Religion in America

[Typical Lax Dad]

Following up on a few rabbit trails that developed under the 2024 topic a couple few days ago...

We know Jesus walked the earth. We have what he said preserved in the four gospels. He affirmed the stories of Creation, Adam and Eve, Noah, the Flood, Lot, Sodom and Gomorrah, and many other stories and figures of the Old Testament.

The Bible is a remarkably preserved and reliable historical and archaeological document. There is a science to verifying and authenticating ancient manuscripts. When were they written? How long a period between the time they were written and the first fragments/copies appeared? How many fragments/copies do we now have? How many discrepancies occur in comparing the fragments/copies? In all this criteria, the 66 books/letters that make up the Bible are THE most reliable ancient manuscripts in history. None of the others come close to measuring up to them. If we question the reliability of the books of the Bible under the established and accepted criteria for verifying ancient manuscripts, then all ancient manuscripts fail miserably.

The Old Testament is stunning in its many fulfilled prophecies, including minute details about the life, method of execution and resurrection of Christ hundreds of years before he was born. Not to mention the reforming of the State of Israel after thousands of years of exile.

Jesus spoke about sexual immorality (from the Greek word porneia, translated as fornication in old English King James). But what was he referencing? He knew what the Law (first five books of the Old Testament) said about it. Paul also affirmed what the Law said about sexual immorality.

Apologists against the value/truthfulness/reliability of the Scriptures (literally: the Writings) have been around for centuries. But let those with (credit to Kellyanne Conway for the phrase) alternative facts have at it.

We “know” Jesus walked the Earth, or some believe so. Ever study epistomology?

You ever notice the similarities in circumstances around Alexander and Jesus?

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

You ever notice the similarities in circumstances around Alexander and Jesus?

I'd be interested to hear more. Any examples?

[Typical Lax Dad]

You ever notice the similarities in circumstances around Alexander and Jesus?

I'd be interested to hear more. Any examples?

I read a book The Nature of Alexander maybe 20 years ago. I just noticed some similarities. I just ran across this:

https://www.quora.com/Was-Jesus-Christ- ... -the-Great

And this:

Abstract
Alexander the Great and Jesus Christ are diametrically opposed. One lived a life of violence, the other shed his own blood for the sake of humanity. One was an agonistic and egotistic leader of men, the other walked selflessly and alone. One gained his victories in this world, the other is to do so in the next. The example set by Alexander inspired a fashion of self-divinization. The influence of this new-found fashion on the philosophy of religion is manifest in the famous theory of Euhemeros the Messenian, who argued that Ouranos, Kronos, and Zeus had all once been humans, and that they were deified as a reward for their benefactions to mankind. Yet there are also many memes shared by both Jesus and Alexander, including Divine sonship, dual paternity, virgin birth, moral choice in the face of temptation, world rule, mission for the benefit of humankind, death at a young age before the mission is complete and, finally, apotheosis.

There were definitely similarities in their stories.

[OuttaNowhereWregget]

You ever notice the similarities in circumstances around Alexander and Jesus?

I'd be interested to hear more. Any examples?

I read a book The Nature of Alexander maybe 20 years ago. I just noticed some similarities. I just ran across this:

https://www.quora.com/Was-Jesus-Christ- ... -the-Great

And this:

Abstract
Alexander the Great and Jesus Christ are diametrically opposed. One lived a life of violence, the other shed his own blood for the sake of humanity. One was an agonistic and egotistic leader of men, the other walked selflessly and alone. One gained his victories in this world, the other is to do so in the next. The example set by Alexander inspired a fashion of self-divinization. The influence of this new-found fashion on the philosophy of religion is manifest in the famous theory of Euhemeros the Messenian, who argued that Ouranos, Kronos, and Zeus had all once been humans, and that they were deified as a reward for their benefactions to mankind. Yet there are also many memes shared by both Jesus and Alexander, including Divine sonship, dual paternity, virgin birth, moral choice in the face of temptation, world rule, mission for the benefit of humankind, death at a young age before the mission is complete and, finally, apotheosis.

There were definitely similarities in their stories.

Very interesting. Thank you.

[Typical Lax Dad]

You ever notice the similarities in circumstances around Alexander and Jesus?

I'd be interested to hear more. Any examples?

I read a book The Nature of Alexander maybe 20 years ago. I just noticed some similarities. I just ran across this:

https://www.quora.com/Was-Jesus-Christ- ... -the-Great

And this:

Abstract
Alexander the Great and Jesus Christ are diametrically opposed. One lived a life of violence, the other shed his own blood for the sake of humanity. One was an agonistic and egotistic leader of men, the other walked selflessly and alone. One gained his victories in this world, the other is to do so in the next. The example set by Alexander inspired a fashion of self-divinization. The influence of this new-found fashion on the philosophy of religion is manifest in the famous theory of Euhemeros the Messenian, who argued that Ouranos, Kronos, and Zeus had all once been humans, and that they were deified as a reward for their benefactions to mankind. Yet there are also many memes shared by both Jesus and Alexander, including Divine sonship, dual paternity, virgin birth, moral choice in the face of temptation, world rule, mission for the benefit of humankind, death at a young age before the mission is complete and, finally, apotheosis.

There were definitely similarities in their stories.

Very interesting. Thank you.

The book The Nature of Alexander is excellent. Many references to real time writings about Alexander and events surrounding him. An Iranian friend talked so much about Alexander when we were in graduate school that it prompted me to read more about him. Really a remarkable person. Influenced the way we live today. Same is true of Napoleon.

[runrussellrun]

any good books on Joseph Brandt ?

but, whle the voices in the creek beds, gorges, etc. continue to astound suck (voices are ever lasting "waves", yes? waves, continue, onward, stated the physics Prof. )............the jesus that suck knows is the America's jesus.

jesus' killing of fellow humans, during his 17 year disappearances and crack cocaine binging of 17 years. ( only STIMULANTS in the America's, not debbie downer, type drugs. Think about it. Coke. Chocolate. Coffee. Tobacco. frog acid, mushrooms. Not pot or heroin, downer stuff.

I can't wait to find a "stone pipe" in a creek bed. Maybe jesus smoked tobacco thru it. who knows.

although........not sure if jesus was speaking to me, when seeing a timber rattlesnake curving its massive girth over a fallen branch......slowing making its way towards me. about covid social distancing away. What a beautiful create, rattlesnake jesus. Easily 6 feet long.

Katholics eat jesus' body. rattlesnake, roasted on a fire.....ummy good.

thank you jesus rattlesnake, for providing suck your body and blood.

guess rattlesnake jesus, upon his return to the "holy land", acted like crack whore Hunter, and just couldn't help but hanging out with low lifes.......like rattlesnake jesus did in the America's. (man.....the blood bath human sacrifices while all coked up are almost unforgiveable. almost. When rattlesnake jesus headed "north", he stopped his slaughtering ways. Tobacco is a more mellow buzz. and, when only quitting, does one get enraged.

[MDlaxfan76]

What most scholars think is that stories evolved, passed down mostly orally, taking on the characteristics of other stories which audiences found particularly compelling. This is across cultures exposed to one another and across time.

So, features of a story told to promote a particular agenda (e.g. we should follow Jesus) may well have their genesis in earlier stories and may have little basis in historical fact. Indeed, none of the gospels were written by those who actually knew Jesus, they are not eyewitness accounts.

There's a lot in the stories of the Bible (and other religious sacred texts) which have these characteristics of interplay with earlier stories and across cultures.

This needn't invalidate the virtues of the compelling story, in particular the lessons we can glean in how to live good lives , but to suggest historical accuracy is pretty foolish. Rather these stories include matters of belief and faith, often becoming dogma that is required for one to be accepted as a member of a particular group or sect. Acceptance is a powerful motivation for conformity, especially in a hostile world.

Note, faith can be, and often is, a very powerful force of good in one's life and potentially in the world. It's also extremely dangerous when misused to demand conformity.

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://apnews.com/article/religion-sou ... 4a4072a4a6

[PizzaSnake]

We “know” Jesus walked the Earth, or some believe so. Ever study epistomology?

We most positively and certainly do. The gospels are, all four of them, accurate historical documents.

Sounds suspiciously like a matter of faith, not fact.

By the by, were they accurate before the 4th century? Is Martin Luther's version an accurate historical document?

[cradleandshoot]

We “know” Jesus walked the Earth, or some believe so. Ever study epistomology?

We most positively and certainly do. The gospels are, all four of them, accurate historical documents.

Sounds suspiciously like a matter of faith, not fact.

By the by, were they accurate before the 4th century? Is Martin Luther's version an accurate historical document?

Blind faith is the cornerstone of every religion. If your looking for guarantees concerning your particular faith you'll be looking for a very long time.

[jhu72]

We “know” Jesus walked the Earth, or some believe so. Ever study epistomology?

We most positively and certainly do. The gospels are, all four of them, accurate historical documents.

I needed a good laugh! Thanks.

[jhu72]

We “know” Jesus walked the Earth, or some believe so. Ever study epistomology?

We most positively and certainly do. The gospels are, all four of them, accurate historical documents.

Sounds suspiciously like a matter of faith, not fact.

By the by, were they accurate before the 4th century? Is Martin Luther's version an accurate historical document?

... you might want to mention that there are inconsistencies between the four gospels.

[PizzaSnake]

We “know” Jesus walked the Earth, or some believe so. Ever study epistomology?

We most positively and certainly do. The gospels are, all four of them, accurate historical documents.

Sounds suspiciously like a matter of faith, not fact.

By the by, were they accurate before the 4th century? Is Martin Luther's version an accurate historical document?

... you might want to mention that there are inconsistencies between the four gospels.

Or bring up the canon of the other Abrahamic faith…

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/art ... -sentenced

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/17/us/rober ... index.html

[PizzaSnake]

https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/17/us/rober ... index.html

“In a statement to WFAA, Gateway Church said Morris underwent a two-year “restoration process” after a “moral failure” in his twenties.”

Well okay then. All good now.

[Typical Lax Dad]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8L1l6ou ... BiNWFlZA==

[runrussellrun]

rattlesnake Jesus continues to show

that rattlesnake Jesus is presence is shown to we, and so appreciate it

Not one, but two bears did suck witness while walking in the woods

suck me very well be on the longitude that Joseph Smith found his tablets on, but the glaciers didn't erase the presence of rattlesnake Jesus

suck believes, and thinks that sucks. Religion will prove to be the one and only true world religion as soon as I found those tablets and can understand the voices that the tablets reveal.

[PizzaSnake]

My, shame is still a thing.

“ Robert Morris has resigned as senior pastor at Gateway Church in Southlake, Texas, three days after confessing to engaging in “sexual behavior” with a child in the 1980s.

The board of elders at Gateway made the announcement Tuesday in a statement to NBC News.”

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/rcna157806

[ardilla secreta]

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/art ... -sentenced

Is he a descendant of Reverend Ike?