mariacostel wrote on Nov 6
th, 2015 at 11:33am:
Phemanderac wrote on Nov 6
th, 2015 at 11:21am:
mariacostel wrote on Nov 6
th, 2015 at 11:14am:
Using eye-witnesses as your source material still makes your book 'eye-witness'.
Nope!
It is a "secondary source" at best... I am surprised that you did not know that.
So, an eye-witness account only matters if the person writes it themselves? So a ghost-written 'auto-biography' is a complete lie? Do we have to discard any and all evidence and information pertaining to a person unless it was self-written by an eye-witness?
Show me where I said that? If the best you can do is erroneously extrapolate from what is actually said to totally change the meaning, or, add to the actual meaning, then clearly, you are losing ground.
Somebody writing an eyewitness account that is reported to them is referred to as a secondary source, no more no less...
The accuracy of what is said is open to exactly the same standards of evidence though, as if it were a direct account from an eye witness.
Are you saying that all eye witness accounts then are 100% accurate and honest and should need no further evidence...
Peter Garret's autobiography would be a good example, would you believe everything in that told by a secondary source?
mariacostel wrote on Nov 6
th, 2015 at 11:33am:
This was what I meant by continually raising the standard of proof bar so that you can happily exclude any material you don't like. And that is why historians don't have the problems you do.
I am not excluding any material, as such, whatever you meant is clearly wrong regarding raising some standard of proof...
Historians have generally agreed that someone name Jesus lived... By definition though, that is by consensus as there is not substantial or measurable evidence. That is why you're having so much trouble providing evidence.
I don't have a problem with accepting the existence (and eventual snuffing out of that existence) of some bloke named Jesus, as a historical figure, that is the extent of what historians generally agree on after all. The mythology though, is just that, myth. Unproven and, arguably unable to be proven.
The actual standard of proof bar (despite your angry protestations) has not been moved one iota by anyone here, well, arguably except by you lowering it for your own ends...
Once again, I will finish with, please stop re framing what I actually say to mean something other than what I actually meant to say, it diminishes any credibility you may demonstrate with other arguments... I have asked you this several times now, I am starting to wonder if being disrespectful is a deliberate choice you make!