Yes, I believe in powerful wisdom of God in the Jewish Scriptures, but I don't view it all in a literal sense and all must admit the commonalities among various shared portions. The "holy spirit" concept for example, is shared with Zoroastrianism (Spenta Maynu).
I believe:
"I and the Father are one" is simply part of the later books of the Bible that were designed to fit the new theology created by the highly educated elite Roman citizens like Paul. The new theology was intended to eliminate what they considered to be the ridiculous practice of...
I don't believe in human sacrifice. I think that this is all simply passages from Jewish Scripture that were found to fit the narrative of a new religion that ends the sacrifices of animals in the Roman empire. I think that ending animal sacrifices is a good thing, but the new religion that was...
I believe:
The Bible has stories that were fabricated to support a pre-designed Roman-unifying theology that substitutes Greco-Roman human-like "gods" with a human-like "image" of the true God.
Romans 3:7 "...if through my lie God's truth abounds..."
I suggest read my many posts.
I beleive:
Romans 3:7 "...if through my lie God's truth abounds..."
Simply many stories added that ascribe words to Jesus to support the theology of the new Roman religion. The theology was required to match the changes in practices that enabled unification of Jews and Greco-Roman polytheists...
I believe:
The New Roman Religion - a Rabbi later declared Priest, and Messiah Substitutes for Animal Sacrifices
Paul, and other educated Roman citizens who also believed in God, considered the religious sacrifice of animals to be obsolete.
Circumcision was an obstacle to Roman unified...
I believe:
It's "all things to all people" (1 Corinthians 9:22) The idea is to use whatever methods are useful for a particular group. Some groups respect lineage. It certainly didn't work for the Jewish people who have been called "blind" for centuries - because they didn't believe the trinity...
I believe:
(1 Corinthians 9:22) Yes, Paul had the "all things to all peoples" approach to work with the polytheists (gentiles, i.e. non-Jews). The Jewish followers of Jesus probably didn't.
(Paul may have been an original follower of Jesus who considered that in order for the Jewish...
I believe:
Early Roman creeds: "all things to all people" - your belief in "gods" is transitioned to belief in the one true God.
The trinity is not a reality, so don't strain yourself with irrational metaphors. The Bible and the early Roman creeds are "all things to all people" (1 Corinthians...
Agree, we should observe internal clues in the Bible:
Romans 3:7 "...falsehood..."
1 Corinthians 9:22 "...all things to all people..."
The Creeds of Roman Christianity are also "...all things to all people..."
I believe in one God (Father) (Judaism non-trinitarian)
God as Father is also...
We have "authentic" "proofs" including actual times and places in Roman empire of:
Belief in "gods" and "sons of gods"
Temples to the "gods"
Emperors called "divine" and "divi filius"
Roman destruction of Jewish Temple
Then Roman destruction of temples upon new religion
I don't believe in...
"The word elohim or 'elohiym (ʼĕlôhîym) is a grammatically plural noun for 'gods' or 'deities'..."
The word "elohim" has multiple possible interpretations and can therefore easily be retro-interpreted to fit a desired meaning (as we see from the attempts of trinitarians).
Genesis 1:26
"Then...
I believe:
The Roman Christian creeds say that the Father is the one God Who is believed in.
Creed: "We believe in one God the Father..."
It does not say: "We believe in one God the trinity..."
If they really believe in a trinity, the "We believe in one God..." defining statement in the Creed...
I believe:
Christian Bible not clear. People arguing for centuries.
See Roman influence in Bible, then Bible becomes much more clear.
Roman state religion, enacted by force. Destroyed Jewish and later Greco-Roman temples. Even in 1500s, people punished for not cooperating. Jewish people also...
If Jesus drove a change in era, the movement acquired much Roman-adaptive theology. Today, we are peeling away the Roman layers. The prophecies of Messiah, for all practical purposes are not fulfilled at this time.
One could argue that Christianity tamed the Roman empire to some extent. Still...
Agree. E.g. The validity of a human evolutionary process doesn't support atheism if atheists believe that it does. If God uses a process that happens over billions of years, that says nothing different about God as Creator.
(As far as the validity of evolution itself, at one point I think that...
These are ascribed to Jesus in the Christian Bible and are valid and holy rabbinic teachings:
"Love your enemies"
"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Some other teachings fit adaptation narratives for Greco-Roman polytheists
Example: personification of "holy spirt" concept...