(06-20-2014 08:44 PM)bitcruncher Wrote:  And the concept of life after death originated with a religion that predates Christianity, one that was fairly popular around the time of the birth of Jesus.

What you are doing is trying to question that the Bible was the spoken word of god by questioning the resurrection. The point being if that isn't provable than than the whole premise of the the religion doesn't hold up. There is a lot more that is questionable in the Old and New Testament that is never brought up because few are even reading it.

The Bible contains a lot of philosophical lessons and is open to all believers and not just the chosen few. It had an evangelical thrust that Judaism doesn't have for example. Started focused in Palestine, Turkey and Egypt. Moved to Italy and Spain after Roman adoption. Became a dominant force in Northern European politics in the Renaissance. Migrated to America and mutated into a corporate friendly product. Its a religion with a very long and complex history.

There is so much more to Christianity as a cultural force than the mystical stories in the bible. I don't think anyone believes in Christianity on the basis of great mystical stories.