User talk:SouthWriter/sandbox/An atheist's objections/@comment-1777104-20100706161233

DaBigUn, your memory is of things that have long since been proven false even by many who are considered liberal. The fact that extant copies of the gospels cannot be positively identified as coming from the first century does not negate the authenticity of the written record as being written, for the most part, within a generation (40 years) of Jesus' death.

The spurious stories, like the "gospel of Judas" which Dan Brown made popular in his work of fiction, were left out of the collection of accepted books because they were clearly lies, poorly written in the second century by enemies of the believing community.

And, for your information, the record from the gospels does not definitively identify Mary Magdalene as a prostitute. The Mary that anointed Jesus with spices was Mary of Bethany, not to be confused with the prostitute that did a similar thing at Simon's house. All we know about MM is that she had been demon possessed (not a trait that would attract 'Johns').