Thread 17978395

What religion are you and how much of the supernatural / outlandish events in your holy texts do you believe actually happened?

>>17978395 (OP)
I believe in one God,
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.

I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation
he came down from heaven,
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.

I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.

>>17978403
Sounds fake and gay.

>>17978403
You know the New Testament is an astrological parable, right?

>>17978395 (OP)
Orthodox Christian. I take that by "actually happened" you mean "are described literally", in which case I'd have to give an interval of anywhere between 5-50%. To precisely evaluate the overlap between two paradigms (in here the literal and the symbolic) is close to impossible. It's like looking at a cubist painting and asking "what percentage of this painting is legitimately expressionist"? You might find a few strokes, you might find that almost all of it somehow passes... it's a start if you're transitioning from one style to the other, but by itself the percentage is not particularly insigtful.

>>17978432
I appreciate you didn't say it was "just" an astrological parable. Which would have been silly.

>>17978395 (OP)
there’s plenty of parable and poem
some stuff like the garden of eden story is clearly written using symbolic language while things like the book of acts are largely historical records

>>17978438
It is "just" an astrological parable. Jesus Christ himself never existed beyond as Jewish mythic folk hero.

>>17978453
the chemical wedding of christian rozencreutz is a parody novel

>>17978453
That doesn't really check out with the writings we have and with the approach to astrology Jews had, but I am thankful that you champion one of the thousands and thousands of "Christianity is a parable for XYZ" takes. When an outside observer takes them all into account and sees that Christ does connect all reality, the symbolic worldview is that much harder to avoid.

>>17978471
If it wasn't a parable then Jesus was a false prophet, hence why he predicted his followers would be around for an apocalypse that didn't actually occur in their generation.

Matthew 24:34
>Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass, till all these things be fulfilled

If anything, Christianity falls apart the moment you stop taking it as a parable and start taking it literally.

>>17978477
I completely agree with you that Christianity falls apart the moment you read it anachronistically.
Christ at virtually no point uses "generation" in the modern sense. "Adulterous generation" doesn't mean that people born in the span of 30 years are unfaithful in particular. It refers to the people of the covenant and their unfaithfulness that makes up the major portion of the Bible.

>>17978482
He's speaking to a crowd when he says, "this generation" so obviously he's referring to them. The idea that he isn't doesn't actually have a basis in the text.

>>17978484
Again, it has basis in Christ's usage of "generation" across the synoptic gospels.
>Mark 8:38 "...this adulterous and sinful generation."
>Luke 11:29 “This is a wicked generation"
If you want to die the hill of it being people born within particular 30 year span that are adulterou and sinful then that's a very awkward exegesis and it doesn't conform to how the Church presents these verses, but you're free to read it your way. However, your interpretation then has no bearing on Christianity. You just found a way to restrict a word and break the text. We can all do that.

>>17978490
Your interpretation involves Jesus actively lying to those he's giving his sermon to. Somehow that seems less likely.

>>17978403
ChatGPT

>>17978395 (OP)
Catholic (insular).

I'm not sure and it doesn't really matter how many happened. I do believe that supernatural things can (and do) occur, but splitting the hairs over whether a burning bush speaking was metaphorical or a literal, historical record isn't necessary (because I have faith).

>>17978503
>The Nicene Creed is chatgpt

>>17978500
>Jesus uses my definition or he's lying
False.

I'm a Christian, and I believe that all of it is true.