Quote Originally Posted by psychocat
Belief is just that and we are entitled to believe what we want.
I believe history as much as I believe the bible since they were both written before my time and I have no absolute proof of either. Has nobody heard of the saying "History is written by the victor" ?

Unless it's first hand how can anything be believed (including history) without concrete evidence?
A vast majority of history is not only based on written accounts, but archaeological discoveries as well. Historians also follow the historical method, meaning, it is a combination of primary sources (sources written near the time of the event), secondary sources, and evidence such as relics and artifacts found.

Religions are based on revelations, books written by the illiterate, and leaders with ulterior motives.

History generally doesn't claim to know what it can't reasonably prove. History gets it wrong sometimes, but is still far more reliable than one book.