Tunesmith, you are arguing with a certain rather fundamentalist viewpoint on the life of Jesus, that's all, and you are quite correct that a number of those ideas stem from (or are found in) earlier religions. Uh-huh. So? The Bahais believe that many Christs have come, throughout the history of the human race, and that Jesus was one of them. Every consider that possibility?

If you wish to deny the reality of Jesus, then you must also work on denying the reality of Buddha, Zoroaster, Krishna, White Buffalo Woman, and any number of other divine figures or teachers from the past, for whom we cannot presently find irrefutable physical evidence.

Why persecute only Jesus when there are so many others to go after?

It is quite possible that such notions as "virgin birth" are symbolic in nature (it could well mean birth from a spiritually pure individual, for instance, quite aside from whether she was physically a virgin). It is also quite possible that there is a divine component in EVERY human being, not just in remarkable cases like Jesus. That's what Jesus taught, but most of his followers are inclined to make him exclusive. I'm not so inclined.

Are you also aware that the story of the Great Flood is not just found in the Bible, but in numerous other ancient civilizations, who have all described it in their own particular fashion (with or without "Noah")?

There's a whole lot more out there for you to obsess about besides Biblical Christianity, my friend.

Perhaps the reason you find all those symbolic stories in the Bible is not just because they were borrowed from previous religions, but because they symbolize something intrinsic in life which always existed and has naturally found its way into many religions.

For instance: I believe I'm the son of God (but so is every other human male!), so what's wrong with Jesus being the son of God? I believe females are daughters of God. Okay? How do I define "God"? Life itself. All of it. How can I not be the son of Life itself? You tell me.

I believe that any time a human being makes a breakthrough in perception, realizes something fundamentally new, etc...he IS born again. I've been born again several times in this life by that definition. So have any number of other people I know, and they are not necessarily Christians.

I also believe in reincarnation...which is another way of being born again...and so did many of the early Christians. It is probable that a majority of the Earth's present population believes in reincarnation, so why not take that one on?

One is a physical rebirth, the other is a spiritual or psychological rebirth.

I believe that all living things are God made flesh...although they may not be conscious of it.

And so on, and so on...

Literal-minded atheists battle with literal-minded religious fundamentalists, and I watch both of them and just shake my head. Somebody out there has a serious lack of imagination, I think.

- LH