Peter, I think your approach to God's Word is best summed up with the line "I would suggest that he solves the problem of the end of the appearances of Jesus by inventing the story of the ascension, possibly borrowing from the Old Testament story of Elijah being taken up into heaven."
Inventing? Seriously? I was prepared to accept some of your other points as matters of opinion but to suggest that a section of God's Word is invented is ridiculous.
Happy to debate this with fellow believers but not overly interested in the views of the usual atheist crowd...

"I was prepared to accept some of your other points as matters of opinion but to suggest that a section of God's Word is invented is ridiculous.Happy to debate this with fellow believers but not overly interested in the views of the usual atheist crowd..."

Very sensible of you rational-debate. The last thing a believer should risk is being exposed to rational input. As a believer, I made the mistake years ago of giving an atheist a chance to explain why he could not believe in any god, especially the Christian one. It's a terrible thing to have to admit to yourself how naive you were, how gullible, how easily led. Refusing to engage with non-believers is probably the best way of ensuring that this is an admission you will never need to make.

Hi Glen,
Obviously my comment was too brief to make myself clear.
I happily and readily engage with atheists and others on a regular basis, here and face to face. I'm yet to find one with anything vaguely resembling a convincing argument, and generally find it sad that most of them are so angry. There's a PhD in there for someone with more time...
My point was that the comments I will get from the usual suspects here will be general dismissing of the Christian faith rather than dealing with the specific question at hand, which I am keen to explore.
I am not naive and gullible; I have a strong and rational basis for my faith. I'm sorry that didn't turn out to be the case for you.

rational-debate,

I don't suppose you'd like to share your strong and rational basis for your faith.

I'd be really interested in hearing it if it's possible to put it succinctly.

(You probably think I'm being disingenuous asking that. Not so - I'm sincere and genuinely interested)

>>I was prepared to accept some of your other points as matters of opinion but to suggest that a section of God's Word is invented is ridiculous.<<

I have to agree: it's ridiculous to suggest that only some of it is invented. What corroborating evidence outside of the Bible is there that it is the divinely inspired word of god and not just a bunch of stories?

Just because it is invented doesn't mean it's without value.

Cheers,

Tony

"Just because it is invented doesn't mean it's without value."

That is true. So far it has provided a valuable source for motivation and interpretation for over two thousand years. With no end in sight (depending upon your reading of it)...

If God produces an autobiography as the sequel, then all the invented issues will disappear, as Tommy Cooper said, "...Just like that!"