Funny. I was just watching a video about the penchant of religious intolerants for trying to dictate what others believe without actually having a clue: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oa_3HC8vdQ&feature=channel_page

Peter,

It's most saddening that you insist on delineating between "them and us" and continue to malign "science" as an opposing belief. 50 Nobel Laureates who are Christian support your thesis in what way?

http://www.adherents.com/people/100_Nobel.html

Or this?

http://www.allaboutcreation.org/original-sin.htm

I attended a Christian Brothers school, lived 2 doors from our local church and 5 doors from the Presbytery and bragged to mates with photos of my dad kicking back with the Pope. Running papal visit teams is definitely a leg up in Christendom. Sundays saw my home filled with Christians in what was a wonderfully warm community feel. Science dominated discussion. The themes you've raised here - "evidence" for bible stories - was discussed as proper: these are fables, none of it happened, the challenge is to not buy it because we loose our humanity. Nutshell? Magic 'aint real, we are. God does not interfere in our affairs, faith is in many ways doubt itself. Beware of "literalism", as your scam was known.

You actually mean, 1630 years since Nicene Council sittings. You claim the fish symbol as yours - Pieces. You're a Constantine Christian, not a real Christian. 'Ere ya go;

http://atheistage.org/?p=696

Google Antikythera mechanism for a glimpse into Greek science, suppressed by Rome. The gospels underscoring Christs Christianity - Paganism - were primarily destroyed. I shall spare lengthy descriptions of Christs celebrations, and forgo listing all the Popes who lived in utter debauchery during what you claim included "... texts and traditions that have been handed down over thousands of years."

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/187076.Sex_Lives_of_the_Popes

Without science your message would reach others in around 12 months - and then only in major centralised communities. If the messenger fell from his horse, he may lie for days in pain, then die perhaps as animals eat his flesh. Or a snake bite? Or an illness due to infection? Of course, you'd blame Satan and mumble something about God and heaven. So. Bite that hand. We'll catch you, care for you, pay for your privileges, suffer abuse of education and listen to lies. We understand our minds better than any god it can dream up.

2:-

"They said, “Master, you are […] the son of our god.”
Jesus said to them, “How do you know me? Truly [I] say to you, no generation of the people that are among you will know me.”

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/lostgospel/

Evidence Peter? Another problem is the insistence to have "evidence" that disputes "science", based on anthropogenic concepts such as evil, good, etc. Human nature is human nature.

I understand the fear of science when it threatens to deny the authority you've come to enjoy, but truth and humanity must transcend selfishness Peter. Surely you can see the benefit of accepting expressions of all human nature and embrace all humanity as secularists, non theists... call 'em whatever, presently strive toward. Your tribalism is disconcerting. Your evidence is flawed.

But please, don't insult science, lest you're prepared to turn your back on it Quaker style, ignore medical advice, resist medication when ill... indeed, live on the moon. Science even took us there. Many Christians to be frank. And they read... from the beginning of Genesis. Some became religious thanks to science.

To continue alluding to the falsehood that proper humane actions and morality is taught from a self contradictory book, peppered with barbaric absurdities and subject to centuries of uncontrolled editing remains perhaps the most unhelpful dynamic for those of us who seek to bridge gaps. This recidivist anthropomorphism of "science" is exposed easily as childish, discriminatory and divisive for Christians in entirety, much less human beings for whom you now purport to speak.

Science is often about being wrong, then moving on. It lacks subjectivity hence is immune to your claims. You fail to sustain an argument because you've presented "science" as a superstition or religion in competition with your interpretation. It's unrecognisable to the Christianity seen earlier or elsewhere.

Desperate for "evil" you're in the business of scape goating independent inquiry. Not much "good" can come from it. Fundamentalism rejects climate change, AIDS treatment/prevention and liberal drug policy. Another Nobel Laureate, Australian of the year, Peter Doherty labels these Crimes Against Humanity.

And you now argue for "the human"?

<<<<<<<<<<<< Everyone should be angry that Christians have commandeered all claims for truth. >>>>>>>>>>>>>

A dummy spit by Sells,

No one taking your mumbo jumbo seriously?

Do you want to debate the nuances of christian theology with people who don't give a damn either way?

Reasonable people are sick an tired of being moralised to by people that are as often as not kiddie fiddlers, and the ethical compass of christianity is so far out of whack that most choose to ignore it.

If you don't like playing in the sandbox, move on.

Peter, you say “No amount of scientific study in psychology, anthropology, social science, and so on, will be able to approach that which is deeply human. They should, but often are not, cut off from the great cultural expressions of our society”

That which you regard as the “great cultural expressions of our society” is available to anyone curious enough to consider them. No-one is cut-off. Let me assure you as one who is familiar with your “great expressions’ that they are no substitute for the beauty and wonder of the world about us which better explain and validate our society.

"No credence is given to the great shift in culture that occurred with the rise of Christianity”

No Peter, the great shifts in culture around the world have been due to human Civilization, in spite of Christianity and the other religions that have and will continue to stunt culture and human development potential and cause the major divisions that blight human society.