RE: Christians - What would you do if it were discovered Jesus never existed?
September 8, 2015 at 11:07 am
It occurs to me an experiment, so to speak, has already been conducted that speaks to the topic.
(If my recollections are off, a reference would be much appreciated)
Some of the first European explorers to reach Japan brought missionaries and they established a small Christian community there. Japan fairly rapidly closed the foreigners access to the Japanese public for a very long time. When missionaries were finally allowed back in Japan, they discovered the descendants of the few converts from long before. Due to the brevity of the initial contact, the Japanese folks received an incomplete version of the faith. The new missionaries were more than happy to offer a full download of Christianity but the Japanese people wanted no part of it. Despite clear and overwhelming evidence the Japanese proto-Christians had received an incomplete mess of theology, they were comfortable with what they had and were not going to allow for anyone, correctly motivated or not, to correct their faith.
I think this illustrates a common shared trait amongst the religiousites, even overwhelming and conclusive evidence of Doctrinal Error ain't gonna be enough.
Should absolute evidence, for instance, of the nonexistence of Jesus ever be discovered, it won't be enough.
I'd even go further and assert that if Jesus unequivocally came back, performed miracles, yada, yada, yada, there would most likely be a majority of His followers that would not subject themselves to any matters of doctrine, dogma, rules, Commandments, strictures, edicts or teachings that He might clarify, revise or extend.
You can count on that. Hell, they ain't following shit CLEARLY recorded in the Bible and attributed to Jesus as it is. No hypotheticals needed.
(If my recollections are off, a reference would be much appreciated)
Some of the first European explorers to reach Japan brought missionaries and they established a small Christian community there. Japan fairly rapidly closed the foreigners access to the Japanese public for a very long time. When missionaries were finally allowed back in Japan, they discovered the descendants of the few converts from long before. Due to the brevity of the initial contact, the Japanese folks received an incomplete version of the faith. The new missionaries were more than happy to offer a full download of Christianity but the Japanese people wanted no part of it. Despite clear and overwhelming evidence the Japanese proto-Christians had received an incomplete mess of theology, they were comfortable with what they had and were not going to allow for anyone, correctly motivated or not, to correct their faith.
I think this illustrates a common shared trait amongst the religiousites, even overwhelming and conclusive evidence of Doctrinal Error ain't gonna be enough.
Should absolute evidence, for instance, of the nonexistence of Jesus ever be discovered, it won't be enough.
I'd even go further and assert that if Jesus unequivocally came back, performed miracles, yada, yada, yada, there would most likely be a majority of His followers that would not subject themselves to any matters of doctrine, dogma, rules, Commandments, strictures, edicts or teachings that He might clarify, revise or extend.
You can count on that. Hell, they ain't following shit CLEARLY recorded in the Bible and attributed to Jesus as it is. No hypotheticals needed.
The granting of a pardon is an imputation of guilt, and the acceptance a confession of it.
