Gott Mit Uns: Open Letter to Atheists and Theists

[MMI]

According to a programme I saw on the UK History channel, it was statistically probable that there were about four Jesus ben Josephs in Judea at the time of Christ's lifetime, and there is tentative evidence of at least one of them.

To the person who triumphantly demonstrated I was "wrong again" (I don't admit to EVER being wrong!) - I'm afraid he is overstating his case in this regard. While it is true that the existence of some things has been posited and eventually proved right, such as atoms, that does not mean every proposition will always be right. When atoms were discovered and studied, it was found that they were not at all what had originally been suggested, for example: an indivisible particle that was the same as every other other atom.

Nevertheless, let's accept that I'm splitting hairs over that. I still maintain that what I said was true: if there is absolutely no evidence that a thing exists, then, on the balance of probabilities, it doesn't. That's not to say it definitely doesn't, but if you need a working model, the one that assumes it doesn't exist will probably be right. The evidence of your eyes/ears/reason will be right more often than not.

[Thorne]

According to a programme I saw on the UK History channel, it was statistically probable that there were about four Jesus ben Josephs in Judea at the time of Christ's lifetime, and there is tentative evidence of at least one of them.

I've heard that as well, though I thought the probability was higher. They were both fairly common names during that time. But there is no record of a Jesus ben Joseph being tried, convicted and executed for treason by the Roman courts. And the Romans were pretty fanatical about their records. Of course, that doesn't mean it couldn't have happened. Just that there's no evidence for it.

I don't admit to EVER being wrong!

Good for you!

If there is absolutely no evidence that a thing exists, then, on the balance of probabilities, it doesn't. That's not to say it definitely doesn't, but if you need a working model, the one that assumes it doesn't exist will probably be right. The evidence of your eyes/ears/reason will be right more often than not.

Ye gods, we're agreeing again! Is the world coming to an end?
Or maybe not. You can't always believe your eyes. That's the basis for illusionists doing what they do. To the eye, the world seems flat and the sky seems to be an inverted bowl hanging over our heads. And you can't always believe everything you hear, either. All of our senses are filtered through our minds which tends to block out, to some extent, those things we don't want to see and hear.
And what may seem reasonable to one may seem cockeyed to another. Reason is far too subjective.