41% of Americans expect Jesus to return by 2050 (votes, European, best)

[Ceece]

LOL. I have always been amused by this! I wonder if people feel disappointment when they know death is close and they missed out on the big TA-DA disappearing act.

[James420]

So lets say he does come back, if he doesn't identify himself will the Jews claim him to be their Messiah?

[HistorianDude]

Originally Posted by roysoldboy

Golly, HD, please do it again. Please try to remember that these people were trying to quote Him and writing about the same story.

They were trying alright. Their success however was uneven at best. Leaving the anomalous Gospel of John out of the equation just for the moment, have fun trying to reconcile the "synoptics" on basic stories like... oh, say the resurrection.

A fascinating amount of diversity for three books supposedly overseen by a single divine editor.

Originally Posted by roysoldboy

I have always been interested in how all those people told the same story.

"All those people?" To whom are you referring? Certainly you are not including all the writers of "Gospels," since that would require you consider the larger number of gnostic texts that tell rather different stories. It hardly takes an act of God to make it look like everybody is telling the same story if you ignore all the ones that don't.

I mean... that one's pretty easy even for conservatives to figure out.

Originally Posted by roysoldboy

I find it interesting to consider how all those Catholic monks managed to keep writing all those words in longhand, since there were no printing presses in the Middle Ages, and keep telling the same story since they didn't all work in the same monasteries and many never met each other.

You find it interesting that monks actually managed to copy texts that they intended to copy? Okay. I admit I don't hold humans to the same exacting standards I would hold a competent God, but I do generally assume that when a person devotes his effort to making a copy of something the result will likely be something along the lines of a copy of what they intended to copy.

But that's just me.

Originally Posted by roysoldboy

This indicates a lot of what the Bible must be about and the very sincerity of what is in it but I don't expect you to see that.

Well then I guess you's have to conclude that Aeschylus's tragedy The Persians is even more "sincere" than the Gospels, since it is that much older and came down to us in pretty much the same way.

[HistorianDude]

Originally Posted by roysoldboy

Does that Bible say that those who told the Story were scientists, biologists, or such like.

Last I looked, you did not need to be either a scientist or a biologist to count to six.

[HistorianDude]

Originally Posted by southward bound

I didn't include that verse because it doesn't refer to His return to earth, as in the second coming, which is the topic of this thread. There are various interpretations of that verse, (as you may know but did not disclose) but a the generally accepted one is that, in context, it refers to His transfiguration.

"Various interpretations" would hardly be necessary had Jesus just gotten his prophecy right.

[roysoldboy]

Originally Posted by 11thHour

Great. 41% believe the star character of a fairy tale is coming to save them from reality. 'God' help us all.

I would say that appealing to God for anything after what you preceded it with would possible be a waste of time

[roysoldboy]

Originally Posted by majoun

When it came to bailing out Wall Street they moved very fast.

And there are people on these boards who would love for government to move with lightning speed in deporting illegal immigrants who don't speak English, even if Jesus Christ happens to be one of them.

God in any of His forms can act with much more speed than you want to think he can.

Did many Republicans vote for any bailouts? I know the Dems can act very fast because they proved it voting on them.

[slackjaw]

I read somewhere that most illegal border crossers from Mexico have multiple apprehensions, some as many as six times when they are processed.

So yeah, I think Jesus will be back. So will Juan.

[roysoldboy]

Originally Posted by SpartacusTheSpartan

What are you talking about!

No offence but due research.

Bill Gates: Atheist
Warren Buffet: Atheist
CARL SAGAN: Atheist
93% of sciencetists: Atheists
10% of America's population and 0.2% of America's prison: Atheist
Isaac Asimov: Atheist
Noam Chomsky: Atheist
Francis Crick: Atheist
Marie Curie: Atheist
Richard Dawkins: Atheist
Daniel Dannett: Atheist
Stephen Gould: Atheist
Massimo Pigliucci: Atheist
Steven Pinker: Atheist
Karl Popper: Athiest
Michael Shermer: Atheist
James Watson: Atheist
E.O. Wilson: Atheist

(I include Athiests, Buddhists, Agnostics and people of Athiestic religions.)
No, I'm not dissing religion but Atheists on Average have 5 point higher IQ then Churchgoers.

Whippy DOO! 1 (JUST ONE) Really smart Christian. Remember people Plural beats Singular action.

Just sayin'

I guess most of the really smart atheists never heard of C-D since so few are here these days.

[no1brownsfan]

Everyone is entitled to their own beliefs, but why is it because someone believes in God, they are considered unintelligent? I am a firm believer, and I consider myself to be pretty damn intelligent. I mean, I keep an open mind, and I don't rule anything out when it comes to most topics. Who knows whether he is coming back in 2050 or not? I guess that we'll find out.