[talk.religion] Circular Reasoning

slg@ukma.UUCP (Sean Gilley) (08/26/86)

In article <323@mc0.UUCP> larry@mc0.UUCP (larry morales) writes:

>5) Remember: the New Testament documents were distributed during a time
>   when the opponents and enemies of Christianity were still alive and
>   able to refute them had they been out and out lies.

These documents *were* refuted.  And then when the church came into power
the documents that were considered heretical were searched out and destroyed.

Fortunatly, some of these heretical documents were recently rediscovered.
For the texts, get ahold of the book "The Nag Hammadi Library",  I can
give you pubilisher's info if you want.  For a excellent commentary on
why these texts.. and further on why it was so important that Christ
rose from the dead and other politcal matters, read Ellaine (Ellen?)
Paigals book "The Gnostic Gospels".

These books, taken together, provide some real interesting insights into
what was going on in the first couple of centurys after Christ's death.

						Sean.


---

    Sean L. Gilley     	      Phone: (606) 272-9620 or (606) 257-8781

      {ihnp4,decvax,ucbvax}!cbosgd!ukma{!ukgs}!slg, slg@UKMA.BITNET

               I've seen a thousand people kneel in silence
             I've seen them face the rifles with their songs
           And I always thought that we could end the killing
                 But now I live in fear that I was wrong