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Personally, I don't necessarily take things in the Bible literally. They are called parables for a reason. They are a simple stories used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson.
Be that as it may, the android dual Jesus thing is just too funny. If it's a matter of one faith versus another, a person can believe whatever they want for all I care. Maybe my beliefs are funny to them. I don't care.
People have believed in some screwy things throughout history and there's only one way to find out what the truth really is, and one day we will all find out.
The virgin birth is not presented as a parable in the Bible. It is a central tenet of Christianity. The same with the resurrection of Jesus Christ as well as his healing of the sick. The story about Lazarus is not presented or taught as a parable either.
All religions have stories like this. Personally, I think they are just that - stories. However, religions teach them as facts, things that actually happened. That is why I think its disingenuous to look down on other religious ideas when one's own religion has unbelievable facts acting as the cornerstone of the faith.
Yes, this is true, of course; but, the apostles were Jews, and they believed. After Christ's resurrection (and they were witnesses to the risen Christ), they began to preach to their Jewish brothers, and many believed and were saved.
Saul, who persecuted the church, and tried to destroy it, met Jesus on the road to Damascus, and then went on to preach the Gospel to Gentiles, and many believed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Magritte25
Trying to quantify the validity of any religion, and I truly mean ANY, is an exercise in futility. From my standpoint, believe what you'd like and stop trying to tell others your belief is "realer" than others.
Obviously, you're not a believer. But the Bible itself is testament to the "validity" of Christ, who's birth, death, and resurrection was forecast in the "Old Testament."
Also, there are many Jewish believers today, known as Messianic Jews. This too, was predicted in the Bible. Judaism cannot be separated from Christianity. Jesus was a Jew, and he taught from the "Old Testament." That is why, to fully understand Christianity, you must also have knowledge of "Old Testament" scripture. As Gentile Christians, we believers are (according to the New Testament) "Jews by adoption."
As to your last statement: So, I'm supposed to sit down and shut-up, in your opinion? No. I will not. Sorry. Christ told us in Matthew 25 (The Great Commission) to "preach the Gospel to all the world. And in this day and age, when we have Muslims (a false religion) infiltrating our country and trying to convert America into a Muslim country, it is especially important to teach people about Christ, and pray for their salvation.
Last edited by nononsenseguy; 03-29-2017 at 07:12 AM..
I know of no case where a Christian has converted to Islam. I have met several former Muslims who left Islam once they recognized errors in their Muslim religion. It costs them a great deal to convert to Christianity, as you may know. They are not only disowned by their families, they are under sentence of death for being "infidels". I can't think of another religion that would threaten one with death for leaving.
I can't agree that Christianity gets its "dogma" completely wrong -- if that is what you are saying. You may believe that, but I do not. There is far more that is correct (right) in the core of the faith than there are contradictions. The differences in doctrine between various denominations are just that - different views that do not exclude one from the whole as long as there is agreement on the core (foundation) upon which faith stands.
Any true Christian knows that to give up their faith for a false religion like Islam is the rejection of Christ, which means eternal death (Hell). No truly saved person is going to do that. It would actually be impossible. If they did, it would be evidence that they were never saved in the first place.
I know of no case where a Christian has converted to Islam. I have met several former Muslims who left Islam once they recognized errors in their Muslim religion. It costs them a great deal to convert to Christianity, as you may know. They are not only disowned by their families, they are under sentence of death for being "infidels". I can't think of another religion that would threaten one with death for leaving.
I can't agree that Christianity gets its "dogma" completely wrong -- if that is what you are saying. You may believe that, but I do not. There is far more that is correct (right) in the core of the faith than there are contradictions. The differences in doctrine between various denominations are just that - different views that do not exclude one from the whole as long as there is agreement on the core (foundation) upon which faith stands.
We ALL know of cases where Christians have converted to Islam. Muhammad Ali and Cat Stevens spring to mind.
I'm sorry to hear that, because the miracles that Jesus did were in order to demonstrate (or prove) his deity.
Ok? Obviously people who don't buy the religious fables clearly don't believe that subversions of the natural functions of the universe occur. All good, we can go back to pretending that virgin births and resurrections and talking burning bushes or Muhammad riding off into heaven on a Pegasus are all completely rational and logical things to believe in.
Then again, if you put those events in naturalistic context it kind of destroys the narrative:
Virgin Birth (Mary was getting some side action)
Resurrection (Short coma, Look alike impersonator, made up by followers to justify their life decisions up to that point, etc)
Burning Bushes (Ate the wrong mushrooms)
And on and on...
So it REQUIRES events that we know are logically not possible to have occurred in known impossible ways for the core of the story to stand up at all. And people are VERY emotionally invested in these impossible events having occurred because they have an entire lifetime of sunk cost ego investment in them as well as self reinforcing social bubbles were they can all go to slap each other on the back and congratulate each other for being so good at believing in them, as well as their entire social support networks being entrenched in it to the point at which they would become outcasts if they question or rejected any of it.
Last edited by zzzSnorlax; 03-29-2017 at 08:29 AM..
Huh? His parents where Methodists. A Christian religion. He found it empty in his words and converted. Probably like the Muslims u knew that converted.
Just because one's parents are of a particular faith does not make the child a member as the child has NO say in the matter, somewhat akin to indoctrination or forced "belief".
It's my opinion when said child is old enough to form independent thought to such a degree as to decide his/her own faith or lack thereof (and their parents are smart enough/have faith enough to allow them to decide) it is then when they actually belong to some religion.
The virgin birth is not presented as a parable in the Bible. It is a central tenet of Christianity. The same with the resurrection of Jesus Christ as well as his healing of the sick. The story about Lazarus is not presented or taught as a parable either.
All religions have stories like this. Personally, I think they are just that - stories. However, religions teach them as facts, things that actually happened. That is why I think its disingenuous to look down on other religious ideas when one's own religion has unbelievable facts acting as the cornerstone of the faith.
So, I guess we should toss out all historical documents if they don't have authenticated video/photo evidence to back them up right? The Pharaohs didn't really exist as there's no absolute proof other than stories, just like Joan of Ark, Muhammad or any storied leader 500 years ago, etc.etc.etc.
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