From: Gene.Gross@lambada.oit.unc.edu (Gene Gross)
Subject: Re: DID HE REALLY RISE???
Organization: University of North Carolina Extended Bulletin Board Service
Lines: 60

In article <Apr.15.00.58.18.1993.28885@athos.rutgers.edu> oser@fermi.wustl.edu (Scott Oser) writes:
>
>And the two simplest refutations are these:
>
>(1)  What impact?  The only record of impact comes from the New Testament.
>I have no guarantee that its books are in the least accurate, and that
>the recorded "impact" actually happened.  I find it interesting that no other
>contemporary source records an eclipse, an earthquake, a temple curtain
>being torn, etc.  The earliest written claim we have of Jesus' resurrection
>is from the Pauline epistles, none of which were written sooner than 20 years
>after the supposed event.

First, off I'd say that the impact if right before your eyes! 8-) That we are
even discussing this is a major impact in and of itself. Further, the early
church bears testimony to the impact.

>(2)  It seems probable that no one displayed the body of Jesus because no
>one knew where it was.  I personally believe that the most likely
>explanation was that the body was stolen (by disciples, or by graverobbers).
>Don't bother with the point about the guards ... it only appears in one
>gospel, and seems like exactly the sort of thing early Christians might make
>up in order to counter the grave-robbing charge.  The New Testament does
>record that Jews believed the body had been stolen.  If there were really
>guards, they could not have effectively made this claim, as they did.

Of course they knew where it was. Don't forget that Jesus was seen by both
the Jews and the Romans as a troublemaker. Pilate was no fool and didn't 
need the additional headaches of some fishermen stealing Jesus' body to 
make it appear He had arisen. Since Jesus was buried in the grave of a 
man well know to the Sanhedrin, to say that they didn't know where He was
buried begs the question.

Now, you say that you think that the disciples stole the body. But think on
this a moment. Would you die to maintain something you KNEW to be a 
deliberate lie!? If not, then why do you think the disciples would!? Now, I'm
not talking about dying for something you firmly believe to be the truth, 
but unbeknown to you, it is a lie. Many have done this. No, I'm talking about
dying, by beheading, stoning, crucifixion, etc., for something you know to
be a lie! Thus, you position with regards to the disciples stealing the 
body seems rather lightweight to me.

As for graverobbers, why risk the severe penalties for grave robbing over 
the body of Jesus? He wasn't buried with great riches. So, again, this is
an argument that can be discounted.

That leaves you back on square one. What happened to the body!?

IHL, Gene

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[Again, let me comment that the most plausible non-Christian scenario,
and the one typically suggested by sceptics who are knowledgeable
about the NT, is that the resurrection was a subjective event, and the
empty tomb stories are a result of accounts growing in the telling.
--clh]
