The problem with all you theologians is that you can't see the evidence when it is staring you in the face. When Jesus was on the cross calling out wondering why God had forsaken him, you lot all come up with some crazy theory that God was letting this happen because he was atoning for the sins of the world. The simpler explanation was that in truth there is no God, end of story. You don't need to look for some BS explanation. Wake up to reality mate.

If your God is so loving and caring, why is he standing by while all the terrible things are happening in the world. Why were so many people slaughtered in WW2 without your God lifting a finger to help them. It was only the kind and generous people who often with little thought for their own safety who went out of their way to help. Don't tell me that God helped.

Last Christmas, the choir to which I belong sang carols at several different services to celebrate the birth of Jesus. We were continually told how this event would bring peace into the world. It went on ad nauseum. We are still waiting for this peace and I am not holding my breath. What a lot of crap.

David

Time and space were independent in the Newtonian view. Special relativity relates the two and makes time dependent on the velocity of the observer. Classical physics can no longer explain all observed physical phenomena. We never did live in the world described by classical physics although in some respects it was quite adequate to describe many phenomena. Modern physics no longer has the Newtonian view of time.

However, the idea that any person existed before he or she was born is absolute rubbish as is the notion of eternal life. The Christian fantasies of an end to history are also rubbish. Human history will end when there are no more humans around to write it or read it. By that time Christianity will have disappeared. Like human beings religions appear and disppear. Manichaeism, Mithraism, Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism and all other religions are the products of human minds and disappear when no human mind takes them seriously. Manichaeism and Mithraism have already disappeared, and Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Shintoism will follow them into oblivion.

//Time was absolute in that it proceeded regardless of events and it had a direction that could not be reversed.//

Rubbish. Newton's Laws are fully time-reversible. Most of the 'Laws' of physics are; neither the special nor the general theory of relativity favours the 'future' over the 'past'. The only physical law which seems to indicate the arrow of time is the Second Law of Thermodynamics. But that opens up such a huge can of worms that I don't have the post limit to address it.

//However, the idea that any person existed before he or she was born is absolute rubbish//

No, it depends on your frame of reference. From Jesus' frame of reference - practically speaking, the same frame of reference as anyone else on Earth - it is obviously impossible for Jesus to have lived before he was born or after he died. But for the three-headed emu-people of Omnicroxicon 7 who are a couple of thousand light years away from us, Jesus hasn't even born yet. Any day now their astronomers will be reporting with great excitement a nova that will shine directly on Bethlehem, Earth, to herald the birth of their Great Prophet: Brian.

And for the Evolved Hooloovoos of No Fixed Address, Jesus has been born, died, resurrected, gone on sabbatical, come again, won the battle of Armageddon on penalties, got bored with it all and left for Valhalla with the farewell statement 'By Father these Christians are bunch of miserable, boring old wet-blankets. I'm off to get three-sheets-faced on mead and slay some giants with Thor and the rest of the lads: now there are Gods who know how to have fun.'

On a serious note: I am always interested in a good discussion about the physics/metaphysics of time. I just don't see what it has to do with the life of Jesus.

Always amazes me the hatred directed towards the One that the something from nothing faith deny. They certainly spend a lot of time and energy spitting their venom. Illogical but then again so is their irrational faith.

That is an interesting take on the moral angle, runner.

What is your position on the metaphysics of time?

Runner, it isn't hatred at all. It all about whether what you and other Christians believe is credible. The emotion we feel is sorrow. Sorrow that people like you can be so gullible. You need to look at real history, not just what you read in the bible. You need to realise that what is in the "good book" is a series of stories written by jews to convince their people that they are the chosen ones of God. However when you look at recent history during the second world war, there was no god out there looking after the jews at all. Millions died at the hands of the Germans in concentration camps under the most appaling conditions. That is not what a just and loving father would allow to happen. Get it into your brain man, there is no just and loving father out there, no God, period.