Auggie wrote on Mar 11
th, 2017 at 8:30pm:
Ajax wrote on Mar 11
th, 2017 at 6:26pm:
I also believe that Jesus was the son of God firstly because no man in his right mind would go around proclaiming such a thing and also because of the words he spoke, no ordinary man could ever love humanity in that way, second because of the miracles he performed and thirdly because of the people that made up his disciples.
Ok, first of all, I have great respect for Jesus as a human being. The supposed 'miracles' he performed were not what he claimed,
it was what OTHER PEOPLE claimed he did.
The New Testament was written by communities after the Jesus' death, and were depictions of the spiritual experience they witnessed in Christ. Some people are unable to believe that God, the creator, could [or would] manifest himself, 'in the flesh', as a man. [but if you believe scripture, he did once before. see Genesis 18]
Regarding the veracity of the New Testament text, we must individually come to either accept, or reject, what the New Testament says, as being authentic and true.
Regarding the veracity of
any information which is presented to us Moses law gives this advice.....
Deuteronomy 19:15
.....at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established.
Regarding the testimony of multiple witnesses.....
--------- >
Matthew 17:1
And after six days Jesus taketh
Peter, James, and John his brother, and bringeth them up into an high mountain apart,
2 And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light.
3 And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.
4 Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.
5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
6 And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us,
(and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.1 Corinthians 15:1
Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand;
2 By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain.
3 For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures;
4 And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:
5 And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve:
6 After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep.n.b.YOU may choose to not accept the record of those witnesses.
But, the record and account of those multiple witnesses exists.
On Jesus divinity.....
--------- >
John 1:1
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
2 The same was in the beginning with God.
3 All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made.
4 In him was life; and the life was the light of men.
John 1:14
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
Jesus said,
John 10:30
I and my Father are one.
John 12:45
And he that seeth me seeth him that sent me.
46 I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth on me should not abide in darkness.
John 14:8
Philip saith unto him, Lord, shew us the Father, and it sufficeth us.
9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip?
he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the Father?
See, this is the thing, Yadda: you seem to take all religious scripture LITERALLY as though they are inerrant and infallible. Let me tell you now that NOTHING OR NO ONE IS INFALLIBLE OR INERRANT and to do so is to be subject to exploitation and be at the whim of religious institutions.
USE YOUR BRAIN and come to your own conclusions. At the end of the day, you are entitled to believe or practise your religion as you wish; that is what it means to live in a free society.
Don't fall into the same thinking as fundamentalists (in all faith traditions). Use rationale. I don't believe in a theistic God, but I have the greatest respect for Jesus, and considered myself a Christian. You might say that 'I'm chopping and changing' and 'cherry-picking' or 'whatever' and I KNOW. I have a brain and I am using rational thinking to come to my conclusions.