Friday, March 9, 2007 | 7:02 a.m.
I commend letter writer Marsha Norton on her skepticism concerning any of James Cameron's biblical documentaries ("Who do you believe, director or witnesses?" March 6). However, there are some problems with her facts. I Corinthians is believed to have been written in A.D. 57. Of the canonical gospels, the Gospel of Mark is currently accepted as the first written gospel. Estimates of the date of Mark vary from the early A.D. 50s to the mid- 80s. Many authorities believe that the Gospels of Matthew and Luke were taken from Mark. The Gospel of John was written approximately A.D. 100.
I question the validity of facts that are not recorded until 50-100 years (or later) after the fact. The books that comprise the current Bible were not compiled into a book until after A.D. 300. They were chosen by a synod of bishops that selected the books that represented their point of view. There are more than 100 other writings from the same time period that were rejected - they disagreed with the opinions of the bishops.
How accurate are any of these documents? History does not write history - books write history. The winners write history. The Christian sightings claim what the bishops wanted people to hear. The Bible proclaims the facts that will keep the hierarchy in power.
Ms. Norton asks if people would risk their life for a hoax. Yes, they will. Ask the Islamic jihad, or ask the soldiers dying in Iraq today.
Randy Bolton, Las Vegas
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