please take pity on me someone and help.. i was going to say that i suffer from aspergers syndrome but actually, i've come to rather enjoy it.. no, seriously, i really do have aspergers which is why my posts may seem a little odd to some of you.
ok, they may seem bloody odd to most of you.. my world exists in a binary frame.
things are or they are not.. i know that in the "real world" things might be or might not be as well as are and are not.
DHH
Please feel free to wade in - even if you have nothing to offer (which I doubt anyway).
Carrier doesn't dissect the scriptures so much as dissects all that was going on before, during and after jesus supposedly lived. He puts the whole lot into context and dissects it as a whole rather than the piecemeal effort I read in a lot of books.
I'm not saying Carrier is right but there's a lot that makes sense if one accepts that jesus never existed here on Earth.
please take pity on me someone and help.. i was going to say that i suffer from aspergers syndrome but actually, i've come to rather enjoy it.. no, seriously, i really do have aspergers which is why my posts may seem a little odd to some of you.
ok, they may seem bloody odd to most of you.. my world exists in a binary frame.
things are or they are not.. i know that in the "real world" things might be or might not be as well as are and are not.
Cappytan
It sure as hell is nice to talk to someone who is logical and precise.
I missed answering one of your earlier questions which was how do I feel about just not knowing? I'm OK with that. Well, sort of. If there's a way of me finding out, then I'm on it. If there isn't, then there isn't and I have to accept that we just don't know. I don't like it but I wouldn't make up an answer just because I don't happen to have one. My brain wouldn't allow me to do that.
The thing I like about Carrier is that he provides a comprehensive answer taking into account all that is known about the subject. He doesn't leave any loose ends. I'm not sure that it's a definitive answer that he's come up with but there's not much in the way of wriggle room.
The main question that I have about those times is that there are some inconsistencies that just don't add up if jesus actually existed but which do if, in fact, jesus didn't.
It also seems that there was an awful lot of changing of documents and forging going on in those days and, an obvious question is why? For example, we know that the gospels received some serious 'updating' in the second century. We also know that all but seven of Paul's epistles were forged.
I found Carrier's lectures fascinating. I hope that you find it similar.
Carrier isn't the only scholar to dispute the existence of jesus but, he's one of the more credible.
so man was made by god in his image was he?.
so the human body was intelligently designed was it?.
you are kidding me !!.
Crazyguy
Such a loving god indeed because if I don't worship him, he'll cast me into hell and damnation forever. Hallelujah, praise de lard!
please take pity on me someone and help.. i was going to say that i suffer from aspergers syndrome but actually, i've come to rather enjoy it.. no, seriously, i really do have aspergers which is why my posts may seem a little odd to some of you.
ok, they may seem bloody odd to most of you.. my world exists in a binary frame.
things are or they are not.. i know that in the "real world" things might be or might not be as well as are and are not.
Cappytan
I have read some of your posts and respect.
You state that even among critical scholars it is thought that jesus existed. I thought that to be the case and this is what I believed until recently. Having read Richard Carrier, I'm now of the opinion that jesus didn't exist. There's some of his lectures on you tube. He is, as far as I am able to determine, a scholar with an independent mind. He seeks the truth rather than having a wish to see jesus dismissed to the WPB of history for no good reason. He even castigates those who would dismiss jesus without adequate proof. He puts forth some pretty convincing arguments such as what was happening to christianity between the so-called death of jesus and the writing of the gospels? because, according to written history, NOTHING was happening? It was as though christianity didn't exist between the so-called death of jesus and the writing of the gospels. Why was this? Why were the gospels written when they were? Why not sooner? The gospels were written by 4 people that we call Mathew, Mark, Luke and John but, in actual fact, the writings were anonymous. If the gospels were writing about the same 'facts', how come they differ so much? Why were the gospels changed after they were initially written?
Mathew's gospel was written first and Mark, Luke and John were based on Mathew. Yet, Mathew appears to be an allegory rather that an accurate account of what happened. So, just how much can we rely on the gospels?
Also, there are people who believe that only 4 gospels exist. Yet, many more were known to exist and, on what basis, were the 4 included and the remainder excluded?
All but 7 of Paul's epistles were forgeries. Why? Paul's epistles (the real ones) are interesting in all sorts of ways. For example, they never actually suggest that jesus actually lived here on Earth.
Richard Carrier also tells us about what was actually happening in the religious world at about the time that the so-called jesus was supposedly alive. He fully explains why it is that jesus may not actually have lived.
I could go on but I'm afraid the existence of jesus isn't as watertight as people believe. I suggest that you take a look at Carrier and then review your decision.
just been into town to get a new phone.. got accosted by the jovies.
i got my question in first, 'cos i'm a pretty fart smeller, and asked one of them what they thought was currently man's greatest threat.. "pride" said the jovie.
i kid you not, folks.
I would have said they the greatest problem facing mankind is IGNORNACE.....
Yes a fear of researching the TRUTH.
So, how come I don't say things this smart?
please take pity on me someone and help.. i was going to say that i suffer from aspergers syndrome but actually, i've come to rather enjoy it.. no, seriously, i really do have aspergers which is why my posts may seem a little odd to some of you.
ok, they may seem bloody odd to most of you.. my world exists in a binary frame.
things are or they are not.. i know that in the "real world" things might be or might not be as well as are and are not.
Please take pity on me someone and help.
I was going to say that I suffer from Aspergers Syndrome but actually, I've come to rather enjoy it.
No, seriously, I really do have Aspergers which is why my posts may seem a little odd to some of you. OK, they may seem bloody odd to most of you.
My world exists in a binary frame. Things ARE or they ARE NOT.
I know that in the "real world" things MIGHT BE or MIGHT NOT BE as well as ARE and ARE NOT. I can't cope with the MIGHT BE or MIGHT NOT BE concept too well. I've just have to remember that this is that way of the real world and accept and get on with it.
In my world there is proof for, in which case, I believe, or there is proof against, in which case, I don't believe. I believe in where the proof takes me.
Sometimes, there is proof predominantly on one side of the argument. In which case, that's the side I go with.
I've never yet seen an argument equally balanced so I can't say what I'd do - blow a fuse probably - which would really hurt my brain.
I also don't get hung up with that emotional crap that you humans are burdened, or blessed, with, depending upon your point of view. That makes my life much easier, I believe.
Anyways - what about god and jesus and the bible yada, yada?
My common sense tells me that god and jesus don't/didn't exist.
Logic tells me that god and jesus don't/didn't exist.
There is some historical evidence that god/jesus exist/existed but there's far more that suggests that they didn't/don't.
On that basis, I am forced to reject the hypothesis that jesus and god exist/existed.
In all honesty, no matter how I look at the hypothesis, I cannot come up with a convincing case that god/jesus exists. Moreover, I have listened to argument after argument from religtards and they have failed to convince. In fact, some were having difficulty convincing themselves at times.
So, the question is:
Given how obvious it is to me that jesus/god don't exist, how come so many people think they do?
The big difference between them and me is that I'm not emotional. People who meet me have suggested that maybe I'd be happier living with the Borg (and maybe they're right). So, I guess that the question has to be: Is this belief in god/jesus an emotional response to the human condition or am I way off base here?
Thanks in advance for any responses that you guys care to make.
so man was made by god in his image was he?.
so the human body was intelligently designed was it?.
you are kidding me !!.
How about box jellyfish?
They have 64 anuses and yet they crap out of their mouth!
Aren't you mixing up a Jovie with a box jellyfish?
just been into town to get a new phone.. got accosted by the jovies.
i got my question in first, 'cos i'm a pretty fart smeller, and asked one of them what they thought was currently man's greatest threat.. "pride" said the jovie.
i kid you not, folks.
Just been into town to get a new phone.
Got accosted by the Jovies.
I got my question in first, 'cos I'm a pretty fart smeller, and asked one of them what they thought was currently Man's greatest threat.
"Pride" said the Jovie. I kid you not, folks. "Pride" is what the Jovie said.
Naturally, I asked why, being the curious sort of guy that I am.
"Well", said the Jovie, and I'm paraphrasing here, "Pride prevents Man from accepting the Lord because Man does not show the Lord the respect he deserves because Man puts his own importance above that of our Lord."
"So" says I, "I should bow before the Lord should I?"
"Yes" said the Jovie.
"Why", said I.
"So that he may forgive you your sins for we are all sinners".
I nearly shouted "Hallelujah brothers and sisters" at the top of my voice and held my hands aloft at that point but I managed to restrain myself.
Then, the Jovie reached for his book. (They do that a lot, don't they?)
"So", I said, "What does it say in that book of yours about global warming? Does it say that it's more important or less important than pride?"
Here endeth this morning's reading.
Amen (brothers and sisters).
so man was made by god in his image was he?.
so the human body was intelligently designed was it?.
you are kidding me !!.
Adjusted knowledge
I hadn't - but now you have heard them from me too.
so man was made by god in his image was he?.
so the human body was intelligently designed was it?.
you are kidding me !!.
Sparrowdown
What about a woman whose fertilised egg decides to implant itself in the fallopian tube?
Or the person who is dying because their DNA decided to mutate and cause cancer?
Or the child who choked to death because some food got stuck in their throat?
Oh, and god, if you are listening, thank you so much for creating Ebola, AIDS, Dengue fever, Yellow fever, etc. etc.
