Do you agree with the following statement?

[Lestat]

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The founders of the church were in the immediate position to know if they were dying for a false belief.


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how so?

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How so, and...

Do you mean to imply that it was ONLY the 500 people who saw Jesus appear that believed in Him? No one else at the time did? If anyone who didn't actually SEE Jesus appear yet believed He did even if it never happened... Then they would not know if they were dying over a false cause, now would they? Much the same spot you just put the first Muslims in, isn't it?

Can't you see the problems that presupposing one thing, in order to get to another creates?

[benjdm]

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Biblical archaeologist William Foxwell Albright in a Christianity Today interview, January 18, 1963:

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You can't quote biblical archaeologists' opinions when you are trying to convince us of the bible's veracity. Googling him, he is delusional enough to say "as a whole, the picture in Genesis is historical, and there is no reason to doubt the general accuracy of the biographical details."

I will only accept the opinions of historians - historians who know about the era and investigate more than the bible - if you are trying to convince me of something that supposedly historically happened. If you accept favorable theological opinions of the bible, you can only compare them to favorable theological opinions of other holy books. If you want to convince me of actual events in history, cite an actual objective historian.

[Prodigy54321]

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Googling him, he is delusional enough to say "as a whole, the picture in Genesis is historical, and there is no reason to doubt the general accuracy of the biographical details."


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ROFL nice find

[chezlaw]

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Googling him, he is delusional enough to say "as a whole, the picture in Genesis is historical, and there is no reason to doubt the general accuracy of the biographical details."


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ROFL nice find

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By Tag's false op either the guy is telling the tuth or part of some huge conspiracy.

chez

[revots33]

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I'm not asking anyone to assume the Bible is true. I'm asking for theories, if it is false, as to why that may be and how christianity grew in spite of that. So far nobody has come forward with such a theory.

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How many converts to Christianity have missionaries made in Africa and Latin America, in the last century alone? How is this so different than the growth of the early church? You underestimate the power of an attractive message delivered to persecuted/suffering/unsophisticated people.

I have no doubt that the early church founders really believed Jesus was god. They were obviously able to convince many others of this, just as today's missionaries are able to convince people.

[arahant]

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Here is what we know:

1. There are over 300 prophesies in the Old Testament concerning the Messiah which were fulfilled by Jesus. Here are some of them:

Genesis 22:18 says the Messiah would be the seed of Abraham.

Genesis 21:12 says the Messiah would be born through the lineage of Isaac.

Numbers 24:17 says He would come from the lineage of Jacob.

Genesis 49:10 and Micah 5:2 say He would come from the tribe of Judah.

Micah 5:2 also says He would come from Bethlehem, which was fulfilled when Jesus was born there.

Isaiah 11:1 says He would come from the lineage of Jesse.

Jeremiah 23:5 says He would come from the lineage of David.



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Many do not recognize Jesus as the messiah. The Jews and Muslims consider Jesus just a prophet.

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Well he is. Read the bible.

[MidGe]

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Why?

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Because the single author at least has consistency, whereas the multiple authors one is demonstrably riddled with contradictions. OTOH, I find both the bible and the koran really barbaric books/philosophies.

[siegfriedandroy]

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Why?

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Because the single author at least has consistency, whereas the multiple authors one is demonstrably riddled with contradictions. OTOH, I find both the bible and the koran really barbaric books/philosophies.

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why do you find them 'barbaric'? what do you find un-barbaric (and why)?

[MidGe]

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why do you find them 'barbaric'? what do you find un-barbaric (and why)?


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Anything that exemplifies anger, murder, genocide, change of mind as related to such subjects, I find barbaric.

Bunny's idea of christianity, being one of love and tolerance, without such atrocities as eternal damnation, I find un-barbaric even they do contradict the bible.

[txag007]

How can you form an opinion of something when you don't even have all of the facts straight?