On Mon, 12 Sep 2016 11:03:49 -0700 (PDT), Razzmatazz
wrote:

Thanks for your insight. I have read several books about the historical Jesus who walked the shores of Galilee. Seems that there were many with that name who lived at different times and called themselves healers. Of course there are many seeming contradictions, stories that were gathered up and became part of the legend.

I'm more of a fan of the Sermon on the Mount. The rest of the stories I consider plagiarized, made up or simply the result of fading memories as told by story tellers decades and centuries later.

In reality, there is good stuff and bad. As I'd expect from anybody
presenting moral ideals. My real objection isn't with the material
itself, but with those who elevate it to "holy". Anything that can
reasonably be attributed to a deity- a vengeful deity that is willing
to punish simple disbelief with eternal pain- cannot be something
which is so open to interpretation, is so ambiguous, is so dependent
upon cherry picking.

Once we elevate the opinions of anybody above criticism, we're in
trouble.