Article

2006-01-03 Fifth Column

Prove Christ exists, Italian judge orders priest

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Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-01-03 09:28|| || Front Page|| [4 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 I'd laugh like hell if he showed up. The judge probably wouldn't though...

Posted by tu3031 2006-01-03 11:59|| 2006-01-03 11:59|| Front Page Top

#2 Ah...doesn't make a whole lot of difference as the judge will lose his job when Eurabia adopts Sharia anyway.

Posted by 2b 2006-01-03 12:04|| 2006-01-03 12:04|| Front Page Top

#3 âabusing popular credulity"

Good grief!! This is now against the law in Italy?????????????? Man wait till they start suing Hollywood!

Oh, and BTW, there's damn little evidence to support ANY specific history from 2000 years ago.

Whatta bunch of marroons.

Posted by AlanC">AlanC 2006-01-03 12:34|| 2006-01-03 12:34|| Front Page Top

#4 1st century Palestine? There never has been a Palestine

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-01-03 13:54|| 2006-01-03 13:54|| Front Page Top

#5 An ~~Italian~~ judge from the US 9th Circuit and the ACLU have ordered a priest to appear in court this month to prove that Jesus Christ existed. The case against Father Enrico Righi has been brought in the town of Viterbo, north of Rome, by Luigi Cascioli, a retired agronomist who once studied for the priesthood but later became a militant atheist.

Posted by Besoeker 2006-01-03 14:03|| 2006-01-03 14:03|| Front Page Top

#6 Huh?

Posted by Nimble Spemble 2006-01-03 14:14|| 2006-01-03 14:14|| Front Page Top

#7 My advice to this judge: call on ROP to prove that Allah exists.

Posted by gromgoru 2006-01-03 14:42|| 2006-01-03 14:42|| Front Page Top

#8 That's just cruel, gromgoru :-)

the existence of Jesus from sources other than the Bible stem from authors who lived âafter the time of the hypothetical Jesusâ

Bullshit. Try the Dead Sea Scrolls. A non-Christian source, no less.

Posted by Rafael 2006-01-03 14:52|| 2006-01-03 14:52|| Front Page Top

#9 He's dead, Jim.

Posted by Snalet Threger2010 2006-01-03 15:10|| 2006-01-03 15:10|| Front Page Top

#10 "Prove he DIDN'T, if you're so smart!"

"You can't prove a negative."

"Prove you can't!"

"I don't think you're getting the point here, pal."

Posted by mojo">mojo 2006-01-03 15:34|| 2006-01-03 15:34|| Front Page Top

#11 'Paleostine' is the name of a Roman province on old maps, a Latin corruption of the biblical Philistines that lived in Tyre and Sidon as well as Gaza. Josepus, a credible 1st century historian and Roman citizen, mentions Jesus in glowing terms. Antiquities of the Jews and other works give incredible detail of Herod's reign of terror and the hated occupation and taxation, and considered a credible historical work.
Josephus also records Theophilus as appointed high priest in 37 CE. The NT book of Luke, is a recording of Jesus' genealogy and life, with the crucifixion about 33 CE. The book of Luke is addressed to "My dear Theophilus", making them all contemporary. Luke was Paul's traveling companion, probably to Rome, where he died. Other manuscripts have verifying and confirming details to events or people connected to Jesus or some of his disciples, such as which became bishops in the dispersion after the fall of the Temple in 70 CE. But the case has already been tried...Cascioli should also read Bill Hybel' books if he needs more convincing evidence.

Posted by Danielle 2006-01-03 15:45|| 2006-01-03 15:45|| Front Page Top

#12 The priest should counter-sue demanding that Signor Cascioli prove that he exists and that reality is REAL.

This should keep the court and lawyers busy for the next 50,000 years.

Posted by 3dc 2006-01-03 15:46|| 2006-01-03 15:46|| Front Page Top

#13 But the case has already been tried...Cascioli should also read Bill Hybel' books if he needs more convincing evidence.

And after Hybel, some Joseph Cambell. That should keep him busy for a while.

Posted by Besoeker 2006-01-03 15:48|| 2006-01-03 15:48|| Front Page Top

#14 Josephus, a credible 1st century historian and Roman citizen, mentions Jesus in glowing terms.

Actually, IIRC (correct me if I'm wrong), Josephus describes him in so glowing terms, that it's utterly improbable that he (as Jewish) could have written the words attributed to him, and which strongly implied a Christian writer.

Other than that I have no real doubt that Jesus of Nazareth actually existed, taught, and was crucified. All the rest about him, though, are up for grabs...

Posted by Aris Katsaris">Aris Katsaris 2006-01-03 17:27|| 2006-01-03 17:27|| Front Page Top

#15 âabusing popular credulity"

Isn't that the job description for politicians?

Posted by xbalanke 2006-01-03 19:00|| 2006-01-03 19:00|| Front Page Top

#16 Insufficient evidence is not evidence of insufficience.

See Simpson, OJ.

Posted by Judge Ito 2006-01-03 19:32|| 2006-01-03 19:32|| Front Page Top

#17 Free O.J.!!!

Posted by Johnny 2006-01-03 20:11|| 2006-01-03 20:11|| Front Page Top

#18 If the love fits you must acquit

Posted by Frank G">Frank G 2006-01-03 20:44|| 2006-01-03 20:44|| Front Page Top

#19 No justice, no peace! Keep hope alive!

Posted by Johnny 2006-01-03 20:52|| 2006-01-03 20:52|| Front Page Top

#20 NB: No lawsuit demanding the local imam prove the existence of Mohammed or Allah.

The atheists are cowards unless they go after the Muslims, too.

Posted by Robert Crawford">Robert Crawford 2006-01-03 21:00|| http://www.kloognome.com/]">[http://www.kloognome.com/] 2006-01-03 21:00|| Front Page Top

#21 No lawsuit demanding the local imam prove the existence of Mohammed or Allah.

Ha! And why do you think that is? Would you want to put the neighbourhood at risk? ...risk getting your car torched? ...or worse. Fallaci got herself a fatwa on her head.

Christianity, otoh, is an easy target. Probably too easy, imo.

Posted by Rafael 2006-01-03 21:19|| 2006-01-03 21:19|| Front Page Top

#22 I always thought the Old Testament kinda rocked. Straightforward, no bullshit. If this comes back, consider me a potential recruit... I'm all outta cheeks to turn.

Posted by .com 2006-01-03 21:45|| 2006-01-03 21:45|| Front Page Top

#23 I'm afraid that while Josephus' mentions of John the Baptist are really his own words, comparisons of various Jewish copies of Josephus with those of Christian ones make it clear that the discussion of Jesus Christ were an addition by an overenthusiastic Christian copyist. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, there is no independent evidence of the existence of Jesus Christ. But so what? To the best of my knowledge there is no independent evidence of the evidence of Moses, either. Faith is by definition independent of outside evidence, and should not be a matter for the courts unless there criminal action is attached.

Posted by trailing wife 2006-01-03 22:44|| 2006-01-03 22:44|| Front Page Top

#24 In fact, to the best of my knowledge, there is no independent evidence of the existence of Jesus Christ.

Probably the best evidence of the existence of the historical Jesus are the Dead Sea Scrolls, Q (the theoretical pre-Gospel source), and Paul's letters (Paul wasn't associated with the Christian movement at first and they were written before the Gospels, iirc).

Posted by Rafael 2006-01-03 23:23|| 2006-01-03 23:23|| Front Page Top

23:49 Frank G
23:40 Phil
23:39 Rafael
23:38 Rafael
23:35 Redneck Jim
23:27 Frank G
23:26 Frank G
23:23 Rafael
23:17 Bardo
23:14 49 pan
23:13 Claviter Omuque3310
22:51 trailing wife
22:44 trailing wife
22:38 Frank G
22:30 Sherry
22:25 Silentbrick
22:20 Rafael
21:59 .com
21:58 bruce
21:55 Glenmore
21:52 RWV
21:50 .com
21:45 .com
21:42 Mahou Sensei Negi-bozu