Thaddeus, Edwin, and Atheists

Oh, my, how nice. How wonderful. How blissful in execution.

An attack on Edwin, on Atheists, and on the much acclaimed “Gospel of Thaddaeus.”

Scholars knowledgeable regarding the Thaddaeusian papers should really respond to this uninformed critic and to his deliberately duplicitous, or grossly careless, exegesis.

For but one example of error, the “Gospel of Thaddaeus” in no wise claims that Mary the Magdalene was a prostitute. The writer of the attack invents the charge and then refutes his invention. Indeed, she was thus described by Thaddaeus: “Mary was a woman of loose virtue who seemed to know everyone in Judea. She had a face of angelic stupidity, and a body that could have tempted a castrated stoic.” This is hardly an allegation of prostitution and could apply to many women, ancient and modern, and even to some Baptists, in areas ranging far beyond Judea, yeah, even unto Pig, Kentucky, even if they had never met a stoic.

The author of the broadside further incorrectly denominates Thaddaeus as “a practicing Jew from Galilee.” The entirety of the text refutes this conclusion. Indeed, Thaddaeus identified himself as “a Jew by birth, a Greek by temperament, and a scholar of Alexandria by circumstance and the Peace of Rome.”

Yet are we grateful for the publicity and for the posting of the link to the article itself. Perhaps, through the bumbling efforts of the author of the attack, there can be a much needed reawakening of interest in this much neglected test.

Edwin.

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“Atheists Say the Nuttiest Things.” (Being an attack on Edwin and on the “Gospel of Thaddaeus.”—Edwin)

http://atheist-nutters.blogspot.com/2007/09/atheist-snake-oil.html

Saturday, September 15, 2007

Atheist Snake Oil

Here's an article by attorney and atheist activist Edwin Kagin, right from his website:

KAGIN’S COLUMN ON THE GOSPEL OF THADDAEUS

"But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen:And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain."
Saul of Tarsus, a.k.a., The Apostle Paul

For the protection of persons yet living, the circumstances of the discovery and translation of the following cannot now be revealed. The authenticity of this document, and its accurate rendering into English from first century common era Greek, is assured. It is presented now, and with some urgency, for fear that it might otherwise be lost through the efforts of persons who are aggressively attempting to suppress forever any evidence of its existence. The very zeal of those who seek to prevent this work from becoming known, when considered together with the tone and content of the writing itself, indicates this is something far different, and perhaps more reliable, than the pseudepigraphical writings of the Canon pronounced holy at Nicaea. [EFK]

The article is linked here: http://www.edwinkagin.com/columns/thaddeus.htm

You gotta love the dramatic introduction about "protecting living persons" (lawyer talk for 'I don't want to be sued') and guaranteeing that the document he posted was accurately translated from 1st Century Greek. That seals the deal right there!

Now, let's take a look at one line in Kagin's explosive document:

"It was said that Mary Magdalene wanted only two mites and a mattress and the wit to fall backwards."


Bzzzzzzzzzzzzzz! FORGERY ALERT!

There is no historical data that proves Mary Magdalene was in fact a prostitute. That traditional story about her was started by the early Church around the time of Pope Gregory, circa AD 600.

I don't need to go into an exhaustive expose on Mr. Kagin's article, because the mistake about Mary Magdalene is one commonly made by forgers of 1st Century documents.

Needless to say, Edwin Kagin's article On the Gospel of Thaddeus is pure BUNK. That line about Mary Magdalene is the electric fan that blew away this house of cards.

By the way, here's another link that deals with the origin of the "Gospel of Thaddeus":

http://www.paulburgess.org/thaddeus.html

That's right. The Gospel of Thaddeus is a fake. In fact, it's not even a "lost" gospel, like the Gnostic gospels. The Gospel of Thaddeus was created by a biblical studies professor as a learning exercise for his students. Fakes abound for the ignorant to enjoy.

Edwin Kagin, outspoken atheist, and author of books against Christianity, ought to be ashamed of the absolutely SLOPPY attempt he made to deceive people with his medicine show. If he can't be bothered to verify the truthfulness of one silly little forged document, I can only imagine how much drivel he packs into his books. Move over, Earl Doherty.

It appears that, in keeping his source secret, Mr. Kagin is only protecting that source from being laughed off the planet. Certainly Mr. Kagin deserves the same.

Mr. Kagin's "document" ends like this:

"May that measure of peace, justice, harmony and understanding denied religion and its deities be attained by mortals through the use of their minds, and may reason, science, curiosity, and discovery replace the fear, the guilt, the pain, and the ignorance of trembling in terror before capricious gods. Ecce homo."

That's a pretty interesting comment made by a practicing Jew from Galilee, don't you think? This ending line only reinforces the real purpose behind the forgery.

Shame on Mr. Kagin. As a lawyer, he should know the value of doing your due diligence, especially when presenting something as "truth".

I believe that Mr. Kagin, caught here with his pants down, is a fine upstanding member of American Atheists. And since good old O'Hair Inc. NEVER bothers to check FACTS on anything Biblical, a rotten scholar like Edwin Kagin is quite welcome in their midst.