If you really would like to read another angle on this.... I highly, highly recommend: There is a good summary here: www.ThomasTwin.com/ and especially here: http://www.thomastwin.com/7 A Thomas samples.html
Either tht genealogy is real, or it was invented and inserted into the gospels for a reason. If the genealogy was invented... then the gospels include creative fiction put there intentionally to make the story more credible But lets say the genealogy though unlikely, is true clearly the reason to report such a genealogy is to show jesus credentials..., being from the family of david, born in Bethlehem, etc But... Joseph was not jesus father, was he? ... God was the father So the genealogy does not accomplish its goal of showing jesus lineage as fulfillment of prophesy So if joseph was not the father.... why was his genealogy reported? Imo, that proves the shifting Early Christian view of “how jesus became god” If the genealogy was so elaborately reported... it must have been thought to be significant. And if it was thought to be significant, there must have been a time when joseph WAS recognized as jesus father. Which means that god WAS NOT jesus father at birth. So jesus was not pre existent god and jesus had to have BECOME god at some point during his life, or death And that mean that the elaborate jesus birth narratives in the gospels were invented to falsely support the claim that jesus was born as god
I believe in the bibical God because the Bible describes the sinfulness of people to a T. No other book talks about the sinfulness of people and love of God like the Bible does.
The bible also encourages lots of stuff that we now consider sinful.... slavery, genocide, stoning adulters
Do you think the Bible is sexist? How are the Bible's rules on women pastors any different from there being different standards of men not wearing tops and women not wearing tops?
I do not recall expressing an opinion on sexism in the bible Now you answer me a question Does bible accept slavery and genocide?
There's no attribution there, no mention of who wrote or compiled that article. First rule: find out the source.
You probably believe in this stuff because you were brought up to do so. Critical thinking doesn't seem high on your list of criteria.
Hmm, no one disagreed. Seems these religious types are all in favour of making a few bucks by deceiving the weak-minded.
What do you think? I think the biblical call to kill everyone in a conquered city is genocide Or maybe not because they were supposed to save the virginal girl..... for child abuse?
Re visual evidence Paul Lets just take the first one.... apparent stegosaurus in cambodian carving This was on a temple built in about 1265 ad Which is pretty recent Bones from that era will easily survive.... where are they? In fact, most of this so called evidence is fairly recent... and from all over the world So if dinos were still around 2000 years ago.... shouldn't we have more actual evidence... like unfossilized skeletons?
I remember watching a Christian apologist on Youtube say that the Midianite girls were spared as an act of mercy.