rolling7 - i was on a debate team. Rule 101 - do not make statements you cannot prove.
I didn't say the great flood was untrue nor the plagues of egypt - scientists and archaeologists have already tackled those stories to find out if they were true and indeed, historically, they were true. Another guy have proven that the lost tribes of israel did exist and he tracked them down to their current day locations, one of the tribes is the jews of jerba in tunisia, famous for their silversmiths. Another is in ethiopia.
The other thing that bugs me about the preaching of the bible is the cop out...prove to me god exists. Priest replies, you just need to have faith. That's all the proof you need.
I did study the history of the bible and i will not argue historical events for naturally, people record them but the more fantastical stories? Ummm...c'mon. I do not doubt that we all have a need to believe in something greater than us and i do not doubt that indeed there is a superior force out there that is creating all this life. No doubt at all.
But i do not like attempted control through use of the bible and to tell people they must do this or that or they are not getting into heaven for being bad little kids. I do understand the bible was also a set of laws for civillized behaviour in society so we can get along instead of all out bloody warfare.
Most christians i've met are not very christ-like. They don't pay tithes, support the poor, be kind to their neighbours nor take good care of domesticated animals, which biblically, are said to have souls.
They destroy this wonderful planet god gave them, i don't see that as very respectful to their god. He gave them life, they are killing it.
I do support the message of jesus which is to be good, kind, neighbourly, generous, understanding, unconditional love even towards the judahs. He preaches forgiveness and acceptance. One hundred percent. But that doesn't make me believe he's god, just a very brilliant philosopher who was way ahead of his time and deeply spiritual. He was a jew, naturally his upbringing in the old testament is going to factor into his spiritual beliefs.
I'd rather people be and act like christians than quote from the bible to tell others "this is wrong cause god says so." how about christians practice what they preach and just go out there and be like christ instead of casting the finger of judgement upon everyone. Can anyone visualize jesus spewing profanities at gays or bombing an abortion shelter or telling abused wives to be quiet and not complain for divorce is wrong? Yet the bible is used to justify those things. That's sick. It really is.
As far as i am concerned, people have no business calling themselves christians if they are not behaving as christ would have wanted them to. Just believing god exists is not enough.