Do You Believe In God?

[Beorning]

I'm sorry, but I disagree. I've read the NT front to back, and whilst it's better than the OT, it's still pretty nasty. Jesus himself preached some very nasty things. Jesus (supposedly) said some nice things...but also some very horrific things. He also fully supported and advocated the evil in the Old Testament.

Not really, no. Yes, he did say that the Law would not change... but, at the same time, he did fight against some of the OT's harsher rules. The stoning of prostitutes, for examples...

He also fought very hard against rreligious hipocrisy and putting religious rules above common sense.

What is the "Core Message?" Do unto others, etc etc? Except the unbelievers, or anybody who disagreed with him. The core message of the NT was "Love me more than anybody else or my father/me [depends on who you ask] will burn you for eternity."

I'd say that the core message of NT is "Love each other"...

- Advocated the murder of a family member if that family member refused to follow him.

It wasn't literal!

- Advocated slavery and the oppression of women.

Jesus? Aren't you confusing him with St. Paul?

- Ordered the deaths of unruly children.

Where???

- Encouraged self mutilation as punishment for Thought Crimes.

Not. Literal.

- Instructed people not to defend themselves if attacked.

Where???

- Outright condemned people for planning for the future (what a crap piece of advice).

Not really, no. He only asked people to have some faith in God's capacity to care for them... which isn't anything weird in the context of belief system that postulates the existence of God. He didn't literally say that planning for the future is evil...

[Blythe]

Topic locked at OP's request.