From: rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu (Eric Rescorla)
Subject: Re: JESUS DIED AND IS RISEN (Re: Jesus Has Died)
Organization: Rescorla for himself.
Date: Tue, 12 Jan 1993 19:18:44 GMT

In article <1993Jan12.182215.12891@news.ysu.edu> af664@yfn.ysu.edu (Frank DeCenso, Jr.) writes:
>Tim O'Neil writes (#28741)
>"I've already read the gospels many times".
> 
>My reply...
>Based on your understanding of the Gospels (Synoptics and John) I have to
>question that. Let's look closer at your comments.
Seems to me that he disagrees with you, nothing more.

>T.O....
>MATTHEW 28:1-10 "Now after the Sabbath, as the first day of the week
>began to dawn, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
> 
>Hey! Where's Salome? Did she get lost on the way? But Mark says
>she was there. And what about Joanna? Luke says she was there
>too. Who *was* there? Your sources seem strangely confused.
> 
>My reply...
>One of the most basic principles in understanding the Gospels (Esp.
>Resurrection accounts) is that the reporters, under the inspiration of
>the Holy Spirit, commented on different aspects of the events.
If one is interested in harmonizing, this is true. But that
is not the only way of reading the gospels. If one is interested
in doing source criticism, one is not at all required to believe
that the Gospels are consistent.

> These
>differences ultimately confirm the accounts themselves. If all the
>Gospels gave EXACTLY the same story, in EXACTLY the same order, with
>EXACTLY the same details, then we would have to become suspicious.
Yes, that may be true, but if they give conflicting details....

>MARK 16:1-20 "Now when the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene, Mary the
>mother of James, and Salome bought spices, that they might come and
>anoint Him. Very early in the morning, on the first day of the week, they
>came to the tomb when the sun had risen. And they said among themselves,
>"Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?"
> 
>If they couldn't roll away the stone why were they going at all?
>Again, this story sounds like bullshit already.
> 
>My reply...
>Come on. The answer to your question is in the text. They even couldn't
>give a reason why they went to the tomb, and you want me to?
Where does it say that they couldn't give a reason? Looks to me
like they give one... "bought spices, that they might come
and anoint Him."

>My reply...
>Maybe you should write a book so all the world will FINALLY know that the
>Gospels are fairy tales! Present ALL the evidence you have to PROVE the
>events did not occur, and I'm sure no one will argue with you, if you
>have enough evidence. If you don't, oh, well...at least you can try.
This is really a silly point, sir. I, personally, believe in
the Great Pumpkin. PROVE that he doesn't exist. Showing that
there is no good reason to believe something is quite sufficient
to show that it is silly to believe it. One need not show that it
is false.

Or do you subscribe to the "You can't prove it didn't happen, so
it must be true" school of thought?

-Ekr



-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Eric Rescorla, DoD#431 (Nighthawk S)              rescorla@rtnmr.chem.yale.edu
Former chemist now CM400 mechanic                 ekr@eitech.com(preferred)
                        Don't believe anything you hear.