Re: There is NO burden of proof upon us

You are the one who jumped into a post written to comfort an old friend, a post obviously not addressed to you unless your name is Furbydad, so if you choose to display skepticism concerning a somewhat private missive then the research burden is upon you.

A) This is a public message board, in case you hadn't noticed. I have every right to comment on any thread I choose. B) You made the claim publicly, so I have every right to challenge your position. C) This issue is much bigger than this thread. I have seen it repeated here many times, and no one seems to ever produce any real evidence for it. Just assumptions which they slyly pass off as fact. You may find this hard to believe (because you seem unable to wrap your head around the idea that someone who challenges your position may actually be on your side), but I really would like to confirm this claim in the larger sense. I don't believe God exists so I have absolutely no faith in the view of God knocking up a 12-year-old Mary, but I am interested in confirming this prevalent view that historically marriage to and sex with young girls was the rule rather than the exception. That's what I'm after. I'm sorry, but simply repeating it over and over again doesn't make it true.

I have not published a book or scholarly paper that necessarily entails
verification, nor have I asked anyone but Furbydad to consider what I have said.

Well, if you feel okay about feeding your unconfirmed wishful thinking as fact to an old man who is clearly not all there, then more power to ya.

We owe you nothing

In that case, nor do I owe you blind acceptance of your position, and I shall feel no compunctions about challenging it every time it comes up.