There are some historical facts in the gospel.
Jim: There are countless, COUNTLESS, testimonies of former "bastards"
whose lives have been unalterably changed for the good. And that is
something that you cannot challenge.
Testimonies however are very subjective and open to interpretation.
Jim: You can't challenge the fact that Raul Ruiz was going to blow his
entire
family away when he, holding the shotgun in his hand, accidentally heard a
Christian message on TV and INSTANTLY changed.
But I can challenge this. What evidence do you have other than a testimony
?
Jim: You can't challenge the fact that for the last twenty years he has
given himself to the good of his community. So what are you going to say?
His transformation from a "bastard" never happened? It did happen, and it
happened because of the Gospel message.
So he claimed but that remains to be proven.
Jim: You can't challenge the fact that millions testify to similar
transformations.
Of course not but the meaning of such claims however remain as unproven as
claims of abductions by UFO's. The latter however at least allow for a
proof/disproof of the existance of UFO's.
Jim: So you can't say that Christianity does not change a person for good,
and has for 2,000 years. Oh sure, you can question the objective validity
of their
religion, as you've been doing. But you CANNOT question their changed
lives
DUE to that religion. Even if Christianity is a gigantic fiction, it has
changed more lives for the good than any other system, ever.
Or for the worse ?
Jim: How many stories out there do we have of the transforming power of
atheism?
What relevance is there ? Witnessing is not a requirement for atheism as
much as it is to many christians.
Jim: It is the Gospel of Jesus of Nazareth, the carpenter who was Christ.
Well at least we agre he was a carpenter. The rest appears to rely on a
bit of faith.