Why Did So Many Christians Support Slavery?

[MineralMan]

104. Not really. Much of it is supported by physical evidence,

from which conclusions, right or wrong, are drawn. In the case of documents, however, one cannot automatically project back from existing documents to non-existent ones. That is what is being done in the case of the Q source. Some believe that such a source existed. Others do not. Arguments are made on both sides.

Given the ease of altering and editing throughout history, I am a purist when it comes to documents. If the original does not exist for examination, the earliest existing document is as far back as one can go. And even it may contain alterations and edits to the original source, even if you assume that source existed at one time.

Archaeology studies what physical evidence exists. It draws conclusions about cultures and civilizations based on that evidence. However, when it comes down to the sourcing of actual documents, the trail truly ends with the earliest document that can be studied. Anything else is simply guesswork.