i doubt they will ever be finished humans seem to be hardwired toward superstition. as the more educated parts of the world reject superstious religious beliefs religion just moves to the less educated parts of the world.
Lack of information does not prove something is wrong. It only signifies that the one looking for the answer has not looked in the right place.
Using a Bible as a road map will be what got the guy lost first off. Now all he sees with his own eyes is desert. With no bearings and in order to reach the nearest town, his life depends on either the Story Book, the road map, the satnav. Which would you "blindly" choose?
All 3 require FAITH Confident belief in the truth, value, or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.
Only 1 (the story book) requires faith. The other 2 require a certainty based on past experience. The question was, which one do you choose to get out the desert into town when your life depends on it?
Paul was a Pharisee, by his own account, learned of Gamaliel. He was not interested in pagan myths. However, he was very interested in Hebrew myths. As such, he wove the theme of sacrifice into the crucifixion, as well as rabbinical eschatology. James was conservative, and managed to stay under priestly radar by keeping with judaic law. This would explain why he was not targeted when Paul was running about harrassing as many of "the Way" as he could get his hands on. Paul blessed and cursed, alternately. James addresses this kind of incongruency in his epistle. Just because James was a blood brother does not mean he understood me more. It may even qualify him to understand me less. Given James' conservative bent to keep the law, three of his associates took it upon themselves to record a first hand account...a sayings gospel called "Words of the Master". Stephen was one of those authors, each speaking from memory what they had heard me say. They did this because even though James was my heir apparent, he was conservative, and they did not trust he would transmit purely the message I conveyed...which was by comparison, radical. Twenty years after my crucifixion, Stephen had earned some notoriety, drawing the attention of many, including the marauding Paul, then called "Saul". There were three prime teachers of the Way in those days...who taught faithfully. Stephen was one of them. Paul/Saul stood holding the coats of those who stoned him. Later, years after Paul had grabbed mind-share around the Mediteranean, the synoptic gospels were written, partially borrowing from "Words of the Master", partially borrowing from Paul's neo-pharisaic theology. As the gospel became a popularity contest, it diverged more and more from the original, as reflected in "Words of the Master", as well as the sayings gospel of Thomas. These came under attack as a Pauline-istic church arose to power. "Words of the Master" was wiped out, and a copy of Thomas survived because someone took the initiative to bury it somewhere in Egypt. After so many years around the Mediteranean, Paul came back to Jerusalem, and paid a visit upon James. James advised Paul to at least make a show of keeping the law while many were coming to town for the rites of purification...and this included many law-keeping "brothers". So Paul shaved his head with three others and bode his time in the temple whereupon he was recognized by some Jews who had heard Paul preach around the Mediteranean. These accused him of preaching against the law and defiling the temple and started beating him up. A roman guard saved him and took him into custody where he was eventually delivered to Rome on charges of disorderly conduct. Two years later he met his end. The point of this story is that neither James nor Paul understood the gospel. James considered me ordinary, while Paul considered me special. Few, save such as Stephen, considered me an equal and divine. My truth is everyone's truth. We have all been the prodigal Son of God. We have masked our divinity in "flesh". And when we resurrect - wake up - from this nightmare, our inheritance will be restored to us gladly by our Father. We are all the Son of God, equals to each other, and equals to our Father. There is no heirarchy in the Kingdom. Therefore, there are no bodies in the Kingdom. So there is no bodily resurrection as Paul preached. Resurrection is of the mind, as Thomas reckoned. Jesus
Whose past experience ? Others ? Once again you are relying on what others say. How is that any different from other's past experiences in the story book ? So if someone tells you how to get unlost, do you take their directions even though you have never been down the road ? If you do, then you are basing your decision on faith.
Dude, the travelerr prepared his journey properly., remember? He didn't just take the word of others, his own certainty was based on personal experience. He is able to put each to the test, in experimental use for quality and reliability, In likewise fashion, why don't you respond to the question? The question was, which one do you choose to get out the desert into town when your life really does depend on it? The Bible A Road Map A satnav Which?
V00: >Lack of information does not prove something is wrong. Agreed. >It only signifies that the one looking for the answer >has not looked in the right place. OMG, what an incredibly dumb-ass statement. If I believe that Bigfoot exists and it doesn't, it won't matter *where* I look, I won't find the answer. In your world, I've simply been looking for Bigfoot answers "in the wrong place". It's no wonder you folks get snookered by shit like this. JB