Merged (edited) General thoughts about Christianity and the bible

[Mojo]

Agree.
The gospel was originally an oral tradition. Eventually it was written down based on the eye-witness accounts.

...of people who were already dead.

 

[Thermal]

The gospels were unlikely to have been written by the people whose names they bear. The attribution to the authors came quite a bit after all the people who might have known Jesus personally were dead.

One of the interesting theories I read was that the Gospel of John was paraphrased from the character Lazarus. There is some persuasive internal consistency, when thd argument is fleshed out. At the end of the book, the authors plainly say they are recounting the story based on this character's recounting, so it certainly wasn't a firsthand anything.

 

[Carrot Flower King]

That's an interesting point.

I would say that God created the original humans.
And humans have been making humans ever since.
Bad seed produces bad plants.

We can't really blame God for our badness.
And He expects us to strive for better.

Standard religionista cop out/avoidance of the many problems inherent in their belief system.

 

[Carrot Flower King]

How does that differ from someone who is completely selfish?

I guess you already told me? You have no idea?

My esteemed colleague, Mojo, was engaging in a peculiar British trait called humour, by quoting a, to many of us, well known line from The Hitch-Hiker's Guide To The Galaxy.

It is a section in which the protagonists finally discover who is running the universe: a man in a shed, who feeds his cat and tries to do his best by said feline.

In many ways my life is a minor variation of this, as this post was interrupted by my small white and black cat demanding to be fed...But I am not in charge of the universe.

 

[Rusty Tyler]

You came in here sellin sandwiches

Interesting that telling folks how I feel is equated with sales.

I suppose that saw cuts both ways. What are you selling?

 

[Rusty Tyler]

Standard religionista cop out/avoidance of the many problems inherent in their belief system.

I'm painfully aware that there are problems.
But I don't jettison something because of a few minor flaws.

 

[Thermal]

Interesting that telling folks how I feel is equated with sales.

I suppose that saw cuts both ways. What are you selling?

Intellectually consistent arguments that stand to scrutiny and challenge?

 

[Thermal]

I'm painfully aware that there are problems.
But I don't jettison something because of a few minor flaws.

Agreed, there is much in Chrisianity that is moving and insightful and solid grounds for a good way of living your life.

There's some... other stuff too. Salad bars and all that I suppose.

Eta: my grandfather once told me that it's not important if you believe in the literacy of the Bible; if you do the good stuff, that's what Jesus essentially commanded. Love your neighbor and all that jazz.

 

[Helen]

I'm painfully aware that there are problems.
But I don't jettison something because of a few minor flaws.

I know it's only May, but I think you're in with a good chance of having made the understatement of the year.

 

[Darat]

To Thermal: Such as? And by that I mean unique to Christianity.

 

[Carrot Flower King]

I'm painfully aware that there are problems.
But I don't jettison something because of a few minor flaws.

"Few" and "minor" are doing some Olympic class heavy lifting there.

 

[catsmate]

I would say that God created the original humans.

Don't be silly.

And humans have been making humans ever since.
Bad seed produces bad plants.

We can't really blame God for our badness.
And He expects us to strive for better.

Oh dear, more pathetic apologism.

 

[Lithrael]

Interesting that telling folks how I feel is equated with sales.

I suppose that saw cuts both ways. What are you selling?

Buddy! This is my house! I'm not selling anything. I just hang out here.

You are selling the validity of NDEs, as soon as you cross the line from 'I am convinced by NDEs' to 'why aren't you convinced by NDEs?'

 

[Thermal]

To Thermal: Such as? And by that I mean unique to Christianity.

Such as... what? To which part of what post are you referring?

 

[P.J. Denyer]

In many ways my life is a minor variation of this, as this post was interrupted by my small white and black cat demanding to be fed...But I am not in charge of the universe.

If you were, we wouldn't tell you. They! They wouldn't tell you. Not we. They.

 

[Jack by the hedge]

... you can't blame Him for what you CHOSE not to believe. That's on you.

Nope. The world shows absolutely zero evidence of divine intervention. Not a scrap. If you follow the evidence, no Gods appear to exist.

If one or more divinities turn out to exist but are really good at hiding, they don't get to be cross that we couldn't find them.

Also, if you think belief is a choice, I invite you to choose to believe in, say, the ancient Greek pantheon or the Norse gods for a day. Let us know if you succeed.

 

[Jack by the hedge]

Maybe that's why we have toilets?

If God had meant us to have toilets He would have invented them for us. That's how it works, isn't it?

 

[Jack by the hedge]

The goal would be correction, restoration and redemption.

Seems stupid to wait till people's lives are over before giving them feedback on their performance. Almost like it was all just pretend.

 

[JayUtah]

Seems stupid to wait till people's lives are over before giving them feedback on their performance. Almost like it was all just pretend.

That’s why we have priests and rabbis and imams and monks and gurus and warm fuzzy feelings to give us a clear unambiguous picture of what God expects from us before it’s too late.

 

[Mojo]

How does that differ from someone who is completely selfish?

I guess you already told me? You have no idea?

It was a quotation.