Dear Mr. Sheng-Ta Tsai

Dear Mr. Sheng-Ta Tsai,

Christianity is historical and it is also personal and present in everyday lives today. The Bible is books from various writers with a common thread. It does not hide the warts on its societal history. Both evil and good are demonstrated in personal relationships to God. Both consequences, good and bad, are illustrated in the lives of real people. At its root, true Christianity is at first humiliation of the inner man and then an exaltation of the new nature graced by Jesus and the Holy Spirit. It is hardly a frivolous game played on ego trips, riding in the back of an airplane. The relationship can be entered into, but not through any religious practice, even liturgical Christianity.

The reason?

Explaining being born anew is certainly not an easy task, but any ham-handed attempts at denying its reality does not negate the truth. Any cursory reading of the Bible with a close-minded or a cynical mindset will not bring revelation any more than singing the Skeleton Dance makes a person an Orthopedic Surgeon!

Yes. Modern Christianity is a man-made religion or a relationship that has been highly altered by men. It has headed in that direction for 2,000 years, since the Roman Empire made Jesus an addition to their plethora of gods. “From the beginning Roman religion was polytheistic. From an initial array of gods and spirits, Rome added to this collection to include both Greek gods as well as a number of foreign cults.” ( https://www.worldhistory.org/Roman_Religion )

So, Christianity became a poor resemblance to the ekklesia, the assembly of members of the “Jesus cult” of Acts 2:42–47 — “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”

Yes. Instead of that organic, loving fellowship, Christianity was remade in mankind’s image with all the decorative trappings, “they got this concept {of religion} from institutionalized church, in the

form of Ecumenical Council.” — Sheng-Ta Tsai. Much more palatable for people than admitting personal responsibility for one’s own sinfulness. But that hasn’t changed — admitting one’s need for salvation

Yes. I agree. Insofar as the religion of Christianity goes; yes, it is mostly a man-made version, highly institutionalized and adulterated, modified to become palatable to the masses, “the opiate of the people” as Karl Marx is credited for saying. However, that is not Biblical Christianity. Jesus said, “Unless you are born from above…” (excerpt from John 3).

All religions have a pacifying effect, although quite temporary and merely a fleeting fix.

Science versus the Gospel is a false conflict, a straw man defense of an argument that doesn’t exist in my essays, which you seem to be responding to.

Science, in general, actually supports the history of the Bible from Noah’s Flood to the parting of the Sea of Reeds, to archaeological discoveries of Biblical towns that were said never to have existed. The Big Bang parallels Genesis, and requires just as much faith of its adherents as is required of Bible Believers. No one was actually there in either case. I can accept both as theories, but the proof is in the pudding. “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.” — Psalm 34:8. King David experienced an intimate relationship with God, if you could take the time to read the account of his life.

Moreover, one has to discard all historical documentation to believe most everything they read in the nonfiction section of the Library. Or for Judge and Jury to reach any verdict which only relies on eyewitness testimony, how can that be possible? We believe History, because eyewitnesses wrote the events down. In the case for the Bible history John wrote down, “We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” — 1 John 1:3

Clear and convincing evidence is a higher level of burden of persuasion than “preponderance of the evidence,” but less than “beyond reasonable doubt.” It is employed intra-adjudicatively in administrative court determinations, as well as in civil and certain criminal procedure in the United States. — https://en.wikipedia.org/

One essential of using the Scientific Method is to enter into exploration and discovery without prejudicial presuppositions. It’s the evidence that demands a verdict, not presumption.

Now, the Bible stories can be viewed as allegorical as in Jesus’ parables, revealing principles and truths as in Aesop’s Fables. The difference is the historical nature of the Bible. If you are in a learning mood you can research Biblical Types — https://bible.org/seriespage/9-typology-christ

Books have been written and I refer you to them so I don’t infringe on copyrights.)

Here’s another proof of the veracity of the Bible: Isaiah 53, written hundreds of years before the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem the events surrounding and the actual crucifixion of Jesus are written in amazingly accurate detail.

As for Social debates and conflicts based on opinions, I have little to respond to you. My knowledge base, whether opinions on personal issues or psychological evaluations for each and every situation, I decline to engage in such foolish and meaningless discourse. I simply have insufficient and unfinished thoughts. I try not to talk about things I don’t understand or have not accumulated enough facts. I suggest you might consider taking the same route. You know. “judge not.”

However, I think this following Scripture applies to your treatment of the Bible and the heaping together of all Christians and your conclusions based on incomplete research — research which does not really follow the Scientific Method which you claim to espouse.

“Bear in mind that our Lord’s patience means salvation, just as our dear brother Paul also wrote you with the wisdom that God gave him. He writes the same way in all his letters, speaking in them of these matters. His letters contain some things that are hard to understand, which ignorant and unstable people distort, as they do the other Scriptures, to their own destruction.” — 2 Peter 3:15–16

Finally, an excerpt from Hebrews 11:1–6 — “Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.”

Where do you suppose that confidence comes from? What might that assurance be? Maybe a personal and dynamic relationship with the risen Jesus? Is it emotional overload? Is it some kind of hyped up peer pressure? You seem to view all “holy rollers” as idiots.

My testimony of my experiences are grounded in real life and real living. It is not a made up religion. Jesus is not my imaginary friend.