"I'm glad you quoted me so people can see that I did NOT say that you deny the Holocaust"
I said that you "implied by association" which is what you did.
"You say; Any evidence that would sustain the historicity of Jesus is lie perpetrated by the Christians."
You are a liar. I have never said any such thing. I will look at any purported evidence and I will argue it as I see it. As a person who values reason, I will be the first to acknowledge legitimate evidence...wherever it leads.
"He does not use the word conspiracy but points 8 & 9 leave no doubt that's exactly what he is claiming"
No, there is nothing relating to conspiracy in those points.
"Points 1 thru 6 are really just one point. I have already addressed some of them briefly, but unless there was a reason to prove that which was not in question there was no need to quote him. Point seven is irrelevant to the issue.Points eight and nine are unsubstantiated accusations. Points 10 thru 14 are subjective and entirely unconvincing"
Garbage response. Either respond to one of the points or shut your mouth.
Here are the points:
"1. It is not quoted by the Christian fathers.
2. Tertullian was familiar with the writings of Tacitus, and his arguments demanded the citation of this evidence had it existed.
3. Clement of Alexandria, at the beginning of the third century, made a compilation of all the recognitions of Christ and Christianity that had been made by Pagan writers up to his time. The writings of Tacitus furnished no recognition of them.
4. Origen, in his controversy with Celsus, would undoubtedly have used it had it existed.
5. The ecclesiastical historian Eusebius, in the fourth century, cites all the evidences of Christianity obtainable from Jewish and Pagan sources, but makes no mention of Tacitus.
6. It is not quoted by any Christian writer prior to the fifteenth century.
7. At this time but one copy of the Annals existed and this copy, it is claimed, was made in the eighth century -- 600 years after the time of Tacitus.
8. As this single copy was in the possession of a Christian the insertion of a forgery was easy.
9. Its severe criticisms of Christianity do not necessarily disprove its Christian origin. No ancient witness was more desirable than Tacitus, but his introduction at so late a period would make rejection certain unless Christian forgery could be made to appear improbable.
10. It is admitted by Christian writers that the works of Tacitus have not been preserved with any considerable degree of fidelity. In the writings ascribed to him are believed to be some of the writings of Quintilian.
11. The blood-curdling story about the frightful orgies of Nero reads like some Christian romance of the dark ages, and not like Tacitus.
12. In fact, this story, in nearly the same words, omitting the reference to Christ, is to be found in the writings of Sulpicius Severus, a Christian of the fifth century.
13. Suetonius, while mercilessly condemning the reign of Nero, says that in his public entertainments he took particular care that no human lives should be sacrificed, "not even those of condemned criminals."
14. At the time that the conflagration occurred, Tacitus himself declares that Nero was not in Rome, but at Antium." |
