Poirot

'The majority of Australians are insular and xenophobic - and Mr Abbott knows that. '

Thats strange. Have you visited India, China, Arab nations or are you just slagging off at the average Aussie? I have found Aussies to far more tolerant of others than the majority from other lands unless of course they want our wealth.

The stupid thing is you cite someone who has not proof of ever existing.

The fact is that Abbott and Gillard are both boat people so presumably they both came in this strange back door.

Tony Lavis was quite brilliant in his new testament citations.

'33 And he shall set ... the goats on the left.'

Wow such clarity.

funny how those who deny the resurrection and inspiration of Scripture now claim to be expert interpreters of that which they deny. Marilyn might be totally wrong at least she's consistent.

Dear runner,

To make the new religion acceptable to the superstitious Romans the inventors of Christianity brought the pagan mumbojumbo including the resurrection to their new belief system.

Mithra was born of a virgin mother on the 25th December. His great festivals were the winter solstice and the Spring equinox (Christmas and Easter). He had twelve companions or disciples (the twelve months). He was buried in a tomb, from which he rose again; and his resurrection was celebrated yearly with great rejoicings. He was called Savior and Mediator, and sometimes figured as a Lamb; and his followers held sacramental feasts in his memory.

Osiris was born on the 361st day of the year. He was betrayed by Typhon, the power of darkness, and slain and dismembered. His body was placed in a box, but afterwards, on the 19th, came again to life, and, as in the cults of Mithra, Dionysus, Adonis and others, so in the cult of Osiris, an image placed in a coffin was brought out before the worshipers and saluted with glad cries of "Osiris is risen." "His sufferings, his death and his resurrection were enacted year by year in a great mystery-play at Abydos."

Adonis or Tammuz was born of a Virgin (Nature), and so beautiful that Venus and Proserpine (goddesses of the Upper and Underworlds) both fell in love with him. It was agreed that he should spend half the year (summer) in the upper world, and the winter half with Proserpine below. A boar killed him. Every year the maidens "wept for Adonis" (Ezekiel 8:14). In the spring a festival of his resurrection was held--the women having found the supposed corpse placed it (a wooden image) in a coffin or hollow tree and rejoiced over his supposed resurrection.

The Jesus myth is a composite of various pagan myths which the Christians recycled. They also incorporated the Jewish Bible in their Scripture. It is easier to recycle myths than to invent new ones. Jesus is a recycled pagan God.

davidf

'The Jesus myth is a composite of various pagan myths which the Christians recycled. '

Yes I am sure those apostles who willingly went to their deaths after speaking to the resurrected Lord accept your distortion of history. Before HIs resurrection they ran away as cowards.