Christianity used to make sense to me if I looked at it this way

[SerenelyBlue]

The Bible doesn't make sense.  It is obviously a human invention.  Like all other religions it is doomed to become myth if not already to some.  I looked at it this way, but it is unscriptural.  Here is what I believed.  The story of Adam and Eve tells the story of the beginning.  Humans (Adam and Eve) evolved to a point where they could discern between good and evil (But good and evil are evolving concepts and are animal behaviours and code by beings who evolved to adapt to earth.  We could not be "have been made" in the image of the supposed author of the universe because our brains were formed to adapt to certain environmental realities on our planet.)

I digress.  Humans evolved to see the difference between good and evil.  The eating of the apple is a symbol of that awakening.  Innocence is gone.  They are then banished from the garden of eden.  The garden of eden is a symbol of innocence lost.  

Fast forward and God comes in the form of a man with a message that God is giving us a chance to experience eternal life in Him if we believe in his offspring which is really Him.  Jesus is comparable to a man becoming a bird to lead other birds into a barn on a stormy night. He becomes a sparrow so that he can speak to them in their own language.

 

I digress.  Jesus is the first to be raised into a form that can live for eternity with Himself.  God can double, triple etc.  

He is the New body of God.  And will be joined with us, the bride when we follow.  Forget for a moment that many humans without eternal bodies have died and can't be brought back.  We are what our brains are.  Science proves more and more that the brain is responsible for all functions of the human being.  Nothing left for the spirit to do.

 

I digress.  Like Paul said we are joined with Christ.  Christ lives through everybody in the bride.  People who have been chosen to occupy larger positions in the body live through all below them.  But then again.  If we are all receiving eternal bodies we must be duplicated by God because brains are who we are.  Brain structure literally changes as one learns.

I digress.  Those that are bigger in heaven face bigger spiritual battles on earth.  We receive eternal duplicated invisible eternal bodies that are perfect and exist along with our physical bodies once we receive the Holy Spirit.

If you don't accept Jesus you die.

The devil is an eternal being that wages spiritual battles with us and God.  

Thus God gives eternal life and eternal bliss in Him.

Ps  God created Israel to form an ideal environment for Jesus to be born in.  Hence Judaism.

Looking back at my former beliefs it is obvious to me that I rationalize and the jumble of beliefs are not coherent.  Plus it is not strictly alligned with scripture.

[disillusioned]

This is confusing. I can't tell if you're asserting what you currently think or describing what you used to think. Either way,  I don't find it terribly coherent. 

 

Christianity is false. Many descriptions of it don't make much sense at all. The above seems to be one such.

[LogicalFallacy]

1 hour ago, SerenelyBlue said:

The Bible doesn't make sense. 

 

You could have ended the post here.

 

Christianity doesn't make sense no matter which way you look at it. I spend a fair amount of time listening to debates as well as delving into subjects on free will, morality etc. What I've come to realise is that the whole Christian theology doesn't make sense once you start including other big topics. (In other words, the theology might be internally consistent, but it's incoherent once you try and place it within reality)

 

A short example that mixes in with free will. Judas is held to be of the devil. I think the verse goes "now satan having entered into Judas". Judas of course gets a bad rap. But consider - the whole Jesus betrayal relied on Judas doing this. No Judas, no sacrifice of the lamb blah blah. So did Judas get a choice, or was he merely a cog in God's plan in which case we cannot hold him responsible. (Or anyone else for that matter)

[florduh]

Like other mythologies, it can make sense as allegory, morality tales and folklore. Religions that treat their holy books as factual history and scientific fact are missing the point entirely.

[disillusioned]

21 minutes ago, florduh said:

Like other mythologies, it can make sense as allegory, morality tales and folklore. Religions that treat their holy books as factual history and scientific fact are missing the point entirely.

 

Yes, but near as I can tell SB's post seems to assert that Christianity is allegory, and then take the allegory literally. As I said, not terribly coherent.

 

SB, please elaborate.

[sdelsolray]

3 hours ago, SerenelyBlue said:

The Bible doesn't make sense.  It is obviously a human invention.  Like all other religions it is doomed to become myth if not already to some.  I looked at it this way, but it is unscriptural.  Here is what I believed.  The story of Adam and Eve tells the story of the beginning.  Humans (Adam and Eve) evolved to a point where they could discern between good and evil (But good and evil are evolving concepts and are animal behaviours and code by beings who evolved to adapt to earth.  We could not be "have been made" in the image of the supposed author of the universe because are brains were formed to adapt to certain environmental realities on our planet.)

I digress.  Humans evolved to see the difference between good and evil.  The eating of the apple is a symbol of that awakening.  Innocence is gone.  They are then banished from the garden of eden.  The garden of eden is a symbol of innocence lost.  

Fast forward and God comes in the form of a man with a message that God is giving us a chance to experience eternal life in Him if we believe in his offspring which is really Him.  Jesus is comparable to a man becoming a bird to lead other birds into a barn on a stormy night. He becomes a sparrow so that he can speak to them in their own language.

 

I digress.  Jesus is the first to be raised into a form that can live for eternity with Himself.  God can double, triple etc.  

He is the New body of God.  And will be joined with us, the bride when we follow.  Forget for a moment that many humans without eternal bodies have died and can't be brought back.  We are what our brains are.  Science proves more and more that the brain is responsible for all functions of the human being.  Nothing left for the spirit to do.

 

I digress.  Like Paul said we are joined with Christ.  Christ lives through everybody in the bride.  People who have been chosen to occupy larger positions in the body live through all below them.  But then again.  If we are all receiving eternal bodies we must be duplicated by God because brains are who we are.  Brain structure literally changes as one learns.

I digress.  Those that are bigger in heaven face bigger spiritual battles on earth.  We receive eternal duplicated invisible eternal bodies that are perfect and exist along with our physical bodies once we receive the Holy Spirit.

If you don't accept Jesus you die.

The devil is an eternal being that wages spiritual battles with us and God.  

Thus God gives eternal life and eternal bliss in Him.

Ps  God created Israel to form an ideal environment for Jesus to be born in.  Hence Judaism.

 

An interesting stream of consciousness, SB.  I appreciate the "digressions", but don't consider them as that.  Instead, I see them as a mixture of (i) religious claims you previously believed but no longer do with (ii) scientific/reality-based claims you currently believe as correct.  Do I have that part right?

 

Transition from one world view to another often takes many years, even decades.

 

Education never ends.

[SerenelyBlue]

10 hours ago, disillusioned said:

This is confusing. I can't tell if you're asserting what you currently think or describing what you used to think. Either way,  I don't find it terribly coherent. 

 

Christianity is false. Many descriptions of it don't make much sense at all. The above seems to be one such.

I was typing this out quickly on a tablet without reviewing.  I don't believe in Christianity anymore.

[SerenelyBlue]

9 hours ago, LogicalFallacy said:

 

You could have ended the post here.

 

Christianity doesn't make sense no matter which way you look at it. I spend a fair amount of time listening to debates as well as delving into subjects on free will, morality etc. What I've come to realise is that the whole Christian theology doesn't make sense once you start including other big topics. (In other words, the theology might be internally consistent, but it's incoherent once you try and place it within reality)

 

A short example that mixes in with free will. Judas is held to be of the devil. I think the verse goes "now satan having entered into Judas". Judas of course gets a bad rap. But consider - the whole Jesus betrayal relied on Judas doing this. No Judas, no sacrifice of the lamb blah blah. So did Judas get a choice, or was he merely a cog in God's plan in which case we cannot hold him responsible. (Or anyone else for that matter)

Very true

[SerenelyBlue]

8 hours ago, florduh said:

Like other mythologies, it can make sense as allegory, morality tales and folklore. Religions that treat their holy books as factual history and scientific fact are missing the point entirely.

Yes

[SerenelyBlue]

8 hours ago, disillusioned said:

 

Yes, but near as I can tell SB's post seems to assert that Christianity is allegory, and then take the allegory literally. As I said, not terribly coherent.

 

SB, please elaborate.

As I put my mental rambling together in writing I see they are written ramblings indeed.

[SerenelyBlue]

6 hours ago, sdelsolray said:

 

An interesting stream of consciousness, SB.  I appreciate the "digressions", but don't consider them as that.  Instead, I see them as a mixture of (i) religious claims you previously believed but no longer do with (ii) scientific/reality-based claims you currently believe as correct.  Do I have that part right?

 

Transition from one world view to another often takes many years, even decades.

 

Education never ends.

Yes, you've got it right sdelsolray.  I no longer believe Christianity makes sense.  These digressions are realities bursting through.

[disillusioned]

4 hours ago, SerenelyBlue said:

I was typing this out quickly on a tablet without reviewing.  I don't believe in Christianity anymore.

 

Good. Thanks for clearing that up. 

[Joshpantera]

On 5/2/2019 at 3:44 PM, SerenelyBlue said:

The Bible doesn't make sense.  It is obviously a human invention.  Like all other religions it is doomed to become myth if not already to some.  I looked at it this way, but it is unscriptural.  Here is what I believed.  The story of Adam and Eve tells the story of the beginning.  Humans (Adam and Eve) evolved to a point where they could discern between good and evil (But good and evil are evolving concepts and are animal behaviours and code by beings who evolved to adapt to earth.  We could not be "have been made" in the image of the supposed author of the universe because our brains were formed to adapt to certain environmental realities on our planet.)

I digress.  Humans evolved to see the difference between good and evil.  The eating of the apple is a symbol of that awakening.  Innocence is gone.  They are then banished from the garden of eden.  The garden of eden is a symbol of innocence lost.  

Fast forward and God comes in the form of a man with a message that God is giving us a chance to experience eternal life in Him if we believe in his offspring which is really Him.  Jesus is comparable to a man becoming a bird to lead other birds into a barn on a stormy night. He becomes a sparrow so that he can speak to them in their own language.

 

I digress.  Jesus is the first to be raised into a form that can live for eternity with Himself.  God can double, triple etc.  

He is the New body of God.  And will be joined with us, the bride when we follow.  Forget for a moment that many humans without eternal bodies have died and can't be brought back.  We are what our brains are.  Science proves more and more that the brain is responsible for all functions of the human being.  Nothing left for the spirit to do.

 

I digress.  Like Paul said we are joined with Christ.  Christ lives through everybody in the bride.  People who have been chosen to occupy larger positions in the body live through all below them.  But then again.  If we are all receiving eternal bodies we must be duplicated by God because brains are who we are.  Brain structure literally changes as one learns.

I digress.  Those that are bigger in heaven face bigger spiritual battles on earth.  We receive eternal duplicated invisible eternal bodies that are perfect and exist along with our physical bodies once we receive the Holy Spirit.

If you don't accept Jesus you die.

The devil is an eternal being that wages spiritual battles with us and God.  

Thus God gives eternal life and eternal bliss in Him.

Ps  God created Israel to form an ideal environment for Jesus to be born in.  Hence Judaism.

Looking back at my former beliefs it is obvious to me that I rationalize and the jumble of beliefs are not coherent.  Plus it is not strictly alligned with scripture.

 

This is interesting how you tried rationalizing christianity to yourself. No it doesn't make sense against science literally, but maybe there's some other value or maybe it's a clever code of some sort. SB, a lot of people go through phases like this. Give it a second look, wonder if maybe there's some hidden or deeper message that literalist's are missing. Then to the literalist's, the above is run of the mill heretical or apostate liberal thinking.

 

But what the liberals and literalists all have in common is what you've discovered. 

 

That it fails either way, whether taken literally, symbolically or otherwise. It will fail either way when you analyze it close enough. These modern interpretations are not what the myth makers had in mind, for instance. Most liberal interpretations necessarily part ways with scripture. And scripture parts ways with reality. Quite the predicament.....

[JohnnyWishbone]

On 5/3/2019 at 5:44 AM, SerenelyBlue said:

The Bible doesn't make sense.  It is obviously a human invention.  Like all other religions it is doomed to become myth if not already to some.  I looked at it this way, but it is unscriptural.  Here is what I believed.  The story of Adam and Eve tells the story of the beginning.  Humans (Adam and Eve) evolved to a point where they could discern between good and evil (But good and evil are evolving concepts and are animal behaviours and code by beings who evolved to adapt to earth.  We could not be "have been made" in the image of the supposed author of the universe because our brains were formed to adapt to certain environmental realities on our planet.)

I digress.  Humans evolved to see the difference between good and evil.  The eating of the apple is a symbol of that awakening.  Innocence is gone.  They are then banished from the garden of eden.  The garden of eden is a symbol of innocence lost.  

Fast forward and God comes in the form of a man with a message that God is giving us a chance to experience eternal life in Him if we believe in his offspring which is really Him.  Jesus is comparable to a man becoming a bird to lead other birds into a barn on a stormy night. He becomes a sparrow so that he can speak to them in their own language.

 

I digress.  Jesus is the first to be raised into a form that can live for eternity with Himself.  God can double, triple etc.  

He is the New body of God.  And will be joined with us, the bride when we follow.  Forget for a moment that many humans without eternal bodies have died and can't be brought back.  We are what our brains are.  Science proves more and more that the brain is responsible for all functions of the human being.  Nothing left for the spirit to do.

 

I digress.  Like Paul said we are joined with Christ.  Christ lives through everybody in the bride.  People who have been chosen to occupy larger positions in the body live through all below them.  But then again.  If we are all receiving eternal bodies we must be duplicated by God because brains are who we are.  Brain structure literally changes as one learns.

I digress.  Those that are bigger in heaven face bigger spiritual battles on earth.  We receive eternal duplicated invisible eternal bodies that are perfect and exist along with our physical bodies once we receive the Holy Spirit.

If you don't accept Jesus you die.

The devil is an eternal being that wages spiritual battles with us and God.  

Thus God gives eternal life and eternal bliss in Him.

Ps  God created Israel to form an ideal environment for Jesus to be born in.  Hence Judaism.

Looking back at my former beliefs it is obvious to me that I rationalize and the jumble of beliefs are not coherent.  Plus it is not strictly alligned with scripture.

Wow! 

 

You know what I used to do when I was analysing my beliefs? Tried to walk on water at the local swimming pool. If I truly have faith (I thought) and faith is the catalyst for miracles, then I should be able to pull this off.

 

You know what happened? I got wet every fucking time.