Quote:
Originally Posted by Actor
Joseph Smith claimed to have had visions which lead him to discover a set of golden plates containing a New Testament of Jesus Christ. Smith translated the plates and got witnesses to testify to their authenticity. Based on this Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (Mormonism).
In 1950 L. Ron Hubbard published Dyanetics and subsequently founded Scientology. Hubbard wanted to sell a medical device which was pure quackery. Prosecuted by the government Hubbard changed his claim from "medical" to "religious" and the government let him off the hook. Later in life Hubbard peddled the idea that the universe is ruled by Xenu the Galactic Overlord.
I seriously doubt that many here would dispute the position that Smith and Hubbard were con artists. If they were not then the men among us should have multiple wives and get ourselves hooked up to a voltmeter (at great expense) to get audited.
There's no reason for a thinking person to believe that Mormonism and Scientology are the genuine article. Neither is there any reason to believe that Christianity is genuine either. Mormonism has Smith and Scientology has Hubbard. Through the vale of 2000 years it's harder to tell who was the Smith/Hubbard of Christianity. Perhaps it was some itinerant preacher named Jesus (a common name at the time), or a con man named Saul (also a common name), or a group. Whatever, no matter what age there always seems to be a group gullible enough to believe in a Smith, a Hubbard or a Jesus.
There you go again, appealing to the supernatural which, of course, cannot be tested.
I have. Twice. As I've said before, scripture proves nothing. The OT is not a reliable historical document.
Fine. Someone else came up the the interpretation (Calvin?) and you bought it hook, line and sinker. That does not address the question of why there are so many different interpretations.
And you think you aced the course.
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You are slow in connecting the dots. There are "so many interpretations" because:
1. The human heart is depraved and wants to believe what it wants. You even quoted a guy who said this! (Do you even listen to yourself!?)
2. Because of the above so few are teachable by God.
3. I know God exists and is actively working in this world, generally, and even more specifically is actively working in the hearts, minds and souls of his people, since our lives have been radically transformed since our conversion.
4. Appealing to two cults and attempting to draw parallels between them and biblical Christianity is fallacy of false analogy and false equivalency.
5. The scriptures provide their own tests for determining what is false and what isn't. None of the cults can pass these tests.
Have a nice day.
