In Reply to: The weirdness of a religion posted by porceleindoll on March 13, 2003 at 01:51:23:
the story of the creator God, man's catastrophe, and the incarnation/ redemtion would indeed sound strange unless it were in fact the most reasonable explanation for the reality confronting mankind. the hindu/ buddhist explanations force you to accept the reality you veiw as illusion. are you willing to accept that realities such as poverty , war, death, etc. have no real meaning, and escaping from any passionate response is the only hope we have of happiness?
the wonder of a God who creates to share His essence, and intervenes at great sacrifice to restore broken fellowship, and that promises the restoration of all things is indeed "strange".. as the athenians observed long ago. (ac. 17:20).
but that we ought to feel after him and find him, tho in him we live and move and have our being, seems somehow hardwired into human consciousness. and his availability in the person of Christ, verifiable thru many evidences... and wonderful to experience.
i am a big fan of stepping back... when one really considers the options, and all the evidence, the story strikes me at least as strange and wonderful...and cause for gratitude and worship.