(September 7, 2012 at 8:57 pm)IATIA Wrote:(September 7, 2012 at 7:15 pm)greneknight Wrote: Statistically, we Christians are stupider than atheists. I remember seeing the video of Dawkins interviewing Ian McEwan (who happens to be one of my favourite novelists) and they both agreed all their friends didn't believe in a supernatural God even though some might be Christians. I remember feeling relieved because at least I'm a Christian who doesn't believe in any supernatural garbage so if I were older, they might count me as a friend.
So, you believe in christ but not in god?
That depends on what you mean by "belief" in God and "belief" in Christ. I believe in goodness and truth and justice. Therefore I believe in God (a metaphor for goodness, truth and justice). I believe in the teachings of Christ as laid down by the church - do good to others, love others, etc. I don't believe in the teachings of Jesus originally, the pre-Pauline teachings which were probably just a fanatical version of Zionism. Jesus was probably an apocalyptic zealot whose sole mission was to get rid of the Romans from the land of the Jews. Of course I don't accept the teachings of the real historical Jesus (assuming he existed). But what we today take to be the teachings of Jesus ie what the church has done to it seems wholesome enough and I don't mind adopting it.
