From: Chris Ho-Stuart <>
Newsgroups: aus.religion.christian
Sent: Monday, August 21, 2000 3:39 PM
Subject: Re: Big disapointment

> Barry Satan <> wrote:
> > On 14 Aug 2000 15:58:30 +1000, Chris Ho-Stuart
<> wrote:
> [snip]
> > The Bible by itself is not evidence.
>
> Of course it is evidence. The bible is an exceptionally well
> preserved document giving useful insight into the past. A
> historian will not read a religious document as a history text
> of course; and someone who doesn't know a damn thing about
> historical studies might not recognize anyway of extracting
> data from such writings except reading them at face value.
>
> But in real life, yes, the bible good evidence giving a
> window of insight into times past.
>
> [snip]
> > The Bible is fiction with the occasional fact thrown in. Do you consider
> > the  Bible to be evidence that the earth is flat with four corners and
> > pillars?
>
> I consider it to be evidence that ancient Hebrew cosmology involved
> an essentially flat Earth beneath a dome, with water above and below.
> I think the bible is good evidence of a strong Babylonian influence
> on Hebrew cosmology and religious thought. I think the various writings
> we have from the Sumerian and Babylonian empires, though not as
> detailed, are likewise good evidence for illuminating the past.
>
> With respect to the matter of Jesus: the bible is also evidence
> that in times past there was a community of people who thought
> that a certain carpenter was divine.
>
> And THAT, believe it or not, is excellent evidence that said
> carpenter actually existed; which is the point at issue. It is
> true that some scholars propose alternative notions whereby
> the stories concerning Jesus arose without an actual historical
> individual. Interesting ideas, but pretty far fetched. The
> simplest explanation is that there was a person Jesus. The
> bible is the evidence which must be dealt with for explaining
> the Jesus stories as either rooted in a real person or not.
>
> Remainder snipped.
>
> Chris Ho-Stuart

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