If you discovered that Christianity is false,....?

[Divine Insight]

If you discovered that Christianity is false, would you be happy, or disappointed.

And why?

[OnceConvinced]

I DID discover that Christianity was wrong and that I had been living in a delusion for over 30 years of my life. It was an extremely heart breaking thing and one that I was in denial of for some time. I just didn't want to let go of those beliefs, even though I could see they weren't true. I went through around 5 years of lamenting my loss of faith. Many times I cried out to God for help in a desperate plea that he would give me a sense of his presence or a boost of faith. I got no answer. It was a very difficult time in my life.

[Zzyzx]

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If you discovered that Christianity is false, would you be happy, or disappointed.

And why?

What would that mean? That murder is not wrong? People should not love others as Jesus told?

No, discovering that Christianity is false (not true) would simply mean that its supernatural beliefs in a god-man controlling access to "eternal life" were incorrect.

Non-religious and/or Non-Christian people also have taught "love others" and "murder is wrong." Those ideas are decidedly NOT original with Jesus or Christianity.

[1213]

No, discovering that Christianity is false (not true) would simply mean that its supernatural beliefs in a god-man controlling access to "eternal life" were incorrect.

In my opinion Christianity is what Jesus told. And that is mainly about good and right. In my opinion eternal life and other “supernatural� things are secondary in comparison to the moral teachings.

Non-religious and/or Non-Christian people also have taught "love others" and "murder is wrong." Those ideas are decidedly NOT original with Jesus or Christianity.

“Christianity� is continuum from Jewish beliefs. Basically Jesus told same things that are in OT. And one could claim that other cultures copied from Jews all their good teachings.

[Divine Insight]

And one could claim that other cultures copied from Jews all their good teachings.

The ancient Jews were highly immoral people. They were basically the same as they modern day Taliban. Or possibly even ISIS.

There are probably no decent civil modern day people who believe that the behavior of the ancient Jews (sanctioned by their God) represent morality.

And Jesus most certainly did not teach the same morality as in the Old Testament. On the contrary he clearly rebuked those teachings and taught the exact opposite.

In fact, the teachings attributed to Jesus are far more in line with the teachings taught by Buddhism and Jainism, and have no similarity to the immoral teachings of the Old Testament.

In fact, it should be crystal clear by Christians absolute obsession with the teachings of Jesus.

If you actually believe that Jesus didn't teach anything new or different from what was in the Old Testament then why even refer to these teachings as "The Teachings of Jesus"?

You wouldn't need Jesus at all if all he did was point to the Old Testament and say, "Yep those teachings represent perfect morality".

In fact, if that's what he had done then there would be no such thing as "The Teachings of Jesus" because he wouldn't have taught anything knew at all.

This religion is actually extremely hypocritical when it comes to the so-called "Teachings of Jesus". And that hypocrisy is contained within the Gospel rumors themselves. They have Jesus teaching with a forked tongue. He proclaims simultaneously that not one jot nor one tittle shall pass from law, whilst teaching precisely the opposite moral values.

It's absolutely impossible to follow both the teachings of Jesus and the teachings of the Old Testament simultaneously.

You can't have two masters. You can't serve both Jesus and Yahweh simultaneously without conflict. You must choose between Jesus and Yahweh.

The Christians have chosen to serve Jesus and reject Yahweh.

Except like the hypocritical Jewish Priests they don't actually do what they claim. Instead they actually use Jesus as an excuse to condemn people in the name of Yahweh, for reasons that Jesus himself would clearly reject.

Jesus himself rejected that very behavior in the Jewish Chief Priests and called them hypocrites. He would no doubt feel the very same way about modern day Christians.

Jesus was crucified twice, once when he was physically nailed to a pole, and the second time when he was immorally nailed to the Old Testament as the only begotten son of Yahweh.

[1213]

And Jesus most certainly did not teach the same morality as in the Old Testament. On the contrary he clearly rebuked those teachings and taught the exact opposite.

I think Jesus disagrees with you because he allegedly said:

"Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most assuredly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mat. 5:17-19

In fact, the teachings attributed to Jesus are far more in line with the teachings taught by Buddhism and Jainism, and have no similarity to the immoral teachings of the Old Testament.

I think that is not true. It seems to me that you just don’t know the OT very well. The problem with the Jewish teachers was that they had forgotten or rejected the true meaning of their Law, as also modern atheist seem to do.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you tithe mint, dill, and cumin, and have left undone the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faith. But you ought to have done these, and not to have left the other undone.
Matt. 23:23 (Related to Ezekiel 33:31)

For example Law says:

“…you shall love your neighbor as yourself…�
Leviticus 19:18 (Related to Matt. 22:37-39)

OT says also this:

"Thus has Yahweh of Hosts spoken, saying, 'Execute true judgment, and show kindness and compassion every man to his brother.
Zechariah 7:9

If you actually believe that Jesus didn't teach anything new or different from what was in the Old Testament then why even refer to these teachings as "The Teachings of Jesus"?

You wouldn't need Jesus at all if all he did was point to the Old Testament and say, "Yep those teachings represent perfect morality".

That was just why he was needed, to show that people had distorted the meaning of the Law. They cherry picked things that they liked and rejected things that they didn’t like, like for example love others….

[DanieltheDragon]

[Replying to post 11 by OnceConvinced]

I share your sentiments. I suffered heavy religious indoctrination the hard part then was the process of losing the faith which for me took a few years. When you emotionally invest in something so heavily and make life choices based on that emotional investment it is really reallly reallly hard to let go. I went kicking in screaming I tell you.

The hard part now though is dealing with the regret. The things in life that you will never get back. The only way for me is to just look forward and cherish what I have now. I might not be a scientist or whatever else but I am a darn good dad and a pretty good artist to boot. So like all things in life when you make a drastic change they always are a bit bittersweet. As I am no longer burdened by that religious indoctrination.

[Tired of the Nonsense]

If you discovered that Christianity is false, would you be happy, or disappointed.

And why?

I first concluded that Christianity was nonsense at the age of thirteen. Much like concluding that there really is no Santa, I was neither happy or disappointed over my discovery. It had simply become obvious to me. I suppose it is fair to say however, then as now, that the realization that so many grown adults subscribe to pure make believe was disappointing.

[dianaiad]

If you discovered that Christianity is false, would you be happy, or disappointed.

And why?

Which "Christianity' are you talking about?

The whole thing in general? That's a problem, since of course I do happen to already think that most of 'em are, er, not right.

The concept? Which one? Of course, according to Arian and a couple of other posters on this board, I can happily consider Christianity to be false and go tripping along believing as I wish, since, according to them, I'm not a Christian anyway.

As for me, should I discover that my own version of Christianity was "false," I would be neither happy nor disappointed. I'd simply go looking for that which was true, and thank God for the continued opportunity to learn new stuff.

the problem with your question is that it's just a tad simplistic, I think. Raises too many questions.

[Divine Insight]

And Jesus most certainly did not teach the same morality as in the Old Testament. On the contrary he clearly rebuked those teachings and taught the exact opposite.

I think Jesus disagrees with you because he allegedly said:

"Don't think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I didn't come to destroy, but to fulfill. For most assuredly, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not even one smallest letter or one tiny pen stroke shall in any way pass away from the law, until all things are accomplished. Whoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and teach others to do so, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven; but whoever shall do and teach them shall be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
Mat. 5:17-19

What makes you say that Jesus said this? It looks to me like Matthew said it. I personally have reason to believe that Matthew was a terrible liar.

There are other places in scriptures were Jesus specifically rebukes the Old Testament teachings directly. So some part of the scriptures necessarily have to be false. They can't all be true.

Interestingly, however, they can all be false.

In fact, the teachings attributed to Jesus are far more in line with the teachings taught by Buddhism and Jainism, and have no similarity to the immoral teachings of the Old Testament.

I think that is not true. It seems to me that you just don’t know the OT very well. The problem with the Jewish teachers was that they had forgotten or rejected the true meaning of their Law, as also modern atheist seem to do.

I know the OT very well, and it too contains extremely conflicting and contradictory claims. I fully understand that you can weed through it to find verses here and there that appear to support some of the teachings of Jesus. But that is fraudulent because you are refusing to acknowledge the teachings of the OT that conflict with the teachings of Jesus.

Jesus himself rejected the teachings of the Old Testament directly and specifically. I have already demonstrated this to you repeatedly but you refuse to acknowledge it.

Why should I bother to argue with someone who refuses to acknowledge evidence that has already been presented repeatedly?

If you actually believe that Jesus didn't teach anything new or different from what was in the Old Testament then why even refer to these teachings as "The Teachings of Jesus"?

You wouldn't need Jesus at all if all he did was point to the Old Testament and say, "Yep those teachings represent perfect morality".

That was just why he was needed, to show that people had distorted the meaning of the Law. They cherry picked things that they liked and rejected things that they didn’t like, like for example love others….

No that's actually quite false. On the contrary, it is you that must cherry pick things that you believe support Jesus whilst rejecting the things that don't.

Moreover, if the Father God was responsible for having inspired the Old Testament as HIS WORD, and then had to send his son to straighten people out because God's own doctrine was confusing and corrupt, then this doesn't say much for the original God. In fact, it would be proof positive that he is totally inept and can't even keep his own religious doctrine in order.

Christianity is a story about a God who has totally lost control of his very own religious doctrine and his very own priests and temple. And Christianity claims that this God tried to solve this problem buy sending his only begotten son to earth to straighten out the mess. But even that failed. Not only did Jesus fail to get through to God's corrupt priests, but even Jesus sparked a religion that has done nothing but been divisive and argumentative even among its own followers.

If the Christian picture of God is true then our creator is the most inept God imaginable, and this would include Jesus as well. Both Jesus and the Father God would have done nothing more than prove their absolute incompetence.

[Thruit]

[Replying to post 1 by Divine Insight]
There are false teachings within Christianity, but don't throw the baby out with the bath water.