i find it an interesting argument in the first place, there are many figures in history that are only documented on paper, there are some that were only written about years later because many societies did not have written documents, and went by an oral tradition. yet there are not huge debates...
I don't know a lot of people, who really care to know, that would deny that Jesus was a real person, or that he had a following of people that believed he was the Messiah. It is documented, there is historical evidence. now there are many people that don't believe that he was the son of god, but...
yes, the story was, no doubt influenced by the Greeks, were Prometheus gave fire to the people as a gift, and it angered Zeus, so he sent down Pandora as a "gift" to him. of course in that story humans were given knowledge by the titan, who's name means foresight, and in the Bible it demonizes...
But as a Christian one has no choice but to believe in the Predestined. in this case, John the baptist prophesied about the coming of Jesus who would baptize them in the holy spirit. (Mark 1:8, luke 3:16, matthew 3:11..so on ) and there are places in the old testament mentioning his coming...
the story of Jesus is the essential part of the Christan religion. it allows each person to have a connection to god through a mediator. and allows them to get into heaven by confessing their sins, and being washed clean by the sacrifice of lamb (God's son), before this they had to make...
I just posted "the idea of hell" on the forum. you may be interested in reading it. I have never been able to except the idea of hell in christian dogma. it makes no sense to me.
It said in the Bible that we suffer death because of the original sin; forbidden knowledge. so if that sin had never been committed we would not be living eternaly in sin at all, but in blissful ignorance of anything right and wrong. so yes all humans must suffer now for the sins of the first...
I was thinking about the idea that we are each created special, and given different gifts and talents. I was thinking on how this idea corresponds with the idea of hell.
If the idea is that there is a god, who is a deity not bound by time and space; who creates each person special, and...