[LINK] atheism

[Craig Sanders]

On Mon, Mar 05, 2007 at 10:15:35AM +1100, Gordon Keith wrote:
> The evidence that Jesus lived

evidence: reasonably strong. there is some doubt, but on the balance of
probability, there probably was someone who lived around that time about
whom the new testament myths were written (including those myths that
were stolen wholesale from previous gods)

> , claimed to be the son of God

evidence: poor (only one or two anecdotes say that he made this claim,
and they were in gospels written over a hundred years after his death.
anecdotes are not evidence).

> was killed and 

evidence: also reasonably strong.

> was resurrected 

evidence: poor (essentially non-existent)

> Does this mean atheism must be abandoned?

well, if there were very strong evidence that he died and was
resurrected, there would be good reason to investigate further.

but even resurrection doesn't necessarily prove that either a) God
exists, or that b) Jesus was the son of God. they're both independant
claims that need to be examined separately.

it's not really an issue, though, because there is basically no evidence
that he was resurrected. an anecdote. in a not-exactly unbiased book.


craig

-- 
craig sanders <cas at taz.net.au>

We are MicroSoft.  You will be assimilated.  Resistance is futile.
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