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I think there are many who are raised in Christianity who simply go through the motions and it is nothing more than a religion, but I have never met a born again believer who walks with Christ daily that doubts Jesus historically existed and that the NT events are factual.
Those who believe in him often doubt from time to time. Doubting is what real people do. Abraham doubted, yet he is counted as trusting. Even Jesus upon the cross seems to doubt for a moment. Its easy to find people who are afraid to tell you they are doubting, because the current church culture discourages honesty about that.
I believe Matthew 18 speaks to that. Its all about forgiveness, humility, leaving the 99 for the one and it says if two or three gather in Jesus name he's with them. All you have to do is gather in his name humbly, overlooking the shortcomings of others. This is in tight synch with the prayer of Matthew 6:9-12, receiving daily bread, forgiving debts, wishing for the Father's will not our own.disciple said:That's really what I'm wondering.. are many people who attend church and call themselves Christians just going through the motions, perhaps they feel obligated to have a "religion" or are simply calling themselves Christians because it's easy and convenient.
Do you believe that Jesus actually existed, or do you think it is just a 'mythos'? Do other Christians you know believe in the NT as fact or myths just to relate stories?
This question has been raised in another thread, what is the majority view of the NT by Christians, fact or mythos
cheers
Do you believe that Jesus actually existed, or do you think it is just a 'mythos'? Do other Christians you know believe in the NT as fact or myths just to relate stories?
This question has been raised in another thread, what is the majority view of the NT by Christians, fact or mythos
cheers
I think there was a man reminiscent of Jesus, but that most of his life is shrouded in fantasy and borrowed mythology.
That, and Jesus Barabbas was probably the real Jesus, to a degree.
?????? Explain... I thought Barabbas was just another prisoner who was released instead of Jesus. Are you sure you have interpreted the scripture properly?
I can't be sure of anything, but I can note that Barabbas is a transliteration of Bar-Abba, or "son of the Father". And his name was also Jesus. And that he was referred to as having taken place in a riot, which Jesus Christ had as well: the temple.
Perhaps it was a parable, saying the crowd wanted Jesus as revolutionary, not Jesus as pacifist.
The bible is a book of historical fact. The accounts are factual, the people are factual, the places are factual, the timing is precise and calculable and the events are factual as archeology has proved.
Jesus is as real an historical figure as Alexander the Great.
Of course the Bible isn't a historical FACT. There is much more evidence for Alexander the Great and what he is supposed to have achieved than ever there is for Jesus.
Pleinmont, as you probably realize some really awesome people like you are Christians kids who are in the same situation you were. Some great kids are going to suffer, and I want to encourage you to get involved in changing things for the better. Its easy to write fundamentalists off as a loss, but fundamentalists have a lot of untapped potential that just needs salvaging. Salvaging lives is true religion. Christian kids are a great resource with enormous potential that is currently being left to rot, mainly because of factionalism. Let us salvage everything salvageable and not give up on people. I understand many mainstream Christians have a 'Live & let live' attitude, and that's great but its still not enough to stop the worm in the apple barrel. Factionalism must be met head on and stopped in order to help kids (like you when you were eleven). The Bible's stories will again take on their proper meaning and stop being about 'Whether snakes can talk' or 'Did Adam have a naval?' All of that Christian training becomes useful, meaningful and properly contextualized to help kids come to grips with life. They can benefit from the wisdom and be drawn into moral discussions and life preparation, as well as an appreciation for people in other walks of life.Pleinmont said:Unfortunately for me I was raised by parents who believed in the fundamentalist version of Christianity, 'get 'saved' or go to hell' I did the 'saved' bit when I was 11, and for awhile was quite devout, even though I never had any sense a deity actually existed. Thank goodness by the time I left home, when I married at 19, the doubts about this unpleasant version of Christianity were overwhelming and I lost my faith entirely. I am now 62 and don't miss it in th eslightest degree. I feel very sorry for young people still being brought up to believe in that awful dogma. I have no problem with mainstream Christians who have a live and let live approach to their faith, and who don't seek to impose it on others.
Really ? Such as what? You realize that the existence of Jesus is not totally unfounded, right? How much Biblical commentary have you read?
The bible is a book of historical fact. The accounts are factual, the people are factual, the places are factual, the timing is precise and calculable and the events are factual as archeology has proved.
Jesus is as real an historical figure as Alexander the Great.