Why is a little investigative inquiry into the history of your religion such a bad thing?

Question

Yes, I'm speaking directly to christians again. Some of you say you've studied your religion and found it to be true. I think you just investigated the bible from bible-believing sources such as the Christian Science Monitor or other religious based sources. If you perform an objective search of the history of the Jewish and Christian religions, you find that the evidence points elsewhere. You find that most of the stories originated elsewhere, and that neither is historically accurate, although they do use historical events as backdrops. It's akin to writing a WWII novel using historical characters and events, just changing the names to prevent being sued. But somehow you all seem to miss this. So again, I ask, have you really searched for truth, or have you simply searched for confirmation of what you think you know? Why is it so hard to look objectively for the truth about your religion?

Answer 1

Because they are afraid they will learn something they don't want to know.

Answer 2

Hello my Atheist Friend. XO

I find nothing wrong with individuals researching and investigating my belief in Christianity for as a Christian I am doing the same.

I was brought up in this lifestyle and was taught to believe all that was being taught to be true, but then I have learned so much more about the world and such on my own as an adult that I too am researching, and investigating.

Be respectful and polite and I will listen to your knowledge and facts, but if you are rude and disrespectful I will pass you by for some one of Higher Moral Values!

Peace & Love,
Sam

Answer 3

A 'hoax" implies intent. Some people actually *believe* what they believe, lack of evidence aside. *Most* people that lived two thousand years ago, famous or not, did not have their life chronicled from birth, because that would be weird. And not everyone follows it "blindly". Religion has done a *lot* of things besides "bring hate into the world", although it's done its fair share of that as well. You'd come across better if you didn't make sweeping generalizations and confuse facts with opinions. I agree that it's superstition and nonsense, and I'm happy to poke fun at it, but one must do so speaking the truth, which doesn't lend itself well to generalizations.

Answer 4

You are definately on the right track. It is not bad to question our leadership or history. In fact, it is what I consider a 'real' Christian.
Popular Christianity is full of BS, but that does not mean Jesus was not real or the message he spoke wasn't fact. It means that the average Christian has no idea what was said and done. They rely upon some guy on a soapbox to tell them what it means.
The major culprit in Christian misinformation resides inside the Vatican.

Answer 5

Greek writings and translations of the Aramaic are the best translatory sources for broad research of historical religious & secular documents written by Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, & Latin scholars, priests, local diaries, summaries by government and church leaders are confirmed and annotated/resourced through STRONG'S, which is in my opinion the most thorough, unbiased compilation of epistles, documents, sacred records, Dead Sea Scrolls, & governmental records of religious/secular history of the geographical area and times known to man.

If you have sought to study and research the Bible from its compilation of The Torah, Pentateuch, Mosaic Law, Roman records, royal biographers, etc., you can understand why King James of England and Scotland wanted an easier way besides keeping Greek educators at his beck and call 24/7 to translate Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, & Latin. So he demanded that they all undertake to create an English translation to be made of all available Old and New Testament scriptures.

So yes, I have researched, studied, and sought and everything I read of a Biblical nature supports The Bible. I have also read Galileo, Einstein, & Franklin's treatises & autobiographies, and few would dare say that these men were not open-minded & scientific & mathematical geniuses and all three of these men who are lightyears smarter and more intelligent than I will ever be, threw their scientific genius at the Bible and they came away further proofing God's word, not discounting it.

Better yet, ****The Rational Response Squad, (which you mimic in your commentaries) who are a group of Atheists "scholars" who espouse that they know and can prove the truth of their beliefs, have recently splattered blasphemies against God and Jesus over their website/teen websites and through their emails & have begun a "scholarly educated" campaign that advertises their "Blasphemy Challenge" on teen Web sites.

When media asked the RRS members, Brian & Keith, who refused to allow their last names to be mentioned or published...said their "educated scholarly" response/sound principle basis was that spewing blasphemies and encouraging everyone else to blaspheme God, Jesus, & The Holy Spirit at every possible minute, "proved" that blaspheming the Holy Spirit was only superstition, & it "proved" that God/Jesus do not exist, and we have nothing to fear of this unforgivable sin."

I guess you consider RSS objective, serious, scholarly investigative study, right?

I think "investigative inquiry" has little to do with this post.

But I get your point.
You believe in nothing.
I am a fool for believing in God or anything.

You have been heard & understood ad nauseum!

Nextttttttttttttttttttttttttttt!

Answer 6

It's not bad to do research. Remember the ancient Boroeans Paul commended for searching the scriptures to see if what they were being taught was really so?

All religions have a start. We should all have a clear understanding of what that is. But when you do research, please consider the source. It should be unbiased. The Internet is full of naysayers. So, watch what you read there.

But research not only the religion's history, but the practices as well. See if they originate with Jesus or with pagans. This is how you can discern the truth.

Answer 7

All I have to say is that Sunday is going to be fun. You doing the morning classes there too?

I did discern, that's why I left. It was slanted in a way that I could hear it, and I was ready to listen. All those things lined up and bam. LIGHTBULB!

Boy, did I feel like a dummy. And mad. It was truly a good thing that it was a book that opened my eyes and that no one else was in the room.

Answer 8

I have looked at it objectively and continue to do so. That is why I have rejected much of what Christianity borrowed from Paganism. My beliefs are based on personal study of the bible and are very much different than the average Christian. It's a tough and lonely place to be but at least I know what I believe is from personal study and was not inherited. As far as other older beliefs having similar stories, I am aware of this but believe there is a reasonable explanation for it.

Answer 9

I found Jesus before I found the gospel to be true. It's hard to explain why, it usually doesn't happen that way. Usually people need to have proof... I got proof later, and in big ways.

Anyway, since then I've found the bible to be both metephorical and spiritual, literal and physical. The mysticism with which it is written is important for seeing the deeper meanings... the mixing and intertwining of simular stories in other belief systems just shows mankind's struggle for the truth and for understanding. It took time for every culture, belief and walk of life to be studied and understood and written down, just like the christian and Jewish books. And when all of these worlds and cultures collide... well, there you have it. Most people do not change their beliefs immediately upon first coming across Jesus, and like the first pagan turned christian... had to find their individual way of reconciling their new belief with their culture and with their still-pagan family.

Answer 10

LITTLE LEARNING IS DANGEROUS. I for one is lazy to delve into the history of Christianity although its available at the back pages of my bible. And the internet provides voluminous information of the source of our faith. Christians maybe have same outlook since reading demands discipline which people cannot bear.

Answer 11

How is it that if 'we as Christians' look at religious based sources as truth that it is a bad thing but when you as an atheist look at non-religious sources as truth it is a good thing? I Don't understand? I just ask for God to show Himself to me and He has. I should be deaf in one ear and have one leg 3/4 of an inch longer than the other but I don't because God healed me miraculously. No books, either religious or non-religious can change that fact. God is alive and well and His word will, in the end, be proven to be the ABSOLUTE TRUTH.