Dracone wrote:Distruzio wrote:Following this logic, we should wonder why one even stops there? Who is to say that Jesus himself and His message weren't completely fabricated by politically connected and motivated individuals out of jealousy of the Jewish elite?
Really, if we allow ourselves to fall to this delusion, then we might as well believe that the entire reasoning behind institutional religion is to fool the plebes among us and enrich the established elites that much more. But, once we do jump down that rabbit hole, Alex Jones becomes quite appealing. Before long, the US gov't will be poisoning our water supply, LED lights will be capable of killing anyone anywhere, and terrorist attacks will be staged by compartmentalized gov't agencies the world over. The world will become a prison of our paranoia.
It's beyond silly to pull on that string. One must draw the line somewhere.
The problem with it having been one hundred percent fabricated is that so many of the messages condemn the church (or its equivalent at the time)
No such passages exist. This is an example of you setting yourself up as the supreme Pontiff above even God.
so the religious elite were condeming themselves?
So your reasoning would lead us to believe.
I look at the two options.
And thats the problem. I'm saying there aren't only two options.
Decide if one would have benefitted a party. Then Look at which seems to accord with the rest of the document and what I know to be true. Then decide what I beleive is truth.
Yes. I agree that that is, indeed, what you do. It's precisely what I condemn in the OP of this thread.
once again... 300 years ago they were torturing people to death for no reason... you cant tell me thats good fruit.
I wouldnt presume to misrepresent the Church's works. No one was killed for no reason. Have you never sinned in your lifetime? Should we doubt your repentance and desire to correct wrongs b/c wrongs were once committed? The Church is a living thing, Dracone. She learns from the mistakes she makes the same as you do/did. If God's grace is enough, according to your theological perspective on Christianity, to forgive you for your transgressions, then it is certainly enough to forgive the Church for hers.