(May 7, 2017 at 2:17 pm)KUSA Wrote:

(April 30, 2017 at 7:26 pm)Orochi Wrote: Yup were smarter . better informed .ETC

I'm not sure if humans are actually smarter than our ancestors 2000 years ago. We certainly are much better informed. No doubt about that.

Being better informed often means becoming "smarter". Neuroplasticity and all.

(May 7, 2017 at 2:58 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

Quote:When Constantine adapted Christianity as the official religion even he was part of a ruling family.

Except that Constantine I did not do that.  It was Theodosius in 380 who finally made the ultimate mistake of accepting that jesus shit as the state religion.  The asshole.


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...UIxTBOQ_6g

I certainly don't mind being corrected. Thank you. But why is it then my long term impression stems from seeing others point to Constantine and Christianity?

(May 7, 2017 at 2:24 pm)Jehanne Wrote: I deny your premise; in fact, modern Biblical scholarship has very conclusively demonstrated that the very early Church (including, Paul) did not view Jesus was being "the Messiah," let alone the "Son of God".  It is almost certainly the case that Paul thought that Jesus was a normal human man whom God made "a son of God" as opposed to "the Son of God".

I reject it just like I reject revisionist historical theories,

Wow, really amazing.

(May 7, 2017 at 4:01 pm)Brian37 Wrote:

(May 7, 2017 at 2:58 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Except that Constantine I did not do that.  It was Theodosius in 380 who finally made the ultimate mistake of accepting that jesus shit as the state religion.  The asshole.


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...UIxTBOQ_6g

I certainly don't mind being corrected. Thank you. But why is it then my long term impression stems from seeing others point to Constantine and Christianity?

Mandela's Effect.

(May 7, 2017 at 3:56 pm)Grandizer Wrote:

(May 7, 2017 at 2:17 pm)KUSA Wrote: I'm not sure if humans are actually smarter than our ancestors 2000 years ago. We certainly are much better informed. No doubt about that.

Being better informed often means becoming "smarter". Neuroplasticity and all.

There were some brilliant minded people in ancient times. They didn't have access to the information we do now but that doesn't mean they weren't smart.

somebody worked out the antikytheria mechanism, after all . . . .

(May 7, 2017 at 4:02 pm)alpha male Wrote:

(May 7, 2017 at 2:24 pm)Jehanne Wrote: I deny your premise; in fact, modern Biblical scholarship has very conclusively demonstrated that the very early Church (including, Paul) did not view Jesus was being "the Messiah," let alone the "Son of God".  It is almost certainly the case that Paul thought that Jesus was a normal human man whom God made "a son of God" as opposed to "the Son of God".

I reject it just like I reject revisionist historical theories,

Wow, really amazing.

Get any New Testament textbook used in any New Testament studies at any public university.

(May 7, 2017 at 5:09 pm)KUSA Wrote:

(May 7, 2017 at 3:56 pm)Grandizer Wrote: Being better informed often means becoming "smarter". Neuroplasticity and all.

There were some brilliant minded people in ancient times. They didn't have access to the information we do now but that doesn't mean they weren't smart.

No argument there.

(May 7, 2017 at 4:01 pm)Brian37 Wrote:

(May 7, 2017 at 2:58 pm)Minimalist Wrote: Except that Constantine I did not do that.  It was Theodosius in 380 who finally made the ultimate mistake of accepting that jesus shit as the state religion.  The asshole.


https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=...UIxTBOQ_6g

I certainly don't mind being corrected. Thank you. But why is it then my long term impression stems from seeing others point to Constantine and Christianity?

Most likely because xtians love to mischaracterize the Edict of Milan in 313 as being Constantine "legalizing" xtianity when in fact it granted religious freedom to all.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edict_of_Milan

Quote:The Edict is popularly thought to concern only Christianity, and even to make Christianity the official religion of the Empire (which recognition did not actually occur until the Edict of Thessalonica in 380). Indeed, the Edict expressly grants religious liberty not only to Christians, who had been the object of special persecution, but goes even further and grants liberty to all religions:

In the same vein xtians love to claim that the Emperor Decius "persecuted" them by requiring them to take a special loyalty oath c 250 when in fact Decius required EVERYONE to take the oath.  (The mid-3d century was a bad time for the Romans.  The Sassanids kept kicking the shit out of them and returning soldiers brought back a serious plague.)  But in spite of their fucking paranoia, xtians were not the target. 

The main persecution of xtians was by Diocletian in 303 and lasted a couple of years.  From this, the fucks created a cottage industry of martyrs and bullshit stories to justify their own persecutions of pagans later on.

Even taking theology courses at Moody Bible College can be quite an unpleasant jolt for new students with a strong Literalist/Inerrancy background.

It is indeed amazing what most all ministers/preechurs/reverends/pastors are actually taught in churchy school and the amount of it they NEVER use in a sermon lest they upset the pew warmers.

So much of the stuff atheists post here regarding inherent problems with Christian dogma and strictures is in fact well known to pastors, it's when the pew warmers start posting here and have to confront incongruities like Jesus being crucified twice according to scripture that I find it amazing they don't already know. Think how much bible study is done, how many sermons they listen too, yet coming here and surprise, surprise, Jesus done been nailed up twice and they don't already know it!! Their pastors know it, they just never put it in a sermon lest the sheeples rise up and torch the church building out of religious outrage, apparently.