Intelligent design?

[solitaire89]

What we can do is create theories based on evidence that we *do* have.

I agree entirely!

...a time when the only records that were kept were religious texts

Aren't the Romans one of the first who kept secular records? Census records, minutes from important meetings and the like? I'm not talking about the Bible here.

[tmcd35]

If I was religious, I'd think about diversifying my portfolio.

How would one go about choosing?

List of religions and spiritual traditions - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

What I always found funny was how meny boil down to being just branches of Judaism. That includes the various barnchs of Christianity (both Catholic and Protestant) and the various Islamic religions.

All these religious people all believe in the same God and yet they insist on fighting about wether or not someone was alive over 2000 years ago and what he may or may not have said. Very strange. If thats religion you can keep it thanks!

[localzuk]

Aren't the Romans one of the first who kept secular records? Census records, minutes from important meetings and the like? I'm not talking about the Bible here.

Indeed they were an organised civilisation, however their records didn't really last well (imagine our old paper records surviving several thousand years, in an ever changing climate... they wouldn't).

So, the only records we have really are those of historians throughout the ages who picked up the works of other historians, and at the time, Christianity and 'Jesus Christ' would have been nothing more than a cult and would not likely have been important enough for a historian to document.

So, we end up with a partial picture, and the Bible.

[Hightower]

If thats religion you can keep it thanks!

You are right - religion is like that for some people. But for me just because I believe in something different to the next man it's nothing to fight over.

Not all people can be placed in the same boat/aeroplane/vessel of choice

[sted]

Indeed they were an organised civilisation, however their records didn't really last well (imagine our old paper records surviving several thousand years, in an ever changing climate... they wouldn't).

So, the only records we have really are those of historians throughout the ages who picked up the works of other historians, and at the time, Christianity and 'Jesus Christ' would have been nothing more than a cult and would not likely have been important enough for a historian to document.

So, we end up with a partial picture, and the Bible.

not 100% true things can last there are i believe babylonian scrolls that are still readable and for that matter the writing on the pyramids and other documentation. Even paper can survive i was watching some programme on tv the other night where so library on the desert had books thousands of years old still readable (though granted fragile)

but yes its a skewed point of view if nothing else history is written by the victors and any evidence they dont want put forward tends to dissapear

[localzuk]

not 100% true things can last there are i believe babylonian scrolls that are still readable and for that matter the writing on the pyramids and other documentation. Even paper can survive i was watching some programme on tv the other night where so library on the desert had books thousands of years old still readable (though granted fragile)

but yes its a skewed point of view if nothing else history is written by the victors and any evidence they dont want put forward tends to dissapear

The Romans didn't use scrolls - which have quite thick parchment or papyrus as their medium (well they did at first, but decided they were cumbersome), they developed the 'Codex' which used much thinner paper for its pages - which stands the test of time much less well.

However, regardless of that, the point remains - there remains very little of Roman codices and as far as I'm aware, no mention of Jesus in any of them.

[mossj]

I don't have the time to read all this thread... but I will put in my 2 cents...

Personally I see religion as a way to reason with the unreasonable... and I find it interesting the different ways religions look at the same things...

I certainly will never belittle anyones faith, in whatever they believe in and if someone approaches me and offers me a chance to see what there religion is about I take it... I have been Catholic, Church of England and Sikh so far.

p.s I once woke up drunk in germany with a mormen panflet, and my friends telling me I had discussed religion and the existance of god with a group of canadian nuns...

[gwendes]

Can't explain my position on all of this more beautifully than Tim Minchin...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB_htqDCP-s"]YouTube- Storm by Tim Minchin (with text)[/ame]