Importance of Original Sin

That's exactly what I said. I would gladly sacrifice my own flesh and blood every day if I knew I would be resurrected. I'm sure most decent humans would do the same. That's no sacrifice at all. We're not talking about pain. As you said yourself, people endure pain every day. What we're talking about here is dying and rising from the dead. (If anything, the temporary death would be a welcome relief from the pain.) You have the Bible story backwards. The equivalent would be me offering my child to be tortured and killed in return for some service that I would perform. I would perform the service without subjecting my child to pain and death.

You're still missing the point. If the disciples had known they would be resurrected they would have been less likely to recant. But that isn't true. People will not do "anything" to get out of pain. To use your own example, people will not sacrifice their own children to get out of pain. On the contrary, they will willingly endure pain for their children's sake. And again, they would be willing to endure much more if they were assured that there would be no permanent injury or death. Again, that isn't true. Every day there are soldiers, police officers, firefighters, etc. risking their lives and enduring pain and hardship to help other people. They do it willingly, voluntarily.Yes, they are making a sacrifice. That sacrifice would be less, not more, if every one of them rose from the dead.

We're not talking about an afterlife; we're talking about a resurrection in this life, like Jesus. There is no indication of that in the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. He had the marks of his injuries but there is no mention of residual pain or dysfunction. Nobody ever has "exact foreknowledge". The police officer, firefighter or soldier knows the probability that they will be injured or killed but they do what they do regardless of the risk. Actually, it's just the opposite. Most people don't know what they can do until the situation arises. Soldiers don't go into battle believing they can endure pain and hardship, yet they do endure pain and hardship for their comrades and for complete strangers too.Jesus' "sacrifice" was far from unique.

My contention is that few people would take a temporary death as seriously as a permanent one. That also implies that few people take the idea of a woo-woo "afterlife" very seriously. But your point is wrong, as demonstrated. People (soldiers, police officers, firefighters, etc.) do risk their lives - many of them not believing in a woo-woo "afterlife" - for causes which they consider worthwhile. An individual person might not know what he/she "would" do in advance but humans collectively do behave as they do. You're embellishing. Jesus actually died faster than most crucifixion victims. He didn't even have any broken bones. Sez you. The story doesn't say why he wanted to avoid death. He may have been as unsure of the resurrection as anybody else. What makes you think I don't? Read more carefully. I have said throughout that people "would" willingly risk their lives for others, with or without the possibility of resurrection. And I am saying that people "can" do even more than they think they "would" do.The will to try precedes the ability to do but the ability to do surpasses the will.

Jesus was standing in the temple when he said that. He was talking about the temple, not his own death. (Note that when the temple was destroyed some time later, he did not raise it up in three days.) It isn't a boast; it's a simple statement of reality. The fact is that many people do die for others, and without the promise of immediate resurrection. Indeed it was. If there is no cost, there is no sacrifice.

How many freaking times do you people have to have it quoted to you?

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Genesis 3:22 And the Lord God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil:

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God said it.

You tell me. You're the one who's disputing what the Bible says.

The point of a Just So story is to tell you why you have a sore back, not to promise you sunshine and lollipops. Somebody who needs spare change might already be toiling the earth harder than you. Our needs don't always exactly match our abilities, which is why I'm a socialist. (From each according to his ability, to each according to his need.)Handling out spare change certainly blesses my life. I'd rather be making a contribution to the collective good than just grasping for my own greed.

It isn't about "letting Jesus in"; it's about keeping sin out. If you keep sin out, Jesus is "in" in the only real way He ever will be.And sin means what you don't do as well as what you do. If you fail to take care of the least of His brothers, you come short of the glory of God. I like Him better than Long John Silver. I respect His message more than most fundies do.

As I said, and you quoted:

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If you keep sin out, Jesus is "in" in the only real way He ever will be.

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The only way to internalize Jesus is to internalize His message. You have to do it yourself. He isn't going to wear you like a Phat suit and do it for you.

"His" message is contained in the gospels; it could be seen as a refinement of Old Testamenr Judaism; some see Paul's message as a refinement of Jesus' message.But "the" message isn't confined to books. It's written on our hearts, as Paul said, in the form of conscience.

What makes you think "the One" guards His authority in such a petty way? Sure, give your father credit for what you inherited from him, especially what you learned from him. But why blame your flaws on him?

I've always said that it's gray. Unless you give all of it, you can't be sure you gave enough. That point is made, as I have pointed out several times, in both the Old and the New Testaments.

You can argue with Elijah and Jesus about that. That's what I'm saying. 100% is enough, unless you're a football coach. 99% might not be enough.If you trust the guy you're having communion with, why would you have to do it all yourself anyway?

As I've said many times, we can't trust your God to do it. Even you clearly don't.