The toddlers' sandbox and its (un)believable content

Napkin: Extraordinary claims demand extraordinary evidence to be considered believable.

Religions, however, demand that their extraordinary claims should be considered believable without much (actually hardly any) evidence at all.

Ramon: Christianity is not a religion though there are christian religions.
According to the Bible, which does not establish any particular religion,
there are virtues a religion must possess, or its just vain.
It also says if you believe you shall see the glory of God.
There's the evidence. One on one from above. From God to your spirit.
Empirical evidence friend. You will not find this evidence anywhere else.

Kundra: That Christianity is not a religion seems to me as an extraordinary claim in itself, particularly when it comes from a Christian.

But even if you are right and the Bible cannot be used to identify Christianity, Christians still use self-proclaimed "biblical prophecies" to legitimise what most people refer to as their religion.

Ramon: I agree. This is whats called "pretext". Twisting things to accomodate one's thought.

conspiracy: Relgan, I agree with most of what you wrote, but you seem to have forgotten the most important criterion to trigger the Armageddon: The reconstruction of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem. Fundamentalist Christian lobbyists have for a long time tried to influence Israeli authorities to start this project, backed by American interests. If they succeed, they first need to demolish the Dome of the Rock and the Al-Aqsa Mosque, which will enrage militant Muslims to such a degree that a major conflict is unavoidable.

It is really sad to see people want to accelerate the end of humanity in an attempt to fulfill imaginary prophecies created by misguided religious interpretations and mass hysteria.

bahcatha2: funny how you will only find this empirical evidence in the bible nothing like a little self praise, why isn't the evidence anywhere else oh yeah that is it it does not exist because it is a fairytale.

Crocodilia: Stretching the truth to make it fit into a theological model is more like it!

Yahweh: Dec 25th was not celebrated as the birth of Christ until the Fourth Century , but the day was celebrated with great festivity and rejoicing in the Roman and Celtic world for centuries before that .This is the time of the Winter Solstice ,when the dark days of winter begin to shorten and light returns to brighten the Earth.
" The Northern Celtic people celebrated the Yule Feast with songs and ceremonies of which misletoe was a part .
" The Romans celebrated this time as ' the birth of the Unconquered Sun', During this time ,schools were closed ,there was merry making ,gaming ,and feasting as well as the exchange of gifts, two popular gifts at that time were candles and dolls for children .

" Constantine , the Roman Emporer had made Christianity a legal religion in the Fourth Century , and had made the Sun Day ,the day honoring the Sun , the legal day for CHRISTIAN worship . Following that precedent , for the celebration of the birth of Christ to be associated with the birth of the sun seemed appropriate .

" Later Christian theologians attempted to prove that Dec was the true date of Christ's birth by rather ingenious calculations . One revolved around the theory that Christ was crucified exactly 33 yrs after his conception . Since he was crucified traditionally on March 25th ,nine months later is Dec. 25th ,the SUPPOSED DAY OF HIS BIRTH .

" Another ancient theory known as the 'PLAN OF THE AGES' calculated the creation of the world on March 25th , and from that construed that Christ as the new creation had his conception on March 25th , again with his birth resulting on Dec 25th.

" Other ancient traditions were altered in numerous ways . MARTIN LUTHER is supposed to have started the tradition of bringing the evergreen into the home and decorating it with candles . Candles , the former Roman gift ,became the symbol of Christ as 'light of the world ' ,and the Celtic holly leaves came to symbolize Christ's 'crown of thorns' .The red berries are his blood and the green leaves are eternal life .

" In addition to the endurance of these Christmas symbols ,Christmas has always been celebrated with much festivity and good cheer - to the dismay of many church leaders who have feared the meaning would be lost.

SOURCE : CHRISTMAS TRADITIONS - Roots Of Some Current Customs Predated The Messiah's Birth - By Yvonne G. Baker

Jane: There are so many pagan traditions baked into Christianity that several books could have been written about it (and probably have).

bahcatha2: the bible for one oh you mean books that are actual accounts hhmm no can't think of one.

satangel: Before a religion can expect to attract other people than sleepwalkers, its content must be believable.

hewhay: I even called the 'Jews' out on their 'WORSHIP OF THE MOON' ,one tried to ask me where I got that from ,I asked him if he studied his religion before joining ? he still asked me where I got my info from ,I told him 'Truth is stranger than fiction but nonetheless ,truth remains truth ,no matter whhat anyone says .

satangel: Some of the Hebrews' ancestors worshiped the moon god Sin, who later gave his name to the Sinai Peninsula.

Kundra: Could that be the same moon god that the Arabs worshiped before Muhammad?

Napkin: I seriously don't know, but I wouldn't be surprised if it was, since deities have a nasty tendency of popping up in a new guise every now and then. The reason why so many of them are so similar is that they share many of their origins and common features have been absorbed in slightly different ways. I guess that the core elements have been so important to their believers that they included them every time they created a new god from the remains of the previous one.

hewhay: religion is Bull$hit and nothing more

bahcatha2: dont be so nice there, religion is far more than bullshit, it surpassed bullshit a long time ago.

mrbubbletoyoukid: you act like you are not the one bringing up the word religion yourself. you are the one hinting on the questions, so not only am i going to answer it in the sense, as moronic of an idea as you may have, the rest of us are going to answer to help fill that gap for you.

especially to bahcatha, have you even been there to read or study any account of history written past 70 years ago?

did you see any of those events that you are stating to us, whether it be an earthquake or any other 'man-happening' event that you didnt just read about?

tell us everything you've seen and give us everything you've seen, that you've read.

you are smart enough to understand this right? (of course)

hewhay: Satan created it ,not I my friend ,you are an Atheist ,why are you defending Christianity or any religion ? are you confused what to believe?

mrbubbletoyoukid: The word Christianity, founded from where?

Are you?, even you capitalized it to be something important.

mrbubbletoyoukid: Not only did you not ask a sensful question, you got a sensable answer to your nonsense

hewhay: Not I my friend ,don't believe nor promote Christianity ,Judah nor Islam ,nor Pagan beliefs ,I believe in Yahweh ,I practice Yahwism ,Yahwism is the worlds Oldest 'Spiritual Belief'

Encyclopedia Britanica 1968 states so .
I don't believe in the 'fables and Imaginations of Men'

bahcatha2: bubble brain I have never defended Christianity, nor will I ever do so, and no you do not have to have lived in that era of history to know it is false. you need to stop the drugs, your mind is destroyed.

mrbubbletoyoukid: Nor was you alive to know whether or not your daddy sucked it.....

think about it, you might be a b%~@#&^$ baby

bahcatha2: I might be, but you most definitely are.