on 10-10-2013 09:21 PM
American Biblical scholar Joseph Atwill will be appearing before the British public for the first time in London on the 19th of October to present a controversial new discovery: ancient confessions recently uncovered now prove, according to Atwill, that the New Testament was written by first-century Roman aristocrats and that they fabricated the entire story of Jesus Christ.
Although to many scholars his theory seems outlandish, and is sure to upset some believers, Atwill regards his evidence as conclusive and is confident its acceptance is only a matter of time. "I present my work with some ambivalence, as I do not want to directly cause Christians any harm," he acknowledges, "but this is important for our culture. Alert citizens need to know the truth about our past so we can understand how and why governments create false histories and false gods. They often do it to obtain a social order that is against the best interests of the common people."
Was Jesus based on a real person from history? "The short answer is no," Atwill insists, "in fact he may be the only fictional character in literature whose entire life story can be traced to other sources. Once those sources are all laid bare, there's simply nothing left."
Is this the beginning of the end of Christianity? "Probably not," grants Atwill, "but what my work has done is give permission to many of those ready to leave the religion to make a clean break. We've got the evidence now to show exactly where the story of Jesus came from. Although Christianity can be a comfort to some, it can also be very damaging and repressive, an insidious form of mind control that has led to blind acceptance of serfdom, poverty, and war throughout history. To this day, especially in the United States, it is used to create support for war in the Middle East."
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2013/10/prweb11201273.htm
Nooooooooooooooooooo.
11-10-2013 02:52 AM - edited 11-10-2013 02:56 AM
Everyone knows that our lives end in death. Religions are attempts to explain the meaning of something which has no meaning.
We are born. We eat and drink and do other things which result from the first two things.
We are alive right now and later on we're not.
What we do in the interim, the time between birth and death, is up to us.
Religions and schools and governments want to influence that interim time and to control how we act and how we believe.
They hold up various examples and encourage us to follow them but behind the scene a big stick is held over our heads should we choose to believe differently from what the power-elite; the interested parties, want us to believe.
We take refuge in religion from the harsh reality which is life.
This is what Marx meant when he said that religion is the opium of the people. He wasn't condemning religion, he was just recognising it for what it is.
on 11-10-2013 06:37 AM
@**meep** wrote:that's interesting. on what would atheists base their belief in life after death?
You should know this by now. Atheists have no belief system and not based on anything. It's the default position. It's the same as you're an atheists to unicorns or Islam. The people who assert something has no met the burden of proof so therefore you don't believe. Doesn't mean they know with absolute it's not true. THe only thing Atheists have in common is they don't believe in God. THey can have other stupid beliefs as well. THey can be irrational, anti-science and anti-gays.
You can have life after death with or without a God. God is not a pre-requisite.
on 11-10-2013 06:54 AM
@joz*garage wrote:i at least belived jesus existed, i could be persuaded though
You can believe Jesus existed. But that's a fair jump to say he is therefore son of God and died for your sins.
on 11-10-2013 07:12 AM
Well aren't you a bunch of infidels
on 11-10-2013 07:58 AM
dear god
please make bob believe this story so he will finally STFU and go bug someone else for a while
amen
on 11-10-2013 08:23 AM
@**freethinker_bob** wrote:
@**meep** wrote:that's interesting. on what would atheists base their belief in life after death?
You should know this by now. Atheists have no belief system and not based on anything. It's the default position. It's the same as you're an atheists to unicorns or Islam. The people who assert something has no met the burden of proof so therefore you don't believe. Doesn't mean they know with absolute it's not true. THe only thing Atheists have in common is they don't believe in God. THey can have other stupid beliefs as well. THey can be irrational, anti-science and anti-gays.
You can have life after death with or without a God. God is not a pre-requisite.
I don't actually, because I have never met an atheist who believes in life after death. I have never met an atheist who believes in the supernatural. So for those that do, why such opposition to attributing it to God?
on 11-10-2013 08:27 AM
LOL Ibis, if "Zeitgeist" didn't convince Bob, probably nothing will.
on 11-10-2013 10:49 AM
Faith and religion are 2 very separate things - faith is an individual spiritual thing. religion is a human construct. Which isn't to say that an individual can't find great comfort and even enjoyment from religion as a means of practicing their faith.
Regards,
Marina.
on 11-10-2013 11:23 AM
http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/55036-religion-is-the-opiate-of-the-masses
Marx actually said "religion is the opiate of the masses".
on 11-10-2013 11:32 AM
@kengillard wrote:http://www.goodreads.com/quotes/55036-religion-is-the-opiate-of-the-masses
Marx actually said "religion is the opiate of the masses".
yeah, but acacia is right in regards to what he actually meant.