing unusual it would have little significance to the world at large whether I am lying or not - in this regard you can set the honesty/evidence bar as low as you like and it really doesn't matter.

However, the NT accounts involve remarkable claims that have a much greater significance than where I am this evening so the honesty/evidence bar for the NT really does need to be set much higher compared to my claim of being on holiday in Cornwall - yet you seem to maintain the honesty/evidence bar at a level where it is effectively non-existent.   
« Last Edit: July 08, 2015, 06:44:41 PM by Gordon »

Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #840 on: July 08, 2015, 09:45:03 PM »
Alan (Your post 570)

Except that they do. For example if the Kalam Cosmological Argument is correct, it leads to the conclusion that there is an entity which created the universe which was spaceless (he/it created space), timeless (he/it created time), non-material (he/it created matter),  immensely powerful (he/it created the universe) and, plausibly, personal (deciding to create the universe). It does not take us to the specifically Christian understanding of God or even to a theistic God, but if you can think of a better term than "God", please do say what it is.

2} But I did think of something better than God in the sense that it is more appropriate, "Something".

How is that more appropriate?

This is one issue I'd like to get sorted out so I'd like it to be done as a separate line of posts. The context is the philosophical arguments you gave on your post 92.

The word God is not a neutral term. It means different things to different people depending on their religion and even factions within religions and even to people who may not be practicing a religion may still hold some notions of the word God because of their culture. These various meanings and notions to these people form some manner of loose definitions of God for them which are not inherent in the philosophical arguments you have presented in 92. It is therefore disingenuous to use the term God in this context and effectively surreptitiously makes a link to your Christian God, from these philosophical arguments, which is not there and is unfounded.
Nope. When discussing with people on a UK board about Christianity I would think that most people here (and in the UK population in general) would have an idea of God as being as above. Even if that were not true we are on the Christian Topic board and it fits with the Christian concept of God. You will hopefully have noticed when I write things like, "It does not take us to the specifically Christian understanding of God or even to a theistic God". The KCA takes us to a deistic-like God, but says nothing about whether he would intervene in the universe he has created. As I say, if you can come up with a better term, please do tell us.
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There is nothing in philosophy which can deal with the issue of God as the word is specific to religions alone, where a particular, though not always full, definition and notion of it is given depending on the religion in question. The best that philosophy can do is come up with some vague term like "Something", as God is a totally unknown quantity and lacks even the basic notional outlines.
That's cobblers. See above.
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You have to admit that the word God to you means something specific which is related to your Christian faith and you therefore have to admit that the word God to others of different faiths will mean something else and therefore it can't be used as a generic term as you have used it in 92. I hope you will agree and amend the material you have presented in 92.
See above. I would be rather suprised if you and others on this board do not know what I mean when I use the generic term "God". If you didn't know before this post, you do now.
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Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #841 on: July 08, 2015, 09:49:25 PM »
Alan (your 570 cont.)

from 2} As you admit the primal cause could be anything even a force or 'mechanism' of some law or pattern of energy.

No, I haven't "admitted" that. If it were something physical, the start of the universe would not be the start of the universe, if you see what I mean.

Firstly, I would use the word "Something" instead of God. Also, the force or energy I'm referring to could be something non-physical, but the Kalam argument has a lot of assumptions in it which I don't agree with. One, time is a metaphysical notion of our mind created by our memories
Is it? Is it really? Did anyone tell Einstein this?
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and there is no reason why matter etc. could not have always exited.
The BGV theorem, at least according to Vilenkin, seems to show otherwise. Then there are the philosophical arguments against an infinite number of events in the past. Hilbert's Grand Hotel and the like.
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Are quantum fields matter/physical?
Yes. And?
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Is energy physical or of something 'solid'?
Eh?
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3} 'Objective morality, if correct,...' - again big if. You can't use as an argument something which is far from shown to be even vaguely plausible. [Anyway this moral element could be a separate issue, something independent of the creation act itself and not at all associated with its functional framework.

How?

If the universe came about by a 'force' then forces are not moral actions. When a chemical reaction occurs it has no moral status. If a tree falls on you that action is not a moral one it is just your bad luck. It is quite reasonable to think that whatever brought about the universe it had no moral status.
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 4} If some atheists do say this then they are idiots. I would amend your b) by replacing God with "Something"; and replacing God in all your philosophical arguments with "Something". The word God only truly enters the arena when one starts dealing with religion which is its domain.

Call it what you like, but it would be timeless, spaceless, non-material, immensely powerful and plausibly personal. That's a lowest common denominator idea of God in most people's use of the word.

Your last sentence has the word God in it and as I have explained in another post you can't use the word God in the context of a philosophical argument.

As I explained about morals with regards to 'forces' so it is true of the idea of being personal. The tree falling on you does not do it from a personal consideration, it is impersonal. There is no reason to assume that the 'forces' or whatever that brought about the universe had any personality or individuality or character to them/it.

As I see it time is a product of our memory. Light travelling at the speed of L in a vacuum is everywhere, hence the ideas of general relativity, and so space cesses to have meaning. Non-material I've explained above; quantum fields? And being immensely power, well that is just a relative term.
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5} As I was not there to see this Jesus fellow and all these claims about him I can only leave these details on the shelves with the rest of the history books, dipping into them for my amusement.

That's rather patronising. Because you were not there to see this Jesus fellow (or Augustus Caesar or Tiberius Caesar or Napolean or Elizabeth I or Ghengis Khan am I to understand that you are uncertain about them existing and the major events of their lives?

What I'm saying is that whether they did exist or not does not govern how I live my life. It is only a possible account of history which has little to no consequence for my life; hence for my amusement. If they are not happy with my attitude then they are free to come and tell me.  ;D
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6} A better explanation would be is that we just don't know how

Why is that is a better explanation?

Because it is the truth. You know?...the truth will set you free!
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6 cont.} and why these things got to be written down (or what was altered later on). We are fallible and are unable to think of every possibility that could explain an event which we never saw. Are you saying every myth and fable or whatever is true?

No. That's a silly question. In any situation we are fallible and are unable to think of every possibility etc. Why do you only bring this up when speaking about Jesus? Because it would rock your world if it were true?

I do not just bring this up when speaking about Jesus. You only think that because that is the only time we engage in any significant way. What would it rock my world?
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7} What I meant was that probability is a myth created from mankind's point of view. Either something occurs or it doesn't. It is only our perspective on things that creates in our minds this probability stuff.

Really? Why do you claim this?

Because that is what happens in real life. Either something occurs or it doesn't. It is only our prior speculation, because we do not understand it fully, that we come up with these probable outcome events. When we know what will happen we do not apply our probability theories as this would be pointless.
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 8} But how does one evaluate a value for such things, who decides that this or that explanation warrants a given value of probability. It's sheer stupidity because no one can.

Yet you and I do this all the time in our lives? Do you know for certain that you will survive a bus trip or driving into work? You seem very inconsistent.

You need reliable information to make judgements. Information you personally know to be reliable. What some geezer wrote 2000 years ago is not reliable. This is the problem with man kind is that his hubris takes him into impossible areas like the EU project and the banking system and so on. He thinks he know but in fact he know nearly bugger all, and is then surprised when everything goes tits up!!!

So just as I take risks in my life based on past experience and on as much information that I can acquire so you are saying taking the NT as the truth is nothing more than a risk; chance taking, the throw the dice? That your faith is nothing more than a "what if", "whatever", see how the runes fall, a blind grab at chance?
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8 cont.} Your example is restrictive and conditional on an idea of function and as such will naturally result in the result you say it will give. If I say to you you can go anywhere except Paul's cathedral and then declare you will never enter Paul's cathedral it is no big shakes is it...? The whole thing is fixed i.e. a sophistic game.

Why do you think that is pertinent to what I wrote?

It's like Zeno's paradox about halving the distance to the finish line. This is a time restrictive action and so you will never get there. It is a stupid paradox because it is sheer bollocks.
When I gave the list of reasons why I continue to have a Christian faith, I was not intending to have to defend all of them on one thread. I would be happy for you to pick one of them and start a new thread on it, but I don't have the time to do all of them at once.
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Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #842 on: July 08, 2015, 09:58:50 PM »
How come some of them went to their deaths for standing for something they knew was a lie?
And how do you know that they knew it wasn't a lie? All you have to gauge this is a book written 2000 years ago.
1) No, at least 5 books written 2000 years ago.
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If they believed it to be true that belief is no proof that what they believed was true,
2) Oh good grief, this one has been done to death. No-one is claiming it thereby meant it was true. When will you lot stop making out as if our lot ever claim that?
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just that they were in emotional need for it to be seen by them as being true
3) And how does it prove that? What a silly claim.
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Because it can't be done genuinely. Once you're dead you are dead.
So why did people think they saw and sometimes ate with Jesus on a dozen or so occasions in the 40 days after his death?
You have no proof that they did!!! All you have is that some people wrote that, which proves nothing. All you have is speculation!!!
4) Slaps head.


1) I was referring to the NT but the number of books is neither here nor there. It all means is the duplication of the available tittle-tattle.
1} So independent witnesses (at least 5, we count only the writers, but at least a dozen if we count the people who claimed to have seen Jesus) now becomes "duplication of the available tittle-tattle". I was hoping for a serious discussion with you.
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2) You only have yourself to blame for this. You can't claim they knew that the events were fact when quite clearly you don't know that.
2}Know 100%? Correct. Know enough to base my life upon it? Yes, I do know that well enough.
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That's my whole argument here about what you actually know to be true about what happened 2000 years ago. Oh yeah, that's right, you weren't there to see it!!!!
3} What a weird criterion. So we should only believe things we have seen ourselves? Are you serious?
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3) People join religions because they have a need.
4} What was my need then?
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Quite obviously they were waiting for the messiah and all that and this new cult of following Jesus fitted the bill.
5} Oh, well put. It was what was predicted beforehand. Thanks for that endorsement.
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It's just human nature to what to be loved and all that and to feel secure and safe.
6} <snigger/>
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4) Slaps head. What ever floats your boat.

The only fact you have here is that the NT was written by men. Its content is just speculation.
7} If you want to know its content, may I suggest you read it. That's what other people do.


1} I could have used the word gossip or rumours but you know how it works, ideas get multiplied by constant exchange. We see this type of thing all the time, it part of our human nature.
So why do you think that is relevant to the creation of the NT documents?
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2} And what do you really know about it? All you have are manuscripts written 2000 years ago and you don't even know why or how they came about, just guesswork. And on this you fashion the whole of your life - on pure speculation and guesswork.
That's incorrect. Have a bit of a read. If you are serious about this I would suggest "An Introduction to the New Testament" by Carson and Moo.
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3} I didn't say believe. I would never use that term in this context. You can't say that something is a fact just because some stranger has told you it is so, and you haven't investigated it personally to see if it is true.
I have investigated it for nearly 40 years now.
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This is my whole point of my argument! You can't fashion the fundamental aspect of your life on some "What ifs.".
Why do you think that is relevant to my understanding of what happened?
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4} Your need? As in all these cases it is a psychological one and one which you may not be fully aware of. Again, some understanding of human nature and some self introspection of one's nature and person is needed here to fully see what is going on.
Are you aware of all your psychological needs? Which need was it which overruled my scientific mind when I first looked at this stuff in depth when I was an undergraduate at Cambridge?
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5} Don't understand this comment. It sounds like some kind of sour grapes response?

I was hoping for a serious discussion with you.
Pass. I can't see what I was responding to.
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6} Yes, well, I think you've found your level there. Is this the response you give your fellow church goers when they get all touchy-feely as you put it? Very loving indeed!!!

I was hoping for a serious discussion with you.
Pass. I can't see what this was referring to.
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7} That is the whole point of my argument. Because the evidence is so weak
So you allege.
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and relies on pure speculation
So you allege.
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no firm conclusion can be acquired to justify taking it as a basis for one to live one's life by, to fashion one's fundamental framework on which one should conduct one's life.
Thus not applicable.
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Therefore, there is no need to read it with the view to acquiring such a position. If my logical position is correct then the details within the NT are neither here nor there with respect to this kind of aim and debating such details is pointless in acquiring this aim,
But is your claim that the NT is "pure speculation" correct? You would seem to be out near the loony wing with statements like this.
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this basis on which to carry out one's life, because the level of assuredness in assessing the truth of the NT is not sufficient for such a task and never will be - as is true for all historical documents; the older they are the more so.
N/a.
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Alien

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #843 on: July 08, 2015, 10:10:22 PM »
...
I'm saying we don't even know if he existed. There are no non Christian sources for his existence. Very strange considering that this was God's most important message to mankind. You would have thought it would have had a mega impact as God declared it with all his power.
"We don't even know if he existed"? So you are a conspiracy theory man then.

We do have Tacitus who wrote of him, probably Suetonius too. Don't forget Pliny the Younger writing of him or Josephus.

So why do you think we have no non-Christian sources for his existence? We don't know where they got their information from; it might have been Christians, but what sources would you expect which would tell us about an itinerant Jewish preacher who you were either for (and became a Christian, some of whom wrote about him) or were against him (and, if in your power, had him crucified and wanted the whole thing to cease)?
If it was so bloody obvious that Jesus had existed it would all be done and dusted by now. The fact people are arguing about this like historians shows that it is far from clear cut.
1) It is obvious that Jesus existed, but there is much more to becoming a Christian than just believing he existed.
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The fact is none of those were eyewitnesses.
2) Are you sure about that?
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And I ask again, how come only his followers saw him afterwards?
3) Are you sure about that as well? James, his half-brother, does not seem to have been a follower until he met the risen Jesus.
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Wouldn't it have served God's plan to have Jesus show himself to his antagonists?
4) Why? They had already seen he had done miracles before he was crucified.
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If he had done this with hundreds of them they all couldn't have closed the rumours down and having a dead man alive in front of you would be most impressive beyond belief.
5) They saw him killed, they saw the empty tomb, they saw lots of witnesses. Why should they not already believe?
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When you say those against him in your last line who do you mean who were contemporaries of Jesus? Not the Romans as he didn't cause that much of a fuss for them and there were others kicking up similar dust so it was just the norm of the times?
6) I was thinking of the Jewish authorities.


1) That's your assertion. You have no proof for this. What would help would be some indifferent observers such as the Roman authorities.
Or Tacitus, the Roman historian, or Josephus, the Jewish historian. Hang on a minute, they did record his existence.
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2) As sure as you are about psychoanalysis!!!  ;D
Why are you so sure? Have you read "Jesus and the Eyewitnesses" by Richard Bauckham or (taking less time) listened to him discussing this over two episodes of Premier Christian Radio's "Unbelievable?" programme with the atheist NT scholar James Crossley?

Why specifically do you think the gospels do not contain eyewitness accounts?
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3) That's just speculation that this event occurred. As I have said the only fact you have about the NT documents is that they were written, everything else, that is their content, is speculation on your part. 
I thought you said you wanted a serious discussion. You are out on the loony wing with such claims.
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4) Here's your lack of understanding of human nature again. People are good at denying or selectively remembering what suits them, but as I have said before seeing a dead man walking up to you sure is guaranteed to loosen those bowels, and that's something nobody is going to forget. Also, if it is done to a group of people who were trying to suppress your activities before your resurrection the pressure of the group i.e. group denial, is much harder.

Didn't Jesus say don't hide your light under a bowl? This was his best trick yet so why be shy about it?
He wasn't; he appeared on at least a dozen occasions to individuals and groups, friends and skeptics. Sometimes he ate with them. Plenty of people saw him.
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5) Who's they? We are talking about Jesus' antagonists here, not his followers.
Both groups saw the empty tomb. At least one skeptic (James, Jesus' half-brother) was also convinced. Paul claims that Jesus appeared to more than 500 people at one time. Lots of people became Christians. Why was that? Surely it was because they were convinced he was alive. Why was that?
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6) Didn't the Jewish authorities write logs and reports etc. about what was going on around them, just general stuff?
The trouble with wanting to have such stuff is that papyrus only survived for any length of time in very, very dry conditions, i.e. places like the caves near the Dead Sea and Oxyrhynchus. We do have Tacitus, Josephus and, probably, Suetonius referring to Christ as well as all the NT documents. That, I would suggest, is sufficient.
Apparently 99.9975% atheist because I believe in one out of 4000 believed in (an atheist on Facebook). Yes, check the maths as well.

jeremyp

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #844 on: July 08, 2015, 10:50:16 PM »
Yes, so the question is whether they are correct in their reporting.

Yes, so the question is whether they are correct in their interpretation.


Questions that you haven't even come close to answering.
Such as?

The two that you mentioned in your post that I quoted.
Eh?

Made them a little bit more obvious.
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jeremyp

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #845 on: July 08, 2015, 11:01:23 PM »
...  Unfortunately, they could all derive from one oral source, so we really can't say that they are independent....
That would be Jesus then.

Or it could be some bloke that Peter met in a pub who made it all up. 

Alan, if you want to do the historical method, you really need to do it properly. 

You are incapable of evaluating the evidence critically.  I know you believe the gospels to be true and that is absolutely fine, but please stop pretending that the evidence supports your position.  You really do have nothing on your side except your faith, but wasn't Jesus' message that faith should be enough for you?
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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #846 on: July 08, 2015, 11:08:03 PM »
So what would there motivation be to be "creative"? So that some of them could lead a life of hardship and some get killed for it (2 Corinthians 11:23-27, for example)? So that they could be persecuted by their fellow Jews (Acts 8:1, for example)?

Do you really think Christians are the only people who have died for a cause?  People died for the cause of removing Saddam Hussein before he could use his weapons of mass destruction.  Come to think of it, people died for the cause of keeping Hussein in power.
Yes and? What is your point?
The point is that your argument that the early Christians wouldn't die for something that is not true is total bollocks.

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Maybe they did produce the body.  Perhaps that is why not all Jews are converted to Christianity.
And the evidence for this is what?

There isn't any, but it doesn't mean it didn't happen.  It's vastly more likely that the Jewish authorities produced Jesus' body and the documentary evidence was later erased from history than that Jesus actually rose from the dead.

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How did they manage to convince Paul, their persecutor, to follow Jesus?

It's a damned sight easier to persuade an enemy to join your cause than to resurrect a dead body.
For us, yes. And?

If you want to invoke God's superhero powers, you must stop trying to analyse the situation using the tools of science and the historical method.
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cyberman

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #847 on: July 08, 2015, 11:36:14 PM »



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what is your definition of independent, then? You can't just keep on saying "no, that doesn't count as independent" whenever a source is cited.
They must trace back to different witnesses.

Mark, M, L and Q are different witnesses, though. Not to mention John (whoever wrote "John", that is)

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #848 on: July 09, 2015, 10:31:59 PM »



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what is your definition of independent, then? You can't just keep on saying "no, that doesn't count as independent" whenever a source is cited.
They must trace back to different witnesses.


Mark, M, L and Q are different witnesses, though. Not to mention John (whoever wrote "John", that is)

OK  Name an event that is described by M and one of the other documents.
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cyberman

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Re: What Is God Made From?
« Reply #849 on: July 10, 2015, 01:22:03 PM »



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what is your definition of independent, then? You can't just keep on saying "no, that doesn't count as independent" whenever a source is cited.
They must trace back to different witnesses.


Mark, M, L and Q are different witnesses, though. Not to mention John (whoever wrote "John", that is)

OK  Name an event that is described by M and one of the other documents.

The crucifixion is, isn't it?