Still Alive Posted August 7, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,024 Content Per Day: 1.33 Reputation: 1,224 Days Won: 3 Joined: 02/05/2018 Status: Offline Share Posted August 7, 2018 My history includes four bonafide miracles as well as a few times I've learned something new about Christianity that, at first, caused me to question the faith. However, thanks to God sharing those miracles from time to time, it seems to prepare me for each of these events in advance. The first "crisis" was when I told a humanist friend that I'd become a Christian and he said, did you know the Christians burned a man at the stake for trying to convert the bible to English? I was devastated, but after investigating, I realized it was not Jesus that did it, nor were they obeying what the bible taught. Rather, they were flawed men trying to use Christianity to support their own sin. And heck, even the KKK did that. There were others that followed, but the latest was something I really want to share for a couple of reasons. First, because with each of these crises of faith, I'm like a body builder. That is, the workout creates scar tissue which is new muscle. That is, my beliefs DO change, but they change to accept the kernel that started the crisis, as in the example I used at the beginning. And second, because, for some reason, nobody seems to be taking the apologetic stance on this site regarding the teaching I was just exposed to. That is the teaching of Bart Ehrman. I think his teaching can be very damaging to new Christians who have just entered the faith, but for those of us who have moved on to Spiritual meat, his teaching mostly just confirms what we already know and suspect. When I listened to his interview with Sam Harris, it was clear that he was mostly discussing contradictions in the bible that I already know are there and have no impact on my faith at all. But much of his conclusions can be effectively refuted. He seems to forget that we are discerning things spiritual. And I don’t mean just throwing out platitudes like “a day is as a thousand years to the Lord so “soon” has no meaning – stuff like that. Anyway, since I couldn’t even find his name in a search of the site, and he is fairly high profile, I thought I’d create a thread where we could discuss the things he teaches from an apologetics perspective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie T Posted August 7, 2018 Group: Senior Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 528 Content Per Day: 0.21 Reputation: 102 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/26/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted August 7, 2018 (edited) This should cover most of what anyone may need.... probably both pro and con. https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=hts&oq=&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLS_enUS721US722&q=Bart+Ehrman&gws_rd=ssl Edited August 7, 2018 by Willie T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still Alive Posted August 7, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,024 Content Per Day: 1.33 Reputation: 1,224 Days Won: 3 Joined: 02/05/2018 Status: Offline Author Share Posted August 7, 2018 2 minutes ago, Willie T said: This should cover most of what you need.... probably both pro and con. https://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&aq=hts&oq=&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4GGLS_enUS721US722&q=Bart+Ehrman&gws_rd=ssl Willie, I already went there. I'm looking for the opinions of the people that frequent this site and have already been exposed to this teaching. My son-in-law, an Israeli Jew, wanted my opinion on Sam Harris, so I downloaded Stitcher and the first of his interviews I chose was, naturally, the first one on Christianity I saw. It brought me to the interview with this guy. What was kind of interesting was, as I see as so often the case, he made the same discoveries I've made but his reaction was completely different. He lost his faith, but in my case it was actually strengthened. I just learned to stop believing certain things about it that could not be supported in any way other than what the bible said about it, and what the bible said about it was thoroughly impeached. It is what caused me to use the sig line I now use. While listening to the interview, I saw where he was bringing up clear and undeniable contradictions in the bible, but then explaining them as though to a child. And, oddly, he still seemed friendly to Christianity. It was as if he has not worked out in his own mind yet whether we are saved by Grace or not. It's as though he seems to think there is something to it, but he believes very little of what the bible actually says about it. He and I both strongly agree regarding Christianity being one of the "human sacrifice" religions, except he takes it to a different conclusion than I do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie T Posted August 7, 2018 Group: Senior Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 528 Content Per Day: 0.21 Reputation: 102 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/26/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted August 7, 2018 3 minutes ago, Still Alive said: Willie, I already went there. I'm looking for the opinions of the people that frequent this site and have already been exposed to this teaching. My son-in-law, an Israeli Jew, wanted my opinion on Sam Harris, so I downloaded Stitcher and the first of his interviews I chose was, naturally, the first one on Christianity I saw. It brought me to the interview with this guy. What was kind of interesting was, as I see as so often the case, he made the same discoveries I've made but his reaction was completely different. He lost his faith, but in my case it was actually strengthened. I just learned to stop believing certain things about it that could not be supported in any way other than what the bible said about it, and what the bible said about it was thoroughly impeached. It is what caused me to use the sig line I now use. While listening to the interview, I saw where he was bringing up clear and undeniable contradictions in the bible, but then explaining them as though to a child. And, oddly, he still seemed friendly to Christianity. It was as if he has not worked out in his own mind yet whether we are saved by Grace or not. It's as though he seems to think there is something to it, but he believes very little of what the bible actually says about it. He and I both strongly agree regarding Christianity being one of the "human sacrifice" religions, except he takes it to a different conclusion than I do. Sorry, I wasn't clear. That wasn't for you. It was for others like me who had never heard of the man/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Still Alive Posted August 7, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 13 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,024 Content Per Day: 1.33 Reputation: 1,224 Days Won: 3 Joined: 02/05/2018 Status: Offline Author Share Posted August 7, 2018 2 minutes ago, Willie T said: Sorry, I wasn't clear. That wasn't for you. It was for others like me who had never heard of the man/ Oops. Sorry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adstar Posted August 7, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 12 Topic Count: 75 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,399 Content Per Day: 0.43 Reputation: 1,307 Days Won: 1 Joined: 09/01/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted August 7, 2018 18 minutes ago, Still Alive said: Willie, I already went there. I'm looking for the opinions of the people that frequent this site and have already been exposed to this teaching. My son-in-law, an Israeli Jew, wanted my opinion on Sam Harris, so I downloaded Stitcher and the first of his interviews I chose was, naturally, the first one on Christianity I saw. It brought me to the interview with this guy. What was kind of interesting was, as I see as so often the case, he made the same discoveries I've made but his reaction was completely different. He lost his faith, but in my case it was actually strengthened. I just learned to stop believing certain things about it that could not be supported in any way other than what the bible said about it, and what the bible said about it was thoroughly impeached. It is what caused me to use the sig line I now use. While listening to the interview, I saw where he was bringing up clear and undeniable contradictions in the bible, but then explaining them as though to a child. And, oddly, he still seemed friendly to Christianity. It was as if he has not worked out in his own mind yet whether we are saved by Grace or not. It's as though he seems to think there is something to it, but he believes very little of what the bible actually says about it. He and I both strongly agree regarding Christianity being one of the "human sacrifice" religions, except he takes it to a different conclusion than I do. Why not bring forth an example? If you want to talk about them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adstar Posted August 7, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 12 Topic Count: 75 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,399 Content Per Day: 0.43 Reputation: 1,307 Days Won: 1 Joined: 09/01/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted August 7, 2018 21 minutes ago, Still Alive said: He and I both strongly agree regarding Christianity being one of the "human sacrifice" religions, except he takes it to a different conclusion than I do. Why do you believe Christianity is a human sacrifice religion ? Do you believe the LORD Jesus Christ was a mere human ? Or was He God manifested in the flesh ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie T Posted August 7, 2018 Group: Senior Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 528 Content Per Day: 0.21 Reputation: 102 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/26/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted August 7, 2018 I would assume he has a number of things he sees as contradictory in his videos? It will take some time to go through them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Willie T Posted August 7, 2018 Group: Senior Member Followers: 4 Topic Count: 4 Topics Per Day: 0.00 Content Count: 528 Content Per Day: 0.21 Reputation: 102 Days Won: 1 Joined: 07/26/2017 Status: Offline Share Posted August 7, 2018 (edited) I can see what you mean about a "human sacrifice" religion.. The Bible plainly tells us Jesus was a sacrifice.... and that such sacrifice had to be in blood (death) of a human being. And the Bible does tell us Jesus was fully human and fully God. None of those things can, IMO, be disputed. Edited August 7, 2018 by Willie T Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adstar Posted August 7, 2018 Group: Royal Member Followers: 12 Topic Count: 75 Topics Per Day: 0.01 Content Count: 3,399 Content Per Day: 0.43 Reputation: 1,307 Days Won: 1 Joined: 09/01/2002 Status: Offline Share Posted August 7, 2018 3 minutes ago, Willie T said: I can see what you mean about a "human sacrifice" religion.. The Bible plainly tells us Jesus was a sacrifice.... and that such sacrifice had to be in blood (death) of a human being. And the Bible does tell us Jesus was fully human and fully God. None of those things can, IMO, be disputed. Was the Blood of the animal sacrafices a symbol for something else? Or was it pointing to the actual shed blood of the Lord Jesus paying the price for our sin? Isaiah 53: KJV 10 "¶ Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him; he hath put him to grief: when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the LORD shall prosper in his hand. {11} He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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