My guess? It's a cultural thing. There are those who have doubt, but they live in a heavily Christian influenced culture, which of course you know where that leads in regards to power and what it means for those who aren't affiliated with the majority religion within that culture. So while it's enough to say... be a non-believer because there's not enough evidence to compel one to believe, it doesn't exactly solve the problem about being inside a Christian dominated society. So any evidence that at LEAST knocks the scripture down to the same real veracity as Greek myths for example is a chance to establish a more egalitarian society.

That'd be my guess, but you know I've got a chip on my shoulder. As for me, I'm now interested in the history of Christianity and the other monotheistic religions so that I can understand what it REALLY is, barring all the supernaturalism and superstition. You know, what the historians say it is. I'm just surprised that I was lucky enough to find the historical consensus as emotionally favorable. The history can be incorporated into my tactics. So I want to know more now beyond just the fact that I find this bizarre belief kind of fascinating in a way.

In short, I agree. It is morbidly fascinating, however insanely tragic to witness this disease tearing our fellow humans' minds apart. I believe it may have been Dawkins who proposed the notion that organised religion has evolved like any organism does - more or less - although regrettably I can't seem to recall the name of the video I wanted to link on that topic.

Lol :D Excellent response; concise and to the point.

It annoys me not so much on Christianity's behalf but because it shows they never heard any of the myths they're talking about, which is sad because now they think it was all Jesus (wouldn't have American Gods been so much better if every character was Jesus?), or they did but they just want to believe the new lie to feel better about the myths they used to believe in. I know pagans who claim to follow the Egyptian pantheon who propagate the Jesus is Horus shit and just want to feel superior that way.

Its also annoying because yes, Christianity was heavily influenced by pagans, but more by Neoplatonism than anything else. Poor Neoplatonism helped shape the world but never gets remembered.

Well, yes. Basically. I honestly feel that if the popular understanding of Christianity was understood from a historical perspective, then the idea of faith could indeed be a personal thing instead of, "Well, I can't judge you, but the OTHER has to change someday and hopefully god will show you the way".

Its part of it? But I'm not sure its the solid solution. Historical criticism has been popular in Protestant Europe for a pretty long time now, but one of the criticisms with the them is that it became too liberal as a result, allowing the churches to be manipulated and changed according to any political agenda. This was the origin of Karl Blarth's disgust with the liberal theologians of Germany who supported the Kaiser in WWI, and again going along with Hitler's church programs. As a pastor he also found difficultly in making historic criticism relevant to oppressed mill workers.

I'd also point out that the Vatican also now says its all for historic criticism, although that doesn't stop them from being dicks.

I like pasta.
RAmen!

pasta is evil and you are of your father the pasta devil

TR, I have to admit that I, too, have felt the touch of the Pasta Devil. AVE INFERNALIS

RAmen to you too, Brother! I found a pic of the FSM... IN SPACE!

Lemme dig it out... Here you go!

http://i731.photobucket.com/albums/w...fsminspace.jpg

oh yeah that really looks like fsm , haha yeah right

I wasn't talking to you, I was talking to Timeless Rebellion! It's not all about you, you dirty hippie! :p

hey I resemble that remark

Yes Pothead, you DO resemble that remark... :P
Kasdeja: Our lord has been spotted once more! With this evidence, we can renew the faith of thousands of people across the globe, if not millions!
Entropic Wyrm: He is not a devil, He is a god!

...Then who the hell was touchin' on me?

Probably pedobear.

You were right! I tried chasing him off with a rolled-up newspaper, but he hid under Benedictus Ratzinger's frock. Newspaper isn't going to have much of an effect on solid gold trim.

but wait aren't you pedobear ?

That's not a very nice thing to say to Timeless Rebellion. Say 10 Hail Marys. Would you like fries with that?

well pedobear keeps getting old pasta out of my garbage so I thought since this guy worships pasta that it was him, sorry if I offend , I don't mean to

Oh crap I totally forgot to take a picture of the FSM I made last night for dinner. I even got two meat balls for eyes. I felt accomplished.

That would have been fantastic! Maybe next time?

If your dish looked like Him, you should have preserved it and donated it to His church!
Remember that slice of toast that looked like it had the face of this ficticious character named Jesus on it? Yeah, that sold for a lot.

but it would only be art work, why not donate it to a art place?

Why didn't someone donate the Jesus toast to an art place?