Francis to faithful: Give up your riches to help the poor

[Act_of_Reparation]

49. Absurd

The problem with trite, superficially witty soundbites from anonymous internet sources is they are usually wrong, and cannot be deployed against anyone with a modicum of expertise in their respective system.

The oldest biographical account of Alexander the Great's life was written four hundred years after his death. Armchair apologists think this is awfully relevant to the argument of an historical Jesus because critics will often point out that the Gospels were written down well after the supposed life of Christ, by people who had never met the man. But a "biography" is not evidence of existence.

Real, physical evidence of Alexander the Great exists. He commanded legions of soldiers, conquered cities from Corfu to Karachi, and destroyed the Persian and Babylonian Empires. He left behind dynasties who ruled over the remains of his empire for generations after his death (The Ptolemies in Egypt, the Seleucids across the near east are of particular note). More than twenty cities bear his name. Unlike Jesus, Alexander is actually referenced by his contemporaries, in the writings of Ptolemy, Nearchus, Aristobulus, and Onesicritus.

If it sounds too good to be true, it's probably horseshit.