you ever watch the show "Ancient Aliens" ? the name sounds like it would be something foolish, but they have some very interesting and scientific theories about creation and religion.
This is a gross summarization of an idea, but i look at the Jesus story about the same way i look at my buddies fishing stories. He caught a 5lb bass, told someone about it. Next time he told someone else it was a 6lb, then 8lb... few years later he's sitting around the camp fire telling us about the 500lb shark he once caught.
I dont doubt Jesus may have existed and may have been a great person and did great things. I dont doubt he was crucified (like 1000s of others). Jesus was just as common a name as John and crucifixions were equally as common. This story has been retold, rewritten, retranslated over 1000s of years. I think it went from "Jesus was a great man" to "he walks on water, parts seas, and is the son of God".
Another tidbit of information, history records suggest that Mary was about 15 years old. In that time, sex out of wedlock was punishable by death. Why cant we apply the same logic we would today to these old stories? if your 15 year old daughter walked into your kitchen pregnant and told you she was a virgin, you wouldnt believe her. Why? because its absolutely ridiculous.
There's also several cases of forged efforts to provide proof of god's existence by respected church affiliates. Even commonly accepted "acts of god" have been easily explained by science. Stigmatas for example, you can hypnotize someone into believing and induce a stigmata. The mind is a powerful thing.
Another funny phrase i hear used by christians on issues like stemcell research and cloning. "playing God", if we can "play God", then maybe there's nothing special about "him" to begin with. If humans can create life, soil, plants, materials that exist here on earth, then maybe we created it all to begin with.
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