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1. There is no secular evidence that Jesus of Nazareth ever existed.
-Doesn't need to be, the bible says the just shall live by faith
But don't you see? This is EXACTLY WHY the doctrine of justification by faith was invented---because the clergy had no proof to offer the masses that Jesus really existed so they invented the idea that "if we can't prove it we'll just have to sell them on the idea that they must believe WITHOUT proof in order to be saved". And it worked beautifully--just like any propaganda tool does, "Tell them a lie; repeat if often enough until they come to believe the lie is the truth. Then we have them" Who do you think Goebbels learned all this from? Hello? The Catholic Church, that's who.
Last edited by thrillobyte; 01-07-2016 at 09:22 PM..
By the way, I heard a deer snort for the first time yesterday. I was surprised, they're usually very quiet and just stamp their foot if they want to make their feelings known.
I've never heard them make noise, but my brother said they do. I have a bunch of them who hang out in the field across the street. Sometimes they cross the street to chomp on some of the shrubbery in front of the townhouses.
Some how we've gone from the murderous Internet to our local deer experiences.
Even Pope Leo X had the good sense to realize what a profit-making venture Jesus Christ was:
Quote:
It was Pope Leo X who made the most infamous and damaging statement about Christianity in the history of the Church. His declaration revealed to the world papal knowledge of the Vatican's false presentation of Jesus Christand unashamedly exposed the puerile nature of the Christian religion. At a lavish Good Friday banquet in the Vatican in 1514, and in the company of "seven intimates" (Annales Ecclesiastici, Caesar Baronius, Folio Antwerp, 1597, tome 14), Leo made an amazing announcement that the Church has since tried hard to invalidate.
Quote:
Raising a chalice of wine into the air, Pope Leo toasted:
"How well we know what a profitable superstition this fable of Christ has been for us and our predecessors."
The moral majority has deemed abortion, same-sex marriage, and the right to bear arms to be the sole focus of morality,
Zt, hi.. when did this ^ happen.
If you're using (lower case) moral majority as a generic term for Christians. The primary (but not 'sole') focus is still God's graceful pardon for our sins. I know what you mean about Christians addressing moral issues, but it's all secondary to the focus of embracing God's Grace.
And I don't think Christianity's greatest moral commandment has yet/ever been substituted, or downgraded, due to the existence of the internet.. Love God with all your heart, and your neighbor as your self.
ps- I don't see any conflict with a Christian wanting a gun for self-defense, while still accepting God's forgiveness (?) peace.
An example of 16th century satire, "The Pageant of the Popes" by John Bale
was a parody. The equivalent of today's "The Onion" satirical news site.
I did look at this suggestion that Bale made it up. I found that it was supposedly attested in records left by people working close to that Pope, and took a note of the title one of the works, but i couldn't find anything about them on the Internet. So I'm sot sure, but I don't think it can so easily be dismissed as just an invented remark by Bales.
The internet will not kill Christianity. Or Islam. Or Judaism.
But it will help reduce fundamentalism to tiny cults in backwater Podunks where they can happily tell their 19 members that everybody else on the planet is going to hell.
They know they're gasping their last which is why you get all the crying and breast-beating about imaginary persecution.
I agree it's the image presented in the media. It makes for far more exciting and controversial video than a bunch of Christians visiting a Reform synagogue because one of their members has a Jewish life partner who is speaking that night.
Or a predominantly African-American Episcopal congregation that runs a food pantry, soup kitchen, clthing-distribution center and helps locals find jobs and go on interviews. They've been doing that for 28 years. Never see them on the news.
But 80% fundy in organized churches? Don't think so in the NYC metro area. Maybe wherever you are.
Good points you make, but I have to ask why the Republican party is largely made up of far right fringe, science hating bullies who do not even have enough self control and maturity to respect the President. Why is one party taken over by over the edge Christ professing crazies? And how can the Republican party take their party back from these rage-filled, bizarre people?
For so long the church has been deciding upon what is right, and what is wrong by silencing the opinions of others. The moral majority has deemed abortion, same-sex marriage, and the right to bear arms to be the sole focus of morality, but the information age is revealing the moral-majority 1) isn’t “moral” 2) neither are they the majority. “Fox News,” TBN, and the 700 Club are no longer the only platforms Christians can speak and be heard from. It’s now in the hands of others to decide what the ethical and moral focus will be.
Fox News?
What about MSNBC?
They are one and the same.
They feed off of each other.
They are NOT journalists.
I'm not really sure why so many people want to play along with the division game and keep people DIVIDED and WEAK.
Why not seek common ground and try to unite people?
Instead of constantly looking for strife and things that divide people and turn people against each other.
I understand the need to fight against things... but sometimes you end up alienating people instead of helping them to understand your views, and when you do that, you (temporarily, at least) destroy the possibility of enlightenment.
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