Candor

[nPeace]

Candor, related to the adjective candid, refers to straightforward honesty or frankness in speech or expression. The fact that it is frequently preceded by the adjective refreshing suggests that it is often unexpected, a shift from guarded or euphemistic language

Candor is a common feature in the Bible. Throughout it's pages, the most shocking actions are unexpectedly recorded - considering the human nature (what is natural for humans to do).
For example, at 1 Kings 15:5, we read "For David did what was right in the eyes of Jehovah, and he did not turn aside from anything that He had commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite."

This is just one of many examples as to evidence for the trustworthiness of the Bible writers.
Considered along with other evidence, we have good reason to trust what is recorded in the Bible.

 

[AlexanderG]

Isn't Paul the only author who identifies himself, of all the writers of the bible? The rest are anonymous according to the overwhelming consensus of biblical scholars. Even half of Paul's letters are held to be forgeries. How are we supposed to trust a story with outlandish claims written by anonymous authors?

The bible reads like mythology and legend, along with all the other similar tall tales from other religions at that time, and up through more recent myths like King Arthur and Paul Bunyan. Many local legends of other lands in the middle east had prior separate stories of babies in baskets, virgin births, resurrections, and leaders with twelve disciples. Even the stories where the returned Jesus isn't recognized by followers until suddenly he identifies himself, is a common trope from Greek legends in circulation about other characters, shortly prior to the New Testament being written.

Telling stories that grow, become exaggerated, and incorporate popular cultural motifs over time is something people do, all the time, all over the world. By contrast, we have never verifiably observed anyone rise from the dead, walk on water, turn sticks into snakes, or light wet wood on fire with a prayer, to name a few. The much better explanation is that the bible is a collection of myths, poetry, cautionary moral tales, and folklore, passed along by oral tradition for generations until they were recorded by anonymous authors much later.

I would suggest that without the emotional benefits of community, hope, meaning, and purpose offered by the retention of these beliefs, you would be no more likely to accept the bible's claims than the claims about Paul Bunyan, bigfoot, or any other religion. Because objectively, aside from emotional comfort they are all have identical justification and evidence for belief. Namely, none.

 

[stvdv]

This is just one of many examples as to evidence for the trustworthiness of the Bible writers.
Considered along with other evidence, we have good reason to trust what is recorded in the Bible.

I need no evidence for the trustworthiness of the Bible writers
I know that Jesus is for real, what more do I need?

 

[Twilight Hue]

I definitely trust the Bible tells some pretty tall fantastical tales.

 

[Sgt. Pepper]

@AlexanderG, your post strongly supports what I've come to believe about the biblical stories of Jesus and the Bible in general. As a former Christian, I'm of the opinion that the stories about Jesus in the Bible were adapted from Greek mythology and other pagan religions that predate both the Bible and Christianity. As I mentioned in other threads, the stories of Jesus' crucifixion, death, and resurrection are similar to the stories of Attis, the Phrygian-Greek god of vegetation (1250 BCE). In the mythological stories of Attis, he was divinely born of a virgin; he was hung on a tree and died; he descended into the underworld after his death; he was resurrected after three days; and he brought salvation with him in his rebirth. There are a few other similarities between the stories written about the Greek god, Attis, and Jesus in this article, "Attis: Born of a Virgin on December 25th, Crucified and Resurrected after Three Days."

In addition to the similar stories between Attis and Jesus, there are more similarities between the stories of Jesus' life and those of other Christlike figures from pagan religions that also predate both the Bible and Christianity. In these articles, "10 Christ-Like Figures that Predate Jesus" and "Other Gods That Rose From the Dead in Spring Before Jesus Christ," there are plenty of examples of older pagan Christlike figures whose stories parallel the life of Jesus, such as being born of a virgin, being tempted by the devil before an earthly ministry began, miraculously healing sick people, dying to redeem humanity, and being raised from the dead after three days.

Suffice it to say, I think it's reasonable to assume that paganism had a significant impact on Christianity and that this influence can be seen in the Bible, in the stories about Jesus, and in traditional Christian rituals. There are more examples of how Christianity parallels pagan religions that predate it in this article: "Parallels between Christianity and Ancient Pagan Religions." And in this article too: "The Bible is Fiction: A Collection of Evidence." Paganism has also had an ample impact on Christmas (see here) as well as Easter (see here).

And finally, I don't think we should give the savior story of Jesus any more credence than the other Christlike stories that have been mentioned thus far. In fact, I think these other stories clearly prove that Christianity isn't unique, despite the claims by Christians that the Bible is divinely inspired by God and that Christianity is the only true religion in the world. Christianity isn't special in its beliefs.

 

[Brian2]

@AlexanderG, your post strongly supports what I've come to believe about the biblical stories of Jesus and the Bible in general. As a former Christian, I'm of the opinion that the stories about Jesus in the Bible were adapted from Greek mythology and other pagan religions that predate both the Bible and Christianity. As I mentioned in other threads, the stories of Jesus' crucifixion, death, and resurrection are similar to the stories of Attis, the Phrygian-Greek god of vegetation (1250 BCE). In the mythological stories of Attis, he was divinely born of a virgin; he was hung on a tree and died; he descended into the underworld after his death; he was resurrected after three days; and he brought salvation with him in his rebirth. There are a few other similarities between the stories written about the Greek god, Attis, and Jesus in this article, "Attis: Born of a Virgin on December 25th, Crucified and Resurrected after Three Days."

In addition to the similar stories between Attis and Jesus, there are more similarities between the stories of Jesus' life and those of other Christlike figures from pagan religions that also predate both the Bible and Christianity. In these articles, "10 Christ-Like Figures that Predate Jesus" and "Other Gods That Rose From the Dead in Spring Before Jesus Christ," there are plenty of examples of older pagan Christlike figures whose stories parallel the life of Jesus, such as being born of a virgin, being tempted by the devil before an earthly ministry began, miraculously healing sick people, dying to redeem humanity, and being raised from the dead after three days.

Suffice it to say, I think it's reasonable to assume that paganism had a significant impact on Christianity and that this influence can be seen in the Bible, in the stories about Jesus, and in traditional Christian rituals. There are more examples of how Christianity parallels pagan religions that predate it in this article: "Parallels between Christianity and Ancient Pagan Religions." And in this article too: "The Bible is Fiction: A Collection of Evidence." Paganism has also had an ample impact on Christmas (see here) as well as Easter (see here).

And finally, I don't think we should give the savior story of Jesus any more credence than the other Christlike stories that have been mentioned thus far. In fact, I think these other stories clearly prove that Christianity isn't unique, despite the claims by Christians that the Bible is divinely inspired by God and that Christianity is the only true religion in the world. Christianity isn't special in its beliefs.

I won't answer all the BS stories proposed by people who say Jesus is a copy of other myths.
Here is a couple of rebuttals of Attis if you are interested.
There are rebuttals like this for just about any myth you come up with about a demigod who has been associated with the Jesus story.
Attis, Cybele, and Jesus
Refuting Attis Myth Parallelism To Christianity