Helioform
Star
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2017
- Messages
- 3,195
I agree with the bold text there. Philosophically, I think, the Bible is right on, on many things. But the point of exposing the continuity of these same religions with the same type of saviours is not to discredit the message in the Bible...it is to show that it did not arise out of a vacuum and that all religions share the same aspects.For example, in the past 2000 years in the location where Christianity has played a major role in the development of society, slavery has been abolished, technology has increased, freedom of religion has been established, etc., etc., etc. In all of these endeavors, there is at least one historical figure that participated in these activities that have professed to be a Christian and where we can credit some of the motivation to succeed in this way to the Gospel. There is no way to wash away 2000 years of evidence that what the Gospel teaches produces good things.
In just about every other example where the claim is made that the same story was told, the same is not true and the account leads to an inevitable end. More importantly, this information produced no change within former societies in the same way that Christianity has produced change. So if we are going to consider these things based on evidence, there is evidence that truth is expressed in the fruit that it produces.
But to get where we are now, we had to endure centuries of Crusades and ignorance, largely imposed by the Christian Church. And there is still a lot of intolerance from those who profess to be Christians today.
Oppressed? I don't think so, one billion Catholics in the world and Christianity is flourishing. Even if some of the people on this board do not consider Catholics to be "Christian", they still are.Either way, while the church may be clearly oppressed in more than a few ways, there is no denying that there is more evidence that was produced by the message of Christ than with any other account that appears similar. This is not something that is easily washed away.
I still wonder about Revelation though. Is it a plan or, a "prophecy". I really think it's a plan, a blueprint for something "new" and not something that is set in stone. And some of those "elites" are trying to make it happen.However, I also don't see how this creates such fear for the church to accept that the information we have has been censored in some respects. Sometimes, it is like people expect that we will still be using the Bible in Heaven, but the Bible is also something that will inevitably pass away with the end of things and the beginning of the something new.
That is not New World Order speak either. I have had this concept quoted in my signature for the past year. Jesus says he is making all things new. This means that at some point, we should be able to shed the Bible the way a snake sheds his skin when he has outgrown it. I would imagine this will come when the prophecy in Revelation is fulfilled, and if we are almost there; then, in theory, we are almost to the end of the time necessitating the Bible. Something to think about.
People freak out about the AntiChrist and the False Prophet, but don't even try to change their own lives instead. They wait for the end to come and someone to point the finger at. It's the hallmark of conspiracy thinking to put the blame on various boogeymen, so it is not too surprising...