Summations Only

Shelley was not my source for the 5 church thing. It was an Orthodox Pamphlet. Shelley did a fine job at breaking down church history...better than any biased mythicist could have done, in my opinion. I'm rereading his book now as I formulate and edit this response.Concerning the Schism...im looking at the book index.
He describes the events leading up to the Schism itself, then describes the historical moment in context.You cant judge a man simply by the formal degrees that he has. Mythicists in general tend to employ historical revisionism and seem to have a motive at exposing myths and supporting the idea of myths. Shelleys book, which I highly recommend, explains the inter-relatedness between the early church before Constantine, the rivalry and eventual split as the church was later politicized, the fallible human quirks emanating from supposedly infallible Popes who were all too human and the Protestant Reformation leading up to the time we are in.

I will agree that humans obviously wrote the Bible. No giant hand dropped it from the sky. I will also agree that even within religion itself, human fallibility, pathos, evil, and vile intent were evident. What I wont agree with was the idea that Jesus was a myth and that the God we know came from human stories alone.

The church itself became the Mother.

You will likely tell me...indirectly that "Christ Consciousness is what makes you a god and that Jesus was a myth. Next! No. Your Gnostic B.S. mixed with whatever other esoteric stuff you read suggests to me that satan himself sent you over here to muddy up this topic. Show me some books that you read and I might talk to you again. Or not. The only lies are those you yourself are spreading. Prove me wrong.

I just knew that you would chime in too, but you are a familiar soul and I welcome your input. Maybe you and GIA agree that religion was vile and evil, but I would argue that anyone who gets worked up enough to seek to stifle the thought of it needs medication.

I dont believe anything that anyone tells me/ I dont care if you are a PhD. My motto is always to question.

Ive never seen woman teachers forbidden to teach. They simply need to have read the course materials, just as any man would need to do.

I think I believed because my heart told me to. You rejected religion because your rational mind told you to. My rational mind tells me that the world needs Jesus or there truly will be no hope and we will become extinct and cease to exist.There is a difference between needing Jesus and needing religion. Some common substitutes include alcohol, peyote, and identity politics.My critics(including you) will scold me, telling me to embrace logic, reason and reality. I will tell them the same thing.

Thats actually a relevant quote for everyone to think about, religious or not. Occasionally you show glimmers of intelligence.

You can look it up as well as any of us. I think you see Christianity through a very narrow lens. I see it a bit broader than you, and the critically thinking secularists have the widest possible lens. There is truth somewhere in the midst of all of this, and that truth is living and active. Greatest I AM will enlighten you as to what (he thinks) Gnosticism is and is not.He is muddying up the topic, however.

Have you heard any good Gnock Gnock jokes lately? Seriously, here is one:Gnock Gnock.Whose there?GodGod Who?(now you go ahead and finish the joke )

Several people have already finished the joke.The Orthodox Guy. (Answer: The Icon)
The Roman Catholic. (Answer: The Pope)
The Conservative Protestant. (Answer: Jesus H. Trump)
The Episcopalian Critical Thinker. (Answer: What does that even mean?)
ringo. (Answer: Some Goober )
AZ Does It (Answer: A vile and evil "jesus meat" God)

Here is another good joke. What came first? Mind or Matter?Answer: If you don't mind, it doesnt matter!

I was mad at him last week for crowing about the RCC being the only church with the Spirit. He is ok, though. He really isnt nine, but Im unsure of his IQ. Perhaps you can explain Gnosticism as you see it before I have to look it up.

The problem there is that the Historians that you have mentioned are all non believers. Consider one thing. IF Jesus actually existed and was/is a messenger and some say character of God, would it change things with you? Or did you just throw God away too like all the other deceived Historians? It was me. I was sloppy. I never proofread anything! I submitted reactions to my teachers rather than footnoted responses. It may have affected my grades. I suppose that if you were running the place you would have a rule that nobody can post unless they take 20 minutes to proofread their post and indicating a rational response versus a kneejerk reaction. Not that it would be a bad rule.....