Kata Markon

[JFAlward AT aol.com]

In a message dated 3/15/01 3:55:13 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
hhbv AT highwinds.com writes:

<< OK, so I guess these 4 represent your strongest cases.  In reading 
 through them, I'm detecting a certain pattern to your arguments:
 
 1. Old Testament (or extra-biblical) parallels exist... therefore
 
 2. the author has an axe to grind... and no "independent" observer 
 was there to document... therefore
 
 3. the events didn't occur... and the burden of proof rests with 
 those who think otherwise.
 
 Have I misrepresented your methodology? >>
============
I think you misunderstand what I believe.  Extensive Old Testament parallels 
exist which account for virtually every aspect of the gospel stories; this 
strongly suggests that writers or story tellers relied heavily on the Old 
Testament.  The authors/tellers sincerely believed that Jesus was the son of 
God and the messiah spoken of in scripture, and that events in the lives of 
holy men prefigured events in the life of Jesus, so they must have occurred.  
These authors used literary license and the Old Testament to embellish--or 
even create--stories they were sure represented events that occurred.  I 
explained all this in some detail in the post to Rikk Watts.

As for the burden of proof:  That depends on who's making an affirmative 
statement.  I've affirmed that the Old Testament has most of the material 
needed to construct the four stories I mentioned.  Those who disagree should 
show why they don't agree.  On the other hand, if others affirm that the 
stories came from some other source, it's their responsibility to provide the 
evidence, and my job to try to refute the evidence, if I choose.

Regards,

Joe Alward