So-called eyewitness testimony, recorded decades after an event is worthless.
A single account that claims hundreds of people saw something is not hundreds of testimonies. It is one testimony by an unknown author who passing on something he heard decades later from somebody who heard something from somebody who....
The earliest mention of a resurrection is by Paul and everything he says better fits a "spiritual" rather than physical event. It is more likely he suffered an epileptic incident that he interpreted as a sign from heaven.
The accounts in the synoptic gospels are full of contradictions. The earliest gospel Mark doesn't even have a resurrection account, other than the women who told nothing to anybody because they were afraid.
There is no evidence the apostles died for their faith but even if they did, so what? Lots of people die for religious fantasies.
Perhaps one of his disciples had a vivid dream in which Jesus appeared to him. Its a common enough occurence when people are grieving. They tell the others that they saw Jesus and before you know it they are all making similar claims. If you have ever been part of an evangelical or charismatic event you know how easily these things happen.
As the stories get retold they evolve. This is precisely what we see in the NT.
Consider the claims of the hundreds of thousands of followers of Guru Sri Sathya Sai Baba... The miracles that he has allegedly performed in front of hundreds of eyewitnesses makes Jesus look like a cheap street magician.
Have a read at this one example and think about the many eyewitnesses most of whom must still be alive to this day. Why don't you track them down and try to disprove the story? Is it becasue you couldn't care less? It's so silly it's not worth the effort? For the same reason the claims of the disciples went unchallenged in 1st Century Jerusalem.
If you as a christian can understand why you are unimpressed by the astonishing claims of Sai Baba's followers, then you can also understand how I feel about your claims.
A group of six devotees had come to have darshan of Baba from Australia . Baba called them for a private interview.
During the normal course of the talk, Baba looked at one of the devotees and asked -- “Why did you come now. Your mother is not well. She needs you there back in Australia” .
He replied saying-- “ Yes Baba, I called home yesterday night and this news was conveyed to me. I pray for her early recovery.”
Baba replied --
“ Go home soon. She is asking for you. In fact go home now.”
So saying, Baba created a map of the world with the wave of the hand. He spread it on the wall and the following conversation took place : --
BABA : “Where is Australia in this map ?”
Devotee : “Here, Baba .” (Pointing to the map).
Baba touched it and the world map changed into an Australian map.
BABA : “Where in Australia do you say ?”
Devotee : “New South Wales, Baba .” (pointing to the map).
Baba touched it and the Australian map changed into the map of New South Wales.
BABA : “Where in New South Wales do you say ?”
When the devotee mentioned the place, Baba touched it and the chart changed to show all the apartments in the area.
Then Baba touched the house in which the man was staying and lo! the wall of the interview room became the door of the devotee’s home. Baba opened the door and showed the man his mother sleeping on the sofa. Baba called the man and asked him to go in and closed the door. He rubbed his hands on the door and the door became the wall of the interview room again!
Later when the Australians came out of the interview room, only five came out instead of the six who went in. The students of Prashanthi Nilayam campus saw this. Later they called back the man who was sent to Australia only an hour later, who confirmed his ‘safe arrival’.
Baba said that ---
“Time and space exist only in the worldly plane. In the divine plane there is no time and space. I can easily cross time and space as and when I want to. That experience of the Australian crossing space to reach Australia from the interview room was my leela to show you that it is possible for me to do that if necessary. Time and space hold no barrier for GOD.”
