Let's say I agreed with you.

Do you agree? Are you deliberately being slippery and dishonest? Don't worry; it's a common tactic with religious folk. It's either do this or admit your entire world view is based on fairy stories.

So what?
And I ask that sincerely - tell me why I or anyone else should care about being dishonest.

This is how a petulant teenager speaks. Have you achieved adulthood yet? Genuine question. Dishonesty gets in the way of truth. That's why, if you care about truth, you should shun dishonesty in all its forms.

tell me why I or anyone else should care about being dishonest.

If, in embarking on this discussion, we aim to move closer to truth, then dishonesty is a concern. Dishonesty will create smokescreens to obscure the truth. Honesty will get us closer to our goal much faster. That's the answer. If, however, you only care about BEING PERCEIVED AS RIGHT, then the truth is irrelevant.

What's more important: truth or being seen to be right?

My views and opinions are heavily supported by reality and logic.

And how do you know you are correctly perceiving reality?
^^ At least the 8th time I've asked that question.

^^At least the 8th time I've used BOLD paragraph^^. I have already explained how we use our senses and yada yada yada. They are the same senses you use to perceive reality although you seem to have malfunctioned. Reading an old book and thinking it's divine... not a good use of the senses. F

HOW DO YOU KNOW the gospel according to Mark was written by someone who KNEW that Jesus was real?

Because the contrary is impossible.

Lol. You've gotta be trolling now. Come on! How is it IMPOSSILBE for a 1st century writer to lie or embellish or create propaganda? Plenty of his contemporaries did. Why not Mark? Nobody actually knows who 'Mark' is. So, how do you KNOW this anonymous writer got it right?

How do you know the Gospel of Mark is a thing that exists?

And I've seen and read it. Lots of others have too. Do you think it exists?

how do you know the prophet Muhammad was having REAL visions and conversations with God?

He wasn't. He was delusional and/or in conversation with one or more evil spirits.

Ok, so you think the Muslim prophet's visions were delusional, but not the Christian ones?

How do we tell the difference? What tests can we perform to KNOW who's just making it up?

Nazareth did not exist before the 2nd century C.E.

According to the most reliable historical records, that is false.

Please share these historical sources so that I can check them for myself. Father Bellarmino Bagatti, Catholic archaeologist, found stuff that indicated human presence dating from 2nd century C.E (no earlier). – mostly tombs. Jews, with their adherence to cleanliness laws, would have buried their dead outside residential areas. The Talmud names many Galilean towns but mentions nothing of Nazareth. Josephus writes lots about towns in Galilee but makes no mention of Nazareth. Contemporary historians and geographers don't mention Nazareth until the 4th century C.E.

Fun fact

'Jesus of Nazareth' is a blooper, a mistranslation of 'Jesous o Nazoraios' (Greek) which actually translates to 'the one of the truth'. No connection to Nazareth as a place. Matthew tries to play with the word 'Nazarite' (which is basically a long-haired hippy who serves god) to couple Jesus with an Old Testament prophecy. Luke didn't even know that Nazareth is set in a valley between gently sloping hills.

I think I'll write a blog about the gospel according to Mark. I hope you'll read and comment.