babelfish

In the DVD "The God Who Wasn't There" it is implied that Paul invented Jesus and founded Christianity. So my question is, who was Paul persecuting at the time that he fell off his horse and had his vision?

Steven Carr

And why does Paul never mention that he persecuted Jesus - only his followers. What was there about the teachings of Jesus that was non-controversial to a Pharisee like Paul?

Kassiana

Me.

Sorry. I didn't feel like coming forward, but now that groups like Abused By Christianity's Founders are around and very supportive, I see that in order to heal myself, I must confess my abuse and name my abuser so that he can be brought to justice...er, known as the abuser that he is.

There. Hope that helps.

Sarpedon

He was persecuting christians. No one claims that christians don't exist.

McD

Actually, some ill informed unbelievers think that Paul actually invented Christianity. I can accept that he possibly reinvented it, but Christianity existed before Paul.

john_v_h

How do you know Paul was persecuting anyone or ever fell off a horse and had a vision? If he invented modern Christianity, he was certainly capable of inventing a story of personal conversion.

mrzyphl

Here's my best guess.

After Jerusalem was destroyed I figure a messianic cult high-tailed it to Greece. Once there they started proselytizing their version of Judaism which the locals eventually twisted to mean Juda then 'Jesu the messiah' which they morphed with Dyonisis? or whoever was their youthful God.
These were the early Christians Paul persecuted.

McD

Paul died before Jerusalem was destroyed

Paul is reckoned to have converted to Christianity some 30 years before Rome conquered Jerusalem

Vinnie

then spending the next 20 years living this invention out through letters and travelling as if it was entirely real. quite the hoax. Paul the bandwidth wasting lifelong hoaxster. He fooled me....and the entirely scholarly world as well. Too smart for us. :thumbs:

Or maybe Paul just did have some sort of religious experience or lifechanging epiphany or whatever, as so many countless people do today.

Vinnie

Vinnie

WHen did Paul fall off a horse? I don't remember that detail from his "conversion" story. Paul narrates his experience in his own words. Its first hand, primary source data. Autobiographical material. Kind of like if I were to tell you about my experiences in high school. They have a certain presumption unless you can show good reason to doubt the account. It is why eyewitness testimony is generally valid and used. Integrity of witness is partially taken for granted.

Also the picture in Acts confirms some things (e.g. Paul persectuted Jesus' followers) independently which rules out "Paul" made them up unless you can safely attribute all of Acts to ultimately Paul. Most scholars lean towards independence here.

Vinnie