(July 9, 2014 at 11:53 am)Minimalist Wrote: Interesting discussion but as H. L. Mencken noted:
Either Jesus rose from the dead or he didn’t. If he did, then Christianity becomes plausible; if he did not, then it is sheer nonsense.
All the apologetic attempts to find a "historical" jesus miss the point that unless he did what Mencken says it doesn't matter in the least. Xtians do not worship the man - they worship the magic tricks. And without the tricks "jesus" is a nobody.
Actually - the "rising" is not main point of the savior.
The basis for the religion is that he "saved" us all.
From what - has never been determined since most of the things that were detriments to society back then still exist - war - poverty - famine - disease - and religious zealot who make all sorts of claims that never actually happen.
