Originally posted by rwingett
Are you daft? Wiki is reporting what Justin Martyr said, but it doesn't mean that he was right. Justin Martyr was a proto-orthodox christian. Of course he's going to say that the Ebionites were heretics and his group represents the right belief. But he's wrong about that. It was the Ebionites who were the original christians and Justin who was the "heretic. ...[text shortened]... ite a bit of "reading between the lines" in our attempts to flesh out their theology.

The Ebionites were a revisionist extremist fringe group, and like anyone else that denies the basic tenets of the faith, are deceived.

Originally posted by Nemesio
Yes, but what does that mean? You take it to be a literal statement. Others take it to be a
figurative one.

Nemesio

Let's say that one day Jesus died on the cross. Then three days later he comes back to life. You know, rises from the dead. Literally.
That's what the bible says. It's a no brainer.

Originally posted by rwingett
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Historical_Jesus

A long, but interesting article. Of particular relevance to my purposes here is the following passage:

...Though John's teachings remained visible in those of Jesus, Jesus would emphasize the Kingdom of God not as imminent, but as already present and manifest through the movement's communal commitment to a relationship of equality among all members, and living by the laws of divine justice.

Perhaps Chavez down in Venezula can bring the kingdom of God to us all through mandating Christianity and forcing his subjects into socialism/communism.

Originally posted by DoctorScribbles
Mine says that a woman was bodily transformed into a pillar of salt, and that the mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds.

Ok!

Originally posted by josephw
Let's say that one day Jesus died on the cross. Then three days later he comes back to life. You know, rises from the dead. Literally.
That's what the bible says. It's a no brainer.

Wait a second, how can we take what Nemesio is saying as literal?

Originally posted by jaywill
Christ was not and is not a "reformer" of society of any type.

Besides the bible, which is obviously of questionable veracity given the information presented, what do you back this statement up with??

Originally posted by josephw
Let's say that one day Jesus died on the cross. Then three days later he comes back to life. You know, rises from the dead. Literally.
That's what the bible says. It's a no brainer.

Do you have any credible evidence of this ever having happened to anyone?

Originally posted by josephw
The Ebionites were a revisionist extremist fringe group, and like anyone else that denies the basic tenets of the faith, are deceived.

Keep-a-towing that party line.

Originally posted by josephw
I remember when you brought it up. I didn't reply because there's no point. Fundamentally, if one does not believe that Jesus rose from the dead, then one isn't a christian.

Rubbish. It just means one isn't a Paulist.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Do you have any credible evidence of this ever having happened to anyone?

Any credible evidence for someone being raised from the dead? Yes, and his name is John McCain. Seriously, has anyone seen him lately? And to think he is running for President. All I can say is this is simply AMAZING!!!

Originally posted by whodey
Any credible evidence for someone being raised from the dead? Yes, and his name is John McCain. Seriously, has anyone seen him lately? And to think he is running for President. All I can say is this is simply AMAZING!!!

haha, you got me!

Originally posted by rwingett
Many of the early christians did not believe that Jesus rose from the dead. That mythology was a later addition.

So? What's new? People have been denying the resurrection since it first happened. If Jesus didn't rise from the dead, then there's nothing to believe in.
For some one who doesn't even believe there is a God to state that the resurrection is a myth is wait a minute I just thought of something. You have superior writing abilities, and you're smart too. I know you are. I read your posts. Put yourself in my shoes for a moment, as an experiment, and finish that sentence for me so it makes sense. Would you do that? I got stuck. And I don't want to say something that everybody can punch holes into.

Originally posted by josephw
My authority is the bible, and it says Jesus rose from the dead.

Who wrote the bible? Jesus? No? If you follow the bible, you are following the writer, and what he chooses to write, which is not necessarily what the individual being written believed or advocated.

Originally posted by rwingett
What did Christ accomplish? Very little, it seems. His entire message was corrupted and turned into a cult centering around his personhood and supposed divinity. So now christians sit around and think that they can proclaim their faith in the supposed death and resurrection of Jesus and that the kingdom will be delivered into their laps. That wasn't what Je ...[text shortened]... ty in the here and now and god would then enter into it and make it the "kingdom of god."

You know, you understand the bible, and are more of a Christian than 95% of the chuckleheads in this place.

Originally posted by whodey
he has changed me for the better as well

You would say that. You;re hardly going to ever say "it turned me into a racist bigoted azzhole", are ya?