>No, my basic problem is that I want to avoid tautological belief systems.
>And I would say that the Disciples themselves grounded their belief system
>on something other than jesus himself. They grounded it on the physical
>evidence they were privileged to observe. They touched, saw and heard the
>Resurrected Jesus. They didn't simply believe things because they believed
>things. And Thomas was the worst one because he claimed he wouldn't believe
>without that evidence.
>
>John 20: 24 But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with
>them when Jesus came.
>25 The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But
>he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails,
>and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his
>side, I will not believe.
>
>I do not believe I am doing anything different from what Thomas did. And I
>think Thomas was the most rational fo the disciples.
But, Jesus specifically commended, not Thomas, but those who do not see but
yet believe. This would seem to completely turn the tables on your
argument above. While we can all identify with Thomas in some ways, Jesus
calls us to a level of faith and trust that does not demand physical
evidence.
Keith
Keith B. Miller
Department of Geology
Kansas State University
Manhattan, KS 66506
kbmill@ksu.ksu.edu
http://www-personal.ksu.edu/~kbmill/