Fitzgerald is a biblical historian and mythicist. Nothing will convince him that Jesus existed. And he says there is a consensus among bible scholars that Moses, Abraham, Isaac, Joseph, Daniel, Ruth and Boaz, to name a few OT characters, never existed either. He cites Hector Avalos, a bible scholar who shocked his colleagues by writing a book that called for the end Bible scholarship, to make his point. They say that the Bible is just an ancient book with no relevance to the modern age. What surprises me is that atheists are bible scholars. Bible scholars who pray and live as Christians are called apologists and defend the faith. It’s just a technical word, not a disrespectful word. I’m beginning to see the problem with atheists. Knowing Christ is a “position held ultimately on…emotional and subjective grounds” (Robert Price). These atheist historians who wouldn’t accept a subjective bond with Christ as proof of anything would sure have a hard time with quantum physics and the new perception of reality it forces us to accept. Even ETs know Christ. There is a race of ETs that call themselves the Brothers of Christ. I was watching a podcast in which the guest said there was nothing outside of us; everything is in our mind. I don’t agree with that. He says there’s no table if it is not being observed, which is ridiculous. The table is there whether it is observed or not, but if not observed, it’s in its quantum state of all possibilities. The wave doesn’t collapse until it is observed, with the dominant wave making it a table instead of a chair.
Atheist Robert Price in “Jesus: Myth and Method,” analyzes the work of Christian apologists Paul Rhodes Eddy and Greg Boyd. His focus is the Resurrection. Eddy and Boyd say that conclusions based on textual and historical analysis “can only point in a more or less probable direction. To speak now as Christian theologians: the Holy Spirit, personal commitment and covenant trust must carry one the rest of the way.” Price accuses the two of practicing theology rather than historical criticism. He says, They aver that the historian, as historian, should accept that Jesus rose from the dead. But then they say that it would take a hat switch to a theologian’s role to decide that this miracle held salvific significance. He accuses them of smuggling in soteriology (salvation through Christ). Now, Price just crossed the line. He’s putting the Resurrection in the same catagory as UFOs, the paranomal and psychic phenomena! He is definitely is a reductionist trapped in a 5-sense matrix.
Richard Carrier starts his essay “Why the Resurrection is Unbelievable” by comparing the Resurrection to the believabilty of a horse giving birth to a rabbit (Herodotus 479 BC). Matthew adds details to the crucifixion and Resurrection that just didn’t happen, except for the sandstorm from the Arabian desert. These false details gives Carrier reasons to reject the Resurrection. He also says John’s Gospel contradicts everything in the other three Gospels.
Carrier analyzes the Resurrection account in Matthew and Mark: Matthew: 1. Mary Magdalene and an other Mary come to the tomb. 2. earthquake-angel came, rolled back stone, sat on it. 3. appearance like lightning, gown white as snow. 4. guards shook in fear and were paralyzed. 5. Angel “Don’t be afraid. You seek Jesus crucified. He isn’t here, for he has risen. Come, see where the Lord lay. (28:1-6)
Mark: 1. Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Salome came very early to the tomb as the sun was rising. 2. They were saying, ” Who will roll the stone from the door for us? 3. But the stone had been rolled back and they saw a young man in white sitting on the right. 4. They were amazed, but he said, “Don’t be amazed. You seek Jesus the Nazorene, who was crucified. He is risen. He isn’t here. Behold the place where they laid him. (16:1-6)
1. Matthew borrows from Mark, so Mark had no idea there were guards (both Roman and Jewish) at the tomb. This is a contradiction. 2. Carrier tells a parable comparing the tomb to a bank vault which shows the stories given to the women to be highly suspicious. 3. Unlike the detective in the parable, we can’t interview witnesses. 4. We just hear what some unknown guy decades later said (gospel writer). 5. We don’t even know how the gospel writer knows about the event. Was he an eyewitness? Did he hear it from an eyewitness? Or is it hearsay? 6. Why should the gospel writer believe his source? 7. Or why should we believe it? (Carrier)
Jesus carried on business on Saturday while his body was in the tomb (UB). He went to the morontia worlds. Earth (Urantia) is in the System of Satania, which contains about 600 other inhabited planets. Jerusem is the administrative HQ, and it’s an artificial planet far larger than Earth. When you pass, you go to the morontia worlds and are resurrected with a new body and new clothes. You keep your personality and soul. Your angel and Thought Adjuster keep these until you are ready for them. This is what Jesus did. He received a morontia body and robes, and that’s why he told Mary Magdalene not to touch him. He also met with advisors who prepared him for resuming his role as Sovereign God of the universe.
The Good Guys and the Bad Guys 