Archaeology of the New Testament

[Dutch Uncle]

True, white nationalism is a lurking threat.

On the other hand, if I took a poll of all the Jewish Americans and Asian Americans I have known, I don't think a single one of them would say 21st century America as a whole is a genuinely oppressive* nation towards people of Asian or Jewish heritage.

Having to deal with the occasional bigot or name-caller to me does not elevate the problem to one of national oppression involving the cruel and unjust systemic subjugation of a group of people.

* as previously defined

True, but then ask them if it's an increasing or decreasing problem. I'm guessing they'd say increasing.

OTOH, I believe we're in the "one step back" phase of a "two steps forward, one step back" cycle. It will be better, but there will be pain for many people, if not death, before it does.

 

[Cypress]

True, but then ask them if it's an increasing or decreasing problem. I'm guessing they'd say increasing.

OTOH, I believe we're in the "one step back" phase of a "two steps forward, one step back" cycle. It will be better, but there will be pain for many people, if not death, before it does.

That's true, Trump has made bigotry more openly acceptable

 

[Into the Night]

Correct. You are a liar. I am not.

Inversion fallacy.

 

[Into the Night]

Theocracy sucks.

So why do you support it?

The Supreme Court is too deferential to the right-wing Christians social norms.

Buzzword fallacies (deferential, right-wing Christians, social norms). Try English. It works better.

OTOH, I generally don't get on board with alarmism unless there's evidence to support it.

There hasn't been a religious war between Christian sects in 500 years.
I think the Arab Israeli conflict is far more political than it is religious.

Some of the most infamous domestic terrorists in recent American history were secular materialists. I don't think Timothy McVeigh or the Unabomber were Christians. Certain cults with a religious dimension have definitely been a problem.

Buzzword fallacies (alarmism, Arab, conflict, Christian, cult, dimension).
Try English. It works better.

 

[Into the Night]

True, but then ask them if it's an increasing or decreasing problem. I'm guessing they'd say increasing.

OTOH, I believe we're in the "one step back" phase of a "two steps forward, one step back" cycle. It will be better, but there will be pain for many people, if not death, before it does.

Random cliche. YARP.

 

[Into the Night]

That's true, Trump has made bigotry more openly acceptable

Buzzword fallacy (bigotry).

Go learn English, Cyborg.

 

[Into the Night]

True, white nationalism is a lurking threat.

On the other hand, if I took a poll of all the Jewish Americans and Asian Americans I have known, I don't think a single one of them would say 21st century America as a whole is a genuinely oppressive* nation towards people of Asian or Jewish heritage.

Having to deal with the occasional bigot or name-caller to me does not elevate the problem to one of national oppression involving the cruel and unjust systemic subjugation of a group of people.

* as previously defined

Go stuff your racism and bigotry up your butt, Cyborg.

 

[Dutch Uncle]

That's true, Trump has made bigotry more openly acceptable

Sad but true. Trump jumped on the White Nationalist bandwagon and brought it to Washington, DC.

 

[ZenMode]

Inversion fallacy.

inversion fallacy fallacy

 

[Into the Night]

Sad but true. Trump jumped on the White Nationalist bandwagon and brought it to Washington, DC.

Go stuff your racism up your butt, Sybil.

 

[Into the Night]

inversion fallacy fallacy

LIF. Grow up. Denial of logic.

 

[IBDaMann]

Archaeology and manuscript evidence are the only way to test historical claims made by ancient authors.

"Archaeology and manuscript evidence" are the evidentiary claims made by contemporary people of the historicity of their religious beliefs.

All conclusions drawn from archaeology are wild speculation.

 

[IBDaMann]

Christianity is one of the only religions that is fundamentally based on historical claims.

There is nothing historical about Christianity.

"Historical" is a requirement category, and everything about Christianity falls outside the "historical" category,; instead, everything falls within the "belief" category.

If it's not historically true that Jesus of Nazareth ministered, died, and was resurrected, then Christianity as a religion is a farce.

False. It might very well have happened that a Jesus of Nazareth ministered, died and resurrected, but that is your non-historical religious belief.

 

[IBDaMann]

Tomb of Saint Peter

I provisionally rank the reliability of this archeological evidence as 'more probable than not '.

Nope. No human has ever calculated the probability in the first place.

1) Early Christian tradition places Saint Peter's burial location beneath the basilica of Saint Peter's cathedral in Rome. It is specifically the reason the basilica was built on this location by Constantine.

Constantine acted on non-historical, religiously-driven speculation.

2) 20th century excavation found a first to second century shrine under the basilica.

That assertion in conclusory. Nobody has ever traveled back in time to verify the veracity of that assertion.

3) Human bones found associated with the shrine are from a male, age 60 to 70, who lived in the first century.

Human remains were discovered in the excavation.

4) The type of fabric wrapped around the bones indicate a person of high status, someone held in reverence.

Well, there was certainly only one of those in human history. I'm glad that you aren't engaging in wild, conclusory speculation.

5) Ancient Christian inscriptions carved on a wall next to the tomb read: 'Peter is in here'.

Well, if it was carved in Christian then it must be true.

 

[IBDaMann]

... there is a considerable amount of Old Testament archaeology that is of interest to historians, archeologists, and the lay public.

There is a considerable amount of archaeology that impels religious people to make conclusory statements thereof.

 

[ZenMode]

LIF. Grow up. Denial of logic.

Denial of Logic should be your handle.

 

[Cypress]

All conclusions drawn from archaeology are wild speculation!

All scholars of antiquity and all educated people consider archeology a valid form of knowledge and research.

 

[IBDaMann]

All scholars of antiquity and all educated people consider archeology a valid form of knowledge and research.

Nope. Undereducated people, such as you, believe that wild speculation is somehow knowledge.

All archaeologists are aware that they bring empirical support to their particular speculations. You would be taking your first step toward wisdom if you were to understand this.

 

[Cypress]

All archaeologists are aware that they bring empirical support to their particular speculations.

You are disingenuously trying to substitute the word 'speculation' for the words theory and hypothesis. Sneaky.

Speculations are guesses.
Theories are based on the interpretation of empirical evidence and data by experts.
Theories are a legitimate form of knowledge.

 

[IBDaMann]

You are disingenuously trying to substitute the word 'speculation' for the words theory and hypothesis. Sneaky.

Apparently you need to learn what the words "theory" and "hypothesis" mean.

Speculations are guesses.

Correct.

Theories are [guesses] based on the interpretation of empirical evidence and data by [people whose livelihoods depend on their guesses being wildly amazing].

FTFY.

Theories are a legitimate form of knowledge.

Nope. You need to work on your vocabulary.