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Have any of you atheists/agnostics clearly read the New Testament and Jesus scriptures, and still deny it, do not like Christ, and are not becoming Christians?
I was once irreligious, but after studying the New Testament and read Jesus amazing speeches I converted. Being Christian means following Christ (although nobody could possibly be like Him).
How could you not like how Jesus taught us love, forgiveness and peace?
.. You're right the rape, murder, torture, countless holy wars and slavery on and of unfathomable numbers of men women and children since the start of these fables was only a lesson in the teachings of his love, and how to spread it. Silly me for not seeing that!!! Guess that's a "my bad" on Christianity's part
Yes, many of us have read the Bible, NT and OT alike, and have not converted or returned to Christianity because of it.
Finding nuggets of useful concepts in the teachings of Jesus does not obligate us to buy into the whole package, any more than finding moral lessons in the Lord of the Rings obligates me to become a hobbit.
Ultimately, fo rme the NT paints a very different picture now than it did when I was a believer. Now I see the story of a Jewish apocalyptic teacher possibly with aspirations of being the messiah, as told by those who rewrote the story to create their own religion, and cement its position. The ways in which the doctrine evolved from something close to Judaism to being openly hostile to its religion, the wresting of control from the jerusalem leadership, by Paul and his gentile converts, these are all much more interesting stories than the mythological content. It is when you read around the edges, so to speak, that you can see the shape of the all to human drama that resonates much more deeply with me than a deity being a blood sacrifice to His father.
I understand that. But having a person to love and pray may make life easier and more comfort. Or?
What comfort does he bring? Do you feel comfortable in the fact that you talk to thin air and aren't deemed clinically insane because you put the label religion to the act?
I have my husband to comfort me with actual physical touch and words that i can feel and hear, and I take responsibility for my "sins" and mistakes instead of just pushing them off to an invisibly being to make myself feel better. Praying to a god for us is like you praying to your shoes, it's stupid and you feel like a fool in the end.
Does praying to your god pay your bills to make your life easier, more comfortable? Is he setting you up with job interviews? Making the calls for you. You coming on here trying to convert us or rationalize your belief to free thinkers is ridiculous. We control our lives and like it that way.
I understand that. But having a person to love and pray may make life easier and more comfort. Or?
You love Jesus because of where you were born/live. Had you been Born or raised other places in the world Jesus would be a nonsense story to you. Btw his story is a reselling of hundreds of similar stories before him. All just as obsolete
Have any of you atheists/agnostics clearly read the New Testament and Jesus scriptures, and still deny it, do not like Christ, and are not becoming Christians?
I have read it multiple times. As a founding member of Atheist Ireland I am also one of the people who support their campaign in Ireland to get MORE people to read the Bible. I also heavily support Christopher Hitchens Quote where he said that no true appreciation for the English Literature course in Schools and colleges.... from Milton to Shakspeare.... is truely complete if one does not have a solid foundation in the King James version of the Bible.
All that said I am not entirely sure what you are asking or saying. I have read/studied the Bible indeed but what exactly it is you want me to "accept" or "deny"? To me it is just a work of moral folklore and both it and the words attributed to the Nazarene take their place in the wealth of moral teachings our species has collectively produced.
Quote:
Originally Posted by OneLess
How could you not like how Jesus taught us love, forgiveness and peace?
Who says we do not exactly? We might not accept that god exists or that Jesus was anything more than human. But one does not _have_ to accept any of that nonsense in order to see wisdom and utility in the more pleasant parts of what this Moral Philosopher was purported to have preached.
You would do well to separate in your mind the moral teachings of the Jesus character and the claims that said character was not fully human. One can study, accept and even assimilate the former without wasting a breath on the latter.
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