Christianity's Faith is Folly

[Red Wolf]

One of the big arguments that Chistians make for the resurrection is that the early Christians died as martyrs for their faith. So the story has to be true.
HOGWASH!

People are very complex and it is not always easy to assign a reason as to what motivates people. Just read your local newspaper, and almost everyday there is a report of a suicide bomber. This is the ultimate sacrifice, ending your life. These people must be very religious and have a firm faith that they will receive a reward in the next life. But because of their faith are you and I motivated to become Muslims? I doubt it.

Are you old enough to remember the Viet Nam war? If not ask your Mom and Dad. During the war Buddists monks would regularly pour gasoline on their body, sit in the middle of a busy intersection in Saigon, and light a match. Would their faith motivate you to become a Buddist?

During World War II, the Japaneese kamikaze pilots flew their planes into American ships killing themselves for their God. What faith. Do you want to join the Shinto religion?

Throughout History people have killed themselves and made great sacrifices for their beliefs.
It is meaningless folly to think that such sacrifices somehow insure that their beliefs are truth.

Mod edit to include debate question:

If Christians died does that indicate the Jesus Story is True?
viewtopic.php?p=995256#995256

[Elijah John]

[Replying to post 1 by Red Wolf]


Moderator Intervention

Some interesting observations, however in order to avoid having your topic moved to Random Ramblings, please formulate a question for debate ASAP. Thank you.

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[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 1 by Red Wolf]


Moderator Intervention

Some interesting observations, however in order to avoid having your topic moved to Random Ramblings, please formulate a question for debate ASAP. Thank you.

Rules
C&A Guidelines


______________

Moderator interventions do not count as a strike against any posters. They are given at the discretion of a moderator when he or she feels that some sort of intervention is required.

Moved?

Yes, to the C and A sub-forum, please!

[Red Wolf]

[Replying to post 1 by Red Wolf]


Moderator Intervention

Some interesting observations, however in order to avoid having your topic moved to Random Ramblings, please formulate a question for debate ASAP. Thank you.

Rules
C&A Guidelines


______________

Moderator interventions do not count as a strike against any posters. They are given at the discretion of a moderator when he or she feels that some sort of intervention is required.

If Christians died does that indicate the Jesus Story is True? I say NO!

[Checkpoint]

[Replying to post 4 by Red Wolf]

If Christians died does that indicate the Jesus Story is True? I say NO!

Christians die like anyone else.

It does not indicate whether or not the Jesus story is true.

[JehovahsWitness]

[Replying to post 1 by Red Wolf]

DO CHRISTIAN MARTYRS PROVE THE TRUTH OF CHRISTIANITY?

Being willing to die for your cause doesn't necessarily mean your cause is true but it is something that reflects a sincerity of belief which one can reasonably conclude stems from convincing argument or experience. People are rarely willing to die for that which they know is a lie if it can be avoided without repercussion.

• The leaders proposing a course are rarely the first to lay their lives down for it. Indeed history testifies that they are often the last, and that only if they are caught and clemency is not offered in exchange for recapitulation (The Japanese Empereor for example promptly renounced his status as a god once defeated and managed to avoid execution)
• The Christian movement is characterized by those proposing their claims, and leading the community being the first to suffer loss and persecution. If the bible is to be believed Jesus of Nazareth had at least on paper the chance to deny his claim of Messiahship and escape his execution, and tradition holds most if not all of the 12 Apotles died as martyrs.
• The common means of influencing the masses, massive social pressure to conform to the majority, the feedback reward loop of escaping to an isolated community, illiteracy, childhood indoctrination, monetary rewards, substance abuse, and other elements which characterize the manipulation of cults to the point they are willing to die or kill for their cause, does not characterize the first century Christian community. NOTE Unlike many "relgious deaths", the first century Christians did not kill nor kill themselves in protest or in response to a threat to their community, but they were uncompromising in thè way they lived and that regardless of the cost.

It is evident that short of a collective madness, these men and women genuinely believed their claims which indicates something convincing happened to them. We have but to examine the available evidence to analyse the source of their conviction.




JW



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viewtopic.php?p=858115#p858115

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https://www.jw.org/en/search/?q=Persecution

To read more please go to other posts related to...

RELIGION, CHRISTIANITY and ...RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION

[Menotu]

[Replying to post 1 by Red Wolf]

If Christians died does that indicate the Jesus Story is True?

No. It just means Christians died. The less we read in to actions without facts the better off we will be as an individual, society and species.

Unless religions are nothing more than a number's game. If that's the case, we need to take another look at it all together

[Red Wolf]

Throughout history fools have died for causes that were not true.
A word of advice...don't die for a fable.

[Menotu]

Throughout history fools have died for causes that were not true.
A word of advice...don't die for a fable.

How dare you sir!
Maybe some want those virgins waiting for them when they get to heaven!