Golly fellas, my 3 little pigs story was a gee up by this irreverent atheist. Oh god! what do you make of Goldilocks and the 3 Bears. Next thing you know I'll be praying at the alter of Humpty Dumpty.

The biggest peculiarity of Christianity is it's deity belief.

This deity belief originated in ignorant, uneducated and brutal ancient times when science provided no alternative to the ancient superstitions regarding our origins.

Science is STILL in it's infancy, but at least we know a lot more now than we did then. The more educated and free a society becomes, the less influence Christian "belief" has ... that's why ancient Christian law doesn't directly rule modern first world countries. Many Muslim regions are still quite uneducated and not free, due to their cultures ... thus ancient religious law has a big influence. It's all about EDUCATION and FREEDOM, and NOT the specific religion. Both ancient Christian law, and ancient Muslim law, are brutal, inhumane and based on control and ignorant superstition.

It will probably be many thousands of years till science can conclusively answer all questions regarding all existence. Until then, deity belief will continue ... until we become advanced enough and educated enough to prove that all existence does NOT come from any mythical deity or superstition.

ALL deities have been an invention of mankind, always in mankind's image. Mankind is still at a very primitive stage of it's intellectual biology. What we know now, will be miniscule and of scant importance compared to what we'll know in a thousand years time (provided we continue to advance .... and that is NOT guaranteed, because of our animalistic and destructive intellectual biology).

Is that right, Paul1405.

>>Golly fellas, my 3 little pigs story was a gee up by this irreverent atheist<<

Clearly, sarcasm is not your strong point.

My take on the origin on the Trinity.

The Indo-European peoples occupied the area between the Northern Black Sea, From about 9000BC, spreading West to Europe & East across the Caspian Sea & Aral Sea towards the Mountain barrier with China to about 2500 BC.

The Aryan/Iranian Cultures then moved south into the Indus Valley & the Euphrates Valley bringing with them an early form of Trinity.

In India it developed into the Hindu Religion with their Trinity Brahma, the Creator, Shivs, the Protector, & Vishnu, the Destroyer. (Beginning, Middle, & End.)

In the Euphrates Valley, The Sumerian had a Trinity of Nammu, Enki & Enlil. Babylonian Culture, Marduk, the Creator, The Sky (no name) & below the Earth. (no name) The rest is a Creation story similar to the Bible with different names.

So I would say the Trinity originated with the Indo-European Cultures & evolved as it took different paths around the Caucus mountains into the Euphrates Valley.

Interestingly is the timing of the move away from the Black Sea is about the same time as the land bridge between Asia & Europe failed & flooded the Black Sea. About 9000 BC. Also about the same time as the failing of the land bridge between Europe & Britain, about 8500 BC. So the story of the Flood evolved as these Indo-European Peoples moved in different directions & developed different Religions & Cultures.

The origins and peculiarities are natural given the age of the 'story'. History is often rewritten and edited to the point where the end product many not resemble the original in large part.

Much of the religious story is cherry-picked and that is partly why there are so many different sects, the same is true of most religions because human beings are different and add cultural differences it is understandable anomalies or inconsistencies will be present. It is also historically, about power and control over people if you look at the actions of the Roman Empire at it's most powerful.

It may be that Jesus did exist as a man who tried to do good works and then the supernatural element or myth was born from there.

The biggest problem from my own POV is that too many religious people, not only Christians, limit their idea of faith to the worshipping of a deity rather than the practice of ethics unless it relates to their 'own kind'. As if the worship itself is enough on it's own.

Religion is certainly an interesting study not only of history but of psychology, sociology and culture. It is also a study in identity and the way people perceive themselves or the way they wish to be perceived. The problem of protecting paedophiles in the Catholic Church is a good example of where any mention of this issue will induce the labels of anti-Catholic no matter how awful the facts. The same goes for criticisms of he Islamic or Jewish faiths or criticism of Israel or Middle East will induce a similar response. Truth is thrown out the window in defence of faith sometimes and that is a travesty. Meaningful dialogue cannot come from a place of hostility or knee-jerk defence responses.

It is about identity and protecting that identity over all other values and that sometimes leads to bad outcomes.

"The problem of protecting paedophiles in the Catholic Church is a good example of where any mention of this issue will induce the labels of anti-Catholic no matter how awful the facts."
Pelican, I think the protecting of pedophiles by the hierarchy of the Catholic Church has more to do with their mistaken belief that it is more important to protect 'the good name of the church' than it is to prosecute a 'few' wrong doers within the organization, along with limiting any financial liability the business may incur. The natural reaction is to attack the accuser as being anti church. This is followed by firstly trying to minimise the crime ( it was not that bad) and then some justification for the perpetrator (was ill) then setting a false premise about the victim (after money)
No matter who we are we all seem to need to rationalise these kinds of things in our own minds and justify oneself as doing the right thing. This does not make it right, but human nature being what it is, seems to make it often our natural reaction. What do you think?