Goggsmackay, I can't answer your questions, and yes, faith figures in, too. But, yes, there have been scholarly studies of Jesus's deeds. I've suggested John P. Meier's book, A Marginal Jew, the second volume dealing with Jesus's exorcism, healings, and miracles. My signature was not meant to bring this up in every thread I post in. I don't mean it to offend. I did go through a bruising battle on the Jesus thread about Jesus, but don't post there anymore, and it's probably best, as Tyder says, that the topic at least lie dormant for a while! My signature was not meant to antagonize Mike. Both of us are rather raw with each other. My first post about his experience was very sympathetic to his experience, and Angelo felt I had brought up some good points. Yet Mike immediately accused me of twisting what he said, and I hadn't. So, yes, I got a bit chiding myself, he got more upset, blasted my signature, and is now ignoring me, which is of such grief inducing impact on me that I am on the verge of tears, that Mike would ignore me. I'm just crushed with grief and loss! Kidding, of course. I follow a lot of threads here, don't comment on many, but I have noticed a real lack of civility on the forum. It makes me wonder if the "guests" I see in the numbers of tens, twenties, and thirties on the forum at any given time are afraid to actually join. I've been a member since 2006, but posted only very rarely until the Jesus thread, and I'm pretty surprised at the venom. Anyway, Goggsmackay, I've enjoyed your posts, and I probably better avoid the Jesus topic for a bit. Oh, and I saw you're from Scotland! I remember a summer between college semesters decades ago traveling in England and southern Scotland on the train and doing the youth hostel thing. I remember asking an old gentleman, polite as he could be, where this particular address was, the location of the hostel. I swear I could hardly understand a word he was saying. One of my favorite actors is Ewan McGregor (spelling?) and wow, I love the Scottish actress Kelly McDonald. What a doll. I love the Scottish accent, but I guess it's we Americans who have the true accent. I just watched a movie with Colin Farrell (I know he's Irish), an American one, and I've watched Ewan in American movies, too, where they rid themselves of their accents. How do they do that? I want to revisit Scotland and go further north. Kim
