(April 21, 2011 at 11:09 pm)ruhollah Wrote: 1. Remember that Jesus was living at a time when the Roman were the rulers of Europe. These Romans rulers did what rulers do... they manipulate and rewrite history. Jesus introduced a monotheistic religion for the general public and issued the bible. Supposed "historical documents" is relative to what? Obviously the roman powers at the time will do anything to kill off the christian religion. This is why its so hard to find accurate historical accounts of Jesus.
2. It wasn't some guy spreading his own ideas.... it was the continuation of spreading a religion based on monotheistic principles. This religion believes that the monotheistic message has been spread to every culture/nation on the planet. Majority of these cultures/nations now follow religions that in its core follow a monotheistic principle.
(December 28, 2010 at 4:20 pm)DeistPaladin Wrote: Let's pretend that I've decided I need religion in my life. I've decided to choose between Christianity and Islam. The Christians have made their sales pitch to me. Now those Muslim posters on this board can make yours. What evidence or arguments does Islam have to support it?
1. What seems to set Islam apart from Christianity is the question of what Jesus was (prophet or divine intercessor). The Christians have made their case to me which includes:
* Supposed "eye witness accounts"
* Supposed "historical documents"
* A church established by the apostles and disciples that knew Jesus or lived in his lifetime.
2. What Islam seems to have is:
* Some guy who came along several hundred years later, who lived in a different country, who claims that he knows what Jesus really said and taught better than the people he heard about Jesus from, the very people who he claims got it all wrong.
Special pleading taken to a whole new level.
Now I'm not endorsing Christianity by a long shot here. I've torn apart all the supposed "evidence" for Christianity but at least they give me a case to tear apart. I can at least understand how the unwary or uninformed might get taken in by the slick packaging. Islam seems to have no substance whatsoever except for "some guy says 'nuh-uh'"
What would be your sales pitch to convince me that Muhammad knew Jesus better than the Christians?
:BS:
"The Universe is run by the complex interweaving of three elements: energy, matter, and enlightened self-interest." G'Kar-B5