Letter: Who do you believe, director or witnesses?

Tuesday, March 6, 2007 | 7:05 a.m.

The Discovery Channel aired James Cameron's documentary "The Lost Tomb of Jesus" on Sunday. Why should anyone consider this documentary as factual evidence?

There are conflicting sides to this story: a Hollywood filmmaker's tale 2,100 years later versus more than 500 eyewitnesses of the actual event. There are at least 10 sightings of Jesus Christ after His resurrection in Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Plus, the passage in 1 Corinthians 15:3-8 originated within three years of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Certainly if this was a lie, it would have been easy to disprove at the time, and the tale would have died a natural death.

So tell me, which is more believable: someone 2,100 years later or hundreds who were present at the time?

Not only do Christian sources claim sightings of Christ following his death and resurrection, so too does Roman history: "I know of no one fact in the history of mankind which is proved by better and fuller evidence of every sort, than the understanding of a fair inquirer, than the great sign which God hath given us that Christ died and rose again from the dead." (Thomas Arnold, professor at Oxford University, "History of Rome.")

Furthermore, which version of the story has more to gain? For Mr. Cameron, he gains notoriety, fame and possible financial inroads. For the 500 or so eyewitnesses, the price included being ostracized, persecuted and martyred, often by cruel and demeaning methods. Would people risk everything - even their own lives - for a hoax?

I hope that people will investigate the claims of Mr. Cameron and the claims of the Bible. One can be believed; the other cannot.

Marsha Norton, Henderson