Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Could be Muslim too. Pretty standard beliefs of the faith.

'

This sounds plausible. To Muslims, Jesus was a prophet, a good guy. Everything lines up with Islam. Have you looked into Islam, OP?

#8 conflicts with Islam fairly strongly, so she could not be that.

Not at all. Do you know anything about Islam, other than what you read in conservative media?

Show me an Islamic mosque that preaches all the good jews who believe in God will go to heaven.

I was raised Muslim, and attended several mosques. I was always, always taught that Jews (and Christians, and others) who may have not "found" Islam but were otherwise good, caring, kind human beings, would get into heaven.

Do you know any actual Muslims that you can talk about this with? Talk with them, instead of listening to the news. I'm not religious anymore, so my answer is not from a place of wanting to proselytize.

If otherwise well intentioned Jews or Christians go against the will of Muslims, they are most definitely not going to heaven. The Quran is quite clear on that point.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could be Muslim too. Pretty standard beliefs of the faith.

'

This sounds plausible. To Muslims, Jesus was a prophet, a good guy. Everything lines up with Islam. Have you looked into Islam, OP?

#8 conflicts with Islam fairly strongly, so she could not be that.

Not at all. Do you know anything about Islam, other than what you read in conservative media?

Show me an Islamic mosque that preaches all the good jews who believe in God will go to heaven.

I was raised Muslim, and attended several mosques. I was always, always taught that Jews (and Christians, and others) who may have not "found" Islam but were otherwise good, caring, kind human beings, would get into heaven.

Do you know any actual Muslims that you can talk about this with? Talk with them, instead of listening to the news. I'm not religious anymore, so my answer is not from a place of wanting to proselytize.

If God actually did come to earth the man Jesus Christ and died for your sins, I'd think He'd take exception to us putting our trust in multi-colored demigods. The whole point of Christian belief is that God so loved and identified with His creation that live in it bodily and sacrificed Himself so that we will be able to abide for Him forever in Heaven. This in its very essence requires a literal belief. But not believing in polytheistic demigods doesn't make it a small world, and those supposed beings -- Krishna, Osiris, whoever -- are nowhere near the same as who Christ is.

Anonymous wrote:Unitarians aren't usually assholes (see point 6)

Not killing babies in the womb or sleeping with someone else's spouse makes you an asshole?

Unitarians aren't usually assholes (see point 6)

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Anonymous wrote:What do you find so hard to believe about Jesus being God?

Think of it this way. What do you find so hard about Noah being God? What do you find so hard about David Koresh being God? What do you find so hard about Krishna being God? What do you find so hard about Osiris being God? What do you find so hard about Gaia being God?

We're raised to believe that certain things are "true" and others are impossible. But when you really think about it, all of the above are just as plausible (or implausible) as Jesus being God.

OP has already embraced the idea of a personal creator God who made man in His image (and not evolved). OP accepts Christ as a great teacher. OP accepts a lot of Biblical morality and already has a conservative view of sin. What OP describes is pretty close to traditional Christianity. Yet OP stops short of accepting Christ as God, as the Bible teaches. I'm just really curious why OP finds that additional step too far to go.

Regarding Noah: Noah never claimed to be God, and Noah wasn't perfect. David Koresh? Dead, so not God. Krishna, Osiris, Gaia? Please. The Bible recounts man as made in the image of God, and Christ as God coming to earth to live among His creation in sympathy and identification with man, and dying for man's sins (because man rejected God) because God loves His creation. These aren't hard concepts to grasp, and a God that creates man in His image and comes to live among His creation makes a lot more sense than anything else you mentioned.

Krishna and Osiris are also human forms in God's image that came to live on earth. Why can't you understand that?

Neither Krishna nor Osiris come from monotheistic beliefs. They certainly are not taught as a loving creator God in the flesh come to sacrifice for sinful man. One is purple (or blue). The other is green. Your sophistry is specious, and I don't think you actually believe in either one.

Oh, so God doesn't come in blue, purple, black, brown, yellow, etc., right? Only white, according to you. You can look at the scriptures and literature written thousands of years ago in the context of today and throw them out so easily, right? And you think you make a lot of sense.

There are no purple or green humans.

Clueless. Go on living in your small, literal world.

If God actually did come to earth the man Jesus Christ and died for your sins, I'd think He'd take exception to us putting our trust in multi-colored demigods. The whole point of Christian belief is that God so loved and identified with His creation that live in it bodily and sacrificed Himself so that we will be able to abide for Him forever in Heaven. This in its very essence requires a literal belief. But not believing in polytheistic demigods doesn't make it a small world, and those supposed beings -- Krishna, Osiris, whoever -- are nowhere near the same as who Christ is.

I bet you also believe that Jesus looked exactly like he is pictured now. Have you considered that perhaps Krishna had dark skin and the artists that painted his images 4,000 years ago had decided to use lapis lazuli for it since the gem was abundant in those parts? Maybe black as a dye was not yet discovered or favored in large quantities? And since crude images came before written texts, they were influenced in reverse order? Of course you haven't considered any of this, because you've been brainwashed into thinking that only your view of your LORD is valid. I will leave Osiris and his skin color to your imagination, though you clearly have none. And those supposed beings, as you call them, were/are as revered in their time and place as your Jesus.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you find so hard to believe about Jesus being God?

Think of it this way. What do you find so hard about Noah being God? What do you find so hard about David Koresh being God? What do you find so hard about Krishna being God? What do you find so hard about Osiris being God? What do you find so hard about Gaia being God?

We're raised to believe that certain things are "true" and others are impossible. But when you really think about it, all of the above are just as plausible (or implausible) as Jesus being God.

OP has already embraced the idea of a personal creator God who made man in His image (and not evolved). OP accepts Christ as a great teacher. OP accepts a lot of Biblical morality and already has a conservative view of sin. What OP describes is pretty close to traditional Christianity. Yet OP stops short of accepting Christ as God, as the Bible teaches. I'm just really curious why OP finds that additional step too far to go.

Regarding Noah: Noah never claimed to be God, and Noah wasn't perfect. David Koresh? Dead, so not God. Krishna, Osiris, Gaia? Please. The Bible recounts man as made in the image of God, and Christ as God coming to earth to live among His creation in sympathy and identification with man, and dying for man's sins (because man rejected God) because God loves His creation. These aren't hard concepts to grasp, and a God that creates man in His image and comes to live among His creation makes a lot more sense than anything else you mentioned.

Krishna and Osiris are also human forms in God's image that came to live on earth. Why can't you understand that?

Neither Krishna nor Osiris come from monotheistic beliefs. They certainly are not taught as a loving creator God in the flesh come to sacrifice for sinful man. One is purple (or blue). The other is green. Your sophistry is specious, and I don't think you actually believe in either one.

Not pp, but coming from a Muslim upbringing, Christianity does not at all look like a monotheistic religion to me - it is so much more like Hinduism (different divine components) than a "true" monotheistic religion.

But it just goes to show that what we're conditioned to believe as "true" or "possible" or "real" is heavily clouded by our own upbringing. At the end of the day, all of it is as truthful and believable as the other.

Some people change religions as adults or find religion for the first time as adults. But you still have a point, because not all people become the same religion as adults, suggesting that religion is very personal -- what you've learned as a child or chosen (or rejected) as an adult. If there were one true religion that God wanted us all to be, you'd think he'd be more clear about it.

Seriously? God came to earth as Jesus Christ, who performed miracles and raised Himself from the dead to show that He was God. God foretold this through the Hebrew scriptures, so that we could believe it as well. He gave us the Gospels to recount the life of Jesus, and He gave us eyewitnesses to Christ's life so that we can believe. He also gave us a belief system diametrically opposed to every other -- that we are made right through God's love by our faith in Christ, and that no amount of our own works and righteousness will ever be good enough, to free us from having to perform for God. The LORD has made it abundantly clear, but if you reject it, you shouldn't blame God.

Remember there are those who feel exactly as you do about The Quran, The Upanishads, The Book of Mormon etc... And also Jesus is not the first legend to have been born of a virgin, raised the dead, rose from the dead himself, performed miracles et. al. He is just the legend with those mythic elements that has endured in the west. If you would like to start down the road of learning what your other (Non Christian) brothers and sisters on this earth believe about divinity I can recommend some fantastic sources, many of whom were Christian ministers and/or Christian from birth. They took it on themselves to gain an understanding of other religious beliefs in order to try and break down one of the biggest barriers that separates us as human beings.

But as with many of these conversations I assume you will say that all is as god had intended it and all a part of his plan to have us use or free will to rebel against him and turn the world into what it is now. Still, I'm always hopeful so I offer.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you find so hard to believe about Jesus being God?

Think of it this way. What do you find so hard about Noah being God? What do you find so hard about David Koresh being God? What do you find so hard about Krishna being God? What do you find so hard about Osiris being God? What do you find so hard about Gaia being God?

We're raised to believe that certain things are "true" and others are impossible. But when you really think about it, all of the above are just as plausible (or implausible) as Jesus being God.

OP has already embraced the idea of a personal creator God who made man in His image (and not evolved). OP accepts Christ as a great teacher. OP accepts a lot of Biblical morality and already has a conservative view of sin. What OP describes is pretty close to traditional Christianity. Yet OP stops short of accepting Christ as God, as the Bible teaches. I'm just really curious why OP finds that additional step too far to go.

Regarding Noah: Noah never claimed to be God, and Noah wasn't perfect. David Koresh? Dead, so not God. Krishna, Osiris, Gaia? Please. The Bible recounts man as made in the image of God, and Christ as God coming to earth to live among His creation in sympathy and identification with man, and dying for man's sins (because man rejected God) because God loves His creation. These aren't hard concepts to grasp, and a God that creates man in His image and comes to live among His creation makes a lot more sense than anything else you mentioned.

Krishna and Osiris are also human forms in God's image that came to live on earth. Why can't you understand that?

Neither Krishna nor Osiris come from monotheistic beliefs. They certainly are not taught as a loving creator God in the flesh come to sacrifice for sinful man. One is purple (or blue). The other is green. Your sophistry is specious, and I don't think you actually believe in either one.

Not pp, but coming from a Muslim upbringing, Christianity does not at all look like a monotheistic religion to me - it is so much more like Hinduism (different divine components) than a "true" monotheistic religion.

But it just goes to show that what we're conditioned to believe as "true" or "possible" or "real" is heavily clouded by our own upbringing. At the end of the day, all of it is as truthful and believable as the other.

Some people change religions as adults or find religion for the first time as adults. But you still have a point, because not all people become the same religion as adults, suggesting that religion is very personal -- what you've learned as a child or chosen (or rejected) as an adult. If there were one true religion that God wanted us all to be, you'd think he'd be more clear about it.

Seriously? God came to earth as Jesus Christ, who performed miracles and raised Himself from the dead to show that He was God. God foretold this through the Hebrew scriptures, so that we could believe it as well. He gave us the Gospels to recount the life of Jesus, and He gave us eyewitnesses to Christ's life so that we can believe. He also gave us a belief system diametrically opposed to every other -- that we are made right through God's love by our faith in Christ, and that no amount of our own works and righteousness will ever be good enough, to free us from having to perform for God. The LORD has made it abundantly clear, but if you reject it, you shouldn't blame God.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:What do you find so hard to believe about Jesus being God?

Think of it this way. What do you find so hard about Noah being God? What do you find so hard about David Koresh being God? What do you find so hard about Krishna being God? What do you find so hard about Osiris being God? What do you find so hard about Gaia being God?

We're raised to believe that certain things are "true" and others are impossible. But when you really think about it, all of the above are just as plausible (or implausible) as Jesus being God.

OP has already embraced the idea of a personal creator God who made man in His image (and not evolved). OP accepts Christ as a great teacher. OP accepts a lot of Biblical morality and already has a conservative view of sin. What OP describes is pretty close to traditional Christianity. Yet OP stops short of accepting Christ as God, as the Bible teaches. I'm just really curious why OP finds that additional step too far to go.

Regarding Noah: Noah never claimed to be God, and Noah wasn't perfect. David Koresh? Dead, so not God. Krishna, Osiris, Gaia? Please. The Bible recounts man as made in the image of God, and Christ as God coming to earth to live among His creation in sympathy and identification with man, and dying for man's sins (because man rejected God) because God loves His creation. These aren't hard concepts to grasp, and a God that creates man in His image and comes to live among His creation makes a lot more sense than anything else you mentioned.

Krishna and Osiris are also human forms in God's image that came to live on earth. Why can't you understand that?

Neither Krishna nor Osiris come from monotheistic beliefs. They certainly are not taught as a loving creator God in the flesh come to sacrifice for sinful man. One is purple (or blue). The other is green. Your sophistry is specious, and I don't think you actually believe in either one.

Oh, so God doesn't come in blue, purple, black, brown, yellow, etc., right? Only white, according to you. You can look at the scriptures and literature written thousands of years ago in the context of today and throw them out so easily, right? And you think you make a lot of sense.

There are no purple or green humans.

Clueless. Go on living in your small, literal world.

If God actually did come to earth the man Jesus Christ and died for your sins, I'd think He'd take exception to us putting our trust in multi-colored demigods. The whole point of Christian belief is that God so loved and identified with His creation that live in it bodily and sacrificed Himself so that we will be able to abide for Him forever in Heaven. This in its very essence requires a literal belief. But not believing in polytheistic demigods doesn't make it a small world, and those supposed beings -- Krishna, Osiris, whoever -- are nowhere near the same as who Christ is.

Naive Pan-Mythologism

Anonymous wrote:This thread would have been more interesting without the militant atheists and militant Christians chiming in.

I think you have it backwards there.

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:Protestant.

Which one isn't that important - every religion will have something you don't believe. But I think it's clear you aren't in tune with basic catholic beliefs, like in praying to saints, deity of mary, and the trinity.

I don't think many Christians believe jesus is god. They do generally believe in John chapter 1. That God created Jesus. Thus, Jesus referenced himself as the son of god, as he was prophecized to be so in Isaiah.

I'm Adventist. They don't believe in the trinity, although I see their official beliefs list online includes trinity but that is hog wash we don't believe that. But adventists generally believe in not working sundown Friday to sundown saturday (but nobody keeps tabs - we are all free to do as we please it's between you and god). Many are vegetarian too but it's not required. They also aren't into preaching against abortion or homosexuality. The Bible says, judge not lest you be judged I suppose.

Mary Is not a diety in Catholicism.

Well, my catholic school taught she ascended to heaven and to pray to Mary (the hail Mary prayer) over and over on the rosary all the time. So, if you pray to her and she is supposedly in heaven . . .

Mary is not a deity - that is reserved for the father, son and holy ghost. Mary is a saint.

^ Also, according to a PP #8 actually contradicts with Christian doctrine.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Protestant.

Which one isn't that important - every religion will have something you don't believe. But I think it's clear you aren't in tune with basic catholic beliefs, like in praying to saints, deity of mary, and the trinity.

I don't think many Christians believe jesus is god. They do generally believe in John chapter 1. That God created Jesus. Thus, Jesus referenced himself as the son of god, as he was prophecized to be so in Isaiah.

I'm Adventist. They don't believe in the trinity, although I see their official beliefs list online includes trinity but that is hog wash we don't believe that. But adventists generally believe in not working sundown Friday to sundown saturday (but nobody keeps tabs - we are all free to do as we please it's between you and god). Many are vegetarian too but it's not required. They also aren't into preaching against abortion or homosexuality. The Bible says, judge not lest you be judged I suppose.

Mary Is not a diety in Catholicism.

Well, my catholic school taught she ascended to heaven and to pray to Mary (the hail Mary prayer) over and over on the rosary all the time. So, if you pray to her and she is supposedly in heaven . . .

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Could be Muslim too. Pretty standard beliefs of the faith.

'

This sounds plausible. To Muslims, Jesus was a prophet, a good guy. Everything lines up with Islam. Have you looked into Islam, OP?

#8 conflicts with Islam fairly strongly, so she could not be that.

Not at all. Do you know anything about Islam, other than what you read in conservative media?

Show me an Islamic mosque that preaches all the good jews who believe in God will go to heaven.

The mosques I attended in this area did.