Originally Posted by Sun Tzu

A couple of questions: are you of the belief that humans are born "tainted with sin", or do you think that new born babies are truly innocent?

I believe all humans are sinners, no matter their age. All of our hearts are black and dead with sin, that is why we need Jesus in order for us to be saved. Without Jesus we would be eternally trapped in our own sorrow and misery.

*pictures*

Would you find it more an aspect of faith than a calculated statisic that there is other intellegent life in the vastness of the known universe (not even our own Milky Way, but the whole)

I think that the it's both. I think that it's a well calculated statistic that there are other intelligent forms of life out there, but since we can't yet prove it, I take it on faith that the calculations are correct.

Ive been to the garden tomb several times, the only physical anomoly I found was a piece of a metal rod within the rock that used to hold the stone door in place. It had been sheared. The tour guides did not mention for some reason. While some people would see that as something left by an angel that came down and flung the gate open, I see it as a metal rod that used to be there. Other than that; there is nothing else. The faith of millions is based on a writing that was written by MEN who say they were inspired by God, and then edited several times after that.

What do you expect to be left in the tomb? It's been over 1500 years since Jesus was alive. It's been visited by crusaders, ancient Christians, and millions of tourists. Did you expect there to be any relics left? Did you expect to find Jesus waiting there to tell you "I told you so?" Jesus died, Jesus descended into Hell, and then Jesus rose again and left the tomb. You may disagree and just say that he was an ordinary man, and that's your own faith or lack thereof.

Athanasius of Alexandria and men (and I do mean men- women were not part of this editing process) like him have dictated what millions place their faith in.

What about the Books of Esther and Ruth?

Book of Adam and Eve, Book of Jubilees, Book of Enoch, Infancy Gospel of Thomas, Proto-Gospel of James, Gnostic Scriptures of Nag Hammadi, Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Nicodemus, Apocalypse of Peter, so on and so on . . . what are your thoughts on them? Have you ever read them, any of them?
I've never read them, so I have no thoughts on the matter. The important message is that in order to be saved, one must believe in God and Jesus Christ, and accept Him as his or her savior. The secondary message to live your life the best you can and love your neighbor as yourself is also important.