Thanks for your response. You are on the right track with all of this stuff, except for this...
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Originally Posted by doozwimp
Scholars i've listened to seem pretty convinced of John the Babtists historicity and too find his letters (which have been well vetted, though i'll admit i haven't read them myself) credible in their description of Jesus. John himself contemporaneous with jesus, seemed to believe in Jesus.
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John the Baptist was not the author of John's epistles. John the Baptist was murdered by Herod Antipas before the crucifixion of Jesus. The short letters known as 1–3 John have been traditionally ascribed to one of Jesus's disciples, also named "John." More recently scholars are suggesting that these epistles were written by an entirely different "John," a leader in the first century church, but distinct from John the disciple of Jesus, as well as the writer of John's Gospel.
Also, a small pet peeve of mine. It is always very odd to me to hear an atheist describe her or himself as "devout." This word expresses devotion which is entirely contrary to the notion of non-religiousity. I think it triggers me because this is precisely how many Christian apologists describe their pre-conversion selves; Josh McDowell, Lee Strobel, Kirk Cameron, J. Warner Wallace and others—they all do it. I would encourage you to not use this word because, for guys like me, it's a tell. When apologists use it to describe themselves, it is an attempt to convince their sympathetic, Christian audience of just how deeply anti-Christian they once were, and this somehow increases the validity of their new-found faith in Jesus. If even they have become Christians after such strong "devotion" to atheism, then surely it must be true. I think it is also a clear indicator that they were never atheists to begin with, as the only way they can imagine describing atheism is in religious terms.
Not that I am suggesting you are being dishonest like these charlatans; only a recommendation to find a more accurate way of describing yourself. A "staunch atheist," or a "convinced atheist"; I suspect this is more in line with what you mean.
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