reliability of eye-witness accounts

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It is not through any "degeneration" that we don't put as much stock in eyewitness accounts as we used to, but because science has increased our understanding.

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Unfortunately since the various authors in the Bible weren't necessarily the eye-witnesses, and the information was relayed to them, the stories lose credibility as more time passes. Especially since we know more about how the memory works.Here is an example of immediate relay of an eye-witness account:
I personally witnessed a girl jump off a bridge. I immediately called 911. When the police came to the bridge after picking her up downstream, I told them what I saw. A news reporter was also there.Now my mother, my daughter, and I were the only people to see the girl jump. No one else was on the bridge.I told the police, with the reporter listening, that she jumped and showed them where she jumped from.Later that night on the evening news they reported that witnesses saw the girl walking along the bridge and saw her fall into the river. A reporter (not the one that was listening in while I was talking) walked along the bridge for the camera so the audience could visualize. The morning paper also reported that witnesses saw the girl fall into the river after walking along the edge.I checked with the police and we were the only three witnesses. Now the jumper may have told them another story, but they should not have attributed their info to witnesses.I have had stories written about me or my family in newspapers several times and they usually mess up the facts or didn't understand what was said.Even this simple straight forward eye-witness account didn't make it to print accurately.

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A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

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Fascinating, but tricky to deal with from a customer service standpoint.

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My daughter has dealt with that at the Deli. An elderly man wanted a certain type of cheese that he had bought there a few days before. Unfortunately they don't sell that type of cheese and hadn't for the last few years.Unfortunately as we age the memory is worse. I've even gone into a fast food place and order a sandwich that is not on their menu. I had attached the sandwich I wanted to the wrong fast food place. I was certain they had sold it before.While I was eating a different sandwich I mumbled about how awful it was they didn't carry the same sandwich as my spot up north. About halfway through my meal it finally dawned on me that I was in the wrong establishment for that sandwich. Even I am plagued by a false memory now and then. So it does make one wonder about the veracity of the quotes in the Bible considering the length of time that elapsed before they were put to paper.This message has been edited by purpledawn, 02-28-2005 09:33 AM

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A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.

I can relate! When that happens to me, in my mind I can picture what I'm looking for in many different places except, of course, the actual place where it is!

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A gentle answer turns away wrath, But a harsh word stirs up anger.