Re: Forum Request

One who has a religious belief should not need a support system either unless they have doubts...

I respect people of all belief systems and see many more parallels in them than differences.

I also know enough about Christianity's early beginnings to know that even in the very early years there where many different sects... some who believed in the resurrection and others that did not. Some who believed that Jesus was the son of God and others who did not... etc. etc. I also know that political influences along with the organization of the "church", primarily instituted for political and social order purposes (to align the many different beliefs of the time into a single "standard" belief system) changed many things including the decision of which books to include in the new testament and which ones to omit... 20+ I believe were omitted... this does not include the Apocrypha...

I also know that many of the books that were incorporated (politically chosen) into the New Testament were heavily edited, and others were edited less so, and that the Christian "celebrations" were aligned with the north European pagan holidays to appease the pagan religions of the time... so what and when we celebrate today is nothing close to what it was or should be if we were "true" Christians.

There is also the translations that seemed to lose something each and every time... and then there are the more recent translations into "modern" English... which are abysmal IMO.

I understand that the vast majority of the people of the time could not read and write... and were "told" what to do, how to behave, and what to believe by the governments, rulers, the church once it was established, and wealthy land owners.

The bible would serve its purpose as a rule book... if nothing else.

It is hard for me to take things like the Bible seriously (though the old testament is a great historical writing and social "rule" book) when there was so very much political influence and editing involved... the reading from direct Armenian/Hebrew translations, along with omitted texts, changes many things... and how I try to read it if and when I can.

However the biggest kicker of all "today" is that there are literally hundreds of variations of Christianity... some state over 1,000... many have strong disagreements amongst themselves... it is easy to see why when we go back 2,000 years and see the disagreement in the faith during its infancy; even before political influences got hold of it and attempted to "standardize" it. They did a very good and thorough job considering the time.

I am not stating Christianity is wrong... I came close to choosing seminary... just that much of what we may believe in as Christians is not anywhere near what its intent (if the establishment of a "new" religion" is in fact what Jesus intended - which I strongly doubt) was.

The "new covenant" was likely intended to be an extension/addition of/to the Judaism practiced at the time.

After that (its "standardization" by political influences, and its further dilution over the centuries)... it became grossly distorted IMO.

People tend to bend religion to "fit" their lives and the "times", rather than the other way around... if we bent our lives to follow religion, we very likely would not be contributing to the destruction of the planet by driving cars, consuming everything in sight for mere want, etc.

I am likely done with this thread...

grz-

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