Origins of Chritianity
My next post, if it ever gets written, started as a result of this research: The Origins of Christianity and the Search for the Historical Jesus. by Achyara S. The web site I initially found it on was neither one of those. It was a Gnostic site that included a rebuttal of sorts. I knew a little about the Gnostics, I knew that the Church eventually decided they were heretics, but I didn't know much about what they actually believe. The "rebuttal" is a word salad composed of dogma and logical falacies. I was originally going to write a critique of that essay, but the core beliefs are equally tempting. To me, they illustrate how far a group will go to delude themselves with pat excuses for the inconsistencies and contradictions in core Christian dogma.
posted by breakerslion @ 8:44 AM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Isn't it refeshing to read such sober analysis? The astounding similarities between JC & all the others was in Bill Maher's Religulous..
I'm sure that it would come as a complete surprise to the 44% of Americans who believe that HE will return in their lifetime.
Now, how do we disarm all the righteous indignation and gently persuade all of those nice folks to just stop and think about it.
What is so terrifying about this?
There is a great piece on the evidence of Jesus by Frank Zindler on the AA website. The subject is complex enough to require one to read a book or a sizable article on the facts - helps to site references if you are trying to explain it. But apologists will claim that it has long been proven that there was a historical Jesus when there never was. Very few people can come up with any examples as to why all the writings are specious out of their hats when they need to.
Donn: I think the terrifying aspect is this: While one believes in God and the whole fairy tale that goes with it, one can remain a child and defer decision-making and responsibility to the "parent". This is "God the Father" in their mind, and "In loco deus", the preacher-manipulator and the church hierarchy in mine.
rev. barky: The subject is indeed complex. Was there an itinerant holy man that supplied the framework on which was hung all these old, revised legends? Was he Jesus? Krishna? Other? Does it matter when the motive for all of the assimilation and regurgitation is, was, and ever will be a commercial, socio-political control gambit for ego gratification and profit?
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