What if Jesus was a great man of his day, a true human saint, elevated to the level of superhuman because of politics?  Would you be able to accept that.  Also, what if the bible has been nothing but a political tool used to chastise those who are not in the majority?  Would you still be able to live by such a book?
119146
I wouldn't care. I think Jesus wasn't all he's cracked up to be anyway. I don't live my life by that book, regardless. I hate all the anti-female messages in it. As I grew older, I realized that Christianity was created as a way to control the people after the fall of the Roman Empire. I love how hateful people are like dagger and how quick they are to call names (usually the "diehard" Christians, ironically). I am not anti-God. I strongly believe in a supreme being, but I am anti-religion. I just think people got some of the details wrong along the way, that's all.
608747
Do you people not realize that "Jesus" was just a man like any other man. Historical facts. Let me guess, the bible? The word of "God"? What did they hold a press conference so that they could get all the facts from "Jesus" and print them in one "historically accurate book"? I don't think so. I'm sorry but the bible is nothing more than a person or group of peoples perspective on a point in time. \nJesus was a human being! He had needs and desires just like every one else. Religion doesn't want to admit that because what, it will make him seem less "God like"? \nI think you people need to re-read the book. Yes "The Da Vinci Code" is a work of fiction. But I believe that a lot of the historical premises is based in truth. To what extent I don't know. The same with the bible. There may be a lot of truth there, but just like so much other written history, facts get lost or changed to suit the intentions of the author. \nCall it what you will, but I like to believe that maybe, just maybe the bloodline of Christ still exist out there today. What would be so wrong with that?
603077
But if I have proven that it is completely incontrovertable that Jesus and God do infact rule the world how is it possible to prove otherwise? \n\nBut to answer your question, if someone could prove to me that Jesus and God were human fabrications, no, I wouldn't believe.
267053
Well he did exist, that is pretty indisputable. Indeed there is far more evidence of his life than there is of the christian comfort blanket Jesus. \n\nHowever I would agree with you that by all reports he seems to have been a bit of an a**hole. We must remember though that in his day these atrocities would have been far more acceptable and even in fact praiseworthy. Unfortunately for many people not much has changed. We are lucky to be living in tolerant western societies with equality of the sexes and secular outlooks, because many of these things are still happening today.
440968
Christianity being hopelessly self-contradictory to begin with, it's not all that amazing that you heap more contradictions on top of it to create your own special witches' brew of a religion.  It's basically what every so-called "christian" does.  \n\nSure, the bible was altered.  Over and over again.  Compiled from scraps, edited, misinterpreted, mistranslated, edited again.  The result is a document that one would have to be technically insane to take seriously, let alone "literally."  It's fascinating legendary fiction, and I read it for entertainment at least as much as the average "christian" reads it for enlightenment.  But it's absolutely crazy to try to rationalize your actions based on texts from the bible.  You might just as well look for precedent for everything you do in the works of Edgar Allen Poe.\n\nAs for "magick," "Christ" himself, or rather the historical personage(s) from whom the legend of the gospels is partially drawn, would certainly qualify as a "magician" or holy man of the standard Middle Eastern type.  He'd probably be amused to know that people continue to worship his image, conflated with legendary elements from pagan mystery cults, to this day.
465367
Dear ES,\n\nI agree with you and I enjoy reading it and giving away copies of the Bible.\n\nLong before I read the Bible from cover-to-cover I intended to re-write the Bible and take out all of the sexist language.  What a joke that was!  When I finally read it I didn't change it but it sure did change me!\n\nOne wonderful thing I noticed was that I had the feeling that it was written directly to me, even though I know it was written long before I was born.  It reminds me of looking at a photograph when it seems as though the subject is looking right back at you.\n\nEven though there have been several translations of the Bible they all say just about the same thing.  However I've seen a few that are not divinely inspired and there is no sense of the Living Word of God.\n\nYes, it is fascinating to look at the prophecies and realize that Jesus was the only person who ever had his biography written before He was born!
145286
Jesus was a perfect man in mind and body.  All the portrayals I have seen of Jesus are hard to look at, scraggely hair, skinny,sunken in cheeks. That is not perfect. We know he had to have been well built to endure the beating he took before his death. It's hard to imagine what he looks like but I believe that since he was a perfect man he was beautiful beyond words.
538884
I believe that he would.  Jesus was a definite  liberal of his time.  In my opinion, the introduction of the words sin, hell, and satan did not come from the man, Jesus.
366810
It's weird how this issue triggers exactly the same sort of responses the second time around.  Except this time we get a funny from a guy who thinks the US Constitution is trinitarian instead of a guy ranting about albigensians being murdered in the middle ages.  It's kind of discouraging.  \n\nAs for the second invitation to leave the country: thanks, I already accepted.\n\nFor me, this question is really, how should we as Christians respond to systematic institutional evil?  What do we do when we're surrounded by extraordinary violence, worship of money, pervavise corruption?  Answering this question requires some understanding of the dynamics of evil as well as the reasons people refuse to admit its presence.  It also requires an honest assessment of the demands Jesus makes on his followers, and the kind of universe Jesus lived in, the kind of universe his words and life create for his followers.  \n\nI don't have the definitive answer to this question, because I haven't been able to come to conclusions about many of those issues.  But at a more basic level, there are some simple realities that I think can't be denied:\n\n1.  Jesus was not violent and he didn't advocate violence in his followers.  His message was above all that the greatest victory comes through the greatest nonviolence.  So: Jesus' followers should strive to live a nonviolent lifestyle.\n\n2.  Jesus was not rich and didn't advocate money-seeking in his followers.  He warned strongly about the dangers of wealth, though he never went so far as to condemn it categorically.  So: be satisfied with what you have; don't seek wealth; share generously; live simply.\n\n3.  Jesus placed his father above every idol, every principality and power, every institution.  He was not 'patriotic' with regard to either Israel or Rome; and in the end both Israel and Rome conspired to crucify him.  But even so, he was no firebrand advocating revolution either -- recall his nonviolence.  The same is true of his followers: they should withdraw their patriotic allegiance from their nations and transfer that allegiance to God.  This implies that they should also open their eyes to the realities of what the powers of this world are and do -- and resist them.\n\nI wish I could learn these lessons myself.  In 1976 during the bicentennial celebrations, Dorothy Day was asked if she had a message to give America.  \n\nHer one word reply: 'Repent.'
637831
I think it went much further than Gay.  Much of the old writing were of a vengeful God. One whose name you could not mention.  Jesus freed us from the old testament.  Beside Jesus told us to love your brother, sounds pretty perverted to me.  But also pretty open minded.  His first invite to heaven was a theif wasn't it. If God is good and the Devil is evil both without the other concept in them aren't they equals in some sense. Hell was in the times of the Bible only a burning pit for the evilest of criminals outside the gates of Jerusalem not someplace of eternal damnation
623510
Jesus was a 100% God and a100% man. He is part of the Trinity. IT is not something that can easily be explained, even if God were to reveal this answer to us now and explain this, our human minds would not be able to comprehend what he said. God is much bigger and infinitely more intelligent than we are. We cannot confine him in just a book, a church, or even up in heaven somewhere, because God is everywhere, he knows everything, and is King of kings and Lord of lords. He gave us his word which is called The Holy Bible in order to show us what we must do on earth to be good servants and followers for him, and that is all we need for now. Instead of asking trivial questions, ask yourself what purpose God has for your life, and how he wants to work through you to spread his Gospel to others. I will pray for you. Have a nice day! =)
234005
Well, Jesus turned a lot of heads in the Bible.  I'm sure he'd do the same if he were here today.  As for going to the strip clubs and seeing the da vinci code ... a whole other subject.\n\nNote that when Jesus spoke to the woman at the well he was very kind to her.  He spoke of her sin and told her to change her ways.  He didn't engage in the sin itself.\n\nYes. It would affect my faith.
192879
Did you ever eat an apple? Did it taste good? Prove it.\n\nPeople also say the Bible is a fantasy...or that it's just a bunch of fairy tales or made-up stories.\n\nWhat they forget is that it is also the HISTORY of Israel. Without it, they pretty much have nothing to prove they ever existed...or do they?\n Very little was ever recorded about the Hebrews. And yet much has been said about Jesus...although little historical evidence on His existance.\n\n The thing is this though, what man, in the HISTORY of the World, has had more effect on it?\n\n HISTORY is recorded by His birth and death.\n\nNearly every religion acknowledges Him in one way or another.\n\n Even atheists will call on Him when their life is in danger.\n\n Nothing and no man has ever had the impact that Jesus Christ has had.\n\n That's enough evidence to make anyone think.\n\nBesides, He has deilvered me from a life of sin and unclean living. He has given me more blessings and miracles than i ever dreamed of.\n That's all the evidence i need.\n\nI am living proof He existed. :)\n\n God bless you, as you seek His' Truth.\nTo know more, click here...\nhttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/bibletruths_forbelievers/
180445
i am agnostic... i beleive the bible is a compilation of myth and legend. kind of like a really good tall tale. i have been known to compare jesus to paul bunyun... yeah their was a big axe wielding lumberer named paul bunyun but did he really have a blue ox... hell no.. sure jesus was a good dude, but did he really do any miracles... i kinda doubt it.
179660
Would it be so wrong if he loved Mary Magdelene and had her child?  I don't think so.  Jesus was supposed to be the perfect human being.  Wouldn't the perfect man want a wife and family?  I think the fear is that if there was a child then Jesus' bloodline has been passed on and just as the pharasees were afraid of Jesus's judgment and what he stood for back then,  Religious leaders today know they may be no better off perhaps even worse off.
559022
This is what Dan Brown would have you believe, but there is no historical evidence to back him up.   In particular,\n\n1) The Council of Nicea (AD 325) did not even discuss the question of "canon" (that is, what belongs in the Bible)!!   In any case, well before this time there was widespread agreement on which books were accepted  (evidence going back to the early 2nd century).   There is NO evidence of authorities "inserting" or "removing" stuff.\n\n2) Not only did Constantine not foist his own view of the deity of Christ on others,  ALL those at this Council (representing the viewpoing of churches throughout the Roman world) agreed that Jesus was divine!   The only question was precisely how that idea was to be UNDERSTOOD.   \n\nAlso, contrary to various insinuations, the vote was not even close!   The Council of Nicea was almost unanimous in its final statement (two out of over three hundred disagreed... though again, they did NOT disagree that Jesus was divine!)
309150
Absolutely not.  Jesus was human as well as God if you believe in Christian interpretations of his life.  I think Jesus was at least a very spiritually advanced human, he knew how to love without judgment and how to forgive. It seems absurd to me that he would not have been married.