Trav,

Yes, Jesus was BOTH human and divine. The human mother being Mary and God was Jesus' father (and yes, Jesus did have an earthly father too - Joseph).
The halo drawn in early european art shows the Glory of God -Shekhinah Glory.
The dwelling of God. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shekhinah

Adam and Eve were "created". You and I are "born" but Jesus was "begotten" that is one reason why He does not stand in the same space as Buddah or Mahammed. They cannot claim to be "begotten" nor did they rise from the dead as Jesus did.http://www.gotquestions.org/only-begotten-son.html
Jesus was one of a kind.

Jesus is "set apart".
When Jesus came to earth the first time He was both God and man, so there is no comparing Him with other ""gods"".....small "g" gods.

The First Commandment reminds us that there is only one God.
In Deuteronomy God says, "Have no other Gods before Me.
This link below shows the beginning of the 10 commandments in many current bible translations.
http://bible.cc/deuteronomy/5-7.htm
The arrows continue on through all the 10 commandments.

This is an interesting OLO Article from 2005.

Faith of the Fatherless - Psychology of Atheism.

http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=3419

Poirot, Thank you for the beautiful poem from Baudelaire. Simply magical. You honour this poor forum with such gems.

Such gifts have some to so weave the mysteries of art, music and light to form such fabric of insight and imagery with mere words. Frighteningly wonderful and profound.

Though I might persevere, 'twould be at best as a blacksmith toiling gold, to small and poor avail.

And others have such gifts to so reveal such poignant text, that others may admire and contemplate. Therein lies a wisdom of culture and excellence most admirable.

Awe-struck I stand mute, searching.

Your poem is woven from similar threads, Saltpetre.

Flaubert thought that an artist had the responsibility of Creator.
He wrote:
"An artist must be in his work like God in creation, invisible and all powerful, he should be everywhere felt, but nowhere seen."

and....

"In a work whose parts fit precisely, which is composed of rare elements, whose surface is polished, and which is a harmonious whole, is there not an intrinsic virtue, a kind of divine force, something as eternal as a principle? .....If this were not so, why should the right word be necessarily the musical word? Or why should great compression of thoughts always result in a line of poetry? Feelings and images are thus governed by the law of numbers, and what seems to be outward form is actually essence."

You've opened a window of opportunity, oneundergod.

Readers who have struggled this far might also enjoy an opportunity for the diversion of a 'thought experiment'.

>>The only requirement is to think of all the implications at each step of the scenario.

Step one:
Completed. After 38 years of observational work you have a data set.

A scientific observational study recording species and genus data. You may have relied on others for some of the information (extinctions, et cetera) – people studying lifeforms elsewhere on earth, and this is good science – the more detail the better.

It is probable you haven't got all the observational evidence and records intact – over 38 years some records will always go missing. – doesn't matter since the design of the study and good science protocols allow for this.

As we are being scientific we need to be rigourous in our observations. This is what you've been doing.

We need also to be rigourous with the data sets – one is not enough. This is where replication or repeating of the experiment kicks in.

So you need to finish a second 38 year long observational study.

Again, since we are only observing species and genus and hundreds of thousands of people around the world are studying all aspects of these questions about lifeforms, there is no lack of input.

Because your study is based on observation and any valid conclusions are going to be really important because the topic itself is… and because this is a thought experiment. Let's be hyper rigourous.

Let's repeat the experiment so many times, there won't be any doubt. So many times that even if some of your records are criticised as incomplete, there's all the other evidence that you've been keeping and haven't lost.

What would be enough? Why not go for broke – so as to be really sure when you study the start and end data sets that any conclusions are certain – no one who is reasonable will be able to say the experimental repetition was insufficient if we do it 10 million times?

Step two:
Complete 10 million iterations of the 38 year data sample.

Step three:
Consider, compare and contrast your first and last sets of data. Aside from extinctions, what else has happened? Describe this. Draw conclusions.

Step four:
Publish your results. This critical stage shares what you've found – and what you now know – with everyone else. It allows them to criticise any flaws in your methods or conclusions.

Step five:
Have a rest – because we're at the half way stage. Remember, the process is to consider all the implications at each step of the scenario – and reflect on what you've done so far…

Observed; collected data, records and evidence; maintained consistent independent review and verification throughout.

A realistic, reviewed, rigourous and replicated experiment.

Step six:
Laugh out loud at the incongruity of being around in 380 million years to complete the experiment and see the results.

Step seven:
Continue the good science by replicating the thought experiment.

But, this time your 38 year workload of data collection represents not the start, but the end point, the last sample of the experiment for species and genus.

Compare and contrast your observations – your census of species and genus at this moment in time – with those of other scientists' observations of life forms prior to now, but a long time ago.

Comparing the last set of data (yours) with other scientists’ observations of earlier lifeforms at innumerable points in time across 380 million year span of this experimental study, what is to be noticed?

Aside from extinctions, what else has happened? Describe this. Draw conclusions.

Step eight:
Confirm your ideas – firstly by working through the thought experiment more than once, then by peer review.

Ask a couple of people whose opinions you value to try this thought experiment and share their conclusions with you.

Again, a realistic, reviewed, rigourous and replicated experiment based on your 38 years of study.

To end on a lyrical note… A valid end for an experiment is to complete the final step… through the window of opportunity you opened.