Technically, anything not personally experienced is "hearsay". So, since neither of us read the original languages in their idiomatic form and/or have access to primary source documents or "smoking guns" (thus requiring interpretation of anything we might have access to), we're having a battle of "hearsay", anyway. And, so are the scholars. Primary sources are too scarce, all of them require interpretation, and there have been too many hands in the pots, all with agendas.
As stated, personally, I believe that he existed because I think it is as likely as not, and I err on the side of belief (see also, Paschal's Wager). There are a lot of things that have been attributed to him that I don't believe and I don't think are necessary to believe or to call oneself a Christian (which I don't.)
I also know that there are Christians that make assertions or justify bad behavior of all sorts based on "facts". There are also Wiccans, Pagans, and misc others who do the same. For example, show me proof that is any stronger that shows that any aspect of modern neo-paganism is an unbroken survival of pre-Christian nature religions. Or, if you'd rather show me the proof that Gerald Gardner is a true recipient of an ancient, survived Book of Shadows from an ancient, hereditary, working coven.
There are people who believe those things with no better "proof." And, so long as they are decent people who leave me alone and use their spiritual lives to enhance their experience of their temporal lives, I'm perfectly happy with that... be the Christian, Wiccan, Buddhist, Frisbetarian*... whatever.
- Jeho
* An obscure sect who believe that when one dies after living a good life, one's soul becomes a Frisbee stuck on the roof of a giant house until such time as a Savior with a great Ladder is born who will redeem them.
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branchandroot
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Date: 2007-04-05 21:23 (UTC)As stated, personally, I believe that he existed because I think it is as likely as not, and I err on the side of belief (see also, Paschal's Wager). There are a lot of things that have been attributed to him that I don't believe and I don't think are necessary to believe or to call oneself a Christian (which I don't.)
I also know that there are Christians that make assertions or justify bad behavior of all sorts based on "facts". There are also Wiccans, Pagans, and misc others who do the same. For example, show me proof that is any stronger that shows that any aspect of modern neo-paganism is an unbroken survival of pre-Christian nature religions. Or, if you'd rather show me the proof that Gerald Gardner is a true recipient of an ancient, survived Book of Shadows from an ancient, hereditary, working coven.
There are people who believe those things with no better "proof." And, so long as they are decent people who leave me alone and use their spiritual lives to enhance their experience of their temporal lives, I'm perfectly happy with that... be the Christian, Wiccan, Buddhist, Frisbetarian*... whatever.
- Jeho
* An obscure sect who believe that when one dies after living a good life, one's soul becomes a Frisbee stuck on the roof of a giant house until such time as a Savior with a great Ladder is born who will redeem them.