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Originally Posted by Teedor the Great
"It may have been fabricated from scratch" (Ikul). If it is the case, then prove it.
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It's not the case. Or at least, it's not necessarily the case. That's what the 'may' I've included means: that it is a possibility to be considered along with any other possibility, which cannot be rejected without good reason.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teedor the Great
About testimonies, you be the judge. Do you think whoever wrote the Bible told you the truth or not?
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I think I've said twice now that I don't have the information necessary to make that call - in fact, I don't think that information exists, at all, though I'm readily willing to retract my statement if the opposite is at least plausibly demonstrated.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teedor the Great
And, what do you think is the cause of the existence of Christianity today, if not the life and death and resurrection of Jesus, still present in our world today?
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The passing of the belief through the generations. Now, if Christianity would keep cropping up in people without them being told by their elders that's how things are, that would be an indication of some independent reason. It does, however, not.
As it stands now the cause of the existence of Christianity is the existence of individual Christians, who have all become such due to indoctrination by their teachers, parents, and other figures of authority.
It is well-documented that, on one hand, such indoctrination happens, and on the other, that it is sufficient to provide such effects.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teedor the Great
Praying may lead you to personal experience of Jesus. And, I believe personal experience is part of personal research. Doesn't personal research count too in science?
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Yes, you're right, personal research is absolutely vital.
However, it's not 'research' until it has been objectively measured and, preferably, quantified. Otherwise, you may, or may not, I'm again not making a claim either way, have imagined the whole thing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teedor the Great
You are claiming something, so the burden of proof is on you.
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I dearly apologize, but I would very much appreciate it if you would not take it upon yourself to express
blatant, bald-faced lies about what I said. I said it is a
possibility. I did not say it is
fact. Thank you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Teedor the Great
"It is not an either/or scenario". (Farland) Of course it is a yes or no scenario. Independently of the literary style that is used, do you, you Farland, believe that God exists, and that Jesus is His son, who died on a cross, then resurrected from the dead, and is now Heaven, because that is what the Bible testifies to. If your not happy with the Bible, because you think it is somehow flawed, then check Wikipedia, check other gospels that are outside the canon. They all are going to tell you about the same story: Jesus is a man who was seen alive after his death. It is a yes or no choice. Do you believe or not what people say?
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I'll tell you what I believe.
I believe this was established to be a discussion about a scientific question.
Therefore, what I believe, or what you believe, or what Farland believes, or what anyone in the world believes on the subject is entirely, fundamentally irrelevant. What's important is what we know and can deduce from objective data. And our objective data is insufficient to deduce one or the other with sufficient certainty. In other words:
It's not about 'believing', it's about 'knowing'. And I don't know.