history 2

First off, every historical book that Sarah and Mark have ever read would most likely not even come close to the evidence and support found for the New Testament. However, I will not go on a tangent. To defend the point of why I believe the New Testament to be true and thus reliable, I would first ask as to why the professor and the study group believe it to be unreliable. It must be unreliable in at least one of these three ways: internally, externally, or bibliographically. Internally speaking, the NT does not contradict itself and matches up with the other recorded accounts. There is not one instance in which the NT disagrees with its doctrines. Therefore, it is safe to assume it Is not flawed internally. Externally speaking, thousands of eyewitness accounts and various manuscripts have been found citing the events of the bible. There is incredible amounts of archaeological evidence not only of the NT, but also of the OT. Lastly, there has been so little change over the thousands of years of translation. It is quite remarkable that the bible has been able to stay so intact and complete. Because of this, there is very little questioning the consistency of the content, as well as if it has been altered.

Concluding all of this, one must find the NT to be reliable. From there, they can make their assumptions as to whether they will choose to believe everything else.

            History is so incredibly important to modern society that without it we would be doomed to repeat the mistakes of yesterday. Imagine if every year a southern state attempted to use “separate but equal” ideology...  The Plessey vs. Ferguson ruling ended this injustice in 1896, and since then nothing has been heard of like it. This is only one of the countless examples of our society’s decisions being based upon precedents.   

If you are so offended by the fact that the winners wrote down history, would you rather have the losers record such events? Clearly it is impossible to reach an ultimate objective view here, although in many cases the victors are not the sole means of record. Think of any election victory. Sure, it was most likely covered more in pro-victor news sources, but nevertheless it was also still covered from the losing side’s news sources, as well as third parties. Looking further back than that, think of all the various sources that cite Jesus’ life. Not only did followers of him record his being, but also enemies and skeptics.

As stories have been passed down from generation to generation, it is inevitable that some things have been embellished or changed. But that doesn’t mean that we should discredit this information. Even the most subjective material can help grasp more knowledge and understanding of a culture.

History is beyond necessary. I encourage you to study it.

            I agree Mark and Sarah. It is incredibly important for people to share… But that decision to share their private property should be up to them, and no one else. If you want to give away a million dollars by all means go for it. Just don’t tell me I have to give up my money. Socialism will never be able to work.

            The government has no right to distribute wealth. Absolutely nowhere was it stated in our constitution that the government has the right for doing something so drastic and terrible. Once the inalienable rights are taken care of (life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness), the government’s role is very limited. The American government exists to protect its people from theft. By engaging in massive redistribution they are basically stealing hard-earned money. Sure, “ all men are created equal.” And while that statement is a great one, it doesn’t give the power to the government to make everyone economically equal. Also, socialism basically promotes laziness. In a capitalistic system, the hardest working and most determined will reap the benefits. However, in socialism the lazy will earn just as much as the motivated.

            In a perfect society, socialism would work. But we do not live in a perfect society. People are greedy, flawed individuals. The motivation must be there for production to occur. Socialism clearly doesn’t provide motivation.