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Combine this evidence
Quote from: alancalverd on 17/04/2020 15:38:06It's the "interpretation" bit that invokes contempt. A famous objection to university courses in English literature was "so much bad English has been written about good English". Much the same with Christianity. How much would you pay for a bowdlerised sketch of a third-hand copy of a painting by an unknown artist of an event that he did not witness? Not a lot, I suspect. So why write pages of nonsense about a wholly unjustified interpretation of an edited collection of quasi-historical and bizarrely mystical texts? At face value the bible contains some interesting snippets of the history and poetry of the Jews up to about 2000 years ago, with possibly too much emphasis (much of it tediously repeated and over-embellished) about Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth. There's plenty more, some in the Dead Sea Scrolls and more recently in the Encyclopaedia Judaica. Little point in anyone else reading it as we don't accept converts easily, nor do we require a detailed knowledge of it - just a broad understanding of the underlying philosophy and acceptance of the rules of behavior. And don't kneel. Joseph Klausner wrote, “It is universally admitted … that Christ taught the purest and sublimest ethics." He wrote, "Jesus of Nazareth: His Life, Times & Teaching." Highly regarded.
It's the "interpretation" bit that invokes contempt. A famous objection to university courses in English literature was "so much bad English has been written about good English". Much the same with Christianity. How much would you pay for a bowdlerised sketch of a third-hand copy of a painting by an unknown artist of an event that he did not witness? Not a lot, I suspect. So why write pages of nonsense about a wholly unjustified interpretation of an edited collection of quasi-historical and bizarrely mystical texts? At face value the bible contains some interesting snippets of the history and poetry of the Jews up to about 2000 years ago, with possibly too much emphasis (much of it tediously repeated and over-embellished) about Rabbi Jesus of Nazareth. There's plenty more, some in the Dead Sea Scrolls and more recently in the Encyclopaedia Judaica. Little point in anyone else reading it as we don't accept converts easily, nor do we require a detailed knowledge of it - just a broad understanding of the underlying philosophy and acceptance of the rules of behavior. And don't kneel.
“The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact.”
Quote from: duffyd on 25/04/2020 15:16:28“The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact.”“I myself am convinced that the theory of evolution, especially to the extent to which it has been applied, will be one of the greatest jokes in the history books of the future. Posterity will marvel that so very flimsy and dubious an hypothesis could be accepted with the incredible credulity it has.” Muggeridge is more than a genius
Quote from: duffyd on 25/04/2020 15:18:23Quote from: duffyd on 25/04/2020 15:16:28“The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact.”“I myself am convinced that the theory of evolution, especially to the extent to which it has been applied, will be one of the greatest jokes in the history books of the future. Posterity will marvel that so very flimsy and dubious an hypothesis could be accepted with the incredible credulity it has.” Muggeridge is more than a genius“The orgasm has replaced the Cross as the focus of longing and the image of fulfillment.” Malcolm M. Who else? He had a way of nailing the truth.
People do not believe lies because they have to but because they want to.
You seem reluctant to even try to recognise that "someone told me a story" is not evidence.
“The orgasm has replaced the Cross as the focus of longing and the image of fulfillment.” Malcolm M. Who else? He had a way of nailing the truth.
The Second Coming actually took place about 100 years ago. Jesus materialised before the Pope and asked about the state of religion on earth. The Pope showed him his crucifix and said "There are billions like this". Jesus said "If they are still using that bloody thing, I'm wasting my time." He was never seen again, nor ever will be, by people who revere instruments of torture and execution.
Have you considered coming up with something new, something creative, something that hasn't been used since the first century?
Resisting GOD is a form of hell. It's a miserable place to be.
People do not believe lies because they have to but because they want to. Muggeridge
Quote from: duffyd on 25/04/2020 15:29:49People do not believe lies because they have to but because they want to. MuggeridgeThat little golden nugget of truth is proven true by the myriad false statements enjoyed so well by those who refuse to accept science.
Resisting GOD is a form of hell. It's a miserable place to be. Striving against HIS will produces nothing but anger, anxiety, ill will, restlessness, torment and futility. Surrender, as unpleasant as it can seem, is the answer. Many famous, respected, popular, hard working, well meaning folks have found HIM to be true. Many more desperate, down-and-out people on the fringe of society shout the same findings in HIM.
Quote from: duffyd on 26/04/2020 00:54:17Resisting GOD is a form of hell. It's a miserable place to be. Striving against HIS will produces nothing but anger, anxiety, ill will, restlessness, torment and futility. Surrender, as unpleasant as it can seem, is the answer. Many famous, respected, popular, hard working, well meaning folks have found HIM to be true. Many more desperate, down-and-out people on the fringe of society shout the same findings in HIM.The proof of that declaration is splattered all over these pages. The bitterness, the stench of false pride, the pure silliness of Alan's attempts at discarding the facts (200 and 300 years, HE was a nice guy, etc.) don't fool anyone, even though he is convinced otherwise. Just like the drunk who says he knows there is a heaven because, as he points to his gut, he says, I've got hell right here. It is easy to appreciate the suffering he tries to conceal. That's the best he knows to do, but it is blatant. All the while people from every conceivable background raise their voices in one perfectly harmonized, blasting cheer, "HE IS RISEN."