(February 21, 2013 at 10:04 am)Rhythm Wrote:(February 21, 2013 at 6:24 am)Justtristo Wrote: These days I personally subscribe to the view that Jesus started off as a mythical character who later got made into a historical character.
In the same way that there were myths of dragons long before anyone put fossils and the myths together, in the same way that there were myths of cyclops before anyone pointed to a mastodon skull. We weave tales and then delight in the myriad ways we can relate them to our existence in reality. It's not even remotely surprising or unexpected.
Which came first?
The shaman?
Honi?
Honi the Rainmaker?
Which is historical and which is mythical? In this narrative, very much, imho, like the Christ narrative - the name before "Rainmaker" like the name before "Christ" is inconsequential, you can plug in anything you like, because the narrative of the epitaph existed before the narrative of the noun. Supposing you wholeheartedly swallow the notion of some jesus being foretold in prophecy theres simply no way to argue that the narrative didn't precede the "subject" in any case. It doesn't really matter what angle you approach it form, the story came first.
Hey Rhythm, I don't want to get off subject....but as a side note: There are plenty of documented Christian [miracles] to prove that "something" is going on. And if anyone takes some time to really investigate, there are no explainations but Faith by the recipient!
For example the man who received sight in his right mangled eye from Lourdes water! After several exams, doctors simply stated "there is no reason for this man to be able to see from that eye!" And there are exactly 67 well documented unexplained healings! Of course there are tens of thousands reported...but 67 CONFIRMED!
So....what is to explain the "unexplained"? Just chance? Gravity? Alignment of the stars? Demons? Smoke and mirrors? What?
Jesus states very clearly, in most all of His healings that "your faith has healed you".
The basic question here is: "what" is this all about? NOT...who, why or how. None of the other questions really matter [here on the ground].... and to the Faithful? Faith is what matters.
To believe in, and love God is to experience every possibility! Without limits. The big problem is that most are not willing to believe. And there lies the paradox!
Faith means nothing at all unless it is based on something real, and experienced. So, should that word even exist to the non-believers?
Quis ut Deus?
