"Coming to believe what one takes to be true is not simply a matter of choice... one cannot simply decide to believe. When the issues are the tough ones, we don't so much decide what to believe as find ourselves falling into belief."
- Why Should Anyone Believe Anything At All? by James W. Sire (p.212)
Monday, March 30, 2009
Can the gospels be used as proof of Jesus' authenticity?
This question involves another question, which is: are the gospels reliable in the first place? How do we know what the writers actually know? Were they being metaphorical in their recount? Did they remember things accurately, or did their memories distort facts? Recollection, as we know, can be highly inaccurate.
Therefore, how can we use Jesus' actions in the gospels as proof of his authenticity, as Christian writers like to do when they say: "When Jesus did this, it shows..."? The reality of these actions is dependent on the veracity of the gospel accounts, which is itself an issue being debated.
(refer to Why Should We Believe Anything At All? p. 162)
Therefore, how can we use Jesus' actions in the gospels as proof of his authenticity, as Christian writers like to do when they say: "When Jesus did this, it shows..."? The reality of these actions is dependent on the veracity of the gospel accounts, which is itself an issue being debated.
(refer to Why Should We Believe Anything At All? p. 162)
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