ThinkingMan

It's more accurate to say that 100% of Christians are wrong about what the text is.

The techniques Jesus uses in his miracles are inconsistent. The details are suspicious and reflect the superstitious views of the time. Was Jesus was a real person? Perhaps he was a faith healer (like Benny Hinn), or a social activist, or both. Perhaps he was the messiah invented by the apostle Paul. Or perhaps he was a faith healer who was reinvented by the apostle Paul as a social activist. It's hard to say.

It is certain that the 'Jesus people' were social activists. He is recorded as throwing out the money changers in the temple. He fights with the religious leaders over the Mosaic Law, especially the restriction of working on the Sabbath. It's obvious that non-Jewish industries would outperform Jewish ones by working an extra day each week, so there is a certain money angle. When Jesus commends someone for his or her faith, the bible often mentions how that person is not Jewish. Why is that? Were the Jews of Jesus’ time all faithless? Is it a statistical anomaly? Or is it merely a story element meant to drive home a political talking point? Other common themes to the miracles are either superstitious, like the spitting and the shouting, or are obvious story elements, like Jesus repeatedly telling people to keep the miracles a secret.

Splarnst

Well, not every Christian really believes in the miracles. And that's not exactly what I was talking about, but yeah.

schilling.klaus

fake Christians.

[/quote]
This is why I come to this board. I never hear ideas this ridiculous offline.[/QUOTE]

ridiculous is what mainstream scholars believe

Klaus Schilling

Chili

It is unbelievable how shallow and flat their world still is. I have always maintained that a good Catholic will believe everything you tell him for as long as you are talking to him but he would never open his bible and study what he has been told and the Church does not recommend that he does and in fact has a censorship on the Bible reading so we do not start killing people over our different interpretations.

I would argue that all self proclaimed Christians are wrong and always were wrong in that Christianity is the end of religion because resurrection is required before one is a Christian. In Catholicism one is free of go or return to the Church Triumphant (to watch the daily gong show around them). This would be much like Elysium once was and Nirvana still is today.

Chili

"Half opened" is much worse because they would be lukewarm and on fire for the Lord. This is where the antichrist is at there called the "angel of light" instead of the light. He is called Lucifer to indicate that he represents a candle light instead of the celestial light and must burn bible passages to stay afloat.

Their purpose is to raise the kundalini from the heart to the head and so transform reason into pure reason without emotion (perhaps like Stoic but not necessarily Stoic).

Roger Pearse

Surely the question is whether you have rational reasons for whatever position you adopt?

Isn't your post really just a silent appeal to what those who control the media agenda in the USA in the early years of the 21st century promote as 'normal'? If so, is that really a valid ground for objection (to anything)?

In other words, I don't think that you actually made whatever your argument is.

All the best,

Roger Pearse

Johnny Skeptic

I agree. What rational reasons did the Gospel writers have for making mostly second hand claims that Jesus performed miracles? Today, millions of Christians disagree as to what constitutes a miracle healing. Why do you believe that it was any different back then? What purpose do you believe that Jesus had in mind when he performed miracles? "Well, er, uh, I dunno."

WVIncagold

Wonder why jesus never cured an amputee?

Johnny Skeptic

Indeed. If Christian amputees do not ask God for new arms and legs, why do they ask him for anything else?

Amaleq13

The idea that magic doesn't really happen in the real world is the result of a 21st century media bias? :rolling: