1. He did not personally write down and preserve any ideas or correspondence (nor did Jehovah write anything personally, as is the idea with the 10 Commandments.)
2. The stories were not written during his lifetime, and huge chunks of biography are missing (teen years, twenties.)
3. There were many story versions (see the Gnostics) and only a few of them were arbitrarily chosen as canonical by a bunch of "bishops" some 250 years later.
4. The stories were transcribed by hand for 1300 years, resulting in different versions (such as lines added to the end of "Mark.")
5. Who ever came up with the idea the stories were inspired? That's silly because in the earliest years, they were merely considered an "expression" of spirituality. The stories themselves don't claim inspiration.
There are major flaws with religion, so people need to calm down and get more rational before the world has a nuclear war.
2007-03-30 03:24:42 · 20 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government ➔ Politics
The bible is reliable and accurate.
http://watchtower.org/e/t13/
http://watchtower.org/e/pr/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/dg/index.htm?article=article_04.htm
http://watchtower.org/e/lmn/index.htm?article=article_03.htm
2007-03-30 03:38:54 · answer #1 · answered by achtung_heiss 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
What makes you think you know anything about Caesar?
1. He did not personally write down and preserve any ideas or correspondence.
2. Most stories were not written during his lifetime, and huge chunks of biography are missing.
3. There were many story versions and only a few of them were arbitrarily chosen as correct by a bunch of "college professors" some 1800 years after his death.
4. The stories were transcribed by hand for 1300 years, resulting in different versions .
Actually there was more written during those years about Jesus than there was about Caesar. Much of that was written by historians who were not followers of Jesus.
If you will check out all of the facts, you will find the Truth. The Bible has withstood challenges for 2000 years. It has always been found to be true, and it always will.
2007-03-30 03:35:05 · answer #2 · answered by Aristarchus 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
1. If you honestly believe this statement, they you effectively negate all of history prior to the time when man, and each individual person, developed the ability to record and save their ideas, correspondence, etc.
2. Are you familiar with the concept of "oral history". It explains how your point 1. occurs. But beyond that, can you cite a source indicating the the Bible, or more specifically, the Gospel's, are supposed to be Jesus' biography?
3. If you take the time to research the Gnostics, you will find the reasons for them being left out of the ranks of "inspired" scripture completely understandable.
4. If you read the Gospel fragments dating back to the times that they were first recorded, you will find an amazing consistency in their content. You will need to read them in the original Greek. You might compare them to the text in the Jerusalem Bible.
5. If you read the Gospels and the Letters to the Church's, you will find your statement is incorrect.
Additionally, while I know you see yourself as far too "rational" and "enlightened" to understand it, one knows Jesus through something called "faith".
But, while I have your attention, I have to ask, what makes you think that your religious bigotry and intolerance of all things Christian has meaning or value to anyone other than yourself? Is there any difference between your anti-religious fanaticism and the fanaticism of the Islamofacist?
Are you really that insecure in your chosen beliefs that, in order to validate yourself, you feel you must constantly attack and attempt to marginalize the beliefs of those who don't agree with your particular "world view"?
2007-03-30 04:08:00 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
The Bible is not about Jesus's teen years, it is about his life as he revealed himself to be the Messiah and the Bible is also about how to live your life in a godly manner. Just because you may not like Christianity doesnt mean Christianity has a major flaw. God gives us a gift. His son died on the cross and resurrected from the dead to free us from sin, which we all commit. Nobody is perfect. The question is not whether or not Jesus is the Messiah, the question is this: will you believe he is the Messiah? If you accept, you shall spend eternity with him. Should you reject, you shall spend eternity without him. He gives us free will, so we have the ability to accept or reject, he isnt going to force us to accept, but there are consequences to our actions, of course. why cant stories be inspired? who are we to say that God can not inspire? God can do whatever he wants, and if he wants to inspire a handful of individuals to write his Word, he can. He is not limited to what we say is silly or not.
2007-03-30 03:38:09 · answer #4 · answered by Daniel 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You would enjoy the magazine called The Skeptic. There is also an interesting book called The Case Against God, that might go along with the thoughts you've expressed.
I am not religious, but am not intolerant of religious people. There is a lot a Non-Theist can learn from them. But yes, I can not understand the paradigm where faith trumps reason.
2007-03-30 03:32:43 · answer #5 · answered by Herodotus 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Agreed, but with something so flimsy as religious beliefs (that is, if you have a scientific mind) you have to come up with some justification for people to believe. These religions, not just Christianity, have been around for a long time, so obviously they are effective.
Edit: I agree with the 'faith' post, that's the best you can do.
2007-03-30 03:27:57 · answer #6 · answered by Pfo 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Oh, all-wise-and-knowing swampthingy.... your knowledge about Jesus is overwhelming. You must have been there to KNOW he didn't write anything personally. (Pity you weren't around on that occasion when he prevented a woman being stoned to death by writing with his finger in the dust...) And what a life-span you've had; 250 years after Jesus' death, then 1,300 years later on, being around to know all about transcription of stories. And here you are again, 1,750 years later imparting your personal wisdom to us lesser mortals. All hail, swampthingy... Who is going to carve your words in stone?
2007-03-30 08:17:01 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
Some look at differences, others lok at similarities. What makes you think you know Jesus? And BTW, do you distrust history and science as much as you do religion? I think it is you who needs to calm down. It is just a book, take it or leave it.
2007-03-30 03:28:55 · answer #8 · answered by hichefheidi 6 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Jesus was illiterate and could not read and write . Walk on water and bring back the dead sounds like these people brewed the native plants and drank them .
He was the first bum/religious teacher not appointed or cared for by the state to sell religion who was able to gather a following and as soon as it came to the states attention he was killed .
2007-03-30 03:31:47 · answer #9 · answered by trouble maker 3 · 0⤊ 3⤋
I know hes long dead & probably wishing he could get a cut on all that collection action in his name
2007-03-30 03:59:10 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sarah Silverman told me Jesus was magic.
2007-03-30 03:32:04 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋