(12-15-2018, 04:47 AM)Chas Wrote:(12-14-2018, 03:25 PM)Wolfen Wrote:(12-14-2018, 01:48 PM)SteveII Wrote: It is the NT that distinguished my reasoning from other religions.
I would like to interject with actual reason: other than "Jesus is love", there is nothing of substance in the NT. Paul does his job of being really crazy, but do we really want him representing the religion?
That which is good in the Bible is not original; that which is original is not good.
Steve has previously suggested that Paul introduced humanity to the concept that humans have inherent self-worth, and that this concept was not already well represented in society. It's an audacious claim, but not one toward which one cannot find any support. That doesn't necessarily mean it's true, but only that it needs to be assessed on its own merits. Additional questions are relevant, even if one accepts that the claim may be largely true, such as whether that indicates the influence of the divine upon Paul. I don't think that it does. Anyway, probably sufficient material there for its own thread. Perhaps Steve will put the question.
If anyone wants to view that prior discussion, they may do so, here.
