What were Jesus and early Christians like?

[Clueless Morgan]

I'm interested in how this "historical Jesus" is more of a real person than the "historical Harry Potter" would be, if it was based on a boy called Harry, who had a brother, said a couple of the things Harry said, and went to school.

Stop talking nonsense, Rob. Everyone knows that Harry had a cousin, not a brother.

And are you seriously trying to say that the Battle of Hogwarts wasn't a real historical event?

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:p

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Having never been religious, it is really hard for me to try and get into the mindset of what it must be like to be a (religious) theist. To think that there's all this magic stuff going on everywhere, all these weird characters having cosmic battles, and that there is a god actually interacting with us. To me it sounds kind of like living in a cartoon that has been superimposed on reality.

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I agree, though. I've never been religious in any meaningful sense and have always had a working understanding of the difference between fantasy and reality. The only times I got tripped up were with phenomena that I didn't have preexisting knowledge of but which were initially presented to me as real (psychics, ghosts, aliens, etc.). I learned about God and Jesus at the exact same time and in the exact same way that I learned about genies and little mermaids and pumpkins that turn into stage coaches so I understood that it was all made up.

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Sorry to derail. Back to your regularly scheduled thread posts...

[Drich]

Drich, how come some of your posts have so many typos, but some others are nearly perfect (like the above post)? Do you get your wife to proofread sometimes? I keep wondering if you have split personalities like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Some posts are on my ipad and some are on the computer. The Ipad has auto correct, while the computer seems to have an auto incorrect program built in.

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It's like talking to evolved monkies. 90% of the time.

Yeah, the difference being we are evolved whereas your smiley use points to a different conclusion.

So what have you learned doing your google search? Care to elaborate on your critical use of the source? How does it compare to all the details of the story we find in the bible?

See, that's the real difference between wanting to believe and actually studying a certain field. Comparing your source, which in your case would be the Jesus tale in the bible, with the proven facts of how people at a given time handled things. In the case of Jesus, they don't add up.

Curious, if you find out why or if you're even interested to find out why.

Now your moving the goal posts. We were taling about Pilate who is very well documented out side of holy text, and now you want to shift to jesus where any text that mentions Him is dismissed because it is holy. Again, it does not seem like you intrested in source material.

[Minimalist]

Why don't you learn to spell?

[Drich]

90% of the time You emotionally rant and rave, and base everything on what you think is right. Or better yet you defend on what you heard/want to believe, without vetting the source. Like your dismissal of everything you don't want to believe about pilate. No reason stated, no authorative source material referenced. just your 'feelings' based on some meaningless degree you claim to have.

A perfect description of theism.

proof?

no?

Then is it really theism I'm describing?

[Anomalocaris]

Why don't you learn to spell?

If he could learn he wouldn't be a drich.

[Drich]

Why don't you learn to spell?

Spell what?

[FatAndFaithless]

Anything. Ever.

[Drich]

A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G= Anything

E-V-E-R= Ever

[FatAndFaithless]

I adore the fact that that post is edited.

[Drich]

I could have just left [img]www.cute-factor.com/images/smilies/onion/044.gif[/img] as is, but I decided to add the Http// to give you all