In a message dated April 12, 1998, DavidTietz writes:

If you're referring to the four Gospels in the Bible as genuine documentation of what "Jesus did and said," I suggest you reconsider your position, since the Gospels are narrative recreations by individuals who most likely did not witness what Jesus did. (I know, many probably believe that the Gospels were written by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John respectively, however, this is quite doubtful, as they are most likely forgeries.)

A lot is written about the harmony of the Gospels, that the four accounts contain similar tales of Jesus and his ministry. However, the sources that focus on the harmony of the four Gospels usually have an agenda to advance, and therefore conveniently omit the contradictions, inconsistencies and 'oversights' which one will find by comparing the narratives. Thomas Paine, in his book The Age of Reason, points out many of these inconsistencies in great detail. I suggest that everyone in this e-mail group go find a copy of this book and study it. Paine's book leaves few stones unturned in his examination of the Bible, both Old and New Testaments, and leaves no doubt to the fact that this so-called 'Word of God' is no more than a compendium of tales, lies and fables.

To quote Paine on the matter of Gospel disharmony:

Paine writes in great detail to the likelihood that most of the books of the Bible, including the four Gospels, are forgeries, and written accounts of embellished oral traditions at best.

After learning about what Bsmith introduced to the group about Midrash and the ancient Jewish tradition of story-telling and story-development, as well as taking into account what Paine has to say about the Biblical writings, I'm even more convinced than before that the books of the Bible are no more truthful and legitimate than the tales of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell. The tales of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, however, have one thing to their credit that the Gospels do not: the tales of Peter Pan and Tinkerbell do not attempt to present themselves as truth, and therefore are not lies, merely tales and fables and children's entertainment; they are not meant to be taken seriously. The Gospels, however, being far from fact, offer themselves as legitimate accounts of historic fact, and therefore are suspect from the beginning.

Again, check out Paine's book. If this is a subject that you find interesting - the credulity of Christianity and the Bible, I think you'll find it hard to put Paine's book down. It's fun to read, easy to digest, and makes a great case against the Bible's assertions.

However, if you do not want your faith challenged, this book is not for you.

Tindrbox

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