Which historical figure do you find interesting?

I've always been interested in explorers. Matthew Flinders is one who comes readily to mind.
Charles Darwin would be another.

I was born the wrong gender in the wrong age to become an explorer. :(
 

The NT gospels are memoirs, not fiction and not diaries either. Different people's memories are not always identical. If they were you can be pretty sure that there has been collusion with the motive of deception. The degree of agreement and also the degree of difference in the various gospel stories is about right for memoirs written over one lifespan of the crucifixion. Given that there was a strong culture of oral story telling in addition to the sharing of letters and other written material, it is reasonable to accept that some things have been added for greater effect for particular audiences such as Jews, Romans, other Gentiles etc. Scholars spend years analysing the literary styles of the various books in the original language to work out what is original and what is likely to be an addon. People tend to forget that they were not written in English, nor for that matter Latin. Scientific knowledge was not what it is today either and the authors wrote with the understandings of their time. How could they do otherwise?

None of the above means that the whole lot is made up, or that Jesus was not an historical person.
The recorded teachings of that historical person are well worth some serious consideration.
They were quite revolutionary in their time and are still revolutionary and counter cultural today.
 

There were many books written that the church didn't want people to know about so they weren't included in the bible.

Most of the stories in the bible were copies of stories from other cultures that were written hundreds of years before the bible.
 
Easy to say, rkunsaw. Care to name two from the New Testament?

I'll make it easier. Care to name two that are not found in Genesis where most of the mythology is found?
 
Dame Warrigal said:
It's a conversation, BDBoop.
No-one is required to change their mind.

But we have strayed :eek:fftopic:
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I didn't say anybody was required to. I asked if conversations such as this have ever led anyone to change their minds. In my decades, I have never seen it so. I have never seen anybody say "Oh! I have never heard that before. This is news to me."

This is a comment from me.
 
Ok. I thought you were feeling uncomfortable about where this thread was heading.
I was just being reassuring.

I'll argue about anything, any time, but I know that some topics can get a bit scratchy.
That's why I started the group Speakers' Corner to quarantine the more contentious topics.
 
i_am_Lois said:
My father found Adolf Hitler's life interesting to read about.
I like to read about Abraham Lincoln's life.
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The more I learn about Immanuel Kant the more I believe that he may be perhaps the most profound thinker ever. Einstein was clearly the rock star of relativity and some in relation to quantum theory, and astral physics. But Kant may have been the first philosopher who discovered with logical discourse the divide between what empirical thought could produce vs what pure reason could produce. Kant pointed out that empirical thought was incapable of providing real evidence of reality because it was always bound to its language. Pure reason was able to see relationships because it was not empirical. He used the example of Des Carte's Cogito ergo sum. I think was what became being. This was the result of pure reason. He described pure reason as immortal. This is something that might be explored much further. But there will be few who may read this one.
 
I can't think of a Historical person right now except for Anne Frank,I'll have to think more. I can think of quite a few Celebrities that are now longer alive,that I wouldn't mind having a conversation with,Dean Martin,Cary Grant,Elvis Presley etc,etc,etc !
 
Good old Abe Lincoln and Thomas Jefferson. I went to Monticello also and found his gardens and his interest in gardening fascinating. They even sell seeds of varieties that he had grown at the time. Louis and Clark expeditions interest me as well.
 
I've always found Fidel Castro interesting.......the man not his politics.

I would have liked to have shared a few days with him salt water fishing and talking while putting away a few cool Cuba Libres and smoking big Cuban cigars.Castro.jpg
 
RadishRose said:
I'd like to meet Mary Magdalene.
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You have my vote. I do not think Magdalene was the figure we hear advertised about today. Magdalene may have been Jesus' wife. If that was true it would have been something the disciples wanted to squash. It would have made Jesus appear less God like and more man like.

There are some contemporary historians who think Magdalene moved north after Jesus died. She may have disappeared. Don't remember the story. Haven't read if for years. But, it belongs to the Knostic's text in some uncannonized books. Magdalene may have had her own book along with Mary and Judas.
 
Sassycakes said:
I can't think of a Historical person right now except for Anne Frank,I'll have to think more. I can think of quite a few Celebrities that are now longer alive,that I wouldn't mind having a conversation with,Dean Martin,Cary Grant,Elvis Presley etc,etc,etc !
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Dean Martin was one of the Rat Pack. Frank Sinatra was connected to organize crime. I think this cast a shadow on the other members. But, who knows. I would also have liked to talked to was Dean Martin. That man had a voice of pure silk. Roy Orbison is the only man I can think of who could match Dean Martin.
 
IKE said:
I've always found Fidel Castro interesting.......the man not his politics.

I would have liked to have shared a few days with him salt water fishing and talking while putting away a few cool Cuba Libres and smoking big Cuban cigars.
OTE]
Probably would have been too risky. YOU might have begun smoking one of those exploding cigars which were kindly donated by the CIA, instead....!!
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beneDictus said:
William Wallace....Or, perhaps better known by his pseudonym...''BRAVEHEART''....!!
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Are you confusing William Wallace with the leading character in the movie "Brave Heart". You might have gotten a more honest look by reading, "Dragonfly In Amber". This was a time when men beat their women with tree branches.
 
Knight said:
Helen Keller

A person that has actual historical documentation.
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I am not sure how actual documentation would change a person's impression. I have seen Helen Keller on TV as she communicated with sign language. She was absolutely amazing. I do not know how accurate the movie was. But I can imagine the enormous task attempting to teach Helen was. Even more if she resisted.
 
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