Why I Believe in Jesus

[Lighthope]

Many people in the Western world claim to be Christian. But do they know why? Is Jesus just a story told to them by parents and culture, like Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny? Or is Jesus a real person to them, and someone we need to bow the knee to?

Unlike the gods of other religions, Jesus actually walked the Earth. No historian claims Jesus did not exist.

Sure, we have the Bible. But who believes that? “Stories” people will claim, made up around a campfire. This ignores the fact that of the accounts of Jesus, four were written by direct eye-witnesses (Matthew, John, Peter, and James). These people (except for John) all died terrible deaths claiming what they saw was real. We all know people will die for faith. That happens all the time. But no one dies for a lie. They could have saved themselves by admitting Jesus was made up. But they didn’t. Because they knew what they testified to was true.

But the Bible is not the only source of Jesus we have.

In Annals 15.44, written around AD 116, Tacitus describes how Nero blamed the Christians for the Great Fire of Rome (AD 64). He states: “Christus, the founder of the name, had undergone the death penalty in the reign of Tiberius, by sentence of the procurator Pontius Pilatus…” Tacitus was hostile toward Christians, making it unlikely he borrowed details from them.

In Lives of the Caesars (Claudius 25), Suetonius mentions disturbances among Jews in Rome “at the instigation of Chrestus.” Some historians debate whether this refers to Jesus himself or a follower, but it shows awareness of the Christian movement in the 40s AD.

In Antiquities of the Jews 18.3.3, Josephus describes Jesus as “a wise man” who performed “surprising deeds,” was crucified under Pilate, and whose followers continued. In Antiquities 20.9.1, Josephus also mentions the execution of “James, the brother of Jesus who is called the Christ,” which is considered authentic.

Scattered passages in the Babylonian Talmud (e.g., Sanhedrin 43a) refer to “Yeshu” being hanged (a term that could mean crucifixion) on the eve of Passover. These are hostile references, but they show Jewish memory of Jesus as a historical figure.

There is more evidence of Jesus than there is of Cleopatra, and no one questions her existence.

So it isn’t a question of whether Jesus lived, but what are you going to do about his life?

 

[OReid]

There is another interesting historical observation to be made. With the discovery of the Dead Sea scrolls many of the passages of the oldest known copies of the Christian text date to 100-200 AD.
The Iliad’s oldest surviving text 10th century AD. Written reportedly almost 2000+ years prior.

Obviously the Illiad doesn’t make the claims of the New Testament. But it does give perspective to the veracity of the contents of what they say and claim.

I’m a Christian because agnosticism and nihilism is a very cold and barren place.
Mostly thou it is because it is the only world view that sufficient describes why it is a we as creatures possess and spend an inordinate amount of of biological energy to first supposedly developed a brain that is entirely too large to our body ratio and one that contains a complex enough capacity to even ask the question, why am I here and how did I come to be.

Our cognitive capacity exceeded the evolutionary demands of survival.
So something or someone made us different. If so why?

Even as late as the 20th century intelligent scientifically trained men recognized this disparity and have asked the question of how did we come to be. Directed Panspermia theorized and written on by the likes of Francis Crick

 

[Socom7]

We all know people will die for faith. That happens all the time. But no one dies for a lie.

This could not possibly be further from the truth. Untold scores of people die for various lies every single day.

 

[Yingyang]

Each to their own. No mention of dinosaurs or humans before, Adam and Eve? Going by the bible dinosaurs and humans didn't exist before Adam and Eve . So if these 2 were the first humans created for the purpose of human beings being , we have all originated from in breeding.
Sorry as I stated each to their own.

 

[Irag8er]

This could not possibly be further from the truth. Untold scores of people die for various lies every single day.

Not true, some people MAY die for SOME lie SOME days.
But not thousands and thousands over thousands of years for the same TRUTH!

 

[Socom7]

Not true, some people MAY die for SOME lie SOME days.
But not thousands and thousands over thousands of years for the same TRUTH!

This behavior is inconsistent with logic.
- HAL 9000

 

[OReid]

Each to their own. No mention of dinosaurs or humans before, Adam and Eve? Going by the bible dinosaurs and humans didn't exist before Adam and Eve . So if these 2 were the first humans created for the purpose of human beings being , we have all originated from in breeding.
Sorry as I stated each to their own.

It’s my belief that much of the creation story is allegorical. It provides a beginning and lays out a narrative to explain how life came to be.

It explains the universe and origins to people who didn’t have the scientific knowledge or foundation to understand the universe and what’s beyond the universe. They didn’t even have the words in their language to define the totality. How do you explain the void of space?
Dinosaur bones would have to wait.

Scientists today are at a precipice with quantum mechanics and the multiple dimensions question. How do you comprehend a different dimension that could be so different from our own the laws of physics might not even be the same.
So for me an abbreviated allegorical explanation of creation and origins is not just something I can accept. It makes sense it would be.
Just as when we start with young children we don’t begin with the expanding universes and black holes. Somethings just have to be learned.

 

[Yingyang]

It’s my belief that much of the creation story is allegorical. It provides a beginning and lays out a narrative to explain how life came to be.

It explains the universe and origins to people who didn’t have the scientific knowledge or foundation to understand the universe and what’s beyond the universe. They didn’t even have the words in their language to define the totality. How do you explain the void of space?
Dinosaur bones would have to wait.

Scientists today are at a precipice with quantum mechanics and the multiple dimensions question. How do you comprehend a different dimension that could be so different from our own the laws of physics might not even be the same.
So for me an abbreviated allegorical explanation of creation and origins is not just something I can accept. It makes sense it would be.
Just as when we start with young children we don’t begin with the expanding universes and black holes. Somethings just have to be learned.

So you believe or have the faith in God?

 

[OReid]

So you believe or have the faith in God?

Yes at as a matter of Faith and logic. Can I comprehend all of what God is? No.
Just as scientist’s cannot explain the remaining mysteries of creation or universe.
Do I always behave in a manner that God might wish? Also no.

The matter of faith is very much like a child’s trust in a parent. A parent won’t lay down a velvet carpet so their child will never stub their toes. They let children make mistakes or let them climb tree even though they might fall and break something.
At the same time children learn they can trust a good parent. Even though that parent might not explain or provide everything they want. They know and trust their parent will tell them what they need to begin journey of life to understanding.
While the parent also knows their child by choice might fail miserably at life and suffer a great deal.
No hardship, no growth, no maturity.

 

[Yingyang]

Yes at as a matter of Faith and logic. Can I comprehend all of what God is? No.
Just as scientist’s cannot explain the remaining mysteries of creation or universe.
Do I always behave in a manner that God might wish? Also no.

The matter of faith is very much like a child’s trust in a parent. A parent won’t lay down a velvet carpet so their child will never stub their toes. They let children make mistakes or let them climb tree even though they might fall and break something.
At the same time children learn they can trust a good parent. Even though that parent might not explain or provide everything they want. They know and trust their parent will tell them what they need to begin journey of life to understanding.
While the parent also knows their child by choice might fail miserably at life and suffer a great deal.
No hardship, no growth, no maturity.

Each to their own.

 

[OReid]

Each to their own.

That’s pretty much the way it is, I can only share what I know. The rest is up to you and God, have good day

 

[Yingyang]

That’s pretty much the way it is, I can only share what I know. The rest is up to you and God, have good day

I have no need of faith, wishful thinking or hope that there is more to life or something to look forward to after death. I accept death as part of the life cycle of which I had no choice.
Religions offer a security blanket and hope . For some hope of existence in whatever form after death but obviously a better experience than what they have had. For me death = true heaven without a God. Peace no thought,no pain, no bills, no concerns, no nothing. Nothing bothers you when your dead.

 

[OReid]

I have no need of faith, wishful thinking or hope that there is more to life or something to look forward to after death. I accept death as part of the life cycle of which I had no choice.
Religions offer a security blanket and hope . For some hope of existence in whatever form after death but obviously a better experience than what they have had. For me death = true heaven without a God. Peace no thought,no pain, no bills, no concerns, no nothing. Nothing bothers you when you’re dead.

I understand the logic behind that and other that the universal question of why am I here not being answered it is the most logical conclusion.
But the question of why remains.

We’re nothing more than ants in colony then? We’re nothing more than solders who if not slaves to a tyrant are slaves to DNA encoding and hormones.
Where is value, morality, happiness, or satisfaction. Is it in what I say? what you say? what our leaders say? If there is no constant then it’s a barren void.
Why find value or satisfaction in anything others in our community place value in.
I’m ok your ok. is a lie mostly because sometimes one of us is either wrong, or bat sh_t crazy. When you reach that point you’re just alone.

As far as after life I don’t ponder it much. Whatever it is it will be so different from this world it’s not worth me trying to define.

I go back to my comment about our cognitive functions. Why did a random evolutionary forces, with no other primitive purpose than to reproduce and survive produce a brain, a mind that would even ask these questions.

Reptiles amphibians, insects and even invertebrates have survived and flourished for millions of years without “evolving” a central nervous system and brain with the capacity to ponder questions such as this. Wasting biological energy and calories to evolve and power an organ that is working on questions and things that have nothing to do with survival or reproduction.

That’s a biologically selfish anomaly, and evolution so we’re told does not tolerate wasted superfluous appendages.

Just something to ponder

 

[DEFCON Warning System]

This could not possibly be further from the truth. Untold scores of people die for various lies every single day.

No they don't. They believe the lie is the truth. But ultimately it is faith that drives them.

I am not talking about someone who will die for a scam that nets them gobs of money or power, hoping their lie will get them out of death.

I mean someone who gets nothing out of it other than something in the next world.

Joseph Smith, founder of the Mormon religion, didn't believe his own lie and died with a gun in his hand, fighting for his life.