(Published in Faith and Philosophy 2011. Volume 28, Issue 2, April 2011. Stephen Law. Pages 129-151) EVIDENCE, MIRACLES AND THE EXISTENCE OF JESUS Stephen Law Abstract The vast majority of Biblical historians believe there is evidence sufficient to place Jesus’ existence beyond reasonable doubt. Many believe the New Testament documents alone suffice firmly to establish Jesus as an actual, historical figure. I question these views. In particular, I argue (i) that the three most popular criteria by which various non-miraculous New Testament claims made about Jesus are supposedly corroborated are not sufficient, either singly or jointly, to place his existence beyond reasonable doubt, and (ii) that a prima facie plausible principle concerning how evidence should be assessed – a principle I call the contamination principle – entails that, given the large proportion of uncorroborated miracle claims made about Jesus in the New Testament documents, we should, in the absence of indepen
Stephen Law is a philosopher and author. Currently Director of Philosophy and Cert HE at Oxford University Department of Continuing Education. Stephen has also published many popular books including The Philosophy Gym, The Complete Philosophy Files, and Believing Bullshit. For school talks/ media: stephenlaw4schools.blogspot.co.uk Email: think-AT-royalinstitutephilosophy.org
Comments
I saw something similar in the Munich Science Museum in 2000, only it started with a couple sitting on a metre square rug in Central Park, NY, and then zoomed out at powers of 10 with an English voiceover.
However this one is even more spectacular.
We live on a grain of sand on a beach surrounded by oceans, really.
Regards, Paul.
The video is pretty good. A bit like a YouTube version of the Total Perspective Vortex:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSnJl7B_TVs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FARX1daD5uo&feature=PlayList&p=24784686D9F530EE&index=0&playnext=1