Did Jesus Even Exist?

[Kubik]

Arm, I'm not a Christian but I cannot take the claims that Jesus never existed seriously. Besides, Santa Claus existed too. He was called Haghia (Santa) Nicholas, a Hellenic saint who lived in a Lycian town of Myra, ruins of which are near the Mediterranean coast of today's Turkey. I visited the place. I gotta admit that the place is too warm to match the Santa's dress code and his means of transportation but I suppose north-western people modified his image to suit their imagination. Anyway, stories about him goes that he was one of the earliest Christians in the Anatolia (Asia Minor), a generous man who cared for and gave gifts to children.
About King Arthur I can't be sure though, I watched a documentary on telly about his legend, well at least the pulling of excalibur outta rock thing might be subject to discussions

[justoleme]

Here is the choice a person has on the matters of God.Atleast the one in my Bible. King James Bible. God lets each individual make up their own minds for the present times.One can chose God or the Devil.It is his own decision. God ask for faith.Scientist ask for proof.The God I believe in is not at all interested in the requirements of scientist. He is satisfied with the faith of ordinary people. The scientist imply that they are all knowing.But it is they who fear the most of what they have created.The means to destroy this very planet we are so attached to.One of those smart guys resides in a wheelchair in England.He recommends the speeding up of space technology. Why? Because he fears the planet will be blown up by the weapons of the scientist. I think this man goes by the name of Stephen Hawkins.You may look that up to correct me if you like. I will settle for faith,Anyone else can make up their own mind. As for Jesus you may search for the Roman historians opinion of those times.He believed that Jesus was as reported.But he was not a Christian either. <> STEPHEN HAWKINGS HERE> Hawking, we have a problem | spiked

[justoleme]

Leo Tolstoy:

Christianity, with its doctrine of humility, of forgiveness, of love, is incompatible with the State, with its haughtiness, its violence, its punishment, its wars.

[Armelius]

As Christians have changed their God, so they have accordingly
changed their Bible. The impossible and absurd, the cruel and the
infamous, have been mostly thrown aside, and thousands are now
engaged in trying to save the inspired word. Of course, the
orthodox still cling to every word, and still insist that every
line is true. They are literalists. To them the Bible means exactly
what it says. They want no explanation. They care nothing for
commentators. Contradictions cannot disturb the faith. They deny
that any contradictions exist. They loyally stand by the sacred
text, and they give it the narrowest possible interpretation.

Robert Green Ingersoll - “Superstition” (1898)

A Humanist Thanksgiving Proclamation

by Robert Green Ingersoll

When I became convinced that the universe is natural–that all the ghosts and gods are myths, there entered into my brain, into my soul, into every drop of my blood, the sense, the feeling, the joy of freedom.

The walls of my prison crumbled and fell, the dungeon was flooded with light and all the bolts and bars and manacles became dust. I was no longer a servant, a serf or a slave. There was for me no master in all the world–not even infinite space.

I was free–free to think, to express my thoughts–free to live my own ideal–free to live for myself and those I loved–free to use all my faculties, all my senses, free to spread imagination’s wings–free to investigate, to guess and dream and hope–free to judge and determine for myself–free to reject all ignorant and cruel creeds, all the “inspired” books that savages have produced, and all the barbarous legends of the past–free from popes and priests, free from all the “called” and “set apart”–free from sanctified mistakes and “holy” lies–free from the winged monsters of the night–free from devils, ghosts and gods.

For the first time I was free. There were no prohibited places in all the realms of thought–no air, no space, where fancy could not spread her painted wings–no claims for my limbs–no lashes for my back–no fires for my flesh–no following another’s steps–no need to bow, or cringe, or crawl, or utter lying words. I was free. I stood erect and fearlessly, joyously, faced all worlds.

And then my heart was filled with gratitude, with thankfulness, and went out in love to all the heroes, the thinkers, who gave their lives for the liberty of hand and brain–for the freedom of labor and thought–to those who fell on the fierce fields of war, to those who died in dungeons bound with chains–to those who proudly mounted scaffold’s stairs–to those by fire consumed–to all the wise, the good, the brave of every land, whose thoughts and deeds have given freedom to the sons and daughters of men and women. And then I vowed to grasp the torch that they have held, and hold it high, that light may conquer darkness still.

[justoleme]

We can thank the lord for atheist who deliver us from the bonds of the slavemasters.Marx was the greatest atheist to come along and bring justice to the slaves.He gave them a real job in the saltmines of Siberia. Everyman was worth his salt.

[Armelius]

Marx wrote books for a jewish banker. Worked for them when Russia fell.

[justoleme]

I don't really like Marxist ideology.But when all that started there was some real problems of how average citizen of England and Europe were treated.Even in the USA no doubt.Average people deserve respect and fair pay for their work plus rights as citizen.Instead of the governments looking out for the interest of the working people they only took care of the elites.Something had to give so then communism was brought about to bring justice to the working people.But once the communist got started and became powerful they became a bigger problem themselves.They created dictators and a police state.They said that God is dead.They took on powers of God over the people. The original cause I can agree with but not the results.No nation that denies God will be a good nation. Not even my own.