Reliability of Source Documents for the Existence of Jesus Christ

Last week’s post was written with the intent of enlightening those who doubt the existence of God. Essentially, to remain an atheist or skeptic, in light of the evidence presented, is to believe that nothing produces everything; non-life produces life; randomness produces perfection; chaos produces intelligence; unconsciousness produces consciousness; and non-reason produces reason. The absurdity of “chance happenstance” being the reason for creation leaves little or no options other than intelligent design. I contend, God is the necessary explanation for all existence. 

This week’s post will deal specifically with reliability of Christian source documents. Is there evidence from both Christian and secular sources for the historicity of Jesus? Yes there is evidence from both sources. Are these same sources reliable? Both Christian and secular sources are reliable. The Christian sources include but not limited to the twenty-seven distinct New Testament manuscripts and the writings of Polycarp, Eusebiusm, Irenaeus, Ignatius, Justin and Origen (the early Church Fathers). Evidence from secular sources for the historicity of Jesus include writings by Tacitus, Josephus, Thallus, Pliny, Lucian, Suetonius (all were non-Christian historians). I mention these names for information purposes only. The reader may research them at leisure and find credible and verifiable evidence as to the life, times, and events that encapsulated Jesus the being.

If God exists, is it not perfectly reasonable to assume that God has communicated to his creation? Consequently, we have good reason to look for and, if necessary, to unearth this transmission of this communication. It is at this point, that we must peer into human history to see if there was any evidence that God communicated with mankind. Christianity claims that God has communicated in history. I assert, that Christianity is the only religion whose basic foundation is built on reliable historic events that communicate an explicit and persuasive message. Thus, why even look at other religions? Do not other religions allege communication from God coming obscurely or abstrusely through individuals who have exclusive dreams, angelic encounters, ethereal visions, and or private ideas? Do you not find these subjective claims (dreams, encounters, visions etc.) entirely too skeptical to take seriously? I believe they are too easily devised or fallacious and are not testable in any way.

However, Christianity has fundamental truth claims that are rooted in history. The central historical events that we most look at are the life, death and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth. Most important, the story of His resurrection. It is these events which establish or dismantle the Christian faith. These same events are said to have actually happened in history, in the public eye. Therefore, Christianity not only allows for but demands an historical approach to establish its merit. How did Christianity start? In short; after a public ministry Christ was killed publicly ; he rose from a public tomb publicly; He publicly showed himself to the public; the public told everyone what they saw. Conversely, other religions, to include Islam, started because someone had a private dream or vision about God, or they had a private angelic encounter about God, or they had a private idea about God, and one person told everyone what he or she saw.

Examination of Biblical sources and other non-Christian historical sources from antiquity allow us to be assured that what has been stated Biblically, is in fact, what actually transpired. What is written in this post is meant only to wet one’s intellectual appetite. There is in fact large documented support, both Christian and secular, for the historical existence of Jesus Christ. The follow-on to this post will deal with the most significant event to which verifying documents attest is the resurrection of Jesus.

Memorial Day and the Way of the Poppies

What ever happened to the poppies, you know those mundane flowers of crepe paper and wire? Do you miss them as I do? I miss them not because of their creative exquisiteness but because of what they represent. Have you seen many over the past few years? In my youth they were customary during Memorial weekends. Now, what was common then, appears to have diminished, as we in America grow more indifferent about those who perished while heeding the call of military service during times of war.

I ask you, the reader, what is the significance of Memorial Day? Is it still a day set aside to remember and honor those men and women who fought wars for our freedom and paid the ultimate sacrifice? Let us not forget they were people who wore the uniform of our nation and who were killed in the effort to purge the world of the evils of authoritarianism, despotism and tyranny. Those ideologies that enslave people to lives of serfdom are what patriots have fought and died for throughout America’s short history. They along with our allies are remembered on this day. And so to, are the war dead in the countries we fought to free.

Have you not observed how Americans have become apathetic about almost everything? We too frequently take our rights and freedoms for granted and often give them away. Today, we seem more willing to convey them away as though liberty is limitless. But that is not true. Liberty only exists when there is inferred covenant among people to acknowledge them and do all that is conceivable to maintain them. I ask you, how would we explain to our war dead - and yes today, including the living veterans of the horrors of wars we engaged in and in fact, are still fighting -how would we explain that we have taken their sacrifices for granted. I really do believe, that we frequently forget the living breathing people that statistics represent: more than 1.3 million Americans killed in our wars and hundreds of thousands of others wounded.

I am of the opinion, that we have legislators and government officials who are all too keen to put themselves and their party first and weaken the welfare of the people and the Constitution. In doing so, they (an extension of us) have betrayed the trust of our war dead. When they are willing, to ignore or break laws that allow our nation to be invaded across our borders, we have betrayed the trust of our war dead.  When we allow politicians to cover-up the truth about an attack on an American mission in Benghazi killing four Americans, or the truth about gun running operation to benefit Mexican cartels, or allow law enforcement and municipalities to ignore federal immigration laws, or disregard Americans who are confined in foreign prisons on unfounded allegations, or mistreatment of veterans who suffer medical maladies of varying degrees, and so on and so forth, etcetera. By all outward appearances our government today, is not working for the wellbeing of American Citizens or for American independence and freedom. This being the case, we are but as fraudulent as those within government for we have allowed it. As a nation we have broken faith with those who sacrificed their lifeblood. We’ve forgotten them, and their eternal souls sleep is but a restless slumber. Their deaths should haunt us forever.

Now I ask you, has Memorial Day gone the way of the poppies? 

Defense of the Existence of God.

The question of whether there is a conclusive argument for the reality of God has been contested throughout history, with exceptionally gifted people taking one or the other sides of the debate. In recent times, arguments against the possibility of God’s existence have taken on a combative attitude that denunciates all who dare to believe in God as being delusional and irrational. Today’s atheist and skeptic feel that a belief in God is intellectually unwarranted. Is this truly the case? Is belief in God a rationally unacceptable position to hold? Is there a logical and reasonable argument for the existence of God? Outside of referencing the Bible, can a case for the existence of God be made that refutes the positions of both the atheists and skeptic? Is there sufficient merit for believing in a Creator? I contend, the case for atheism and unbelieving skeptics alike, is extraordinarily weak. To make an argument for the existence of God, must we not ask the right questions? As an apologist’s, let me begin with the most basic metaphysical question: “Can something come from nothing?” Is this not the basic question of existence—why are we here; why is the earth here; why is the universe here rather than nothing?

My position and assertion is that “something does not come from nothing.” Since something exists, a transcendent force is necessary to explain this something. I use the word “force”, rather than God, since we have yet to establish personality. Would not this force have to be above and beyond time, space, and matter? Is it not reasonable to believe that if something exists, there must be a definitive account or reason? Whatever one calls it, it has to be transcendent to all the laws of nature so as to avoid the cause and effect relationship. Being outside of time, this force does not need a reason, but is itself, the reason for all things. To deny such a transcendent force is as illogical as it is irrational. To reject this transcendent force as personal is to be blinded by one’s own unsupported intellectual mindset.

There are two reasons I believe that this transcendent force has personality. First, personality, consciousness and self-awareness cannot come from non-personality. Since we possess all three of the mentioned qualities, does that not tell both believer and skeptic that we must share these same attributes or qualities with creating force? Furthermore does not creation itself demand an act of will? Think about this; if this creative force did not have a will, creation would have never been created or it would have always been being created. This being true (and I believe it is), creation must have been a willful action by a creator, who is a being whose existence and personhood are both defensible and obligatory. God is the essential elucidation or explanation for all existence.

Let me conclude with a statement from former atheist, Lee Strobel, who arrived at this end result many years ago,  “Essentially, I realized that to stay an atheist, I would have to believe that nothing produces everything; non-life produces life; randomness produces fine-tuning; chaos produces information; unconsciousness produces consciousness; and non-reason produces reason. Those leaps of faith were simply too big for me to take, especially in light of the affirmative case for God's existence … In their words, in my assessment the Christian worldview accounted for the totality of the evidence much better than the atheistic worldview.”

Tides of Tyranny: Apologetic's, An Introduction as to Why

Tides of Tyranny: Apologetic's, An Introduction as to Why: Believers of the Christian faith are told that they are to make a defense of the Christian faith. One has only to look at 1 Peter 3:15 in t...

Apologetic's, An Introduction as to Why

Believers of the Christian faith are told that they are to make a defense of the Christian faith. One has only to look at 1 Peter 3:15 in the bible to see the classic verse promoting apologetic's (defense of the Christian faith). We are told to make a defense “for the hope we have.” This being true, is it not logical that if we are to successfully do such, it must be accomplished by providing sound reasoning as to why we believe as we do?

Make no mistake, defense of the Christian faith unaided, separately from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit cannot bring someone to saving grace. Does this not generate a false dilemma in the minds of many a skeptic and unbeliever? It does potentially create a quandary for those who logically cannot accept a transcendent force over rationality. As others before me have stated, it does not have to be “spirit against logic.”

I ask, why not both, spirit and logic? Does not the Holy Spirit move someone to a position of belief? How the Holy Spirit accomplishes this is at His discretion. With some people God uses personal difficulties or trials; in others it is an arousing incident; while in others it is through reason. Cannot our God use whatever means He desires? We, however, are commanded to use apologetic's in as many or more places as we are told to spread the “Good News” of the gospel.

My next apologetic post will deal with existence of God. Does He exist?

Apologetics

After much thought and reflection I am compelled by conscience to begin a theological journey that will deal with a rational defense of our Christian faith. The discipline I speak of is commonly called apologetics. In short, it seeks to defend the faith to those outside our belief system. My intent is to bring scholarly support for what I state. Why do this? Because Christianity is under attack, and we must defend it. I will do so via the blogosphere. Expect a weekly post that will challenge both Christian and non-Christian.  I am open to suggestions on relevant topics as they pertain to defending the faith. I even welcome first hand experiences. Eventually, I will address those hard to answer questions pertaining to "Why." Rest assured I will continue posting my thoughts on geopolitical, social, theological and other relevant issues in addition to apologetic posts.

Ongoing Slaughter of Christians is Political Inaction

How much longer will President Obama and other world leaders idly standby and allow the ongoing slaughter of Christians by ISIS and other Islamic extremist groups? What’s our generations excuse? Our current generation has no excuse regarding the execution of Christians by ISIS and other like collections of sociopathic assemblages who masquerade as Jihadist warriors but in reality are pathetic cohorts of an infidel of Islam. Let there be little doubt, I say this in a most pejorative manner. ISIS, also known as the Islamic State, has declared the formation of an Islamic caliphate governed by Sharia with sovereignty over large swaths of conquered territories. Presently, it dominates portions of Iraq, Syria, Libya and Nigeria. As ISIS’s sphere of influence expands, so too will it be accompanied by persecution and wholesale genocide, especially among Christians. The fact that we are day after day seeing videos of executions, is proof enough that Obama and the rest of the civilized world is not succeeding in putting a halt to the liquidation of those of Christian faith and for that matter those of differing fidelities or beliefs.

Like many, I do not want to see more Christians executed for his or her faith. Now, how much more is the world going to tolerate? How many more Christians must die before Obama or Congress takes appropriate actions? Has not Sharia already raised its ugly head in America? Has not passive persecution of the Christian Church in America already begun?

ISIS and every faction of Islamic extremism must be terminated if civilization is to survive this cancer. To be forewarned is to be forearmed. As others before me have cautioned, I too alert the reader of this post to stand tall, be alert and actively support those who promise and take appropriate actions to protect the innocent who are persecuted for their faithfulness to Christ.

Chief Architect and Epitome of a Demagogue.

Absolutely no one, could have described this President more accurately. This is a brief summary that articulates the man, his life and his goals perfectly! And no, this is not something I alone can take credit for. This post was inspired via a letter written by Maureen Scott. The essence of Maureen Scott's letter and my comments follow, though not always in that order. Why am I sharing this in a blog post? Like Ms. Scott, I share out of concern for this nation and my disapproval of America’s Chief Executive and for his lack of leadership in these trying times. As Maureen Scott so aptly put it; Obama is The Architect of Destruction.

"Barack Obama appears to be a tormented man filled with resentment, anger, and disdain for anyone of an opinion or view other than his. He acts in the most hateful, spiteful, malevolent, vindictive ways in order to manipulate and maintain power and control over others. Perhaps, because, as a child, he grew up harboring an abiding bitterness toward the U.S. That was instilled in him by his family and mentors…it seems to have never left him. It is not the color of his skin that is a problem in America. Rather it is the blackness that fills his soul and the hollowness in his heart where there should be abiding pride and love for this country."

Think hard if you will: Have we the people ever heard Obama speak devotedly of America or its people, with profound indebtedness and sincere veneration for our past, our traditions, our sorrows and our blessings? Has he ever revealed that, like most patriotic Americans, he is stirred when a band plays "The Star Spangled Banner", (no, he is stirred when he hears the ''Muslim call to prayer.") or sheds a tear when he hears "America the Beautiful?" Does his spirit burst with pride when a multitude of American flags are displayed on a National holiday or when someone play "taps" in honor of those who sacrificed their all in the service of America? Has he ever shared the appreciation of the Armed Services, as we who appreciate those who keep us free, feel when soldiers in uniform walk by? It is doubtful because Obama did not grow up sharing our experiences or our values. 

Away from this country as a young child, Obama did not delight in being part of America and its greatness. He was not singing our patriotic songs in early childhood, or standing alongside the street for a holiday parade or watching July 4th fireworks, or placing flags on the grave sites of fallen American heroes. Rather he was separated from all of these experiences and does not really understand us and what it means to be an American. “He is void of the basic emotions that most feel regarding this country and insensitive to the instinctive pride we have in our national heritage. His opinions were formed by those who either envied us or wanted him to devalue the United States and the traditions and patriotism that unites us. He has never given a speech that is filled with calm, reassuring, complimentary, heartfelt statements about all the people in the U.S. or one that inspires us to be better and grateful and proud that in a short time our country became a leader, and a protector of many.”

 To the contrary, his speeches most always relapse into derision, contemptuous tirades as he faults our accomplishments as well as any detractors or opposition for the sake of a snicker, or to enhance his ego. He uses his Office to threaten and create fear while disparaging and demeaning any American who contests his strategies and exploits. A secure leader, who has noble self-esteem and not false confidence, refrains from displaying such trepidation of critics and displaying a smug, arrogant mindset.

An Industry Doused in Blood of The Innocent

Does the reader of this blog realize that 1/10th of one percent of the 1,000,000 (million) babies destroyed each year are to save a mother’s life? From what I am able to gather, statistics suggest that 85% of all abortions are performed as a means of birth control and are three times more likely to be by a woman on Medicaid. Does this fact or statistic in itself not raise a red flag? Does it not suggest that abortionists are directing their craft toward the poor and less fortunate of our nation? And why target this subset of society? Because the government (that is taxpayers dollars) will pay for it.  What you may or may not realize is that family planning and abortion clinics in America are a $2,000,000,000 (billion) a year industry with close to half of all the country’s abortions being performed by Planned Parenthood. What does this say to an admittedly Christian conservative anti-abortionist like myself? It tells me that abortionists of any persuasion should be exposed as the snake-oil salesman they rightfully are. Why expose them for who they are? Because when abortion clinics close, the babies are saved, the genocide subsides. Additionally, it halts the infliction of human repression and misery upon societies most susceptible and their infants to be (innocent babies).

Need We Look Further for The Real Answer

When dealing with people who espouse personal opinions that are intended to incite others to commit reprehensible acts of malicious violence we need look no further than philosophy and problem solving. There is the principle of reasoning known as “Occam’s Razor,” which goes something like this: Among multiple alternative explanations, all of which require various assumptions in order to arrive at possible solutions, often the simplest answer — involving the least number of assumptions — turns out to be the right one. The question I pose to you, the reader, who is most responsible for the current state of racial divide in America? Is it the liberal left, the race hustlers or the law enforcement community? Let this blogger give you a hint. Which group mentioned confronts chaos and protects citizens from its planned or anticipated outcome? And, which group or groups incite chaos with rhetoric that enflames a targeted, yet often unwitting audience of supposed victims? The answer to the last question involves the least number of assumptions needed to be the right answer.