historical Jesus also a myth?

[ricketyclik]

If you don't mind me asking, what do you believe now? All of us find things offensive in the Bible, but something in there made us believe in the first place. But it seems that you let the parts that offend you make you not believe that part which made you believe. Why should the part that offended you make you stop believing the part that made you believe in Jesus Christ?

I know this question wasn't for me, but I believe I speak for many when I say the basic messages attributed to Christ - Love God and Love Thy Neighbour - are words to live by, so much else in the Bible, and for that matter espoused by various churches quite independently of what's in the Bible are just utter nonsense.

[Kidlicious]

his name may vary according to the historical period and culture we are talking about. there are and have been many names for god and son of god, but they matter not. you yourself in this post are not talking about a historical figure, you're talking about a mythical, supernatural figure, who is with us today. historical figures are not with us today - no one talks with julius caesar before going to bed. no one feels his presence etc.

He is with us in two different ways, according to the Bible. The first way is His Spirit is with us. The second way, He was born from a woman, into this world just like the rest of us. While it's true that He is no longer in physical form in this world, He is like Caesar in that way.

But you are claiming that that doesn't matter, that His importance is the idea of Him, that helps humanity. So, being mythical, He would have the same effect on us.

You're talking about two different Messiahs, not the Messiah of the Bible. Christians don't believe in an idea of Jesus. They believe in a Jesus that was once in physical form, and died on the Cross. And this is significant because it defines our faith. A mythical Jesus is an antichrist, because you don't have to believe anything that you don't want to about him. It's a different God.

[Bereta_Eder]

Yep on the issue I find it hard to believe that jesus as an historical personality didn't exist.
Having someone create these massive ripples throughout the then known world and him being a fictional character just doesn't cut it for me.
About his true character as a man, what can one say, also his teaching about love and humility resonated strongly in the ancient world which was rather fed up with the "depravity" (sic) mentality that ruled the day.
Sure enough, I think the then societies took whatever the message of jesus was and amplified it to convey their own cultural needs. (humility in a world of excess etc)

[Kidlicious]

I know this question wasn't for me, but I believe I speak for many when I say the basic messages attributed to Christ - Love God and Love Thy Neighbour - are words to live by, so much else in the Bible, and for that matter espoused by various churches quite independently of what's in the Bible are just utter nonsense.

I think you got the basic message wrong. Those are the greatest commandments. The Law is summed up in those two commandments. But the basic message is to put your faith in Jesus Christ, to surrender to Him, and to repent for your sins.

[ricketyclik]

I think you got the basic message wrong. Those are the greatest commandments. The Law is summed up in those two commandments. But the basic message is to put your faith in Jesus Christ, to surrender to Him, and to repent for your sins.

Yeah, see that sounds more like a megalomaniac trying to manipulate a population via an institution to me.

via Tapatalk

[Kidlicious]

Yeah, see that sounds more like a megalomaniac trying to manipulate a population via an institution to me.

via Tapatalk

What do you think of men, that they can love their neighbor? If so why don't they?

[ricketyclik]

Many of them do. All of us should.

via Tapatalk

[Kidlicious]

Many of them do. All of us should.

via Tapatalk

Not one of us does (not the way Jesus says to). You think you love your neighbor because you gave some money to charity or something. All of us are selfish and ungrateful. We need to repent. Unless we repent we do bad.

[Jon Miller]

his name may vary according to the historical period and culture we are talking about. there are and have been many names for god and son of god, but they matter not. you yourself in this post are not talking about a historical figure, you're talking about a mythical, supernatural figure, who is with us today. historical figures are not with us today - no one talks with julius caesar before going to bed. no one feels his presence etc.

That is because Jesus is alive, he is not dead. Unlike Julius Caesar. However, I think technically they feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.

On another note, the last few years I have become interested in Open Theism. I think my dad was a proponent, but there has become a push in some circles for it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_theism

Basically, God doesn't know what human choices will be. He knows what is likely to be (so might be a sure thing sometime), and He knows how the world moves/etc. So in the (probably metaphorical) story of the Fall, He knew that sin could enter the world but He didn't know that sin would enter the world.

Important to the notion of Open Theism is "the doctrine that “the agent’s power to do otherwise” is “a necessary condition for acting freely.”".

JM

[C0ckney]

That is because Jesus is alive, he is not dead. Unlike Julius Caesar. However, I think technically they feel the presence of the Holy Spirit.

that is rather my point. jesus, the carpenter and preacher who lived in palestine some 2000 years ago, the historical figure, is very clearly dead. he is not here now, and he is not hidden, like the 12th imam (though of course there are some similarities). however, jesus the mythical, supernatural figure, is alive, he is with us; he is a god and performs a god's role, as a reflection of man.

[Ben Kenobi]

jesus, the carpenter and preacher who lived in palestine some 2000 years ago, the historical figure, is very clearly dead. he is not here now, and he is not hidden, like the 12th imam (though of course there are some similarities). however, jesus the mythical, supernatural figure, is alive, he is with us; he is a god and performs a god's role, as a reflection of man.

But we don't get that choice. He's either a faker or he's God.

[Ben Kenobi]

Yeah, see that sounds more like a megalomaniac trying to manipulate a population via an institution to me.

What institution?

I believe I speak for many when I say the basic messages attributed to Christ - Love God and Love Thy Neighbour - are words to live by, so much else in the Bible, and for that matter espoused by various churches quite independently of what's in the Bible are just utter nonsense

If he's a megalomaniac why do you believe this is right?

[Ben Kenobi]

Why were they invading their land?

It wasn't their land that they were trying to get to. Again. The Amalekites did not live in the land that the Israelites were trying to get to. They lived in the land that was between the desert and where the Israelites were trying to get to.

The Israelites asked for passage through the lands of the Amalekites. The Amalekites seeing a weak people decided to attack and try to exterminate them.

You're ok with this, apparently, since I've never seen you actually admit this.

I'm not forcing anyone to pay for my health care

Yes, you are. You support Obamacare. You're a statist who pretends to be a libertarian when it comes to dope. When it comes to stuff you don't like, you believe in shutting it down as fast and as hard as possible.

You want Congress to regulate every aspect of our lives affecting health because you're paying a medicare tax

Stop picking my pocket and then we'll talk. See, I'm an actual conservative who rejects the argument that there should even be a medicare. Pay for your healthcare yourself.

It dont get more statist than that.

SO STOP PICKING MY GODDAMN POCKET

Like I said, nature's god doesn't reflect my sense of morality

You're ok with 60 million people dying in your own country because it aligns with your 'morality'. Why?

I'm more bothered by the god who created abortion, but a woman getting an abortion aint the same as "God" ordering genocide

No, Berz. You just don't give a tinker's damn. Until that changes you have no authority whatsoever.

[C0ckney]

But we don't get that choice. He's either a faker or he's God.

if by 'we' you mean you mean christians, then you may have an argument for that (though of course chrisitians have diverse opinions on aspects of the jesus story - some think the miracles really happened, others believe they are allegories etc.). if you mean everyone, then no.

[DaShi]

This is no laughing issue. I get it, you guys don't like Ben. But this is just not acceptable.