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Post by ShadowSouL: Padawan of Yoda on Mar 17, 2023 2:21:12 GMT
Is that proof that Christianity is the one and only true religion?
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Post by lunda2222 on Mar 17, 2023 10:06:54 GMT
Not in the slightest.
The minimum I would take as evidence of any religion is that the deities would appear in front of oh several million people at once and perform miracles to show that they are real. And I'm not talking about stage magic or charlatan tricks like Peter Poppof (and most likely Jesus) used. It would of course have to be documented in such a fashion that it can't be faked.
And that it would barely qualify as be evidence, not proof.
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Post by Feologild Oakes on Mar 17, 2023 12:03:51 GMT
You do know that there are Christians who convert to other religions right?
And that there are people of other religions, that convert to other religions that are not Christianty right?
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Post by rizdek on Mar 17, 2023 23:39:59 GMT
Is that proof that Christianity is the one and only true religion? Maybe not...it might mean it is the easiest religion to be part of...or more precisely to claim you're a part of. It is really easy to be a Christian...think about it. There are virtually no universal requirements. All one has to do is say in their mind that they believe in Jesus and think that they accept his gift of salvation and that's pretty much it. Botta bing, botta boom, they're a Christian. Oh sure, individual denominations may have some stringent requirements...going to church...paying tithe...doing so much in the church or community, witnessing, yadda yadda yadda. But anyone can just 'say' they're a Christian and they don't really need to DO anything or change anything they're doing. They don't even have to go to any church at all. And when pollsters call they can affirm they are, indeed, Christian and Pew Research and other polling companies will happily include them in their tally...no questions asked. In fact most Christians are happy with this arrangement...that virtually ANYONE can 'claim' to be Christian because even if those Christians might not agree with much of...or anything any other Christian believes, the fact that these people SAY they are Christians makes all Christians feel better and gives them the sense that...well if so many say they're Christian, it's more likely that it's true.. Just like you might have been suggesting...ie that the more people claiming to be Christian might be proof/evidence of it's validity.
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Post by clusium on Mar 17, 2023 23:52:33 GMT
Is that proof that Christianity is the one and only true religion? Maybe not...it might mean it is the easiest religion to be part of...or more precisely to claim you're a part of. It is really easy to be a Christian...think about it. There are virtually no universal requirements. All one has to do is say in their mind that they believe in Jesus and think that they accept his gift of salvation and that's pretty much it. Botta bing, botta boom, they're a Christian. Oh sure, individual denominations may have some stringent requirements...going to church...paying tithe...doing so much in the church or community, witnessing, yadda yadda yadda. But anyone can just 'say' they're a Christian and they don't really need to DO anything or change anything they're doing. They don't even have to go to any church at all. And when pollsters call they can affirm they are, indeed, Christian and Pew Research and other polling companies will happily include them in their tally...no questions asked. In fact most Christians are happy with this arrangement...that virtually ANYONE can 'claim' to be Christian because even if those Christians might not agree with much of...or anything any other Christian believes, the fact that these people SAY they are Christians makes all Christians feel better and gives them the sense that...well if so many say they're Christian, it's more likely that it's true.. Just like you might have been suggesting...ie that the more people claiming to be Christian might be proof/evidence of it's validity. Not necessarily. Depends entirely upon the Christian denomination. The process can sometimes take as long & tedious a time, as it can be if you convert to Judaism.
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Post by lowtacks86 on Mar 18, 2023 1:50:41 GMT
Well no, I would argue it's proof of centuries of western imperialism and media influence
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Post by paulslaugh on Mar 18, 2023 3:15:39 GMT
No
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Post by paulslaugh on Mar 18, 2023 3:16:59 GMT
Unlike most other religions, if not all of them, Christianity has a 2,000-year-old salesforce. Even Sears-Roebuck can't beat that.
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Post by paulslaugh on Mar 18, 2023 3:18:11 GMT
You do know that there are Christians who convert to other religions right? And that there are people of other religions, that convert to other religions that are not Christianty right? I bet it stings some Christians when other Christians convert to Judaism.
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Post by clusium on Mar 18, 2023 3:22:15 GMT
Unlike most other religions, if not all of them, Christianity has a 2,000-year-old salesforce. Even Sears-Roebuck can't beat that. No, there are older religions than Christianity, with their own salesforce as well.
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Post by paulslaugh on Mar 18, 2023 3:24:52 GMT
Unlike most other religions, if not all of them, Christianity has a 2,000-year-old salesforce. Even Sears-Roebuck can't beat that. No, there are older religions than Christianity, with their own salesforce as well. Who are they?
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Post by clusium on Mar 18, 2023 3:52:39 GMT
No, there are older religions than Christianity, with their own salesforce as well. Who are they? Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, etc.
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Post by paulslaugh on Mar 18, 2023 3:59:41 GMT
Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, etc. Nope. When was the last time you saw a Buddhist with megaphone on the corner preaching the world of ?. Christians have been doing this since Paul the Apostle...without the megaphone.
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Post by clusium on Mar 18, 2023 4:00:27 GMT
Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, etc. Nope. When was the last time you saw a Buddhist with megaphone on the corner preaching the world of ?. Buddhist missionaries brought Buddhism to Asia.
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Post by paulslaugh on Mar 18, 2023 4:02:22 GMT
Nope. When was the last time you saw a Buddhist with megaphone on the corner preaching the world of ?. Buddhist missionaries brought Buddhism to Asia. Was Buddhism then considered something separate from any other religion in India? Or actually, did Buddhists and Hindus even know they had a "religion?"
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Post by clusium on Mar 18, 2023 4:19:51 GMT
Buddhist missionaries brought Buddhism to Asia. Was Buddhism then considered something separate from any other religion in India? Or actually, did Buddhists and Hindus even know they had a "religion?" Buddhist Missionaries
Buddhist Proselytizing
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Post by paulslaugh on Mar 18, 2023 4:58:03 GMT
I'm at work, I can't open this links right now. We have a wonky wifi. The Buddha preached a way to escape reincarnation, but the dharma was basically the same. No one had to stop calling themselves Hindu and start calling themselves a Buddhist, as these terms or even the concept of religion would have made no sense to these folks back then. There was no conversion process per se. Buddhism was reforming movement that did away with the Vedic pantheon and caste systems, but kept the basic spirituality.
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Post by clusium on Mar 18, 2023 5:10:54 GMT
I'm at work, I can't open this links right now. We have a wonky wifi. The Buddha preached a way to escape reincarnation, but the dharma was basically the same. No one had to stop calling themselves Hindu and start calling themselves a Buddhist, as these terms or even the concept of religion would have made no sense to these folks back then. There was no conversion process per se. Buddhism was reforming movement that did away with the Vedic pantheon and caste systems, but kept the basic spirituality. Yeah in Asia, most people do not believe in loyalty to one particular religion. People often follow 2,...3,...etc., or more all at the same time.
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Post by ShadowSouL: Padawan of Yoda on Mar 18, 2023 7:10:55 GMT
You do know that there are Christians who convert to other religions right? And that there are people of other religions, that convert to other religions that are not Christianty right? I bet it stings some Christians when other Christians convert to Judaism. And especially when they convert to religions other than Judaism.
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Post by paulslaugh on Mar 18, 2023 8:39:52 GMT
I bet it stings some Christians when other Christians convert to Judaism. And especially when they convert to religions other than Judaism. But Judaism requires a total rejection of Jesus, while Islam and other faiths don't.
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