Barriers to belief

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Is that what you view a mythology? Something that is neither true nor false?

I view ancient Hebrew mythology as mythology. I view the stories about the Greek Gods and Roman Gods and the Norse Gods as mythology. I view the claims that the early Christians wrote in their texts, about Jesus being a supernatural being walking about on planet earth, decades after he was executed, as being mythology.

Originally posted by FMF
I view ancient Hebrew mythology as mythology. I view the stories about the Greek Gods and Roman Gods and the Norse Gods as mythology. I view the claims that the early Christians wrote in their texts, about Jesus being a supernatural being walking about on planet earth, decades after he was executed, as being mythology.

Why do you think so many early Christians were so easily duped into believing that Jesus was the Messiah? Why do you think that these Christians were so convinced that they were willing to die a martyrs death rather than renounce their faith?

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
Why do you think so many early Christians were so easily duped into believing that Jesus was the Messiah? Why do you think that these Christians were so convinced that they were willing to die a martyrs death rather than renounce their faith?

It was, is, and always has been a cult of personality - with a real barnstorming supernatural/mystical element - and with a quite seductive message (...declare everyone "evil" and then "forgive" yourself and like-minded people [and threaten dissenters and deviants with unimaginably unhinged and hideous, everlasting violence], and enjoy immortality... my paraphrasing) which cleverly incorporates or appropriates a few dollops of common sense that had probably been around since humans collected in settlements and started farming. There are martyrs in just about every religion: people willing to lay down their lives because, with their religious beliefs, they "were so convinced that they were willing to die". It's not evidence of the veracity or credibility of anything. Indeed, it's all part and parcel of the human condition.

Originally posted by FMF
It was, is, and always has been a cult of personality - with a real barnstorming supernatural/mystical element - and with a quite seductive message (...declare everyone "evil" and then "forgive" yourself and like-minded people [and threaten dissenters and deviants with unimaginably unhinged and hideous, everlasting violence], and enjoy immortality... my paraphra ...[text shortened]... he veracity or credibility of anything. Indeed, it's all part and parcel of the human condition.

There are martyrs in just about every religion: people willing to lay down their lives because, with their religious beliefs, they "were so convinced that they were willing to die".

Which are all these religions are you referring to, where people would rather die than renounce their faith?

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Which one?

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So I take it you are not a regular poster then? Which question have I avoided?

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If you are referring to the question about the afterlife, I did answer it.

Originally posted by Fetchmyjunk
If you are referring to the question about the afterlife, I did answer it.

What he wants to hear is that if there is a God then when we die we all go to heaven.

Just hope your neighbor won't be Adolf Hitler. 😛😕

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So did you even read my answer to his question?

Originally posted by whodey
What he wants to hear is that if there is a God then when we die we all go to heaven.

Just hope your neighbor won't be Adolf Hitler. 😛😕

I think he believes all the bad guys will dissolve into thin air...