When people watch silly Hollywood religious movies they tend to think that they are seeing real events. They put their brains on the shelf.
Don't we get enough of this Orange Man Bad stuff in other discussions? There is a political opinion section of PF for this.
Everyone has a right to their opinion of course, but you only need to look at history to see that some religions (I can't say all) are all about control (e.g. the Inquisition). That's the carrot (i.e. the need for the masses to believe in an eternal life), it's what hooks people onto religion. The fear of death is a naturally designed for survival. That is if one does not fear death then one's desire for survival might be reduced.
You still don't get it. I'll give you one obvious clue. "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God." (John 3 KJV) My statement is my findings or empirical evidence. You may repeat it by the same means. But that requires a sincere heart and the will of God.
It is a consensus among scholars that the people and their words were real. So it's hardly anonymous hearsay. I am real and I can tell you that God is real too. Is that basis enough for you?
A vague passage which could mean just about anything - followed by gibberish as commentary. Nothing about "repentance" being a requirement - although I would somewhat agree with this on other grouds Nothing about belief in Jesus - so you are SOL on that one Could this mean baptism .. perhaps - but not at all clear "and of the spirit" - we have no idea what this means. Contrast with "Blessed are those who are Weak in Spirit- for their is the Kingdom of heaven. All you are then left with - is your claim that baptism gets one through the pearly gates - which is weak on the basis of vague passage. When contrasted with the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount .. it fails miserably.
What about the following do you claim is incorrect and why? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_reliability_of_the_Gospels I will accept that you are real, but you are not supernatural. I actually need evidence to believe in the supernatural. You can tell me that God exists, but before I believe you I want you to provide evidence of your claim.
"Orange Man Bad stuff"? If that's all you have to say about my post then you might reread @Injeun's post and consider my comment in the context of what he asserted with his post and the general context of this thread's OP. Are you familiar with @Injeun's posts regarding Trump made specifically in response to some of my posts? Are you familiar with the overarching themes of Christianity and how they are fundamentally incompatible with virtually every aspect of life on Earth as humans live it around the globe - from East to West? The infatuation Christ has with money and the themes repeated throughout the New Testament about the glorification of being poor and weak and timid, please..... Apparently, @Injeun has no interest in challenging my assertion that his religious views are not compatible with his political views, at least as far as Trump and his support for Trump is concerned. Is "Orange Man Bad" what you get out of an image such as this in the context of this thread? This is a photographic example of a case study in the admixture of religion and politics, but if all you get from it is another example of Orange Man Bad of a PF member's opinion then you have just about completely missed my point.
Evidence, what do you consider evidence? I suspect you're talking only about physical evidence that can be reproduced in a lab, which is actually no proof at all. That kind of evidence is merely you playing around with God's creation trying to understand it. Real evidence of Gods comes through revelation and contemplating the eternal, that comes with faith. If you do not have faith you will never see evidence of God. Most of us Christians are OK with that, I am. We can go our separate ways. I hope someday God talks to you and you listen.
Faith is just wishful thinking. It's cool that it brings you comfort but it's kind of mean to suggest that somebody is wrong because they don't share your fantasies. God doesn't talk to anybody. Voices in the head are usually some kind of sign of mental illness. I'm not saying YOU have a mental illness. I'm saying "hearing voices in your head" is classified in the DSM.
The religion of the New Testament is incompatible with being rich for one thing. Maybe you might consider starting with that.
This is a failing among us Christians, we don't take Christ's message seriously enough to sacrifice all in the service of others,
In my experience, no person or written or spoken word or scripture or path of reasoning or reflection or pondering or compilation of evidence gave actual proof to me. God himself did. So only God himself can prove himself to you.
So, what do you call this? Widely acceptable in every field except religion where it's denied. Minimizing another member by saying their "interaction" with your god is "playing around." So, your imaginary friend deliberately doesn't reveal himself to everybody? Just his favorites every other Tuesday in a leap year? I need to mark my calendar. Faith IS fantasy. And, if he's all-knowing, why didn't get account for all these questions? Oh, the dismissal comparable to "I'll pray for you." That's rich.
FWIW, in my estimation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, wealth is neither a sin nor a prerequisite for salvation. There is as much wickedness among the poor as among the rich. And true wealth and poverty is a matter of heart. That said, we elect a President, not a spiritual leader. In my opinion Trump is a better President than either Biden or Clinton. Back to topic. I can see why religion in general may seem like a fairy tale to many. But to me, Christianity is essential, and has become the cornerstone of my life. The more I consider it, the more astonished I am at the concept of God, our perfect heavenly Father, making it his entire work and glory to bring about the immortality and eternal life of man. Who does that?