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It's likely that he did exist, but it's not certain that he did do or say everything that's stuck to him.

However he may have done and said things that hasn't made it into the bible too.

Since we only have the bible and for variations of the life of Jesus as evidence we can at least say that since there are four variations of a story it's likely that he did exist, and some parts are common for all, but then each variation incorporates things that are missing in the others. Some of them may stick to truth while others can be fabricated.

Also keep in mind that the history was written down a few decades after his death. (At least there is no evidence for any written texts before something around year 70)

As for the statement - look at: http://bible.cc/john/8-7.htm - but it's of course possible that it is a statement stuck to him later. Even the bible can have undergone revisions through history. And at a time when things were copied by hand the copier may intentionally or unintentionally have left things out, maybe because he (as far as we know it was only men doing this at the time) thought it was unimportant or opposed his view of the world or just a mistake. Another copier may of course have incorporated a small segment like this for one reason or another. It may be that this episode did in fact occur, but that the oral path was different and therefore was passed in later and just had to go somewhere. It can of course also have been a much later addition to create a statement in difference from the general culture that bred Islam. Or even added after the time when Islam started to be a power to count on.

Daniel 7:7:

After this I saw in the night visions, and behold a fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth: it devoured and brake in pieces, and stamped the residue with the feet of it: and it was diverse from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns.

http://bible.cc/daniel/7-7.htm

in YOU[R] opinion.

To follow the Christian way of life would be to follow Christ's example and his laws. If there is a question about something in today's world, then first one would look for explicit laws, failing that, principles. So Romans 1:26 (ISV) says: For this reason, God delivered them to degrading passions as their females exchanged their natural sexual function for one that is unnatural.

Yes I am aware you are unwilling to listen to Paul, but note John 17:17-21 (NIV) (17)Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. (18)As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world. (19)For them I sanctify myself, that they too may be truly sanctified. (20)“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, (21) that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.

Especially vs 17 and vs 20. 17 says God's (the Father) word is truth and 20 says Jesus' followers were to believe based on the message of Jesus' united disciples.

Sure, Paul did reprimand Peter. Peter was even called Satan by Jesus. But he was to feed Jesus' little lambs. (John 21:15-17) If one would consider theirself a little lamb (follower) of Jesus, then they would accept 'food' from Peter. Food in the Bible can mean teachings or writings. Included in Peter's writings is 2 Peter 3:14-16. Note in NIV: (14)So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him. (15)Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. (16)He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.

So Jesus said listen to Peter, and Peter said that Paul wrote from God, whose word is truth. And Paul wrote Romans. Which jives with the rest of God's words.

So, instead of "I think" or "I feel" a Christian would remember the heart is not to be trusted for correct guidance. (not meaning the literal heart, but the figurative heart, or inner person, one's motivations) Note Matthew 15:19, 20.

So, that being the case, I offer no opinion, but to recommend that the answer is in that verse. (Romans 1:26) Regarding the Bible, I don't deal in opinions.

So you are correct in saying that Jesus didn't explicitly forbid same-sex marriage. But you still haven't answered my question (1) about unlawful and illegal. It's not the joke, it's a real question. And you still didn't reply about (2) Jesus condemning 'Fornication' which by all scholarly definitions would include homosexual acts. And here is one more question for you, (3) Until a same-sex marriage is obtained, wouldn't all sex in that relationship be under 'pre-marital' sex. That is also universally defined as part of fornication. And (4)your set theory about marriage would permit Bestiality and Pedophilia through marriage.

So answer those four questions/statements and I will answer yours.

Jesus in the Bible did not get involved in politics at all. Period. John 6:15: Jesus, knowing that they intended to come and make him king by force, withdrew again to a mountain by himself. See also Luke 13:32,33 and John 18:36 (also there he condemns Christians getting involved in war)

As to your BTW, here is the relevant quote, Matthew 19:4-6:4“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate.”

But as I said before, Jesus didn't get involved in politics. As an example, he didn't say anything about the common morals of the Romans, the secular power of the land in that time.

Therefore, according to WWJD, (what would Jesus do?) in regard to same sex marriage, he would not have got involved, except where "christians" claimed it was ok religiously with his Father.

But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

God is into real estate?

And furniture. Matthew 5:35.

Pish, putting a spin on things is old news. If you own a NIV Bible, congrats, you already own a book where theologians twist the source material to censor embarrassing verses.

Take Songs 5:4 for example:

It's like taking "You idiot, you aren't wearing a condom!" and publishing it as "Dear, your pen is uncapped." on the virtue that "pen is" remotely looks like "penis" which, when substituted, gives a meaning similar to the original.

I know you might be slightly joking but I hear this argument a lot from those who don't understand the Bible and who Jesus really is; hopefully I can help.

Basically, it comes down to this: Old Testament = show that everybody is a sinner and point to Jesus, New Testament = show how to be forgiven of sins through Jesus.

So while it does say that if you work on Sunday, you will be put to death (From Exodus 31:14), it also says that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28) and that as Matthew Henry says "...Man was not made for the sabbath, as if his keeping it could be of service to God, nor was he commanded to keep it outward observances to his real hurt. Every observance respecting it, is to be interpreted by the rule of mercy..."

Jesus is the fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17) therefor we who are born again through Jesus are not subject to it.

I know you might be slightly joking but I hear this argument a lot from those who don't understand the Bible and who Jesus really is; hopefully I can help.

Basically, it comes down to this: Old Testament = show that everybody is a sinner and point to Jesus, New Testament = show how to be forgiven of sins through Jesus.

So while it does say that if you work on Sunday, you will be put to death (From Exodus 31:14), it also says that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28) and that as Matthew Henry says "...Man was not made for the sabbath, as if his keeping it could be of service to God, nor was he commanded to keep it outward observances to his real hurt. Every observance respecting it, is to be interpreted by the rule of mercy..."

Jesus is the fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17) therefor we who are born again through Jesus are not subject to it.

I know you might be slightly joking but I hear this argument a lot from those who don't understand the Bible and who Jesus really is; hopefully I can help.

Basically, it comes down to this: Old Testament = show that everybody is a sinner and point to Jesus, New Testament = show how to be forgiven of sins through Jesus.

So while it does say that if you work on Sunday, you will be put to death (From Exodus 31:14), it also says that Jesus is the Lord of the Sabbath (Mark 2:28) and that as Matthew Henry says "...Man was not made for the sabbath, as if his keeping it could be of service to God, nor was he commanded to keep it outward observances to his real hurt. Every observance respecting it, is to be interpreted by the rule of mercy..."

Jesus is the fulfillment of the law (Matthew 5:17) therefor we who are born again through Jesus are not subject to it.

Well, I've heard this one before and I have a couple of things to say about it. First, you can read PETA's response to this at their forum. I admit that posts by PETA admins are very likely to be pro-PETA, but this is in contrast to your source, a website called petakillsanimals. I don't think it will be hard to sort the bias from just facts. The PETA response provides a context that is not presented by the petakillsanimals page, which you can evaluate for yourself. The (my) tldr version of this is: PETA is killing those animals to end their suffering and not for PETA's benefit, i.e. to consume the animals or otherwise use their parts. Perhaps I am predisposed to believe them, so read the whole thing if you suspect I'm presenting it wrong.

Second, consider who the Center for Consumer Freedom is and what they represent. On their main page, they're advocating for high fructose corn syrup and one of their other projects besides petakillsanimals is a site defending trans-fats. They have every right to shill for the processed food industry but let's recognize them for what they are.

Last, I am reminded of Matthew 7:3.

What role does god have in selecting which genes are passed from each parent to the child? I don't remember the chapter on genetics in the bible.

How about this?

Actually, the Christian view should just come down to this verse IMHO: "And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed." http://bible.cc/genesis/12-3.htm Basically God was talking to Abram(Abraham) Its better to be on Israel's side than NOT on Israel's side, according to this verse. The rest of your post I agree with, that God can take care of Himself.

Gotta love debunking this one. A quick glance to this link should clear this one up ( Warning: Religious text, might cause disagreement, hatred, and nausea, proceed cautiously ) http://bible.cc/mark/9-43.htm

I don't know if you were posting in a honest attempt to troll Christianity, or simply "I'm posting this using my so-so memory of a verse in some religious texts and remove its context" kind of joke? Hell you don't even have to think of any context, the text after that should explain the simple logic.

I'd rather to remove or fix offending lines of code from my multi-million dollars worth software if it causes bug rather than to keep it and bring the whole system down. This one sounds logical to me, joke or not; but you might be just too freaked out by the "plucking" and "removing" especially when it comes to body parts didn't ya?

Of course if you want to take it as it is, we'll see more literally blind, one-legged, disabled Christians. I'm pretty sure the text can be 'translated' into something that's acceptable in today's "crowd", something like do not commit sin if you value yourself, or your body is a holy temple therefore according to this text if you commit sin then.. yada.. yada...

Me too, or as George Harrison put it what if we gained the world and lost our souls?

George Harrison? Try Jesus

http://bible.cc/isaiah/45-7.htm

"I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things."

"I make light and create darkness. I make blessings and create disasters. I, the LORD, do all these things."

"I am the giver of light and the maker of the dark; causing blessing, and sending troubles; I am the Lord, who does all these things."

Multiple translations, but all pretty much saying the same thing. God is taking credit for creating evil.

"It is best to keep your mouth shut and appear a fool, than to open it and remove all doubt" -Mark Twain

I agree. Except that you quoted the wrong guy. Or rather, the wrong text. It's a paraphrase of the Bible. Proverbs 17:28.

Many Christians (and other theists, for that matter) think that evolution at all conflicts with theology. God created everything perfectly (man in his own image after all) the first time, and nothing changed after that. After all, God's image is perfect, isn't it?

What you are missing is that some people will throw out facts because it conflicts with their belief, which is in the literal Bible. Painting all Christians with the same brush is the same thing as calling all Muslims terrorists. Sure, it's true sometimes but not always. There are some progressive Christians, but there are still enough biblical literalists that it still causes major problems for the rest of them.

So, if Business - Jesus = Theft + Corruption, it follows that Business = Theft + Corruption + Jesus!

Both you and the GP are assuming that Business and Jesus can run together. In fact there are well fundamental incompatibilities between the output Business produces and the input expected by Jesus.

It is worth noting that other claimed incompatibilities are pure FUD.

The problem has been repeatedly highlighted by Jesus developers, and the project lead has recommended uninstalling business and similar proprietary apps. This has been unpopular with Business advocates and probably contributed to his legal difficulties.

The most reliable approach is to use only software meeting the standards set by the Christ Software Foundation. Some people have taken this approach, but they have had to be willing to accept limited access to some codecs.

Some people have managed to run Money while Jesus executes in a separate VM, but this is probably not a good idea. Jesus is really designed to run as a hypervisor.

So, if Business - Jesus = Theft + Corruption, it follows that Business = Theft + Corruption + Jesus!

Both you and the GP are assuming that Business and Jesus can run together. In fact there are well fundamental incompatibilities between the output Business produces and the input expected by Jesus.

It is worth noting that other claimed incompatibilities are pure FUD.

The problem has been repeatedly highlighted by Jesus developers, and the project lead has recommended uninstalling business and similar proprietary apps. This has been unpopular with Business advocates and probably contributed to his legal difficulties.

The most reliable approach is to use only software meeting the standards set by the Christ Software Foundation. Some people have taken this approach, but they have had to be willing to accept limited access to some codecs.

Some people have managed to run Money while Jesus executes in a separate VM, but this is probably not a good idea. Jesus is really designed to run as a hypervisor.

Oh, and don't forget the new testaament: http://bible.cc/matthew/23-27.htm "How terrible it will be for you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead people's bones and every kind of impurity."

With all that said, what I find interesting is that you quote passage after passage in the Bible, condemning Christians (and religions) about not being perfect, yet you forget one passage... Matthew 7:5 - You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye. I challenge you that, instead of complaining about how others are not doing the right thing, go out and do the right thing yourself. How much better would that make the world?

Just because he quotes from a religious text doesn't mean he either a) believes in it, or b) has to follow suggestions from it.

I only responded to this because I remembered the story from 25'ish years ago in a religous class from when I was around 8 or 9 I think. Except in my version it was to do with planks and splinters, not beams and specks... I did a bit of research and found the following:

• Matthew 7:5
• Luke 6:42

The above links further led me to wonder about this mythical book called "The Bible". There's been so many variations and translations of it within, and across languages that they all have to have some serious problems somewhere, and there is no official/correct version. Even within a single version there's a large amount of inconsistency. (E.g. The four gospels don't agree on which Mary was where/when during the death and resurrection of J.C.).

BTW, not trying to be a hypocrite... I'm just a 'tooth fairy agnostic' trying to get people to critically think about what they're reading...

With all that said, what I find interesting is that you quote passage after passage in the Bible, condemning Christians (and religions) about not being perfect, yet you forget one passage... Matthew 7:5 - You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you will see clearly enough to remove the speck from your brother's eye. I challenge you that, instead of complaining about how others are not doing the right thing, go out and do the right thing yourself. How much better would that make the world?

Just because he quotes from a religious text doesn't mean he either a) believes in it, or b) has to follow suggestions from it.

I only responded to this because I remembered the story from 25'ish years ago in a religous class from when I was around 8 or 9 I think. Except in my version it was to do with planks and splinters, not beams and specks... I did a bit of research and found the following:

• Matthew 7:5
• Luke 6:42

The above links further led me to wonder about this mythical book called "The Bible". There's been so many variations and translations of it within, and across languages that they all have to have some serious problems somewhere, and there is no official/correct version. Even within a single version there's a large amount of inconsistency. (E.g. The four gospels don't agree on which Mary was where/when during the death and resurrection of J.C.).

BTW, not trying to be a hypocrite... I'm just a 'tooth fairy agnostic' trying to get people to critically think about what they're reading...

I believe that humans are born with the ability to distinguish right from wrong, good from evil -- a moral heart. It is only by ignoring our very nature that we learn to become the amoral, uncaring individuals which now appear to be the majority here in North America.

Greed is good. I GOTTA GO MAKE THE BENJAMINS!!!!

THAT'S the problem in a nutshell.

For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

1 Timothy 6:10 - King James Bible

"Yes, it's called managed code (Java/.NET)"

Another software solution, which also begs the question, what protects the 'managed code' bits from getting buffer overruns and wouldn't it be simpler to do it in the hardware? Of course the 'managed code' bits are only good in so far as they manage to detect malware all the time. Wouldn't it be simpler to make the kernel immune to these type of bugs as in the SAFECode project. That way when a process fails on garbage collection hooks, exception handling, type safety, array bounds and index checking, nothing happens.

I remember when there was only two kinds of ones and noughts, code and data and as long as you didn't download and run someone elses code you were totally safe. Another question to raise, and I realize I am crying in the wilderness here, is there any other way of achieving Web 2 type functionality without sacrificing security. Like, the current security debacle was caused by bad design decisions made years ago, something that is going to cost and is still not fixed, if at all fixable given the current state of 'innovation'.

Much like Christianity has dominated the police in nearly all US cities?

Christianity forbids carrying weapons, so anyone you see in uniform in the US is NOT a Christian, even if he thinks he is a Christian and attends a Christian church weekly.

Matthew 5:39- "But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also."

You can't do this and fulfill your duty as a police officer. It's damned hard to do even if you're not a cop.

I would like to add that there's also this passage describing infinity via the distance between east and west.

Acts 12:22-23 The people kept crying out, "The voice of a god and not of a man!" And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

The earth is the LORD's, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.

Psalms 24:1 (KJV)

But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

Hebrews 11:6 (KJV)

And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment:

Hebrews 9:27 (KJV)

Parallel Translations of 1 Timothy 6-10:

"For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." -- New American Standard Bible

"For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil: which some reaching after have been led astray from the faith, and have pierced themselves through with many sorrows." -- American Standard Version

But most of the other translations leave out "all kinds of" and say "all".

It says the author is Paul of Tarsus. The source we have of the writing is from the Peschito Syriac of the second century. -- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

Judging from one example, Bill Gates, the idea is supported. Bill Gates is said to suffer from depression. Depression is certainly a "sorrow".

IMO, the four corners thing is simply a pedantic argument; its just a phrase. As for the other one, I must admit I've often myself wondered what the deal with that one is. I doubt anyone thinks they can see the entire world from a mountain, so I don't really think thats what it was trying to say. Maybe someone else out there knows; I sure don't. Always kinda makes you wonder if something was lost in translation. Also, it might be worth noting that the verse in Daniel is describing a dream Nebuchadnezzar had that he wants interpreted.

Personally, I don't think it's worthwhile to play the select verses game, because anyone can always cherrypick ad nauseum stuff like Job 38:16 (undersea vents), Revelation 11:9-11 (TV), Job 36:27-29 (watercycle), Ecclesiastes 1:6 (movement of air), Job 28:25 (air having mass), Isaiah 43:16 (ocean currents), Job 26:7 (floating earth), 1 Corinthians 15:41 (uniques of stars), ect.

No it isn't. http://bible.cc/exodus/30-23.htm Its actually earlier in Exodus: Exodus chapter 30 verse 22 - 33: Moreover the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying: "Take thou also unto thee principal spices, of pure myrrh five hundred shekels, and of sweet cinnamon half so much, even two hundred and fifty shekels, and of sweet KINEBOISIN two hundred and fifty shekels. And of cassia five hundred shekels, after the shekel of the sanctuary, and of olive oil an hin And thou shalt make it an oil of holy ointment, an ointment compound after the art of the apothecary; it shall be an holy anointing oil And thou shalt anoint the tabernacle of the congregation therewith, and the ark of the testimony. Upon man's flesh shall it not be poured, neither shall ye make any other like it, after the composition of it: it is holy, and it shall be holy unto you Whosoever compoundeth any like it, or whosoever putteth any of it upon a stranger, shall even be cut off from his people KINEBOISIN, according to the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, is the old name for cannabis - it was also spelt kannabosm. They claim it was mis-translated in the King James' version of the bible, as "calamus"

If anyone else says that copying and sharing are stealing I would feel very offended.

Can You ever imagine our beloved Jesus Christ stealing fishes and breads instead of performing a miracle? [John 6,1-15] RIAA and MPAA are badly offending my religion and calling the son of god a thief. How cannot I wish for them to burn in hell?

P.S. Someone please stop my christian rage ;)

The Bible says the earth is a circle, i.e. flat. NASA says the earth is an oblate spheroid that is very very slightly fatter at the bottom. http://bible.cc/isaiah/40-22.htm http://regentsprep.org/Regents/earthsci/units/intr oduction/oblate.cfm

The Bible says that the Earth was created in 6 distinct phases. So do most geologists, biologists, and anyone else with half a clue about science.

What 6 phases are those? Cos i'm pretty sure most biologists would take issue with the claim that plants were created before the sun, and most cosmologists would not agree with the idea that the earth was created after space but before anything else like the stars.

You really need to read more than just creationist propaganda in order to have an accurate understanding of what science does and doesn't say. As it stands your remarks are the equivalent of saying "science say the sun revolves around the earth". That's how totally out of whack your comments are.

For you to say evolution hasn't kept current and has been discredited is just so totally divorced from reality it's not funny. For you're own sake open your eyes. Read something about evolution that isn't a piece of creationist propaganda. You are being lied to by people with an agenda. All these things that anti-evolutionists accuse science of, being blinkered zealots and using intellectual dishonesty to support an agenda, is just a total lie, and a total hypocrisy. I suggest you start by looking at http://talkorigins.org/origins/faqs.html

If after seeing both sides of the story you still aren't convinced, fair enough, but don't do yourself the disservice of relying one side of the story.

While Lewis was a Christian apologist and definitely theologically inclined, I suspect you're thinking of the quotation from 1 Corinthians: "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." (which would make it Paul of Tarsus)

Can anyone give me a valid reason why games like this should even be produced?

Do we really need this kind of reckless abandon in our games?

with the great majority of people suffering more and more mental illnesses for whatever reason, do you want someone already on the edge to have this material?

The plants are green because of intelligent painting. The Intelligent Painter, (you know who, but who shall remain nameless due to legal reasons, wink, wink) said I give you green plants for food.. This unwarranted attack on religion by science is totally unwarranted. Here we are, with a perfectly good explanation of why plants are green. And out of nowhere these scientists come and explain it all in a logical and credible manner. Our God of the Gaps, oops sorry The Intelligent Painter is now diminished by that much. If this attack continues, we will have no choice but to invoke the "Protection of Endangered Species Act" and demand certain "gaps in knowledge" to be preserved for ever as the sanctuary for Intelligent Painter.

what next in the agenda? Mandate water to flow upwards? Ice to burn things? Pigs to fly?

Trying to set "pi" equal to three is a traditional passtime of Bible thumpers, and about on my expectation level for this White House.

There are rumors that such things exist, in very special cases, but is easier to see pigs fly than to see a secure windows machine.

This is because most geeks who try it find building a trebuchet simple and fun, with clear documentation readily available. It also usually involves less shit being thrown at your efforts to make the project blow up.

When it comes to judging sanity, sometimes the best proof is a certificate that says as much.

Governments should not be like Christians.

Someone needs to read Deutoronomy 23:1

Hah...my opinion is that the political system is corrupted by money and association. Here's a little something about your new Speaker of the House.

Of course, it's hard to believe that the Republicans have the nerve to bitch about it (put me in mind of something about logs and specks or maybe pots and kettle), but they do.

Maybe it's true about the "banality of evil."

They sound like honest to goodness christians to me:

"Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones." (Psalm 137:9). (http://bible.cc/psalms/137-9.htm for various other delightful translations)

or

". . . and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child." (2 Kings 8:12).

and so on and so forth.

http://www.ffrf.org/

Rise up, Third World. Beat your plowshares into swords! Turn your laptops into bricks!!

It didn't work for the South, it didn't work for the folks at Waco, and it didn't work at Ruby Ridge.

I will beg to differ here. It worked in Waco, but took one year for it to take effect.

One year to the day, a US military trained individual carried out the largest terrorist attack on US soil at the time. It is still only second to the recent airplane thing.

I get bashed when I mention this, and I think its stupid that someone had to destroy an entire government building and kill so many people including children, but pause and think a second.

After the Oklahoma City bombing, and the reasons (right, wrong, insane, or imaginary) behind it, do you think there will be another Waco or Ruby Ridge incident today?

I don't think so. Oh, and McVeigh was a libertarian and a NRA member.

Hold on with the nutcase thoughts and overrated, flamebait, and troll mods here.

I would rather not have to think about this crap and just be a hippie and have fun, but sometimes it takes anger and force to wake people up.

I'm not a bible thumper, but even the presumed passive martyr called Jesus got pissed off and made a stand. Read Matthew 21:12.

As a rule, anger and violence is not the answer. But with any rule, there are exceptions.

>The point was not to argue the validity of Scripture; rather I am operting under the assumtion that it is Divinely inspired in the first place. Therefore, according to Scripture, you can't pick and choose

Thanks for clarifying the assumption; but it follows trivially from your assumption (that ALL of scripture is Divinely inspired) that ANY SUBSET of scripture is Divinely inspired.

You don't need to quote Timothy; just use set theory.

IIRC Matthew 23:40 notes that Scripture is massively redundant, and reduces swiftly to two Commanments. No-one's quite sure why God is so prolix.

There's a reason reincarnation was considered heretical. Read Hebrews 9:27:

And inasmuch as it is appointed unto men once to die, and after this cometh judgment;

Link

As well as other verses mentioning the ressurection, etc., none of which indicate people reincarnating as someone else. As for it being "taken out," that incorrectly indicates that it was believed prior to that, rather than being rejected as a novelty.

As for the other post in reply to this that claimed that one cannot be a scientist and a Christian: you are incorrect and base that inaccurate claim on a misunderstanding of theology. There are plenty of scientists who are both.

Moreover, it is you who misunderstands science: the empirical process is something one DOES which produces results which are then reconciled with the results. While one uses methodological naturalism to interpret the results, metaphysical naturalism is neither necessary nor scientific. After all, by being metaphysical, it is beyond even the possibility of scientific proof and appealing to methodological naturalism to "prove" it begs the question[1], assuming aspects of naturalism while trying to prove naturalism.

[1] The word "beg" in "begs the question" is used in an old sense of the word beg, which once meant "assumes." It is, in fact, correctly used here howevermuch and however vociferously certain people may argue against this characterization :P

That is all good and well, but remember that Jesus could kick some ass too.

http://bible.cc/matthew/21-12.htm

To me, most Christians falsely believe in being a passivist with stuff like "turn the other cheek", everything will be worked out in heaven when God who loves everybody so much will condemn those to eternal damnation. Yuck.

As far as I know, knowing Jesus or Christ is knowing oneself. That is it. If you want to be taken advantage of all the time, go ahead, but I live here and now on this planet, and I live life to the fullest.