The Historicity Of Jesus
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Yes, Jesus did actually exist. You are questioning his actual existence? This is a first for me. While some may question that he was who he said he was, nearly everyone I've ever heard of acknowledge the man existed.
The historicity of Jesus is a relatively new field of study, and while some of my beliefs on the subject are probably a result of confirmation bias, the contemporary evidence of his existence is fleeting.
Pontius Pilate was the Roman Governor who presided over his crucifixion. The evidence that the new testament is a reliable historical document is starting to become overwhelming.
I'm going to have to ask for your sources on that. I'll share a few facts about the Gospels that you may not know. There is zero evidence outside of the Gospels that Pontius Pilate ever asked a crowd to decide his prisoners' fate, let alone doing it annually for some feast or another. There is zero evidence outside of the Gospels that King Herod ever ordered his soldiers to murder a bunch of innocent babies. The evidence that a census required people to return to the land of their patriarch is wishy-washy, at best. Why then, do these stories exist?
To me, the answer seems very clear. They're stories to make this figure appear more grand.
Besides that, there's evidence of his existence in Roman and Hebrew writings.
Sure, but how much of it is contemporary? The earliest gospel was written 10-30 years after Jesus' death. How many times was the story passed down orally? If you've ever played the game telephone in grade school, you can see how quickly a message can become convoluted. Multiply the length of the game by a factor of 1000, and then you're left with the Gospels, not to mention the politics that influenced the book.
If Jesus existed, then I believe he is a compilation of a person or group of people. This person was a very charismatic and influential anti-Roman radical, which would explain why he was crucified (as the gospels don't give a good reason for it). Many Christians are quick to tout how much evidence there is for Jesus' existence and the supporting Roman documents, but did you know that there is not a single contemporary document that mentions Jesus' execution?
The simplest definition of real Christian Values would be the Ten Commandments. But there's more to it then that. Look into history. Just study some of the things that early Christians did... set up orphanages, hospitals, help for the poor, universities, etc..
I'm not claiming that Christians don't do good things; I am convinced that they've done more harm than good in their 2000 year existence.
None of it is crap. The books are used for guidance. Some of the guidance no longer applies. There were reasons for the guidance that applied to the greater well being of society at the time; some of it doesn't apply today.
That's because we're not as ignorant.
Actually all you have to do to avoid hell and get into heaven is believe and repent. Everyone sins. Is that really so much harder to believe than the theory that the universe was a whole lot of nothingness and didn't even exist until a great explosion occurred?
Saying that there was nothing before the big bang would take as much faith as believing in heaven and hell. There is zero evidence for either, so it isn't that much harder to believe in that specific statement. But what I do try to understand (I'll refrain from using the word "belief") is the evidence that we could draw from. There appears to have been a rapid expansion of space and time, and tracing it backwards leads to a supercondensed point, of which we can draw few conclusions. There could have been another universe before this one, there could have been "nothing," the big bang could have been a result of little green men doing a science experiment, God spoke, and it happened. I'm not going to even pretend that I know there was nothing before the big bang.
[Perfection] doesn't exist outside of the material world.
Well, that's the only world that there is. Unless you want to start talking about parallel dimensions.
Science is the way of explaining human interactions and understanding of the intricate workings of God's creation.
There's no evidence that we're "God's creation," why use that qualifier? If we're made in his image, why aren't we invisible?
Yes, Jesus did actually exist. You are questioning his actual existence? This is a first for me. While some may question that he was who he said he was, nearly everyone I've ever heard of acknowledge the man existed.
The historicity of Jesus is a relatively new field of study, and while some of my beliefs on the subject are probably a result of confirmation bias, the contemporary evidence of his existence is fleeting.
Pontius Pilate was the Roman Governor who presided over his crucifixion. The evidence that the new testament is a reliable historical document is starting to become overwhelming.
I'm going to have to ask for your sources on that. I'll share a few facts about the Gospels that you may not know. There is zero evidence outside of the Gospels that Pontius Pilate ever asked a crowd to decide his prisoners' fate, let alone doing it annually for some feast or another. There is zero evidence outside of the Gospels that King Herod ever ordered his soldiers to murder a bunch of innocent babies. The evidence that a census required people to return to the land of their patriarch is wishy-washy, at best. Why then, do these stories exist?
To me, the answer seems very clear. They're stories to make this figure appear more grand.
Besides that, there's evidence of his existence in Roman and Hebrew writings.
Sure, but how much of it is contemporary? The earliest gospel was written 10-30 years after Jesus' death. How many times was the story passed down orally? If you've ever played the game telephone in grade school, you can see how quickly a message can become convoluted. Multiply the length of the game by a factor of 1000, and then you're left with the Gospels, not to mention the politics that influenced the book.
If Jesus existed, then I believe he is a compilation of a person or group of people. This person was a very charismatic and influential anti-Roman radical, which would explain why he was crucified (as the gospels don't give a good reason for it). Many Christians are quick to tout how much evidence there is for Jesus' existence and the supporting Roman documents, but did you know that there is not a single contemporary document that mentions Jesus' execution?
The simplest definition of real Christian Values would be the Ten Commandments. But there's more to it then that. Look into history. Just study some of the things that early Christians did... set up orphanages, hospitals, help for the poor, universities, etc..
I'm not claiming that Christians don't do good things; I am convinced that they've done more harm than good in their 2000 year existence.
None of it is crap. The books are used for guidance. Some of the guidance no longer applies. There were reasons for the guidance that applied to the greater well being of society at the time; some of it doesn't apply today.
That's because we're not as ignorant.
Actually all you have to do to avoid hell and get into heaven is believe and repent. Everyone sins. Is that really so much harder to believe than the theory that the universe was a whole lot of nothingness and didn't even exist until a great explosion occurred?
Saying that there was nothing before the big bang would take as much faith as believing in heaven and hell. There is zero evidence for either, so it isn't that much harder to believe in that specific statement. But what I do try to understand (I'll refrain from using the word "belief") is the evidence that we could draw from. There appears to have been a rapid expansion of space and time, and tracing it backwards leads to a supercondensed point, of which we can draw few conclusions. There could have been another universe before this one, there could have been "nothing," the big bang could have been a result of little green men doing a science experiment, God spoke, and it happened. I'm not going to even pretend that I know there was nothing before the big bang.
[Perfection] doesn't exist outside of the material world.
Well, that's the only world that there is. Unless you want to start talking about parallel dimensions.
Science is the way of explaining human interactions and understanding of the intricate workings of God's creation.
There's no evidence that we're "God's creation," why use that qualifier? If we're made in his image, why aren't we invisible?
Awesome post Vapor Trail from someone who obiviously can think outside the box.........good for you.........otherwise you are like a lot of people who want to be free and think free.......pissing up a rope
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lol, of all the posts this shemale spam asshole could have dug up, it just had to be the one about JC
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I thought that was funny as fuck too lol.
Do you agree with yourself from 3 years ago?
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I thought that was funny as fuck too lol.
Do you agree with yourself from 3 years ago?
Hrm. I'm still really skeptical that it was all one guy, but the majority of historians suggest that a Jesus did exist.
And good god, as bad as we bunch of bastards are now, I just cringe when I think back to the Mr. T era.
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I thought that was funny as fuck too lol.
Do you agree with yourself from 3 years ago?
Hrm. I'm still really skeptical that it was all one guy, but the majority of historians suggest that a Jesus did exist.
And good god, as bad as we bunch of bastards are now, I just cringe when I think back to the Mr. T era.
Hrm. I'm still really skeptical that it was all one guy, but the majority of historians suggest that a Jesus did exist.
And good god, as bad as we bunch of bastards are now, I just cringe when I think back to the Mr. T era.
amen
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Or we have a really clever spam bot that's reading the conversation over in the dark board in the corner.
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I read through this thread. It's pretty funny. Some of the claims made ate ridiculous. Way to fight the good fight Vapor
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Luther vandross gay meets Marlon brando gay sounds pretty gay
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OK guys, who's been browsing the gay porn while reading the browns board?
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