I Think So Brain But Do You Realy think The Marshmalow Chicks Can Live In Peace With The Gummy Worms

[badstar]

It really hurts me to think that people feel that they need to feel deep hurt because I've rejected Christianity.

In a way, it's like it hurts me that people can't understand that I've got something that's just as wonderful for me...and I'd like to say that it hurts me that they can't see it like I do and have it for themselves...

...but if I've got something this great, but they've got something else so great that fills the same spot ib their life...then how can it hurt me?

It's like...I've got Hagen-Daazs ice cream, would you like some? Oh, you've got Ben and Jerry's? Cool! Well, uh...here's a picnic table, wanna share?

Comments

[resident-geek.livejournal.com]

The Bible is divinely inspired, not arbitrarily written, collected, or otherwise chosen by "mere" humans "acting alone" in their own interests; God was guiding their actions via the Holy Spirit, a real supernatural presence and part of the Holy Trinity, which lives inside each and every one of us.

Two words: prove it.

And, sorry, but statements like

This HAS been proven; Christ was crucified, died, was entombed, and was resurrected.

won't get you anywhere. You're just repeating your assertion.

If you choose not to believe that, fine- but writing it off with your "practical, logical (and frankly cynical) outlook" on the subject does not at all move me or any of the others like me.

I'm not sure my intent is to get you to disbelieve. I just want you to recognize that your position is based on circular reasoning: What makes the Bible true? God says so. What proves that God said so? The Bible.

And that's only if you choose to believe that there is one Bible, instead of the mass of translations, differing manuscrupts, excerpts, redactions, and editions that it actually represents. Related to my other post, how do you determine what's divinely inspired and what's not? Why is Thomas apocryphal, yet John (a fine example of anti-Jewish polemic if I've ever seen one) canon?

[fervid-dryfire.livejournal.com]

Two words: prove it.

Given the grounds of assumed disbelief you're forcing me to play on, I can't prove it any more than you can disprove it.


...your position is based on circular reasoning: What makes the Bible true? God says so. What proves that God said so? The Bible.

That's not my position at all! For one thing, places other than the Bible have recorded the same events depicted within it, Old Testament as well as New Testament; most importantly, there are many non-Biblical accounts that Jesus lived and was crucified, and that the body was never found (though the Bible does "fill in" that little mystery rather easily). Based on the "evidence" from both secular texts AND the Bible, the pieces are easy enough to put together from there.

...how do you determine what's divinely inspired and what's not? Why is Thomas apocryphal, yet John (a fine example of anti-Jewish polemic if I've ever seen one) canon?

Frankly, it varies from church to church and by denominations, etc. so I can't answer that. Good question, though.

[resident-geek.livejournal.com]

Given the grounds of assumed disbelief you're forcing me to play on, I can't prove it any more than you can disprove it.

I'm not forcing you to play on ground of assumed disbelief--I'm asking you to give actual evidence rather than repeating the traditional line. What's not fair is to assume your beliefs are true and then attempt to hold other people to them as well without being able to verify them. This is the hard one to swallow: faith is not a basis for truth, but only belief.

there are many non-Biblical accounts that Jesus lived and was crucified, and that the body was never found

Flavius Josephus does mention the existence of a man named Jesus, who people believed was resurrected. Please show me even a few more of the "many" non-Biblical accounts of Jesus' life, death, and resurrected which you claim exist.

Frankly, it varies from church to church and by denominations, etc. so I can't answer that. Good question, though.

Indeed, which is why it was asked. But as it's one of the central points in any argument of the truth of the resurrection, the burden rests on you to answer it. I hope you'll rise to meet the challenge.

[fervid-dryfire.livejournal.com]

...show me even a few more of the "many" non-Biblical accounts of Jesus' life, death, and resurrected which you claim exist.

Well, aside from that I never actually said there was an account of the resurrection itself...Yes, Flavius Josephus is one of the better-known sources, and there are more

For example, see:

The Archko Volume (haha, just kidding!)

Tacitus
Pliny the Younger
Eusebius of Caesarea
Justin Martyr
Philo of Alexandria
Tertullian


...as it's one of the central points in any argument of the truth of the resurrection, the burden rests on you to answer it.

Interestingly enough, the same could be said about any arguments against the truth of the resurrection; if you can't prove that it DIDN'T happen, why would I have cause to accept your claim over mine? =\