If Jesus wasn’t a real historical figure, where did Christian theology come from?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This thread has gone so far off the rails. Seems like the like the people who want to debate Jesus’ divinity or what “fulfill the law” means need to start their own threads.

Yup.

There is zero evidence of his divinity.

There is some evidence that he “most likely” existed in history.

I just don't see how the two issues can be separated. If the OP asks where did Christian theology come from? it has to assume the historical figure was divine or there wouldn't be any "theology." No one builds a religion about some itinerant preacher who spoke in nice parables and beatitudes.

Buddha, anyone?

There are no contemporary accounts of Buddha. You can't base a religion around someone who may or may not exist. And if he did exist, was he divine? And even if he was divine, how many class hours of comparative religion have you had?

a) there are no contemporary accounts of Buddha. Like Jesus, the evidence is circumstantial. b) Correct, you cannot base a religion around some one who is not divine. See the definition of "religion." (indeed Buddha was an atheist, so if Buddhism is a religion it's based on atheism). c) Buddha, like Jesus, has been elevated in death to godhood among some - indeed he is revered in parts of the world as Lord Buddha. d) as for hours of comparative religion, that's just silly, no answer needed.

How can Buddha die if he didn't exist? Atheists can't be Buddhists. Buddhism is anti-science.

Another person (or maybe the same one) confusing the existence of only circumstantial evidence with denying the existence -- two completely different things.

Another person. I am simply pointing out to the atheists that Buddhism seems to get a pass despite having the exact same problems as Christianity. It requires belief in supernatural elements, like rebirth and karma. There is no direct evidence for the founder. But for whatever reason, atheists give it a pass, and many practice it. Wikipedia devotes an entire page to proving the historicty of Jesus. Buddha gets a paragraph that says, "yeah, he existed."

They give it a pass because it's a philosophical system, not a religion. It has no deity and indeed it's founder was an atheist.

DP. It has temples and statues of its founder all across Asia. It has supernatural beliefs in karma and rebirth.

There are statues of the US founders across the county and the US capital city, Washington, DC has numerous monuments to its founders. We don't believe that they are gods.

In the Library of Congress there is a beautiful mosaic of the Goddess Minerva https://www.loc.gov/item/2007684425/ -- Roman Goddess of Learning, and everyone knows it's symbolic.

There's even a fresco in the center of the Capitol dome called the "Apotheosis of George Washington" that is pure symbolism. https://www.aoc.gov/explore-capitol-campus/art/apotheosis-washington

And there are statues of Jesus. So the statue thing could go either way.

Meanwhile you haven’t been able to deny that Buddhism is an organized religion in the sense of having temples and even persecuting minority groups.

So who said anything about statues of anyone meaning anything about religion? There are statues of Micky Mouse and someone could chisel a statue of me. That would't make me and Micky gods.

Is someone denying that Buddhism is a religion? Don't think so.

Actually that was me. I should say it's as much a philosophical system as a religion, since it has no deity - which I believe is required for a religion to have -- and the founder was an atheist. I understand, however, it has many of the trappings of a religion like temples, holy scriptures, rituals.

There are several valid definitions of “religion.” Your definition of Buddhism would certainly fall into one of these.

Definition of religion
1 : a personal set or institutionalized system of religious attitudes, beliefs, and practices
2a(1) : the service and worship of God or the supernatural
(2) : commitment or devotion to religious faith or observance
2b : the state of a religious
a nun in her 20th year of religion
3 : a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/religion

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

Uh huh. Sure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

Correct. This is a voluntary message board, though some posters seem to think differently.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

Uh huh. Sure.

Since you’ve read more of the posts than I have, what are the time stamps of the Buddhist and Jewish posters?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

Uh huh. Sure.

Since you’ve read more of the posts than I have, what are the time stamps of the Buddhist and Jewish posters?

Jewish PP is at 09/21/2022 14:10 and 09/24/2022 13:46

First reference to Buddhism is at 09/23/2022 19:05

And Christians explaining their own thought process behind their beliefs at 09/24/2022 22:04 and 09/25/2022 12:16

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

Uh huh. Sure.

Since you’ve read more of the posts than I have, what are the time stamps of the Buddhist and Jewish posters?

Jewish PP is at 09/21/2022 14:10 and 09/24/2022 13:46

First reference to Buddhism is at 09/23/2022 19:05

And Christians explaining their own thought process behind their beliefs at 09/24/2022 22:04 and 09/25/2022 12:16

Thanks pp. By not responding, I was trying to spare the other faiths the grilling atheist pp is giving Christians (and really these posts are just from the last few pages anyway so the request seemed disingenuous). But probably atheist pp only wants to attack Christians anyway so it doesn’t matter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

Uh huh. Sure.

Since you’ve read more of the posts than I have, what are the time stamps of the Buddhist and Jewish posters?

Jewish PP is at 09/21/2022 14:10 and 09/24/2022 13:46

First reference to Buddhism is at 09/23/2022 19:05

And Christians explaining their own thought process behind their beliefs at 09/24/2022 22:04 and 09/25/2022 12:16

Thanks pp. By not responding, I was trying to spare the other faiths the grilling atheist pp is giving Christians (and really these posts are just from the last few pages anyway so the request seemed disingenuous). But probably atheist pp only wants to attack Christians anyway so it doesn’t matter.

DP here. To be clear, Atheists disbelieve in all religions equally. Just as you disbelieve in all but your own. It may seem like some have a special issue with Christianity because it is the dominant religion still but trust me we don't not-believe any less in the many other religions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

Uh huh. Sure.

Since you’ve read more of the posts than I have, what are the time stamps of the Buddhist and Jewish posters?

Jewish PP is at 09/21/2022 14:10 and 09/24/2022 13:46

First reference to Buddhism is at 09/23/2022 19:05

And Christians explaining their own thought process behind their beliefs at 09/24/2022 22:04 and 09/25/2022 12:16

Thanks pp. By not responding, I was trying to spare the other faiths the grilling atheist pp is giving Christians (and really these posts are just from the last few pages anyway so the request seemed disingenuous). But probably atheist pp only wants to attack Christians anyway so it doesn’t matter.

DP here. To be clear, Atheists disbelieve in all religions equally. Just as you disbelieve in all but your own. It may seem like some have a special issue with Christianity because it is the dominant religion still but trust me we don't not-believe any less in the many other religions.

Then you should be grilling the Jewish and Buddhist posters instead of aiming laughing emojis at me, no?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

Uh huh. Sure.

Since you’ve read more of the posts than I have, what are the time stamps of the Buddhist and Jewish posters?

Jewish PP is at 09/21/2022 14:10 and 09/24/2022 13:46

First reference to Buddhism is at 09/23/2022 19:05

And Christians explaining their own thought process behind their beliefs at 09/24/2022 22:04 and 09/25/2022 12:16

Thanks pp. By not responding, I was trying to spare the other faiths the grilling atheist pp is giving Christians (and really these posts are just from the last few pages anyway so the request seemed disingenuous). But probably atheist pp only wants to attack Christians anyway so it doesn’t matter.

DP here. To be clear, Atheists disbelieve in all religions equally. Just as you disbelieve in all but your own. It may seem like some have a special issue with Christianity because it is the dominant religion still but trust me we don't not-believe any less in the many other religions.

Then you should be grilling the Jewish and Buddhist posters instead of aiming laughing emojis at me, no?

Apparently not. Laughing emoji troll only has eyes for one religion.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

Uh huh. Sure.

Since you’ve read more of the posts than I have, what are the time stamps of the Buddhist and Jewish posters?

Jewish PP is at 09/21/2022 14:10 and 09/24/2022 13:46

First reference to Buddhism is at 09/23/2022 19:05

And Christians explaining their own thought process behind their beliefs at 09/24/2022 22:04 and 09/25/2022 12:16

Thanks pp. By not responding, I was trying to spare the other faiths the grilling atheist pp is giving Christians (and really these posts are just from the last few pages anyway so the request seemed disingenuous). But probably atheist pp only wants to attack Christians anyway so it doesn’t matter.

DP here. To be clear, Atheists disbelieve in all religions equally. Just as you disbelieve in all but your own. It may seem like some have a special issue with Christianity because it is the dominant religion still but trust me we don't not-believe any less in the many other religions.

Then you should be grilling the Jewish and Buddhist posters instead of aiming laughing emojis at me, no?

Apparently not. Laughing emoji troll only has eyes for one religion.

Good one

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

Uh huh. Sure.

Since you’ve read more of the posts than I have, what are the time stamps of the Buddhist and Jewish posters?

Jewish PP is at 09/21/2022 14:10 and 09/24/2022 13:46

First reference to Buddhism is at 09/23/2022 19:05

And Christians explaining their own thought process behind their beliefs at 09/24/2022 22:04 and 09/25/2022 12:16

Thanks pp. By not responding, I was trying to spare the other faiths the grilling atheist pp is giving Christians (and really these posts are just from the last few pages anyway so the request seemed disingenuous). But probably atheist pp only wants to attack Christians anyway so it doesn’t matter.

DP here. To be clear, Atheists disbelieve in all religions equally. Just as you disbelieve in all but your own. It may seem like some have a special issue with Christianity because it is the dominant religion still but trust me we don't not-believe any less in the many other religions.

Then you should be grilling the Jewish and Buddhist posters instead of aiming laughing emojis at me, no?

PP here. The laughing emoji was about my use of triple negatives in "we don't not-believe any less in the many other religions".

It's not always about you, man.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Since someone asked. Christianity makes the most logical sense to me. At work I’m steeped in logic and quantitative analysis. And I simply can’t believe that an omnipotent God cares what I eat or how I bathe. Or that God chooses to elevate one people over others. I find Jesus’ message of loving your enemy crucial in this age when the world is connected by the internet in split seconds. I’m a very progressive Christian: I follow the Christ who thought even nonbelievers could be more godlike than those who just demonstrate how they go through empty rituals.

Thanks for sharing.

Is this the same religion your family had growing up?

How did you explore other religions? How much time did you spend on each?

How long did it take for you to come to this conclusion?

I took a class on Islam in college and we read the Quran over the course of a semester while learning context. It took me almost a year to read Genesis through Maccabees, while taking classes about archeology and interpretation for context.

I’m not done learning yet—nobody ever is. But I’ve known these basic differences for a while, and my choice is based on them.

Surprised you’re not interested in the contrasting theological points I made. It’s almost like you keep trying to find something to poke holes in.

Peace.

I am more interested in the process than the specifics of any particular religion. There are plenty of other threads to get into your theological points if you want to discuss them.

Do you feel like just going off of “basic differences” is enough to choose?

Did you have any spiritual guidance when learning about other religions? Did you attend any religious services of other religions?

Is this the same religion you grew up with? Are you still exploring other religions?

A Jewish poster also answered your demands to know their choice. Why aren’t you asking them the same question? Or the Buddhist who’s been posting?

“Demands”. You don’t have to answer if you don’t want to.

There was a lot of hostility back and forth so I skipped over some posts. Questions are open for anyone to respond.

Uh huh. Sure.

Since you’ve read more of the posts than I have, what are the time stamps of the Buddhist and Jewish posters?

Jewish PP is at 09/21/2022 14:10 and 09/24/2022 13:46

First reference to Buddhism is at 09/23/2022 19:05

And Christians explaining their own thought process behind their beliefs at 09/24/2022 22:04 and 09/25/2022 12:16

Thanks pp. By not responding, I was trying to spare the other faiths the grilling atheist pp is giving Christians (and really these posts are just from the last few pages anyway so the request seemed disingenuous). But probably atheist pp only wants to attack Christians anyway so it doesn’t matter.

DP here. To be clear, Atheists disbelieve in all religions equally. Just as you disbelieve in all but your own. It may seem like some have a special issue with Christianity because it is the dominant religion still but trust me we don't not-believe any less in the many other religions.

Then you should be grilling the Jewish and Buddhist posters instead of aiming laughing emojis at me, no?

PP here. The laughing emoji was about my use of triple negatives in "we don't not-believe any less in the many other religions".

It's not always about you, man.

You must not be familiar with the inane laughing emoji atheist troll (lots of adjectives for you). You’re lucky then.