I get the same feeling about people who spend a lot of time debating the non-existence of God. In the past you’ve said that you were a Christian at one time and that it just didn’t do anything for you. Based on things you’ve said, I think the reason that it didn’t do anything for you is because you never became a Christian.

Please don’t think that I am saying something derogatory about you or am calling you a liar, because I’m not. I remember reading somewhere that 80+% of Americans consider themselves Christians, but only about 40% of those people know what being “born again” means. Becoming a Christian is not a process, it’s an event. Every single Christian who can say with unwavering certainty that he knows Jesus is his personal savior will be able to recount the moment of his conversion to Christianity. He may not remember the date, but he will remember the day and that person’s life will have noticeably changed after his conversion.

When you say things like, “What if we found for a fact that Jesus was a made up person?” or “Jesus is still a symbol,” it indicates that you have never been a Christian. Again, I’m not trying to demean you, but want to share some insight that I hope is well received. To become a Christian, the very first thing you have to do is accept as fact, on faith, that Jesus is real and that he did everything he said he did. Without that acceptance, there is no conversion and without the conversion there is no salvation.

If you believe that you truly have peace and fulfillment apart from God, then more power to you. Go on your way, be satisfied with your decision to reject Jesus and live out the rest of your life. On the other hand, if you want, as the 12th Man often refers to, the peace that transcends all understanding (Phil 4:7), then listen to what Jesus said about following him.



There was a Pharisee named Nicodemus. He was one of the Jewish rulers. He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. We know that God is with you. If he weren’t, you couldn’t do the miraculous signs you are doing.” Jesus replied, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can see God’s kingdom without being born again.” “How can I be born when I am old?” Nicodemus asked. “I can’t go back inside my mother! I can’t be born a second time!” Jesus answered, “What I’m about to tell you is true. No one can enter God’s kingdom without being born through water and the Holy Spirit. People give birth to people. But the Spirit gives birth to spirit. (Jn 3:1-6)



“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven. Only those who do what my Father in heaven wants will enter. “Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord! Lord! Didn’t we prophesy in your name? Didn’t we drive out demons in your name? Didn’t we do many miracles in your name?’ Then I will tell them clearly, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who do evil!’ (Mt 7:21-23)

Those Commandments were, at the time, for the purpose of forbidding idol worshipping, a practice that was associated with some very destructive religions. Taken metaphorically, as they should be taken today, however, they forbid putting loyalty to anyone or anything (even a church) ahead of God. These Commandments are not prescriptions of ethics in and of themselves but rather a teaching of the best way of following the ethics in the other Commandments. When there is nothing in the Bible that directly addresses a specific situation in one's life, Christians, like Buddhists, are required to follow conscience (Romans 9:1), but the advantage of Christianity is that such dilemmas are less common in Christianity than in other religions, hence making the likelihood of translating good intent into right actions much greater.

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"I am a Tory Anarchist. I should like every one to go about doing just as he pleased- short of altering any of the things to which I have grown accustomed." (Max Beerbohm)

Jesus' is not necessary to achieve 'peace that trancends all understanding'.



Just ask a Buddhist.

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It's the difference between suicide and slow capitulation... - Jim Morrison

Why are Christians less likely to need to follow their conscience?

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It's the difference between suicide and slow capitulation... - Jim Morrison

That's not what I wrote. I wrote that the Bible makes ethical dilemmas less likely. The ethics in the Bible conform to the human conscience.

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"I am a Tory Anarchist. I should like every one to go about doing just as he pleased- short of altering any of the things to which I have grown accustomed." (Max Beerbohm)

Is this something you personally know to be true? I mean, are you a Buddhist who has experienced such peace?

How? The ethics in the OT far from conform to the human conscience.

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It's the difference between suicide and slow capitulation... - Jim Morrison

[quote]The Hebrews were henotheists. They had a pact with their tribal god and that deal didn't allow for any of the other gods to shoulder ahead of theirs. Everyone in those days knew that there were other gods. In fact Jewish myth teaches that when Moses returned from Mt. Sinai with the commandments he found some of his people worshiping Ba'al, a very popular god of that time and region. The idea that poor Ba'al was a "false god" was introduced into Hebrew thought around 200 BCE.

I do not personally, no. I am not a Buddhist nor have I achieved 'peace that trancends all understanding' as being 16 makes it slightly harder.

All I know is, many, many Buddhist profess to have experienced 'peace that trancends all understanding' (Enlightenment) and you claim to have as well. Although you have more reason to not be entirely truthfull, I doubt neither you nor the Buddhists.

As far as I can know, you may be the only person ever to have experienced 'peace that trancends all understanding' or no-one has, or everyone who professes to has. I can only take your word, and the words of others.

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It's the difference between suicide and slow capitulation... - Jim Morrison

Some of the ethics in the Old Testament still hold true, and what was imperfect was told to us "because of the hardness of our hearts". The New Testament gives very clear ethical guidelines, however, and these are unassailable based on our a priori ethical sense.

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"I am a Tory Anarchist. I should like every one to go about doing just as he pleased- short of altering any of the things to which I have grown accustomed." (Max Beerbohm)