A Question for Everyone

[WhiteWings]

Zoaraster was a student of Daniel

actually? I have often heard now that Zarathustra was a universalist, interesting if both were true...

Yep that would mean it was probably Daniel who thaught him UR.

[Tony N]

But the more I read, the more everything looks like Christianity.

Yes. But why? Just coincidence? (think not) What what first?
OT seems to predate everything that has a similar story.


http://www.greatcom.org/resources/handbook_of_todays_religions/03chap07/default.htm

I'm saying most religions have books, stories, and all of that stuff. But why do we believe this one? For all we know the bible could be another story book. There are older religions, with older books. I'm just looking for some things people have discovered for themselves, but not from reading the bible.

Our religion is the only one with an empty tomb.

Not only that but our Lord and Saviour fulfilled many prophecies about Him made over thousands of years prior to his appearing.

[Paul Hazelwood]

Please do not take this as I am trying to be a trolling atheist, for I believe the same as all of you. I'm just looking for a little guidance.

Why do you believe in Christianity?

Let's say the bible disappeared tomorrow, why would you keep believing the way you do? I've been doing a lot of reading in mythology (one of my favorite topics to read about). But the more I read, the more everything looks like Christianity. Hell, heaven, messiahs, God, all that stuff. Yet, when we read about mythology, we automatically say: "Ya that stuff's not real." Yet then we go back to church and do the same stuff everyone else was doing for their "Gods."

Help me out.

I don't believe in Christianity since that is just a name.  If the bible disappeared tomorrow then I would continue the path of spirituality because love doesn't need a book.

[Molly]

"Of all the ancient writings, most scholars agree that the Old Testament of the Bible is the oldest of religious books. It was first written at 1000 BC through 500 BC and the words were given by God to its writers. In comparison, most others are relatively young."


When you study the Old and New Testament, it eventually becomes clear that the whole  book was written by One hand.

[reFORMer]

Why do you believe in Christianity?

Let's say the bible disappeared tomorrow, why would you keep believing the way you do?

Well, for 97% of people in the USA who say they're "born-again" Christians that go to church meetings regularly the Bible never appeared in the first place.  For them, the Bible has never been read through even once.  Many are those described by Jesus in the key parable of "The Sower" as having no root in themselves.

In the second birth we are initially like sheep. If we are caught by people groups using many words of the spirit's language but are in intimacy with religious institutions rather than the living God, we may not develop much spiritually.  To even know "the LORD is my Shepherd" is a challenge when we are born in a brothel of Babylon.  Very many never get free in this life. 

When my soul is restored enough to express the authority claims of peace sufficient to raise animosity in those surrounding me, God "prepares a table before me in the presence of my enemies."  No longer sheep, but prepared for the bridal intimacy that will reproduce the exact image of the Shepherd to rule the nations, we are living epistles written within and upon by the Spirit promised of the Father.

[Beloved Servant]

"

"living epistles"

That is golden reFORMer!

[noname]

Why do you believe in Christianity?

the evidence suggest that Jesus was either
a) a culmination of all previous myths and legends about "god-men",
b) or totally unique

some members here said that his tomb is the only one which is empty...
if compared to other myths, legends and "god-men"...this is not true
there are numerous examples of risen gods (Osiris from Egypt, Tammuz-Adonia from Mesopotamia, Dionysus from the Geeks/Romans)...even the Islamic prophet Mohammed is said to have ascended to heaven from the temple mount

even in the OT Moses was not buried but "taken up"

these "gods" and "god-men" were just as real to the people of their times as Jesus is today to Christians

Christianity as we know it today (the religion) was founded by the Romans...it replaced Mythraism as official roman religion after Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the ONLY state religion allowable in future, thousands of Mythraists were killed when at first they denied this new religion

I think there should be a clear distinction between christianity and obeying God...through Jesus God showed us HOW to go through the door to Him, the Almighty ie to follow the example of Jesus...love your enemies, do unto others etc etc
how many "christians" do this? not many I know
most I know are shouting to kill Islam...or kill the enemy...or kill this....slaughter that....take other people's stuff and their countries with it...so in fact, nothing has changed since the roman days, it is actually worse now

i know very few people who follow in Jesus' footsteps to the Father, as Jesus said himself that the Father prefers us to worship Him directly...the Almighty...not His son, or His son's mother...or some other fallable human being we make a "saint"

the path to the Almighty is to love like Jesus loved...no less, no more...christianity is just another enslaving religion thought up by men who want to control the people

[Beloved Servant]

   noname: I can't think of a more beautiful way to start my day then by reading that message.

[onlytruth]

Bingo!!!,noname

[reFORMer]

Christianity as we know it today (the religion) was founded by the Romans...it replaced Mythraism as official roman religion after Emperor Constantine declared Christianity the ONLY state religion allowable in future, thousands of Mythraists were killed when at first they denied this new religion

For 300 years there was a religion in the world that had no priest, no temples, no objects of veneration.  Constantine only made Christianity one among the other Roman religions, radically changing it.  He gave financial support for Christian priests which did not previously exist.  We were all the priests and it was to the rest of the world.  He built and adapted temples for "Christians."  We had been the temple.  The pagan's temples were dedicated to the name of a certain God, so they began to attach the names of "saints" like, the Church of St. Joseph, or the Church of St. Mary.  Before this there was no special "Bible" or "Christian" name taken by converts.  We still are all saints.  (Though the Priesthood of all believers has yet to be established in a broad and practical way among Christians.  The ministry has to be retuned to the people of God.)  They used their pagan names, even named after pagan gods (which are nothing) and the only difference from the world around them was they didn't use last names and were even buried together with only first names.  People would know if you were of a slave or noble birth from last names.  Besides, we have one Father and are all brothers.  "Saul" even changed his Bible name to the pagan "Paul."  That's so radical it's worth meditating on.

Constantine did not make Christianity the exclusive religion of the Empire.  Where you got the idea of thousands of Mythraists being killed because they wouldn't accept Institutional Christianity I'd be interested to find out.  It sounds like the sort of things Dan Brown of The Da Vinci Code fame made up.

[Molly]

We still are all saints.

I remember how surprised I was when this was first revealed to me.  This was well known in the church as recently as 100 years ago.  You can tell by the songs they wrote.  But, now we seem to be living in some sort of dark age of the church.  Yes, we are  saints, and those that minister to us are angels...





Romans 15:25
But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints.


1 Corinthians 1:2
Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints...



Hebrews 1

13But to which of the angels said he at any time, Sit on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool?
 14Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?

[noname]

Constantine did not make Christianity the exclusive religion of the Empire.  Where you got the idea of thousands of Mythraists being killed because they wouldn't accept Institutional Christianity I'd be interested to find out.  It sounds like the sort of things Dan Brown of The Da Vinci Code fame made up.

I didn't say he made christianity the exclusive religion...I said state religion
the religion of the legions of Rome were Mythriasm...until Constantine changed it to Christianity to gain influence in the eastern empire amongst others...subsequently many civil wars were fought within the Roman army which weakened the legions not loyal to constantine...pagan temples were also raided as they possessed a lot of wealth and Christians all of a sudden received special priviledges (ie priest did not pay taxes anymore, welath of the state was put into building churches etc)...Constantine's actions resulted in a new kind of christian converting from paganism to gain financially and socially...after Constantine, paganism and other religions were severely prosecuted, these also included severe prosecution of Jews (see Theodosius)

"Nothing is more welcome to a military empire than a religious doctrine that counsels obedience and acquiescence."
– Hyam Maccoby, The Mythmaker, p163.