Ask500

I don't give Norse gods the time of day, nor the Greek gods, nor the Egyptian gods, nor the Roman gods, primarily because none of those gods speak English. Now had their religious texts been translated into English wouldn't we be in a world of hurt then? Wow. People would become convinced they were all real, and real they were of course to the properly brainwashed. I wonder if TKent has considered this point of view?

If he has seen this site before, I and greeneyedgirl have addressed every single one of these and he is smart enough to ignore the same questions from the same people.

The Bible is quite enough proof for me, but you're free to not believe. Biblical Truth is spiritually discerned, and unless the Spirit moves yet at some point in your life by God's mercy and grace, you will remain "Blind". Please do not harden your heart more...

To answer the simpler question first; "...how is it possible to find one variety to believe and then continue to believe year after year, decade after decade?"

It's not. You will find yourself going through spiritual changes as your understanding of the world and God changes.

When I was in my 20's and single, I was happy with a large Methodist church that emphasized community building. I really wanted to be part of a like minded group with similar interests. I didn't mind going out and having a drink or three, but the bar scene was not good for actually getting to know people and there were too many alcoholics around. At the church, there were activities available seven days a week if you wanted that much and most cost very little or nothing. In athletics, we had 6 volleyball teams, 3 softball teams, 3 basketball teams, 2 aerobics groups, a liturgical dance group and a running crew. You'd be amazed how many talented musicians there are that have to make a living doing something else. We had 3 choirs, an orchestra, a rock band and 2 country/gospel bands and various soloists. There were three major study groups that split into small groups for prayer and personal accountability. There was a lot more, but you get the idea. Church was the place you went to make life richer and better. Religion was how you lived, not just what you weren't supposed to do.

As I got to 30, I started asking some of the harder questions and explored what made Baptists so successful and ran around with a bunch of Charismatics to find out if they knew something I didn't. They didn't.

I ran across an unusual church that had about 400 active members. The unusual thing was that the average church with 400 active members has 1600 members on the rolls. This church had 450. I wanted to know what kind of church was 4 times as effective as average. It turned out to be the only Reformed church in Oklahoma (at that time). Reformed churches emphasize the "sovereignty of God." This has a huge number of implications that most people never think about. I found out that God blessed me to be a blessing. I have a purpose I was created for. I was given all the tools and resources I needed to be the blessing God intended me to be. That means that nobody... nobody can stop my being a blessing unless I allow it. That knowledge gave me the courage to go back to school so that I could be a financial success. It gave me the courage to ask the beautiful woman I loved to marry me. It gave me the strength to hold my family together when my wife spent 4 years dying. It gave me the authority to go to the other side of the world to adopt my daughter. It made me comfortable in my own skin.

With that kind of strength and authority, we never felt threatened by other beliefs. The church had one 16 week course on the Old Testament taught by a well known local Rabbi. We had a 4 week course on Islam taught by a local Muslim Doctor. We thought nothing about comparing and contrasting with other Christian traditions.

One of our members was a Coptic Christian pop star in Egypt that fled a Muslim kill squad. Another was my Bible instructor for 2 years. His day job was as the chief scientist perfecting laser surgery on the eyes. Another owned 1200 fast food franchises and invented real estate franchising. I could name 50 others that were ultra-successful in their chosen fields. These are not people that are entertained by myths or roped in by cults. They taught me how functional Christianity is. The scientist/Bible teacher got me started working out the apparent differences between science and Christianity. He showed us that the differences are nearly always caused by either misunderstanding God or science. The rest, the science is flat wrong or what we "know" about God is wrong.

We ONLY know to correct a wrong if someone disagrees with conventional wisdom. Scientists do that all the time. That is also how to correct a mistake in understanding in Christianity. Do we dismiss science because scientists disagree? Of course not. Do we dismiss Christianity because Christians disagree? Many do, but it makes no sense to me.

So, no. I would not expect to find one variety of Christianity to believe and then continue to believe year after year, decade after decade.

The other point you raised about Ehrman needs a book or three to answer him point by point. Here http://books.google.com/books?id=kmll_AehOhwC&pg=PA114&lpg=PA114&dq=Ehrman%27s+interpretation&source=bl&ots=IrJK7u1jQa&sig=oWmYVfOtvPRU2CteP0IYN2zJCBY&hl=en&ei=ZbCdS7uaIdCRjAf1yoHGCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CB8Q6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Ehrman%27s%20interpretation&f=false

is where you can find one expert's view.

Some thought Vietnam was for the offshore oil and rubber plantations. Others thought Vietnam was to stop the spread of communism. Would killing be justifiable regardless of either reason? The outcome of the war proved the USA mainland was never in danger at any time. So what's the difference in thousands of USA soldiers killing thousands of Vietnamese on their own land, or a serial killer in San Francisco killing a few dozen Vietnamese because he seeks monetary gain (analogous to offshore oil or rubber plantations) or maybe for partisan reasons (analogous to stopping the spread of communism)?

I only use Vietnamese as an example because I think murders in Vietnam were just as unholy as murders in California would be. Would any sane person disagree?

"The US has not started a war like that since the 1870's Indian wars."

Okay. Then whose side was God on? The white man's (the attackers)? Or the Native Americans (the attacked)?

Then it follows, doesn't it, that a person who likes the idea of God but doesn't "get" the "pomp" of church invented rituals that are repeated year after year, decade after decade, century after century, should not really be faulted simply because such repetition seems silly and pointless to him?