Category Archives: History

Atheist Sunday School – The Historical Jesus

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Today, like many other Sundays, we had Sunday School on Twitter.  Since the topic was a bit long, a few of my friends suggested that I should preserve today’s stream of tweets for further reference. In fact, their suggestion was rather that I wrote these as a blog post, but my laziness knows no boundaries. My apologies.

So, to make it less embarrassing, let’s say that this is a raw draft of a future post; also, please consider that we have yet some facts that we need to review in our next Twitter Atheist Sunday School.

This is a fascinating story, in my opinion, everyone should have access to learn about these facts.

This is how we make atheists. 😉

Oh! For these tweets to make sense you need to read them from bottom to top. Sorry.

Monicks Monica
Thank you all for attending and for your smart nice mentions. We will continue with this topic next time. Owe you guys some replies, sorry.
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There’s more, so much more, but that’s gonna have to do for today’s #AtheistSundaySchool. It’s been a long lesson. You liked it? #Atheism
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Finding no references to Jesus in Josephus’ original work, they interpolated a brief but all-embracing reference based purely on Xian belief
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The Christians planted evidence on Josephus, turning the leading Jewish historian of his day into a witness for Jesus Christ! #atheism
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Josephus’ histories survived because the Christian censors had a use for them…. #atheism
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Whole libraries of antiquity were torched by the Xians. Yet unlike the works of his Jewish contemporaries, Josephus’ histories survived.
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This happened about the year 340 AD. This was after the Christians had become the custodians of religious correctness. #atheism
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Bishop Eusebius, Church propagandist & self-confessed liar-for-god, was the first person known to have quoted Josephus’ paragraph. #atheism
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In fact, the Josephus paragraph about Jesus does not appear until the beginning of the fourth century, at the time of Constantine. #atheism
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If Josephus thought Jesus had been ‘the Christ’ he would have added more about him than a casual aside paragraph in Pilate’s story. #atheism
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How could Josephus claim that Jesus had been the answer to his messianic hopes yet remain an orthodox Jew? #atheism
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BUT… not so fast…
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But not a single writer before the 4th century in all their defense against pagan hostility, makes reference to Josephus’ words. #atheism
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In a single paragraph, the so-called Testimonium Flavianum, Josephus confirms every salient aspect of the Christ-myth. #atheism
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At face value, Josephus appears to be the answer to the Christian apologist’s dreams on the account for a historical Jesus. #atheism
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“…For penalties relate not so much to retribution as to their exemplary effect.” – Quintilian (AD 35-95, Decl 274) #atheism
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Crucifixion was chosen precisely to make a public point that the most humiliating punishment awaits those who opposed Rome’s will. #atheism
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And why would the Romans have allowed a convicted felon to be almost immediately removed from his cross and put in a tomb? #atheism
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Philo of Alexandria (On the embassy to Gaius, XXXVIII) speaks of Pilate’s ‘continual murders of people untried and uncondemned.’ #atheism
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A trial for Jesus, when suspected rebels were habitually arrested and executed by the Romans without trial? How so? #atheism
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Gospel writers, in scrambling details, used the Aramaic Barabbas knowing that few Latin or Greek speakers would know its meaning. #atheism
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Perhaps the truth is that a single executed criminal helped flesh out the whole fantastic fable. Maybe? #atheism
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Are we to believe that Pilate had a Jesus, Son of God and a Jesus, Son of the Father in his prison at the same time??!! #atheism
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But in the original text, the chosen criminal was Jesus Barabbas – and Bar Abba in Hebrew means ‘Son of the Father’! Coincidence? #atheism
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By the Bible, Pilate offered the Jews the release of one prisoner & the cursed race chose Barabbas rather than gentle Jesus… #atheism
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Another Jesus during the reign of Artaxerxes I of Persia 465-424 BC. His brother John, the High Priest slain him in the holy temple #atheism
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There’s hardly a word of Jesus that is not to be found in a parallel saying of the rabbis. #atheism
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Practically all the events of Jesus’ supposed life appear in the lives of mythical figures of far more ancient origin. Fishy, huh? #atheism
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… aaand, we now know that Nazareth did not exist before the second century. #atheism
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This ‘universal census’ makes no sense. Roman taxes were based on property ownership not on a head count. #atheism
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…therefore there was no reason for the journey. Even if Galilee had been imperial territory, history knows of no universal census #atheism
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At the time that Joseph & the pregnant Mary allegedly went off to Bethlehem for a Roman census, Galilee was not a Roman province… #atheism
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This ‘greatest story’ is full of numerous anachronisms, contradictions and absurdities. It just doesn’t add up. Let’s see… #atheism
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See, he problem for this notion is that absolutely nothing corroborates the sacred biography, nothing at all. Nada. #atheism
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But… with so many Jesuses could there not have been a ‘Jesus of Nazareth’? You might ask. #atheism
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Jesus ben Stada met his end in the town of Lydda (twenty five miles from Jerusalem) at the hands of a Roman crucifixion crew. #atheism
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Certainly. Jesus ben Stada – was a Judean agitator who gave the Romans a headache in the early years of the second century. #atheism
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But… was there a crucified Jesus? anyone? #atheism
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Jesus ben Thebuth.A priest who in the final capitulation of the city in 69AD, saved his butt by trading the treasures of the Temple #atheism
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When the Idumeans breached the walls of Jerusalem Jesus ben Gamala was put to death & his body thrown to the dogs and carrion birds #atheism
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Jesus ben Gamala. During 68/69 AD this Jesus was a leader of the ‘peace party’ in the civil war wrecking Judaea. #atheism
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When the city was about to fall to Vespasian’s legionaries Jesus ben Saphat fled north to Tarichea on the Sea of Galilee. #atheism
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Jesus ben Saphat. In the insurrection of 68AD that wrought havoc in Galilee, this Jesus had led the rebels in Tiberias. #atheism
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Jesus ben Ananias was considered as nothing more dangerous than a mad man. He died from a rock hurled by a Roman catapult. #atheism
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Jesus ben Ananias. Beginning in 62AD, this Jesus caused disquiet in Jerusalem with a non-stop doom-laden mantra of ‘Woe to the city’ #aheism
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This Jesus launched his end-time prophecy which upset the king. He met his own end-time by being hung on a tree – on the eve of a Passover.
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Jesus ben Pandira. A wonder-worker during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus 106-79 BC one of the most ruthless of the Maccabean kings #atheism
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Ecclesiasticus is part of Old Testament Apocrypha. Ben Sirach, writing in Greek about 180 BC, brought together Jewish ‘wisdom’. #atheism
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Jesus ben Sirach. This Jesus was reputedly the author of the Book of Sirach aka Ecclesiasticus or Wisdom of Jesus the Son of Sirach #atheism
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Was there a #Jesus? Of course there was a Jesus! Certainly! The case is, there were many – but no “Jesus of Nazareth.” #atheist #atheism
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Ok, it’s #atheist Sunday School time. Who’s up for an avalanche of Jesuses? I actually love this topic. Ready? #atheism
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This one http://wp.me/pCWma-12J is for you, @bettered. Do some reading and find more answers yourself. #atheism #science
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The problem w/ you trying to prove your faith is that you look like an idiot when someone who knows more about science comes along. #atheism
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http://tl.gd/6aik3o wow! If you haven’t even heard about photosynthesis there’s not much that I can do for you.Seriously? @bettered #atheism
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Monicks Monica
Starting to think there’s no way to have everything you’ve ever dreamed of; it’s ok, though. In my dreams, I’ve had it all. ♥ Goodnight.
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Criticizing a belief is not persecution. You don’t have a problem when you deny all the gods you don’t believe in, do you. #atheism
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Our morality has evolved in spite of the so morally inadequate god described in the bible, not because of it. #atheism
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You can always close your eyes to the things you don’t want to see, but you can’t close your heart to the things you don’t want to feel. ♥

The God of the Gaps (by Neil deGrasse Tyson)

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The God of the Gaps (by Neil deGrasse Tyson)

From: Beyond Belief 2006

Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about the evolution of knowledge across the centuries and the god of the gaps.

Got That?

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If you remember how much easier it is to remember what you would rather forget than remember, than remember what you would rather remember than forget, then you can’t forget how much easier it is to forget what you would rather remember than forget, than forget what you would rather forget than remember.

– Elmira Gazette, quoted in New York Times, Feb. 13, 1891

Human Evolution: Oldest Evidence Of Stone Tool Use

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California Academy of Sciences: Human Evolution — Tool use by early humans started much earlier. The Academy’s Zeray Alemseged reveals his latest discovery: human stone tool use dating back to 3.4 million years ago. Small-brained human ancestors used stone tools to whack into large mammals some 800,000 years earlier than previously thought.

– The earliest known evidence for stone tool use and meat eating among early humans is found.

– The evidence — butchered, fossilized bones — dates to roughly 3.4 million years ago.
– It’s believed the ancestor Australopithecus afarensis (to which “Lucy” belongs) used the tools.

• http://news.discovery.com/archaeology…

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BBC News: Tool-making and meat-eating began 3.5 million years ago

Researchers have found evidence that hominins – early human ancestors – used stone tools to cleave meat from animal bones more than 3.2 million years ago. That pushes back the earliest known tool use and meat-eating in such hominins by more than 800,000 years.

Bones found in Ethiopia show cuts from stone and indications that the bones were forcibly broken to remove marrow. The research, in the journal Nature, challenges several notions about our ancestors’ behaviour.

Previously the oldest-known use of stone tools came from the nearby Gona region of Ethiopia, dating back to about 2.5 million years ago. That suggests that it was our more direct ancestors, members of our own genus Homo, that were the first to use tools.

But the marked bones were found in the Dikika region, with their age determined by dating the nearby volcanic rock — to between 3.2 million and 3.4 million years ago.

A battery of tests showed that the cuts, scrapes and scratches were made before the bones fossilised, and detailed analysis even showed that there were bits of stone lodged in one of the cuts.

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-env…

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Calacademy’s ‘Science in Action’ strives to make science accessible for everyone and discuss its relevance in our everyday lives. We bring you science news through media screens and live chats on the museum floor, the Science Today website, podcasts, and monthly Nightlife programming. We gather and disseminate content through our partners, local programs, other media and Academy staff.

• http://www.calacademy.org/sciencetoday/

“A Good Bargain”

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A story is told of Sheridan, himself an Irishman, that one day, when coming back from shooting with an empty bag, he did not like to go home completely empty, and seeing a number of ducks in a pond, and a man or farmer leaning on a rail watching them, Sheridan said, ‘What will you take for a shot at the ducks?’

‘Well,’ he said, ‘I will take half a sovereign.’

‘Done!’ said Sheridan, and he fired into middle of the flock, killing a dozen. ‘I am afraid you made a bad bargain!’

‘I don’t know,’ said the man: ‘they weren’t mine.’

– Tit-Bits From All the Most Interesting Books, Periodicals and Newspapers in the World, Oct. 29, 1881

Gold Into Lead

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Concerned that the men of 1768 no longer read the Bible, Edward Harwood decided to translate the New Testament into modern language. The result has been called “turgid,” “absurd,” “ridiculous,” and “one of the most discussed and insulted” Bibles of the 18th century. Samples of his work:

Before: “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.”

After: “Since therefore you are now in a state of lukewarmness, a disagreeable medium between the two extremes, I will in no long time eject you from my heart with fastidious contempt.”

Before: “Give us this day our daily bread.”

After: “As thou hast hitherto most mercifully supplied our wants, deny us not the necessaries and conveniences of life, while thou art pleased to continue us in it.”

Before: “We shall not all die, but we shall all be changed.”

After: “We shall not all pay the common debt of nature, but we shall by a soft transition be changed from mortality to immortality.”

And here’s the Lord’s Prayer:

O thou great governor and parent of universal nature (God) who manifestest thy glory to the blessed inhabitants of heaven–may all thy rational creatures in all the parts of thy boundless dominion be happy in the knowledge of thy existence and providence, and celebrate thy perfections in a manner most worthy of thy nature and perfective of their own! May the glory of thy moral development be advanced and the great laws of it be more generally obeyed. May the inhabitants of this world pay as cheerful a submission and as constant an obedience to Thy will, as the happy spirits do in the regions of immortality.

Harwood said his translation “left the most exacting velleity without ground for quiritation.”

The Editorial Lash

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http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Declaration_independence.jpg

Thomas Jefferson writhed under the criticisms of the Continental Congress as it reviewed his draft of the Declaration of Independence. Seeing this, Benjamin Franklin took him aside. “I have made it a rule,” he said, “whenever in my power, to avoid becoming the draftsman of papers to be reviewed by a public body. I took my lesson from an incident which I will relate to you.

“When I was a journeyman printer, one of my companions, an apprenticed hatter, having served out his time, was about to open shop for himself. His first concern was to have a handsome signboard, with a proper inscription. He composed it in these words: John Thompson, Hatter, makes and sells hats for ready money, with a figure of a hat subjoined. But he thought he would submit it to his friends for their amendments.

“The first he showed it to thought the word hatter tautologous, because followed by the words makes hats, which showed he was a hatter. It was struck out. The next observed that the word makes might as well be omitted, because his customers would not care who made the hats; if good and to their mind they would buy, by whomsoever made. He struck it out. A third said he thought the words for ready money were useless, as it was not the custom of the place to sell on credit. Every one who purchased expected to pay. They were parted with, and the inscription now stood, John Thompson sells hats. ‘Sells hats?’ says his next friend; ‘why, nobody will expect you to give them away. What, then, is the use of that word?’ It was stricken out, and hats followed, the rather as there was one painted on the board.

“So his inscription was ultimately reduced to John Thompson, with the figure of a hat subjoined.”

via futilitycloset.com

Exit Smiling

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http://books.google.com/books?id=WQVAAAAAMAAJ&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

In 1728, at age 23, Ben Franklin composed his own epitaph:

The Body of
B. Franklin, Printer
(Like the Cover of an old Book
Its Contents torn out
And shrift of its Lettering and Gilding)
Lies here, Food for Worms.
But the Work shall not be lost;
For it will, (as he believ’d) appear once more,
In a new and more elegant Edition
Revised and corrected,
By the Author.

Fifty-six years later, six years before his death in 1790, he wrote these lines:

If Life’s compared to a Feast,
Near Fourscore Years I’ve been a Guest;
I’ve been regaled with the best,
And feel quite satisfyd.
‘Tis time that I retire to Rest;
Landlord, I thank you! — Friends, Good Night.

via futilitycloset.com