66 books
With around 40 different penmen most of which lived at different times throughout history.
Written in three different languages.
Written in three different continents.
and written over a period of some 2000 years.
YET IT TELL OF ONE UNIQUE STORY, GODS PLAN TO REDEEM MANKIND, But to you its just a coincidence! How blind can you be.
This book in the most read book in History
it is a perenial best seller, only two times in its history,since Guttenburgs printing press, has it been out sold in any one year.
The Harry potter book, dont know which, and The Davinci Code, both times in this decade.
This book is the most written about book in history.
the most critisised book in history.
It is paradoxily the most loved and hated book of History.
People far more intelligent than some of the self professed geniuses on this post site, regard it with awe.
this book has single handedly shaped history and nations.
yet according to the stupid and vain veiws on this site, everyone other than you were deceived.

This book and it's story has transformed the lives of billions throughout history and spreads its word through the message of Love woven through out.

To all those who doubt, you have been walking in the dark your entire lives its no wonder such a simple consideration of this topic elludes you. Just as God has a plan to bring you to the light, Satan is there to keep you in the dark and feed you rubbish. Its Satans plan for growing mushrooms.

Some scripture verses for the brethren, dont bother looking them up you other geniuses your sure to miss the point.

Thess 1:2-5, Thess 2:9-11, 1Tim 4:1-3, 1Tim 6:4-5, 2 Tim 3:1-9, Mat 7:6, finally 1Tim 6:20-21. If you get at all offended about these verses...maybe your the subject of them

Sorry for the lack of love here, but i've realised that talk without prayer is wasted effort to the deaf and blind.

GENESIS, they only get "insulting" because of your insufferable arrogance, that only YOU know the "TRUTH".
I'd rather use my brain than be an unthinking slave to any religious doctrine.
How do you know that the Moslems are not correct? What about Buddhists? What about Hindus?
Religion has kept mankind bound in stupid adherence to doctrine throughout the centuries.
Much easier to simply suspend one's thinking and analysis, isn't it? Just believe and all will be well. How incredibly childish and primitive.

Why are opinions preceded by the word 'humble', rarely what they claim to be?

Alchemist. Interesting point on the perception of 'eternity'. The idea that our perception of the values of space-time is relative to our physical state is intriguing, but like all discussions of afterlife, a little hard to arrive at any meaningful conclusions.

there seems to be an assumption (natural considering their pre-existing bias) amongst the more ardent biblical literalists, that atheists will spend 'eternity' in some kind of emptiness, a big Zero, always out in the dark as it were (some are saying hell). But this underlines a fundamental inability to understand that for the conscious individual known as 'it’s not easy being', there is not eternity, no alternative to heaven or hell or purgatory, no sitting out in the darkness looking in. nothing.

Mine, as well as all of yours, atoms will eventually return to the sun, in who's pressure and heat the complex particles that form our world were formed.

And anyway, why the hell would I want to spend eternity with the fundies on this site, who make the assumption, fairly presumptuously I think, that they will be invited to the great gig in the sky

numbat, no offence taken. There is really not a lot of space for taking offence on these threads, so much name calling and playing the man that anybody who gets to upset at that either enjoys being the victim or does not last long. Glad you enjoyed the irony, unfortunately the dreaded 350 word limit meant I chopped the bit where I conceeded the possibility that your summary could be correct although I'm not convinced. Thanks for the concern shown in your most recent post. Am I correct in assuming from your posts that you are not part of the mainstream evangelical church? Take it as read that I know their theology pretty well and no longer buy it. Anything different for me to consider that I won't get from a Big Rally Ham (an fun annogram of Billy Graham) or the local Baptist church? If it's AOG or similar type theology save your posts, you might want them for something else.

GENESIS,
Have you noticed that its the unbelievers of the "christian" god
get personal and insulting??

I had not noticed that we cornered the market on those traits, maybe your observation is a reflection of your own biases. As with most of these things the tone of debate tends to reflect the way people prefer to debate, their beliefs about their audience and their level of frustration with those they are debating with. Have a read of some of the comments by some believers of the christain god about muslims on other threads for an idea how personal and insulting they can be.

R0bert

There are none more blind than those who don't want to see… none more dumb than those who don’t want to believe.

Al, you forgot your medication again mate. I wish you could hear yourself repeating that nonsense you always come up with. And have the audacity to call us metronomes? Thanks for the laughter… it breaks the metronomy…

It could have been entertaining to read that ‘stuff’ if it weren’t so horrifying. But it still proves one point though: man’s insatiable spiritual hunger. If it’s not a religion of sort they will make one, or just fill that vacuum with hot air as we observe here.

The only person that can fill that space is the same person who created it. Jesus the Christ.

But the little geniuses are persistent in proving him wrong and re-inventing his universe.

How sad.

Yes I agree – prayer is the answer… that the blind may see and the dead would come alive.

Boaz, even you have to accept that Josephus was not a contemporary of the Jesus you are attempting to pin down, historically speaking. If you apply the usual rules of evidence to his pair of cryptic sentences, you would be forced to conclude "hearsay".

But as a believer, you choose to believe. That's fine. No problem.

As to the ossuary, the same doubts have to apply. Even the proponents of its genuineness have to admit that "about 20 people [in that city at that time] could be called 'James son of Joseph brother of Jesus'" So even if we assume for a moment it wasn't the forgery it was reported to be in May 2003, it is still only a 20-1 shot that it refers to the guy you want it to refer to.

But if you believe it to be so, so be it. No problem.

[Incidentally, what about all those Catholics who still believe all Jesus' siblings were in fact cousins? Where do they fit in? Couldn't you allow them their beliefs also? They are particularly keen on the "Mary as perpetual Virgin" view.]

There still remains one puzzle. If Jesus went around doing all the things you believe he did - walking on water, feeding the multitude with loaves and fishes etc. - how come we don't have one single, solitary contemporary account? Surely, someone would have considered them significant enough events to grab a chisel and a piece of stone...

"Hold the front tablet! Man turns water into wine at party! Alcoholics Anonymous horrified: 'think what it does to the kids'. Police warn: 'do not drink this water before operating heavy machinery'"

But more than anything else, I was asking Val, as a newcomer to the forum, to be very careful how arguments are presented here. Flippancy such as "We're therefore left with three alternatives for Jesus. Either he was a lunatic, a liar or Lord.", does not cut the mustard here. Opinions are fine. Beliefs are also fine. But trying to pass either one off as "fact" is not fine, and will be jumped upon.