04-14-2010, 07:31 AM
http://www.amazon.com/tag/religion/forum...LAXF1NI2WN
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Prove Christianity is a lie.[/size]
I wouldn't call Christianity a lie- I would call it a myth.
As a student of religion (and an atheist), I see no harm in treating Christianity as a myth. Christ's teachings are as resonant and important today as they were 2,000 years ago. As a teacher and an advocate for social justice I think Jesus was without peer. I think Jesus' transformation into Christ was a product of several things- the respect of his followers, his traumatic death, the power of his teaching, and the Greco-Roman habit of turning great men into deities (let's not forget that the church languished as a Jewish sect but exploded when it was adopted by gentiles).
To call it a 'lie', you have to presuppose deliberately dishonest words and actions on the part of Jesus' followers. But who's to say how watching your teacher (a person for whom you left your family and your possessions) die in such a terrible way would affect you? Perhaps you would have visions concerning him? Maybe you would look to your people's scriptures to see if there were references to him and his death? You might even find yourself looking for a way to rationalize what happened, and you might come to believe that he had been truly exceptional- maybe even a god.
I think Jesus' becoming Christ is understandable under these circumstances.
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Benjamin Kenon says: "I think Jesus' transformation into Christ was a product of several things- the respect of his followers, his traumatic death, the power of his teaching, and the Greco-Roman habit of turning great men into deities."
Except that 'Jesus' never existed. He is fully fictional.[/size]
Initiation by baptism, communion with the God through a holy meal that represented the flesh of the dead God, the Holy Spirit, monotheism, and immortality of the soul were all core beliefs of many ancient faiths. They were simply part of ancient Mediterranean culture.Christianity also borrowed elements of Jesus' mythology: the virgin birth, the miracles (including turning water into wine, walking on water, and especially healing the sick) were all common elements of pre-Christian Pagan religions. Mithras had 'em. So did Dionysus, Attis, Osiris, and Orpheus. And more. And they had them centuries before Christianity.
[size="7"]
Prove Christianity is a lie.[/size]
I wouldn't call Christianity a lie- I would call it a myth.
As a student of religion (and an atheist), I see no harm in treating Christianity as a myth. Christ's teachings are as resonant and important today as they were 2,000 years ago. As a teacher and an advocate for social justice I think Jesus was without peer. I think Jesus' transformation into Christ was a product of several things- the respect of his followers, his traumatic death, the power of his teaching, and the Greco-Roman habit of turning great men into deities (let's not forget that the church languished as a Jewish sect but exploded when it was adopted by gentiles).
To call it a 'lie', you have to presuppose deliberately dishonest words and actions on the part of Jesus' followers. But who's to say how watching your teacher (a person for whom you left your family and your possessions) die in such a terrible way would affect you? Perhaps you would have visions concerning him? Maybe you would look to your people's scriptures to see if there were references to him and his death? You might even find yourself looking for a way to rationalize what happened, and you might come to believe that he had been truly exceptional- maybe even a god.
I think Jesus' becoming Christ is understandable under these circumstances.
[size="6"]
Benjamin Kenon says: "I think Jesus' transformation into Christ was a product of several things- the respect of his followers, his traumatic death, the power of his teaching, and the Greco-Roman habit of turning great men into deities."
Except that 'Jesus' never existed. He is fully fictional.[/size]
Initiation by baptism, communion with the God through a holy meal that represented the flesh of the dead God, the Holy Spirit, monotheism, and immortality of the soul were all core beliefs of many ancient faiths. They were simply part of ancient Mediterranean culture.Christianity also borrowed elements of Jesus' mythology: the virgin birth, the miracles (including turning water into wine, walking on water, and especially healing the sick) were all common elements of pre-Christian Pagan religions. Mithras had 'em. So did Dionysus, Attis, Osiris, and Orpheus. And more. And they had them centuries before Christianity.