Op2, When Jesus told stories, parables, he used familiar culture to his hearers. Death as punishment and slavery was familiar in their culture. He announced a new agreement to his followers, the OT was now superseded. Love, pray and feed your enemies, forgive those that have wronged you, be gracious to all persons. Obviously you are cherry picking verses out of a diverse context and culture. Bush bunny, I am not a 6 day creationist, that text is based on an ancient Mesopotamian world view. It was only about 6,000 - 10,000 years ago that creative wisdom came to the human genome. As the ancient text says man became creative and moral in the image of the Divine.

Josephus you are so backward in your logic...

Jesus did talk similarly to the people BUT you say he is God or at least the Son of God...Therefore he must know about bacteria and viruses and other illnesses that affect humans.

So now your argument is Jesus would rather keep people thinking wrongly rather than educate them about the truth...Any verses where he went to a Dr and taught him about those things? NO!

He used the terms evil spirits, demons and the devil...

Your whole religious experience in Church is cherry picking verses... Now you can add hypocrisy to your list of failings...lmao I quote the verses that prove me correct and you wrong...and usually what Jesus said directly. Sorry for showing you actual verses...lmao

I note you never counteract a verse with a verse because you know I using the Bible will prove you wrong. You should be used to being wrong.

So let's see the level of your faith...in an experiment to glorify God.

CURE ALL THE DISABLED PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WITH THE POWER OF YOUR BELIEF AND PRAYERS!

Afterall JESUS said and JESUS was very, very specific here...

John 14:12-14 Very truly I tell you, WHOEVER BELIEVES IN ME will do the works I have been doing, and THEY (You guys) WILL DO EVEN GREATER THINGS THAN THESE, because I am going to the Father.

And WHATSOEVER YE (You believers) SHALL ASK IN MY NAME, THAT I WILL DO, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

If ye (You believers) shall ask ANY THING IN MY NAME, I WILL DO IT.

Sorry if I chose precise verses from the Bible now that is offending you...

Good luck I look forward to your success and extreme faith in Jesus OR you are a windbag if you don't!

Happy healings! You can now do greater things than Jesus so no excuses...lmao

Josephus you said It was only about 6,000 - 10,000 years ago that creative wisdom came to the human genome. As the ancient text says man became creative and moral in the image of the Divine.

So seeing this gobbledy goog says "man became moral in the image of the divine" why did we need a Royal Commission into Child Abuse?

What are you saying with these words in your brainwashed way?

Do you think child abuse is "moral in the image of the divine"? Men did it!

How can the divine ever be present in the evil organisations that covered up child abuse and failed to report the crimes to the police?

Are you saying God sat idly by ignoring the crimes but still remains in these anti-God institutions?

Matthew 19:14 But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven.

Well they sure suffered when they went to the people who claim to represent him on Earth. Please don't imbecilially explain that wasn't what he meant by "suffer"..I have taken poetic license with the word suffer to make my point.

Your arguments are ridiculous...

You people have learnt nothing and are delusional if you think you are moral...Religions are an insult to the divine!

You sure are misguided!

Your last Pope...

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/sep/13/pope-crimes-humanity-victims-abuse

AND the protection he has

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-resignation-immunity/pope-will-have-security-immunity-by-remaining-in-the-vatican-idUSBRE91E0ZI20130215

So why won't he face the charges? Doesn't the divine demand justice?

If any organisation has covered up crimes against children there is no morality in that organisation and they are an insult to God!

What say ye Josephus is it MORAL IN THE IMAGE OF THE DIVINE to protect the ex-Pope from prosecution and does the divine reside in organisations that cover up crimes against children?

Be brave...Answer the questions...lmao

Please note Josephus and NNS. What 10,000 year Mesopotamian text?! It is the first book of the Christian Old Testament. Gilgamesh legend and the flood, are in ancient Mesopotamian texts. First the was light, (the sun) etc., but I was brought up a RC and then our church did not adhere to the old testament because it was originally Jewish. Jesus was a Jew and died a Jew. He wasn't baptized a Christian, merging under water is supposed to cleanse one of all sins, is an ancient Jewish ritual. Most old religions have myths attached. But the old testament is the bloodiest thing if you read it. Lot offering his daughters to the pursuers of the angels. The only bit that can be based on some historic truth, is Joseph and the Israelites being in bondage. Archaeological evidence is that the Israelites were held in bondage in Northern Egypt.And Moses well is a shortening of Thutmoses, an Egyptian nobles name. Ramses the Great built a city and it is thought it was built by foreign labour, and there was a seven year drought all over the eastern Mediterranean, including Egypt. Some Jews do not believe Moses wrote the 5 books of the Hebrew Bible. If he lived at all, it was about 1200-1300 BC. His followers lay siege to Jericho, and slaughtered all the Canaanites, nice person. I don't think you have read the bible the St.James Bible. Jewish scholars say the Christians believe that Jesus will be coming back, punish all the unbelievers, is to legitimize their view that Jesus was the messiah. And they make up these fables, because if he was he did not finish his work as a saviour when he was alive. In fact thirty years later the Romans killed lots of Jews, ransacked the second temple, and took thousands into slavery, some messiah.

Continued. Opine2 there are some great DVD's out by Richard Dawkins. In 'The Root of All Evil' takes on the American fundamentalists churches. But the best one to me is 'Religious' an American comedian can't remember his name. His mother was Jewish and Father Roman Catholic. It is hilarious how so many Americans fall for the six day creation, making millions out of theme parks, now one is building an ark. Even a Senator questioned, who admitted he believed in it, and when questioned the Senator, replied, 'Well Senators don't have to be intelligent'. Religions evolve over time, they are favored by governments as they keep people distracted from what is really going on around them. I have for over 60 years thought about religion and spirituality.

Some good stories though. Around 6000 BPE the black sea burst into the Dardanelles,and opened to the Mediterranean and similar towns in mythology suffered the same fate. The first Temple was destroyed by the Persians, and Hebrews taken into captivity for a few generations before they returned to Jerusalem. Jews as we know them now only evolved their religious beliefs around 1200 years ago,probably influenced by the Zoroastrians, the first Monotheist religion. they were Persian but fled to India, where they are now the Parsees. Mosaic laws there is over 600 of them. Not just 10. The problem today is people are better educated, and the extremists who tell children lies or always brandish 'You are going to Hell' etc., they are child abusers in my mind.

Anyway, Easter is coming up, and it is an old pagan tradition first, as I don't know how the Easter bunny and eggs are related to Jesus' resurrection. But we buy them, yet somehow the Southern Hemisphere Easter isn't as meaningful as the Northern Hemisphere as we are entering Autumn.

Just recall Hitler believed that Christianity was an offshoot of Judaism. And in the early days, Christian Jews were disliked by the Jews and Romans

Well Sorry NathanJ. I tried. To the rest of you. You can fight over your philosophies and who is the one who is misinformed or misunderstood. (I'm sure each day f you can be clever and make it sting).