Is Satan Real

Quote: Nareed

I don't condemn any group for borrowing myths, legends and other things from earlier groups. These things are hard to come up with.

Originality is very scarce. Everything in the NT
is borrowed from other myths and cultures,
every last bit of it. No originality there at all.
Even things like the last supper and Jesus
being tempted by Satan in the wilderness
show up in other myths that predate Jesus
by centuries. Virgin births and miracles and
rising from the dead and physical ascension
into heaven are very common. Why should
we believe this one over all the others.

What would have been original is for Jesus to
preach for 100 years, be killed multiple times
and be resurrected multiple times. Lots of
witnesses, lots of history. Instead it's a tired
rerun of well established myths.

Quote: Evenbob

Originality is very scarce. Everything in the NT
is borrowed from other myths and cultures,
every last bit of it. No originality there at all.
Even things like the last supper and Jesus
being tempted by Satan in the wilderness
show up in other myths that predate Jesus
by centuries. Virgin births and miracles and
rising from the dead and physical ascension
into heaven are very common. Why should
we believe this one over all the others.

First of all why believe the events surrounding Christ's life more than others? Historical fact. The difference between Christianity and these other myths is a date. It is the claim that this really happened and evidence supporting it in the historical person of Jesus Christ who has changed the world. It is the Incarnation, which other religions dreamed a little about, but nothing close to the reality Christians believe - namely that God became one of us, true God and true man. He was born into our world at the beginning of the Common Era, from which our very years are based. These myths and common stories from many cultures are the pre-Christian dreams that Christ makes a reality.

Quote: FrGamble

It is the claim that this really happened

It says so in the Bible and everything in the
Bible is true. It says so in the Bible. Circular
logic, we went thru this already.

Religions like this eventually die out, they
are based on 'facts' and those 'facts' can't be
proved. We will always have Buddhism and
Hinduism because they are not fact based,
they're founded in ideas and spiritualism. In
300 years the base of the Christian religion
will be in a shambles and the Vatican will
be a religious artifact museum. Trace it's downfall
to the printing press.

Quote: Evenbob

It says so in the Bible and everything in the
Bible is true. It says so in the Bible. Circular
logic, we went thru this already.

We have and here you go circling back. When have I ever made such an argument?

Quote:

Religions like this eventually die out, they
are based on 'facts' and those 'facts' can't be
proved.

They would indeed die out, long before now, if those facts weren't true. Especially in the unprecedented increase of information in our modern world things that are based on falsehoods die out very quickly. The Egyptian gods of Isis and Oris wouldn't last three days when subjected to the scholarship and scrutiny of today. Yet what must be maddening to you is that Christianity doesn't die out and will not, because truth does not die. It wanes, especially when people ignore it or lie about it, but the truth will out. Thank God for the printing press, the internet, and the increase of knowledge it only ensures that no matter how hard people try to quash the truth they will not be able to do so.

Quote: FrGamble

Yet what must be maddening to you is that Christianity doesn't die out

Not at all, why would I possibly care what
it does. As long as they aren't trying
to forcibly convert me and torturing me
and confiscating my property and killing
me, it's just a quaint relic of the past that
eventually collapse under it's own weight,
as it's slowly doing now.

Shall we talk again about the dire shortage
of priests and nuns? Since 1975 there are
33% fewer priests in the US, average age
is 63. Yet there are 43% more church members,
do mostly to the influx of Catholic immigrants,
like illegal Mexicans and Central Americans.
There is nobody in the Vatican who believes
this can continue without giving priests the
right to marry, and letting women into the
priesthood. The new pope has even said
he's taking it under advisement.

And if any of that happens, say goodby to
the religion as you know it.

Antagonists versus well intentioned equals fool's errand.

Apparently Satan is real in MN. Now they're
charging the archdiocese for covering up
ongoing abuse and failing to protect kids
from priests. They already declared bankruptcy,
with means if parents sue they don't get
squat. Nice, huh.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/06/05/us-usa-minnesota-archdiocese-idUSKBN0OL23W20150605