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I think we've unintentionally made a great point regarding the OP raze. Here we have a perfect example of someone who disregarded logic and reason in their determination of reality.
"I" redefine it? LOL as usual, I'm comfortable with the standard dictionary definition.
" That you have no evidence for this,"
That I have no evidence of what???
We have no such thing. The best medical science available, gives you test results they can't explain, and label a miracle.
False
Which completely removed the meaning of the word as used, LONG before their dictionary was published. So yes, you re-defined it.
And here is the second instance, in as many posts, of you providing evidence you can't follow simple conversation. (Selective hearing?)
How about people who have been healed of cancer. Care for any more names and numbers to call?
I think you misunderstood what I was saying about Tacitus, I believe he was historically reliable. My point was that even though he is historically reliable, he made mistakes, so you can't simply accept everything he wrote as fact merely because he wrote it.
It's funny you should mention that the "Gospel writers" were Jesus's historians. Did you happen to check out any of the links that I've posted earlier in this thread? THere was an attempt recently by many well known and respected biblical scholars to determine which sayings in the bible could actually be attributed to Jesus. The result was that they decided the overwhelming majority of quotes attributed to Jesus are incorrect, and in all likelihood he never said them.
Jesus Seminar - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
" The Ancient Near East did not record events as reporters and modern historians do today."
THis much is true. THere were no concerned scholars searching for facts, checking sources, or establishing any sort of attempt to critically examine evidence or witnesses.
It was a time of cults and magic and superstition. People believed stories based on the fervor of the story-tellers. There are plenty of gods raised from the dead, talking dogs, magicians, demons, and all sorts of nonsense we don't believe in today.
THat is why it is crucial to examine any writings from the period through external sources, otherwise its impossible to know the truth.
Nor should we necessarily deem what he has recorded that does not agree with our own bias as unreliable. Since we are considering corroboration as helping in the determination of truth in historicity, his references fit the bill. Again, his wittings are not inspired by God so they are not canonical, but they do corroborate at least to the point of determining that Christ historically existed.
[FONT="]I am well acquainted with these critical works and the characterization of well known and respected biblical scholars is an exaggeration. The Jesus Seminar folks, who pride themselves on their scholarship, are misguided. They fail to grasp that we only know what Jesus said and did through the Spirit-inspired witness of Christs apostles. It is with error and futile to seek Jesus in a different way than what God has seen fit to give us.[/FONT]
The biblical accounts and narratives were given to the various authors who were superimposed by the Holy Spirit. The copying of the scriptures was done by scribes who used the scriptures at their disposal.
True to a point. There was superstition and gods who behaved badly in the ancient Near Eastern pagan recordings, to say the least. The people were trying to control their environment and so the religions of the ancient Near East developed according to the cognitive environment. There were views and beliefs we do not accept today, however, it is wrong headed to force todays cognition on the Ancient Nears Easts cognitive environment. Since we are after the meaning of the narratives and their text, we must try to understand the authors cognition and context.
I agree. We must study the history of the Near East to recover the knowledge of events that shaped the lives of the people of the ancient Near East. We must study archeology to recover the lifestyle reflected in the material culture of the ancient world. We must study the literature of the Near East to see inside the heart and soul of the people of the Near East including the Hebrews. We must study the language of the ancient Near East to gain insight into the semantics, lexicography, idioms, and metaphors used in Hebrew.
I have never said I could prove anything, I can't. No matter what evidence I put forward, there will be another reason why it may not be God's work. God is eternal, he has no beginning or no end. We live in a world with limits and restrictions, with laws and measurements. God can't be measured by anything on this Earth. The proof of God is written on our hearts, there is a little something there that wants God. When this place is filled with Christ, that person is at true peace. When it is not, usually a person will desperately try to fill it with something else.
My former roommate used to be a Christian a long time ago. He experienced a great deal of judgement from church members because he was what they considered to be different. After a while he got tired of hit and gave up his faith and became an atheist. For a while he seemed really happy, he used to tell me how free he felt now that he realized the truth that Jesus was not real. As time went by he got bad into drinking, and basically let himself go. He would always make a point to come out to the livingroom and have discussions with me on different reasons why he felt God was not real. It was almost like he was on a mission to get me to stop believing. Now I believe that he has been running from God who is probably tugging at his heart. Because if there really wasn't a God, then what is driving you to convince others that he doesn't exist? Isn't the point of Atheism that you can go on your merry way without having to deal with things like this? Honestly if I were to for some reason drop my faith, I would not take any time on these forums at all because I would not have any interest in it. Of course that would never happen.
Or how about someone who became a vegetable because of severe brain damage being restored to their original intelligence? How about someone who lost a liver or their kidneys and had those organs miraculously grow back?
What about the opposite cases where parents relied on faith healing to save their children, and their children died?
The only answer that makes sense for all these cases is that god doesn't heal, and medical science doesn't currently have every answer.
Have you ever believed in him in the past?
I believe in the Word of God, and I believe that you will find the truth because you are seeking it:
Luke 11:9-10
9 "So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.
You are seeking and you will find, when you are ready to knock the door will be opened to you. When that door is opened, when you accept Jesus into your heart, you will have the gift of The Holy Spirit. The amazing thing is that when you have the Holy Spirit, you then have interpretation of God's word in your heart. With this interpretation, you can achieve a deeper understanding of the realm of God. Your mind can never be convinced of his presence, there is no way anyone can convince you through logic or knowledge. It's a touch from the Holy Spirit, who instead of changing your mind speaks to your heart. The only way you will ever know is to take a leap of faith. I will pray that the Holy Spirit will speak to your heart and that you will give Jesus a chance.
But you are still here. There is something that is not letting you away form this forum. Whether you want to admit it or not, the Holy Spirit is working right here, right now.I believe I know the truth.
When I asked if you believed in God, I don't mean did you ever have a belief that he existed. I meant have you ever believed in him and accepted Christ into your life at any point?
But you are still here. There is something that is not letting you away form this forum. Whether you want to admit it or not, the Holy Spirit is working right here, right now.
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