[lumi]

Originally Posted by Spider Crusoe

I'm Christian. I wouldn't describe myself as belonging to any particular sect of Christianity, but I am on the protestant side.

This isn't true anymore. I'm agnostic now.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Since when? And why?

[Wormsie]

Ooh, btw, I'm officially a pagan now.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

I'm a conditional Nutellan. Only in the mornings, with coffee and toast.

[lumi]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

Since when? And why?

Well, I became skeptical a week ago (although some things from the past contributed), so I did some reading and thinking about what trouble me. I looked into the history and archaeology of Judaism and Christianity, and I only found things that made the religion less credible. I'll try to give a brief summary here.

For one, there is no evidence for Moses or an exodus. No historical records left by the Egyptians, and no archaeological evidence left in the area of a large group of people wandering. Moses also was not the first person in history to have been sent down a river as a baby; the first was Sargon of Akkad. Also lots of other religions have flood myths, and they all happen to be based on rivers that flood. Cultures not around such rivers have no such myths.

I think the more important thing is that Judaism used to be polytheistic. It was Zoroastrianism that influenced it to become monotheisitc and dualistic. Zoroaster also seems to be the first Jesus. Here are some of his teachings (copid from Wikipedia):

Equality of sex. Men and women are equal in all manners within society.

Hard work and charity. Laziness and sloth are frowned on. Charity is regarded as a good deed, where Zoroastrians part with a little of what would otherwise be their own.

Condemnation of oppression toward human beings, cruelty against animals and sacrifice of animals. Equality of all humans regardless of race or religion and respect of everything on Earth and in the world is central to the religion.

So why are Judaism and Jesus right when they aren't original?

There's much more to it than that, and I'd prefer to make a more formal write up if I went further.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

Now you see why I turned away from being Catholic? A lot of that stuff in the Bible is very easy to mistranslate or misinterpret, and I might add, intently. Christianity, we have to remember, got to where it is today not only as a religion but also as an incredibly powerful political force, and along the way its 'purity' was gradually corrupted, replaced by a lot of bullshit dogma.

[Wormsie]

Originally Posted by Spider Crusoe

Well, I became skeptical a week ago.

A week is a short time in philosophy. In fact, not a time at all.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

You could say the same about epiphanies, Wormsie, but that don't make it less significant.

[Wormsie]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

You could say the same about epiphanies, Wormsie, but that don't make it less significant.

Epiphany sounds like an exotic cookie.

[Intrepid Homoludens]

OMG, my lover and I had sex last night and we BOTH reached an earthshattering epiphany at the SAME TIME!!!!

[lumi]

Originally Posted by Wormsie

A week is a short time in philosophy. In fact, not a time at all.

Yeah, it is a short time, but what I found was conlusive enough.

The same thing happened to me. I made a crucial life change when I stopped and started thinking about religion. I guess it's true about the glass getting bigger as you get older, and the same amount of liquid can't fill it up.

[Wormsie]

Originally Posted by Intrepid Homoludens

OMG, my lover and I had sex last night and we BOTH reached an earthshattering epiphany at the SAME TIME!!!!

Was it on a bedside table or something?

[pinkgothic]

Originally Posted by SamNMax

And studies show that if you don't find God by the age of thirteen, you never will.

What about find-and-then-lose-again? And with find I mean 'round about the age of eleven.

*goes back in time and kicks self*