quote:
Right, but it's indistinguishable from (a fantasy). Like all special revalation, third parties can't tell the difference between somebody recieving private messages from god and somebody who's lying about it.
But third parties can assess whether the prophet is otherwise reliable or otherwise personally authoritative, and whether the messages passed on are in keeping with what they hold to be authoritative.
In the fifth chapter of Matthew, Jesus is reported as saying:
Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.
There is something extraordinary going on here. It's quite exceptional in the context of the time for someone to expand the teaching of a verse, not by exegesis, but by a straightforward appeal to their own authority. Why would anyone listen? Because Jesus of Nazareth, impressed sufficient personal authority to be taken seriously.
So third parties do have means of assessing the good faith, if not the objective truth (whatever that is), of a prophet. And naturally enough different third parties do this in their own ways, and we end up with a all sorts and conditions of religions based on who or what we take to be authoritative.
But to say that third parties cannot tell the difference is to too far. As human beings we have evolved myriad complex and subtle ways of understanding our fellows and assessing their unverifiable claims.
quote:
For all you know the bible is a work of fiction that people mistakenly believe.
I think it is pretty clear that whatever else it may be, the Bible is not one work, and of its many works, many are not fictional - mistaken, perhaps, but not a fiction.
quote:
I would point out that (especially at the time the bible was written) there's significant financial reward for starting religions, especially ones that tell you to donate all your worldly goods to the church or you won't get into heaven.
What time would that be - all through the history of Judaism and into the Greek diaspora? And where does it ask one to give all wordly goods to the church? The old testament closely regulates the tithes to be paid, which are certainly not
all worldy goods and Jesus commends the ruler in Luke 18:22 to
sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, not to the church.
™ Version 4.2