He thinks his bullshit story is real.

(November 28, 2016 at 12:30 am)Minimalist Wrote:

Quote:Excellent question. I'm not sure really. I suppose I'd start with Jesus's arrest, trial, and death, then see what happens to his body over the next couple days.

Not only can jesusists not pinpoint his alleged birth they are equally sucky on the date of death.  I've seen dates everywhere from 29-36 AD.  That's a seven year spread.  You'd think they could nail such an important date down a little closer than that, wouldn't you?

Why would I think that?

Gospels John and Mark don't even agree on the day of the week. (And it was a big holiday weekend!) It's amazing this 1) isn't more widely known and 2) regarded as damning as to the veracity of scriptures, especially in light of Mark and Luke not agreeing on whether or not Jesus death provides atonement for sin.

The entire edifice of Christianity is built upon the sinking sand of it's own Bible.

Maybe they did the whole thing twice and mixed up some of their lines?

(November 28, 2016 at 1:29 am)robvalue Wrote:

(November 28, 2016 at 12:12 am)Neo-Scholastic Wrote: Of course the reverse question also applies... If you went back and witnessed the events as described, would you believe?

Sure, I'd believe the events happened, whatever they were.

At that point your faith would transform in to the knowledge. And you will be have to choose whatever you want to follow Gods laws. Also, your freedom of choice would be crippled by the fear, for example, of enjoying too much and becoming qualified for some sort of purgatory in the afterlife.

If you're talking about me, then it wouldn't make any difference to how I live my life. I reject religion because it's irrelevant to me. While I have any say in the matter, I'll continue to use my brain to decide how best to act. If someone is going to punish me for that, so be it. I wouldn't be able to trust such a being, nor are they worthy of my respect, if they expect me to just do what they say regardless.

I'll bump this as I only seem to have had one answer. I know we don't have many theists but I'd like to hear a few more points of view.

(November 28, 2016 at 8:28 am)purplepurpose Wrote:

(November 28, 2016 at 1:29 am)robvalue Wrote: Sure, I'd believe the events happened, whatever they were.

At that point your faith would transform in to the knowledge. And you will be have to choose whatever you want to follow Gods laws. Also, your freedom of choice would be crippled by the fear, for example, of enjoying too much and becoming qualified for some sort of purgatory in the afterlife.

Would you not do as many on AF say and attribute any apparent miracles to mass delusions or extraterrestrials? Seems to me from my time here that any explanation, no matter how implausible, is preferred over divine intervention.

Extraterrestrials are always far more plausible than divine intervention. Miracles and divinity is as implausible as it gets. At least aliens exist.

That's because "divine intervention" is the least plausible answer before literally every other avenue has been explored. It's the ultimate investigation stopper; once fixed upon, it completely negates any other explanation while at the same time explaining nothing itself.

So yes, were I to go back in time and witness these events unfolding just as the story says, I would have no choice but to accept that something out of the ordinary happened, at least based on what my senses tell me. But accounting for it, now that's where the real investigation starts. What I'm not going to do is reflexively shackle my belief to the superstition of the day surrounding the events - and I'm sure as shit stinks not going to fall on my knees and worship it, even if it was proven beyond question to be the work of Yahweh the Bloody Handed. Especially that.