tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1433428682510068517.post8660683756562836235..comments2024-02-29T19:21:32.831-05:00Comments on Possible Worlds: The Empty Tomb RevisitedRandy Everisthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06870605678781409126noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1433428682510068517.post-7758158724777029842011-04-15T17:02:15.859-04:002011-04-15T17:02:15.859-04:00Thanks for commenting Vinny! The antecedent clause...Thanks for commenting Vinny! The antecedent clause is paramount here. The story just <i>does</i> predate Mark (even on the earliest dating of a mid-40s timeframe)! Remember the "delivered" and "received" motif being passed on by Paul, having received it within just a few years (cf. use of "Cephas" and not Peter, which had fallen out of use even by the time of Paul's conversion). <br /><br />Further, even if we grant the antecedent as true (notwithstanding this would seem to entail the Resurrection's being false, and hence the antecedent is question-begging), we just don't see this kind of embarrassing embellishments in legends. Historically, legends have great embellishments favoring the hero and good guys; Mark's writing of the story would explain why they did not hear it, but it would not explain why <i>he wrote it at all</i>. Why take the time to do it? It has become no less embarrassing. In short, it's implausible, it assumes what it tries to prove, it's counter to history, and it is unfalsifiable (that is, it assumes any evidence which would count in its historical favor are fabricated for that purpose, in effect counting as evidence against it).Randy Everisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06870605678781409126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1433428682510068517.post-71501606793251450122011-04-15T15:59:47.148-04:002011-04-15T15:59:47.148-04:00If the story of the empty tomb were unknown prior ...If the story of the empty tomb were unknown prior to the gospel of Mark, its author would have had to deal with the question from readers "Why haven't we heard this story before." By putting women in a prominent role, he gave himself a perfect explanation, "No one knew about it for a long time because those silly unreliable women ran away without telling anyone."Vinnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08955726889682177434noreply@blogger.com