Why thank you! That's one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me! [:D]

I Love Ya Man...[;)]

Count me in too.
DD

Highlited above in red are the words of Jesse Ventura...which also happen to appear in your post. Pretty ironic that such a forward thinking individual would have to rely on the same tired old catch phrases that have been soap-boxed by every athiest since Ventura did the Playboy interview...



Seen this before. Someone tried to force religion on you, and you rebeled against that person. Your recalcitrance was transfered to all religion in general....Thus your feelings.

This is very, very common, and transparent as all hell if you know what to look for...
Hell. Even your name depicts your anti-religion crusade.

"LOOK AT ME ALL YOU MAINSTREAM FOLK! I AM EVOLOUTION! I AM HOMO-ERECTUS! THERE IS NO GOD!"

I've seen this so many times it's funny, and predictable.

Post from RikWriter -

Well, well, out 'quenching the Spirit' on the Lord's Day, again, are we?

We DO accept the premise that the Bible is an amazingly accurate account of what Jesus said about Himself.  That's what faith is all about, thank you.

If you have none, then you have no reason to feel compelled to question ours.  We are fools, simply put, so why bother?  Leave us alone, dear boy, can't you see we're having a good time in our devout foolishness.

Post from Juggernaut -

You are correct, my Brother. The entire quote from Flavius Josephus written in about 93 A.D.(that's [i]Anno Domini[/i] 'Year of OUR Lord')
is as follows:

(Based on the translation of Louis H. Feldman, The Loeb Classical Library.)

Pretty powerful testimony, I dare say!

'Course, we're still fools, don't you know![:D]

Eric The(BiggestFoolOfAll,Hopefully)Hun[>]:)]

Jesus loved us enough to die for our sins! Do I love Jesus? Yes I do!
Jim Hall

Actually Eric, there are no copies of Josephus which include that particular section that can be dated prior to the 11th C AD, and it is generally accepted by scholars that the passage was added by church scribes.

That's BS, RikWriter, pure and simple!

Have you even READ Louis Feldman's writings concerning this 'Testimonium Flavianum' where that preemminent Jewish historian accepts the fact that the quote above, is most likely genuine.

It would prove far wiser for infidels to make a case and argue against Josephus being a careful historian, than to argue that the comment was a forgery!

I suppose Josephus made up a lot of crap about James the Just, the brother of Jesus, as well?
Right?

Eric The(WhichMasterAreYouServing?)Hun[>]:)]

Rik:

Do you beleive in Satan?

In all the posts you have made concerning religion, specifically Christianity, I don't recall ever having seen you post anything regarding Satan.  Granted, I find it quite easy to ignore most of the garbage that so freely spews forth from your mouth but I do read some of it from time to time.  

I may have missed it if you have so please correct me if I am wrong.

I find it much more relevant to my life and the entire salvation experience to acknowledge that Jesus Loves Me and that He does so unconditionally, even when I act as though I don't love him.

That is the center of it all.

amen

No.

I figured as much Rik.

You are the very definition and the perfect example of a lost and dying world.

Do as you will my friend.  

One day your life will end and you will suddenly find yourself before a Holy God who expects a response from you.

What you do between now and then will determine that response.

Laugh it off now if you wish.  Call me and all like me lunatics.  What you think of me and what you think about what I beleive in has zero impact on the way I live my life but..................

It will have an all important impact on you and where you spend eternity.

There is only one truth.

Who are you to challenge God?  

Eric, you must have a bit of a reading comprehension problem.  No one said Josephus made up anything. As for his reference to James, that passage shows no sign of Christian interpolation, but the one you quoted certainly DOES.  The vast majority of scholars believe that the passage you quoted was either a forgery or was a broad interpolation by Christian scribes of the 11th C.
Feel free to deny that all you want, but a lot of people who have studied the subject disagree with you.

He has brought me through many a hard time.

Are you sure that was not an Eagle Scout??

Personally I like to get through tough times with help from my family and friends....not to mention a good dose of PERSONAL INTESTINAL FORTITUDE!!

Never found a need for a god so far.....and I will frankly be disappointed in my self if I ever do...

Me too, I'm in!

Reply to RikWriter-
And you may likewise feel free to disagree with the many writers who believe that the 'Testimony of Josephus' was [b]not[/b] a forgery, but simply a historian who, when faced with a puzzling factual situation, most likely relied on extant pro-Christian writings (most likely the Gospel of Luke's 'Emmaus Meeting' account), when any contradictory records at Jerusalem had been destroyed during the Jewish War in 70 AD!

At this point, it is wise to remember that Josephus was not a Christian, nor did he say that he believed that Jesus was the Messiah (although a problem exists, because Jesus was referred to in an earlier section (Book 20) as being the 'so-called Christos', which, as you may know, was simply the Greek word for [i]annointed one[/i] which in Hebrew is 'Messiah').

Eusebius, in 324 AD, quotes the Testimony verbatim, which, if it did not correctly quote Josephus, would have been easy for anyone to rebut! And Eusebius was careful in his writings in most people's opinions! The absence of any dispute in the historical record is remarkable!

Most of my sources are Jewish, they just don't believe that Josephus was being careful in his writing, but relied too heavily on Greek translators (BTW Josephus wrote, incidentally, in Aramaic, the language of Jesus).

(Edited to add 'Reply to...')

Eric The(WellFounded)Hun[>]:)]

John 3:16.  May His will be done in my life.
Praise God.

hhhhooooaaaahhhh and amen

Yes I have trusted in Jesus and love him dearly.
I thank God Almighty that I had parents that took me to church since conception and taught me right from wrong.

Homo Erectus,
Why so much anger and hatred, are you feeling under conviction or something? I feel very sorry for you.  Oh and I would not call most church goers trailer trash.  All of the churches I have ever been to the people were all very upstanding people, sure there were some poor folks, but no one I would call trailer trash.  

Reverend73 (no I'm not actually a reverend.)

I will pass on the Jesus issue, but I do embrace the G-d of Moses and Abraham.

Shalom



Allen

...Mcwoozie.com...I'm of this train (H.erectus) of thought also,there have been too many people killed in the name of the so-called 1 true religion....people want.. health and the preseveration of life,food+sleep = MONEY,and the things it buys,[b]life in the hearafter[/b],sexual gratification,wellbeing of children,and a feeling of importance.Not necessarily in that order.Religions are tax free,always NEED that extra collection(I thought god provides)...and worth more than some governments and aligned with many....and control people....your gonna DIE...believe it or not!

Somehow I think I would trust Rikwriter over Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggert.

Jesus had great stuff, but too many people use him to their own advantage. I hope Satan has a special place for those people.

Hell, boy, [b]I[/b] would trust RikWriter over James Bakker or Jimmy Swaggart! Or Benny Hinn, or a host of other 'press your hand to the t.v. and claim...' sorts of televangelists.

Eric The(ButThenWhereDoesThatTakeUs?)Hun[>]:)]

i wouldn't give too much thought to [i]H. erectus[/i].  that species is fairly low on the evolutionary ladder.  

Well said



I'll add this, you wanna see a real christian, you go to your local Bible preaching church and look for an old man or woman who has been faithfully attending, praying , reading their Bible, giving, etc all their life--thats a real christian.  These fly-by-night televangelists are just in it for the money, don't let them be your view of Christianity.

Reverend73

This is all very interesting.
This week at our county fair I was sitting at the both that our church has set up and we were giving out free bottled water. We had a table set up with Gospel tracts and New Testaments that people could take. all of this stuff was free to anyone who would want it. Some people would gladly take some water or some of the tracts and others would others were like "there's got to be some catch, right?" "I gotta do something for you first, right?"
But I think this is a "picture" of the real Gospel message. Christ paid the cost for us so that we can now have an abundant and eternal life, filled with joy, peace, and love. and all that we have to do to get it is to come to Him and receive it by faith. Th Bible says-
"without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." Hebrews 11:6  
Ok I'm tired and I'm going to bed now. It is great to see so many brothers in Christ here on this site!
- bricklayer - I didn't come from monkeys!!!

Very well stated Rev.

Of course, we know that this is exactly satans plan to undermine the real truth of Christianity and to erode human views of Gods  authority by causing men to focus on people rather than the Lord.

Only for a short season.  Only for a short season.

Ditto what Reverend73 said.
-bricklayer

Jesus is just alright with me,Jesus is just all right with me,he's my freind,took me by the hand,led me far across the land...(love that song!!)Love Jesus here!!!!!What a pathetic sinner,sluggard,glutton,etc. i am though....sigh...

 <\\\<

The Lord God formed this nation...It was founded by Christians upon Christian principles ..the liars of the ACLU ..the communists among us have long sought to revise our history to control education and their partners in this crime are trying to sieze the nation to its destruction...there is a spirit of strong delusion upon our nation and its people...you cannot be loyal to this nation without being loyal to the God who created it...a flag is a piece of cloth..the constituion a piece of paper..the military a group of people thrown together in unwilling associtation..loyalty must first be to God the family and then country...God will not allow this nation to become a nation of homosexuals, communists, aethists, perverts, and violent men...He will put us under authority...and we will loose all our liberty...I laugh at those who speculate they will seize the country under force of arms and take it back...and turn it into "what" a nation of perverts?...we should fight for an unorganized gang of perverts and thugs to liberate us from a well organized gang of perverts and thugs...The Lord God through His Son the Lord Jesus Christ must rule over every human heart ....Have people been killed in the name of God ...certainly...have they been killed in the name of Facism Nazism Buddism every "ism" one can think of ...but in Chrisianity all fair better even the atheist who is free to bite the hand that has fed him...for all good things come down from the Father of Lights..Jesus said that true religion is this to visit the sick have mercy on the widow, the poor and the orphan and to visit those in prison....No one can find fault in Christ...He never lied..He never sinned..and He is God . He is exactly as He said He is...no more no less...without Him to advocate us to the Father at the time of our deaths...Without His Holy blood covering our mulitiude of sins...We are all condemed to eternal separation from Him and our place is in the Lake of Fire with the devil and his demons...Choose this day who you will serve...for your sake and those who you are responsible for...John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have ever-lasting life.

Jesus loves me, for the bible tells me so!

Amen,
M.

What will people think when they hear that I'm a Jesus Freak....

What will people do when they find that it's true...

I don't really care if they label me a Jesus freak, there ain't no disquising the truth...