Atheists more Intelligent

[Blackwater Lunchbreak]

There is no evidence for any god. In fact, you haven't even given a definition of "god."

what do you not believe in when you don't believe in god? its probably that same thing.

[Doc Dutch]

Philo wrote a lot about first century Jerusalem. He wrote about Pontius Pilate. He wrote about Herod. He wrote about rather mundane events in Jerusalem.

But he's silent on Jesus. I mean, surely he would have at least mentioned the wandering miracle man who, for three years, drew massive crowds and performed massive miracles. Yet he's silent on the matter. It's odd, unless you accept the obvious explanation.

Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence. Jesus, if he existed, was a small movement. It took time to grow, which history proves it did. You are advocating it grew out of nothing at all. I'm saying there was a seed, no matter how small, and that seed was a Jewish rabbi who had some new ideas about existence.

Let's stick with reality and leave the divine out of it since that's a faith thing.

[TexanManWithPlans]

what do you not believe in when you don't believe in god? its probably that same thing.

You're the one positing the existence of something. It's your obligation to define what this item is and why you think it exists.

[Blackwater Lunchbreak]

You're the one positing the existence of something. It's your obligation to define what this item is and why you think it exists.

I put it on you to tell us all what you don't believe in, as an atheist.

[TexanManWithPlans]

Absence of evidence isn't evidence of absence. Jesus, if he existed, was a small movement. It took time to grow, which history proves it did. You are advocating it grew out of nothing at all. I'm saying there was a seed, no matter how small, and that seed was a Jewish rabbi who had some new ideas about existence.

There were many people in those days claiming to be the Messiah. Some even were named Jesus. Many had apostles and many allegedly performed miracles.

[Doc Dutch]

There were many people in those days claiming to be the Messiah. Some even were named Jesus. Many had apostles and many allegedly performed miracles.

No doubt. How many did Philo write about?

[Cypress]

Philo wrote a lot about first century Jerusalem. He wrote about Pontius Pilate. He wrote about Herod. He wrote about rather mundane events in Jerusalem.

But he's silent on Jesus. I mean, surely he would have at least mentioned the wandering miracle man who, for three years, drew massive crowds and performed massive miracles. Yet he's silent on the matter. It's odd, unless you accept the obvious explanation.

When Philo died in 50 AD, Jesus of Nazareth was not widely known.

The fact that there is a substantial witten record about him which starts appearing between 55 to 80 AD is almost miraculous. Jesus was a peasant from rural backwater Gallilee with a few dozen followers of his ministry at best. That is the historical assessment by most scholars.

Peasants simply were not written about in antiquity.

The fact that there were oral stories about Jesus circulating in Judea in mid first century AD, and these were committed to writing by highly articulate and literate Greek speaking authors of the NT within a couple decades of his execution is actually pretty remarkable.

[Blackwater Lunchbreak]

I believe in emotional energy transmissions and egregores. and jesus.
and Buddhism.

[TexanManWithPlans]

I put it on you to tell us all what you don't believe in, as an atheist.

That's not how this works. You're asking me for a negative definition of your own claim.

[Blackwater Lunchbreak]

That's not how this works. You're asking me for a negative definition of your own claim.

it is how it works, mr. man.

[TexanManWithPlans]

When Philo died in 50 AD, Jesus of Nazareth was not widely known.

The fact that there is a substantial witten record about him which starts appearing between 55 to 80 AD is almost miraculous. Jesus was a peasant from rural backwater Gallilee with a few dozen followers at best. That is the historical assessment by most scholars.

Peasants simply were not written about in antiquity. The fact that there were oral stories about Jesus circulating in Judea in mid first century AD, and committed to writing within a couple decades of his execution is actually pretty remarkable.

No, no, no. There are so many holes in this reasoning.

In Matthew's gospel, we're told that, after Jesus died, the corpses of the prophets rose and for three days wandered Jerusalem. Surely a zombie invasion of such proportions would earn at least a footnote in Philo's writings, no?

For that matter, why doesn't Philo mention Herod's killing of the innocent babies that allegedly occured? Philo wrote a lot about Herod, but this event is not even hinted at.

[TexanManWithPlans]

it is how it works, mr. man.

No. If you make a claim, it's not my burden to disprove it. It's your burden to prove it.

To quote Christopher Hitchens, "Claims made without evidence may be dismissed without evidence."

[Blackwater Lunchbreak]

No. If you make a claim, it's not my burden to disprove it. It's your burden to prove it.

To quote Christopher Hitchens, "Claims made without evidence may be dismissed without evidence."

you say you don't believe in god. how can you say that if you don't have some definition in your mind? what is that definition? maybe you just hate spiritual people.

[Cypress]

No, no, no. There are so many holes in this reasoning.

In Matthew's gospel, we're told that, after Jesus died, the corpses of the prophets rose and for three days wandered Jerusalem. Surely a zombie invasion of such proportions would earn at least a footnote in Philo's writings, no?

For that matter, why doesn't Philo mention Herod's killing of the innocent babies that allegedly occured? Philo wrote a lot about Herod, but this event is not even hinted at.

Historical scholars can serparate myth and metaphor, from historical evidence.

There was no reason for an early first century famous Jewish philosopher in Egypt to have heard about, let alone write about, a peasant from backwater Galilee who was executed around 30 AD.

Nobody wrote about peasants in Antiquity.

Not Homer.

Not Gilgamesh.

Not Plato.

Not Herodotus.

Not Cicero.

The fact that multiple highly educated and literate Greek speaking men wrote down the oral traditions about Jesus circulating in Judea starting in the 50s AD is nothing short of remarkable

[TexanManWithPlans]

you say you don't believe in god. how can you say that if you don't have some definition in your mind? what is that definition? maybe you just hate spiritual people.

I was referring to the Biblical god. But my point is that, outside of religious belief, there's no definition of "god." There's no reason to even assume any sort of "god," because no observable phenomenon suggests it.