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What makes Jesus unique?

B

Brian Schuh

Well-Known Member
Other nations have stories of virgins having children. For example, the magician Merlin was said to be born of a virgin. No one claims that he is a god. Moses was resurrected and Elijah ascended into heaven. There is nothing in the story of Jesus that has not been said about somebody else. There have been others who have been called god. Jesus is just one myth of many, so what is so unique about his story?
 
First Baseman

First Baseman

Retired athlete
Brian Schuh said:
Other nations have stories of virgins having children. For example, the magician Merlin was said to be born of a virgin. No one claims that he is a god. Moses was resurrected and Elijah ascended into heaven. There is nothing in the story of Jesus that has not been said about somebody else. There have been others who have been called god. Jesus is just one myth of many, so what is so unique about his story?
Click to expand...

At least 5 others who knew him testified to the virgin birth of Jesus as fact. More than that testified to the fact that He rose from the dead. All of the Apostles were killed for their beliefs in Christ. Not one of them recanted.

Also, we know Christ died on the cross and we know where. What we don't know is WHERE ARE THE REMAINS OF CHRIST?

You show me His remains and I'll forsake Him. Until then I am a Bible believing Christian who will also die rather than recant.
 
lewisnotmiller

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
First Baseman said:
At least 5 others who knew him testified to the virgin birth of Jesus as fact. More than that testified to the fact that He rose from the dead. All of the Apostles were killed for their beliefs in Christ. Not one of them recanted.

Also, we know Christ died on the cross and we know where. What we don't know is WHERE ARE THE REMAINS OF CHRIST?

You show me His remains and I'll forsake Him. Until then I am a Bible believing Christian who will also die rather than recant.
Click to expand...

You mean there are recorded stories of 5 others who testified to the virgin birth of Jesus that were recorded after the fact, and not directly by those testifying, don't you?
Or, if you think they were direct recordings...how do you think they knew she was a virgin? What is your definition of virgin?
 
B

Brian Schuh

Well-Known Member
First Baseman said:
At least 5 others who knew him testified to the virgin birth of Jesus as fact. More than that testified to the fact that He rose from the dead. All of the Apostles were killed for their beliefs in Christ. Not one of them recanted.

Also, we know Christ died on the cross and we know where. What we don't know is WHERE ARE THE REMAINS OF CHRIST?

You show me His remains and I'll forsake Him. Until then I am a Bible believing Christian who will also die rather than recant.
Click to expand...
But why would being a virgin necessarily make you a god? It reminds me of Zeus having sex with a human woman who gave birth to the god-man Hercules. It's the same story, God came down from heaven and got Mary pregnant and she had a half man, half god son she named Jesus. It's just a retelling of an older pagan myth.
 
B

Brian Schuh

Well-Known Member
Brian Schuh said:
But why would being a virgin necessarily make you a god? It reminds me of Zeus having sex with a human woman who gave birth to the god-man Hercules. It's the same story, God came down from heaven and got Mary pregnant and she had a half man, half god son she named Jesus. It's just a retelling of an older pagan myth.
Click to expand...
I mean, why would being born of a virgin make you a god.
 
First Baseman

First Baseman

Retired athlete
OKay, let's forget about Jesus being born of a virgin for a moment. Let's focus instead on

Where are his remains?

Answer: In heaven

Jesus was killed and rose from the dead. That, friends, is what makes Him the Son of God.
 
G

GoodbyeDave

Well-Known Member
The only writings in the New Testament that can be securely attributed to their alleged authors are Mark's gospel and (most of) the letters of Paul. Neither teach the virgin birth; indeed, Paul described Jesus as "physically descended from David", which would make him physically descended from Joseph.

Paul was undoubtedly correct to believe that the resurrection would change everything, but all he had was an empty tomb. He refers to people, including himself, "seeing Jesus" but that's a reference to visions. The only proof of the resurrection would be if some-one had seen Jesus walking about in a physical body. The gospels attributed to Matthew and Luke claim that that did happen, but the evidence suggests that they were written about 100 years after the event.
 
Demonslayer

Demonslayer

Well-Known Member
Brian Schuh said:
Jesus is just one myth of many, so what is so unique about his story?
Click to expand...

Have any other myths cursed a fig tree simply because it wasn't fig season any they were pissed at the tree for not having figs-on-demand?

That's unique to Jesus. Kind of makes him out to be a dick though. Like if I go apple picking in June and burn down the orchard because there are no apples on the trees.
 
Neo Deist

Neo Deist

Th.D. & D.Div. h.c.
Brian Schuh said:
Other nations have stories of virgins having children. For example, the magician Merlin was said to be born of a virgin. No one claims that he is a god. Moses was resurrected and Elijah ascended into heaven. There is nothing in the story of Jesus that has not been said about somebody else. There have been others who have been called god. Jesus is just one myth of many, so what is so unique about his story?
Click to expand...

Absolutely nothing.

Jesus was not born of a virgin. That is a bad translation courtesy of the 1611 KJV. The Hebrew term used in Isaiah 7:14 is almah, which simply means a young girl that is of age to marry (teenager). The Hebrew term for virgin is betulah, and it was NOT used in that verse. Many modern translations, including the NASB (regarded as the most accurate formal equivalent translation), now include a footnote about the terms almah vs betulah. Even the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has stated that Isaiah 7:14 has been translated erroneously, and that the correct term is almah. That is HUGE, considering Catholics put Mary on a pedestal.

Then you have the NT Gospels. Those were written decades after Jesus' death by anonymous authors. None of those authors were eyewitnesses to the life of and events surrounding Jesus. That makes them hearsay. That type of "evidence" is not allowed in court because it is deemed unreliable. Now, there will be people that will try and refute this because it kills their position, but facts are facts. Besides, the Book of Matthew goes out of its way to try and make Jesus fit the messiah mold, and anyone with half a brain and the ability to read can see that.

The virgin story is nothing more than mythology, that many cultures share.
 
First Baseman

First Baseman

Retired athlete
DavidMcCann said:
The only writings in the New Testament that can be securely attributed to their alleged authors are Mark's gospel and (most of) the letters of Paul. Neither teach the virgin birth; indeed, Paul described Jesus as "physically descended from David", which would make him physically descended from Joseph.

Paul was undoubtedly correct to believe that the resurrection would change everything, but all he had was an empty tomb. He refers to people, including himself, "seeing Jesus" but that's a reference to visions. The only proof of the resurrection would be if some-one had seen Jesus walking about in a physical body. The gospels attributed to Matthew and Luke claim that that did happen, but the evidence suggests that they were written about 100 years after the event.
Click to expand...

Interesting conclusions drawn from your reading. However, the Church well educates its members that all of the writings of the NT can be attributed to their authors. Good try, though.
 
First Baseman

First Baseman

Retired athlete
Neo Deist said:
Absolutely nothing.

Jesus was not born of a virgin. That is a bad translation courtesy of the 1611 KJV. The Hebrew term used in Isaiah 7:14 is almah, which simply means a young girl that is of age to marry (teenager). The Hebrew term for virgin is betulah, and it was NOT used in that verse. Many modern translations, including the NASB (regarded as the most accurate formal equivalent translation), now include a footnote about the terms almah vs betulah. Even the United States Council of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has stated that Isaiah 7:14 has been translated erroneously, and that the correct term is almah. That is HUGE, considering Catholics put Mary on a pedestal.

Then you have the NT Gospels. Those were written decades after Jesus' death by anonymous authors. None of those authors were eyewitnesses to the life of and events surrounding Jesus. That makes them hearsay. That type of "evidence" is not allowed in court because it is deemed unreliable. Now, there will be people that will try and refute this because it kills their position, but facts are facts. Besides, the Book of Matthew goes out of its way to try and make Jesus fit the messiah mold, and anyone with half a brain and the ability to read can see that.

The virgin story is nothing more than mythology, that many cultures share.
Click to expand...

And I suppose that since you were there to verify it you know for a fact that Mary was not a virgin? You want to try again?
 
McBell

McBell

mantra-chanting henotheistic snake handler
First Baseman said:
Interesting conclusions drawn from your reading. However, the Church well educates its members that all of the writings of the NT can be attributed to their authors. Good try, though.
Click to expand...
So what the church is efficient in convincing people of things the church wants them to believe?
 
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