Looking for questions to ask a Bible study group.
- Thread starter ThreeToMakeTwo
- Start date
All of them.
There are other examples, too. The French poor, for example, have a lower per capita income than Americans, but they also all have free health care. The German working classes have slightly lower per capita incomes, but they have all sorts of medical, educational and workplace protections and advantages our working poor could only dream of.
It's a ridiculously ignorant and untrue statement. I see it everyday.
Oh, and how about Australia? Their lower classes have a higher per capita income than in America and they have a robust public health care system.
I would say that anyone who thinks America's working poor are better off than their counterparts in other nations hasn't ever left the country, but I've never left the country, either, so I suppose it's even worse. Probably, they haven't ever read a book.
EDIT: Well, more than one book, at least.
Here are the lyrics to Bukowski. What a great tune.
"Bukowski"
Woke up this morning and it seemed to me,
that every night turns out to be
A little more like Bukowski.
And yeah, I know he's a pretty good read.
But God who'd wanna be?
God who'd wanna be such an asshole?
God who'd wanna be?
God who'd wanna be such an asshole?
Well we sat on the edge of the river,
the crowd screamed, "Sacrifice the liver!"
If God takes life, he's an Indian giver.
So tell me now why, you'll tell me never.
Who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Well who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Well see what you wanna see. You should see it all.
Well take what you want from me. You deserve it all.
Nine times out of ten our hearts just get dissolved.
Well I want a better place or just a better way to fall.
But one time out of ten, everything is perfect for us all.
Well I want a better place or just a better way to fall.
Here we go!
If God controls the land and disease,
keeps a watchful eye on me,
If he's really so damn mighty,
my problem is I can't see,
well who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Well who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Evil home stereo, what good songs do you know?
Evil me, oh yeah I know, what good curves can you throw?
Well all that icing and all that cake,
I can't make it to your wedding, but I'm sure I'll be at your wake.
You were talk, talk, talk, talkin' in circles that day,
when you get to the point make sure that I'm still awake, OK?
Went to bed and didn't see
why every day turns out to be
a little bit more like Bukowski.
And yeah, I know he's a pretty good read.
But God who'd wanna be?
God who'd wanna be such an asshole?
"Bukowski"
Woke up this morning and it seemed to me,
that every night turns out to be
A little more like Bukowski.
And yeah, I know he's a pretty good read.
But God who'd wanna be?
God who'd wanna be such an asshole?
God who'd wanna be?
God who'd wanna be such an asshole?
Well we sat on the edge of the river,
the crowd screamed, "Sacrifice the liver!"
If God takes life, he's an Indian giver.
So tell me now why, you'll tell me never.
Who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Well who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Well see what you wanna see. You should see it all.
Well take what you want from me. You deserve it all.
Nine times out of ten our hearts just get dissolved.
Well I want a better place or just a better way to fall.
But one time out of ten, everything is perfect for us all.
Well I want a better place or just a better way to fall.
Here we go!
If God controls the land and disease,
keeps a watchful eye on me,
If he's really so damn mighty,
my problem is I can't see,
well who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Well who would wanna be?
Who would wanna be such a control freak?
Evil home stereo, what good songs do you know?
Evil me, oh yeah I know, what good curves can you throw?
Well all that icing and all that cake,
I can't make it to your wedding, but I'm sure I'll be at your wake.
You were talk, talk, talk, talkin' in circles that day,
when you get to the point make sure that I'm still awake, OK?
Went to bed and didn't see
why every day turns out to be
a little bit more like Bukowski.
And yeah, I know he's a pretty good read.
But God who'd wanna be?
God who'd wanna be such an asshole?
Why should we care about a book publish 300 years after he supposedly lived that's full of myths, tales and legends?
or perhaps
Are you aware there is no concrete evidence that Jesus Christ ever lived?
My final question for this posting and I think best.
Why don't we have stories from birth to crucifixion?
They knew he was a god come to earth when he was born. They'd have never left his side.
or perhaps
Are you aware there is no concrete evidence that Jesus Christ ever lived?
My final question for this posting and I think best.
Why don't we have stories from birth to crucifixion?
They knew he was a god come to earth when he was born. They'd have never left his side.
You really have no idea what you're talking about. Here's a few helpful hints:
1. No part of the NT dates to 300 years after Jesus lived. The vast majority dates to the first 50-100 years after he lived, with a few very small parts maybe coming later, and several parts (Paul's genuine letters, Mark) dating even earlier.
2. Almost every scholar agrees Jesus was a real person. The Bible itself actually counts as evidence that he was a real person. You can't dismiss textual evidence entirely just because it's biased. If you did, you'd have to deny the existence of people such as Caesar and Alexander.
3. We don't have stories of his whole life because when he was alive, no one thought he was anything special, until the very, very end. He was one of many itinerant preachers at the time. Thanks to his popularity in death, we have a lot more information about him than we do about his contemporaries, most of whom we probably don't even know about.
People who treat the Bible like a history book are idiots. That's absolutely true. But people who think the only reasonable alternative is that the entire story is a complete fraud are also idiots. The story of Jesus we have today is the result of many people over the course of many years thinking about and studying the implications of the life of a man who, at the time, was almost certainly a real person.
Sure...but a clarification is needed or the fairy tale believers will twist what you just stated. He may have been a real person, BUT (this is important) no different from you and me. The stories of his divinity are just that....fabricated stories to invoke a following. That's where christians go wrong.....they think magic is real. No different than believing in the whimsical myths of Santa Claus based upon the generous gift giving REAL person known as Saint Nicholas of Myra.
Research.....learn....think.....find the truth.
Historical research is not equipped to answer the question of whether or not magic is real. It cannot address the divinity of Jesus. It can examine when and how the first Christians came to believe he was divine, but that is all.
Yes exactly....that is where science, logic, reason comes in. A multidisciplinary approach is the best pathway to truth.
You know this, goat.....don't feed the trolls.
There is more than one kind of troll. I consider the people who hate Christians so much they make broad unsupportable claims about how Jesus never existed, etc., and then act like they are the smartest people in the room, to be just as bad as VPM.Yes exactly....that is where science, logic, reason comes in. A multidisciplinary approach is the best pathway to truth.
You know this, goat.....don't feed the trolls.
There's little doubt he existed. Whether or not he claimed to be the Son of God is another story.
And if he did, what he actually meant by that is tough to say for sure.
Granted....I see your point. But most likely atheists/non-believers when they say Jesus never existed, they refer to the supernatural Jesus......no doubt there probably was a man who preached pacification during the era of Roman political upheaval....along with many others throughout history. His story is not particularly special, just happened to survive thousands of years of word of mouth and print. Makes it no different than the stories about pagan gods/goddesses/spirits.
Referring to your response to ralphie......David Koresh claimed just as much.....why did the masses not believe him to be the son of god?
I dunno. Wrong place wrong time? Or maybe you just need to be patient. It took a few years for the Jesus cult to really take off.
LOL! People are definitely fanatical enough.
Instead of a cross they'll wear a karosene barrel and a couple of matches around their neck.
So where is he asking God this question? LCK wouldn't be a very good bible writer.
I'll keep agreeing with Jesus ... tyvm.
Still don't believe the stories were of one person or that person was named "Jesus" Christ or there would be more historical writing to support it.. there just isn't enough to say "without doubt". There should be doubt.
I think it's very much like Robin Hood, in that it's the stories of many, condensed into one person. Maybe one of them was named Jesus? I do though believe that there was a group of people who fought against Roman and Roman/Jewish policy at that time and that they needed a hero or champion of their cause, so one was eventually created.
Nero burning them as torches helped their cause considerably.
Why do televangelists make more money than some Fortune 500 CEOs, and avoid taxation?
I don't like "many condensed into one," because it gives the wrong impression, i.e., that someone simply combined a bunch of different myths into one complex one. I'd rather say there is a kernel of a man there, the historical Jesus, and as the mythical Jesus developed, some of what was added was influenced by other sources.
The list of things that historians are just about 100% sure are true about the historical Jesus is pretty short:
From Galilee
Baptized by John
Itinerant preacher
Caused a disturbance at the Temple
Was crucified by Pilate
A few scholars make this list a little longer, and a very small handful would make it even shorter, saying that the only things we know for sure are that he was baptized by John and crucified by Pilate, but the vast majority of scholars would agree with that as the "kernel" that was the historical Jesus, so far as we know.
And they were all willing to die for that story ... even after being cowards for the cause earlier in life.
Sounds legit.
Like OS laying down his life for Peyton Manning legit.
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VanPastorMan
Hall of Famer
So we should not have gotten invovled in WW 2? Is that what you are saying? Is there no war that is worthy to fight in your opinion? You can't divorce the God of the Old Testament from the New. They are the same God. And as for the levitical laws, there was different consequences for different sins. If you worse the wrong clothing it was not the same punishment as homosexuality. Also you have to understand that the New Testament is dealing not with a nation of people,but individuals from all nations. The Old Testament is God dealing with the nation of Israel. Of course there is no doubt that we know His value system regarding adultery,murder,homosexuality etc. And these same values in the Old Testament are repeated in the New. God's Standard is His standard, and it's the right one. For you to say you disagree with Him means you are disagreeing with the God who created you. This is why we need Jesus and the salvation He provides. We give up our value system and grab onto His. We realize we can't save ourselves but throw ourselves on the mercy of the court of Heaven. Jesus who provides salvation is ready to save and defend us if we will just believe in Him for it.
So it's only okay to ignore God's laws if the punishment for those laws wasn't really that severe?
He is of course ignoring those laws....like killing your kid for back talking you or selling your own daughter into slavery.
Christians like VPM always ignore those laws, but seek to impose their will on others when they can.
VPM isn't serving God. He is serving Mike Pence.
Christians like VPM always ignore those laws, but seek to impose their will on others when they can.
VPM isn't serving God. He is serving Mike Pence.
You follow a poorly written ancient collection of the immoral beliefs of uneducated sheep herders.
Please STFU.
John Oliver's show from this week dealt with that exact question. It was interesting to say the least and you should check it out if you're able. But he explains how these "churches" are set up and he even sets his own up with the help of a lawyer. Pretty interesting, and mind-numbing at the same time. Great show.
