Being an agnostic, I believe God threw out the Big Bang dice and has sat back all this time to watch how his experiment unfolds. When a tiny blue speck happened and develop sentient beings, he has also kept his hands off to see what happens.
Yes, I believe Jesus Christ existed and was an amazing example for humans to follow. No, I don't believe he was a son of entity that is beyond our imagination. Still, I try to follow his teaching because I have empathy, sympathy, and a moral sense of what is right for humankind.
I have tried many times through my life to believe Jesus is what the gospels say he is. I want to believe. Unfortunately, my logical mind can't accept the Bible because it was written my mortal men who believed the Earth was flat and much of it is supposition and speculation. The Old Testament is just fairy tales to me.
I understand and respect your beliefs. But Jesus was one of three things as described by C. S. Lewis:
Liar
Lunatic
Lord
So he couldn’t have been just a “good man”. He didn’t leave us another option besides His being Son of God.
BTW, like your tagline. :)
“my logical mind can’t accept the Bible because it was written my mortal men who believed the Earth was flat”
People haven’t believed the earth was flat since the classical Greeks, who were quite a bit before Jesus’ time.
> Unfortunately, my logical mind can’t accept the Bible because it was written my mortal men who believed the Earth was flat and much of it is supposition and speculation. The Old Testament is just fairy tales to me. <
Read the works of some of the ancient philosopher - scientists, and you’ll find many obvious errors. As just one example, Aristotle wrote that a heavier object will hit the ground before a lighter one will (if you release them at the same time from the same height).
Galileo easily refuted that by using a large iron ball and a small iron ball. They hit the ground at the same time.
But there are no such obvious errors in the Bible. I’ve read many papers claiming to have found such errors. But the authors are themselves making incorrect scientific arguments. As someone who taught physics for quite some time, I suppose I can catch these incorrect arguments easier than most.
Actually, the Old Testament prophet Isaiah stated the following showing he believed it was a sphere:
“There is One who is dwelling above the circle of the earth.” (Isaiah 40:22)
The Hebrew word chugh here translated “circle” may be rendered “sphere.” Interestingly, only a spherical object appears as a circle from every angle. Far ahead of his time, then, the prophet Isaiah recorded a statement that is scientifically sound and free from ancient myths.
“I have tried many times through my life to believe Jesus is what the gospels say he is. I want to believe.”
When Jesus was dealing with a father of a possessed son, his father asked for help saying...”If you can, please help my son...” Jesus replied...”Anything is possible if can believe.” The Father replied...” I believe but help my unbelief”. Christ then proceeded to drive the spirit out.
If you have a true desire to believe that is half the battle already. Now ask God to to help you with your unbelief; but you have to be prepared for anything big or small that happens. If you pray a prayer like that, accepting your faults and asking forgiveness, even if it seems like nothing happens at first...don’t worry...God has found you and you’ll come to realize it soon enough!
God doesn’t mind a person with a logical mind. CS Lewis came to faith he says kicking a screaming by the weight of the evidence that seemed to call to the emptiness in his life. Heaven knows we have a need for more rational faith based people to help the faithful cut thru the BS that occurs.
Welcome to my world. *sigh*