What proofs do Christians have that God/Jesus even exist?
I will answer one of your questions - what proof is there that Jesus was real figure? To begin with, there is no definitive proof. There are no 2000 year old marble arches saluting Jesus, no monuments which we can look at, and nothing that will put an end to the argument about his reality. However, this is to be expected. Like Moses and every Old Testament prophet, or any of the apostles, no physical proof exists. Although, for example, we can surmise that King Herod existed because archeological artifacts exist with his name on it, we cannot find the same for Jesus. This is because Jesus was not widely accepted as Christ and Savior until well after his death. Although Thousands probably heard Jesus preach and had heard of him at the time of his entrance into Jerusalem, once he was crucified, his followers probably numbered in the hundreds. If any monuments were built to Jesus before 69 AD, when Jerusalem was ransacked by the Romans, they wold have surely taken down then. There are near-concurrent references to Jesus, most notably by Josephus which most scholars, even ones who are not Christian, assume to be accurate (but embellished). As more of these references are uncovered, or proved to be accurate by scholars, more evidence weighs in that Jesus was a real figure. In my mind (and I am not Christian but Jewish), the real proof that Jesus was a real individual is that so many people continued to believe in his message, and reports of his resurrection after he died, despite the fact that he was killed like many revolutionary Jews at the time -- by Roman crucifixion. You cannot fabricate an individual who had this much impact on people's lives-- and people who heard of him and devoted their life to spreading his message (such as Paul_ = based on a myth or rumor. Someone had to be there.
My answer is no.If chinese culture currently undergoing a renaissance,What new original things do China has? the only thing china could show out which sort of renaissance is neo-Confucianism, the other things, literature, art, music, social sciences, are either continuing the traditions or hybrid of chinese and western culture under the background of 西学东渐(eastward spread of Western Culture), these are not original enough.I agree with Mr Alec Cawley that “China is still too busy gobbling up Western developments” dispite china has digested some of them into new things like neo-Confucianism. I would like to explain how china is busy robbing up western development.Let’s set time back to 1910s. chinese intellects started the new culture movement which they wanted to enlighten people. unfortunately, 救亡压倒了启蒙(saving overwhelmed the enlightment), chinese had to finish the political revolution first, so culture was serving the politics,arguing and fighting between left-wing and right-wing became mainstream in field of culture, enlightenment lost the chances.During 1949-1976, the political movements made freezing environent for creativity of culture.1980s was short age of active thinking movements, at that time, intellects were stars, people read Nietzsche,Hayek, and other masters, there was spring for creativity of chinese culture, but it was too short, china got lost in materialism and comsumerism, chinese even have lost believes, which is why I have heard a writer had speech that China had no culture since 1980s which he did have point. Until now we don’t see many original chinese new things, but cultural rabbishs are everywhere though I know some idealistic chinese are trying to creative something new.
During 1612–1757, the East India Company set up "factories" in several locations, mostly in coastal India, with the consent of the Moghul emperors or local rulers. Its rivals were the merchant trading companies of Holland and France. By the mid-18th century, three "Presidency towns": Madras, Bombay, and Calcutta had grown in size.The English were enjoying success in India, at Surat, after the establishment of a factory in 1613.In 1757 Mir Jafar, the commander in chief of the army of the Nawab of Bengal, along with Jagat Seth, Maharaja Krishna Nath, Umi Chand and some others, secretly connived with the British, asking support to overthrow the Nawab in return for trade grants. The British forces, whose sole duty until then was guarding Company property, were numerically inferior to the Bengali armed forces. At the Battle of Plassey on 23 June 1757, fought between the British under the command of Robert Clive and the Nawab, Mir Jafar's forces betrayed the Nawab and helped defeat him. Jafar was installed on the throne as a British subservient ruler. The battle transformed British perspective as they realized their strength and potential to conquer smaller Indian kingdoms and marked the beginning of the imperial or colonial era in the subcontinent.Mainly 3 things were most important for the Britishers:Resources, Labour & Armed Forces.1) India had lost most of it's resources to most of the Mughal Rulers who ruled & looted India For almost 3 centuries. But still it had enough to increase its economic growth & stabilize itself.All these resources were readily available to the Britishers.2) Labour was easily available as people in India were eager to earn money to support their livelihood. Large population made it much more easier to attract people towards working opportunities.3) Indian army soldiers were constantly supporting & fighting with the British forces for many battles including the World war II. As Lord Curzon said: "As long as we rule India, we are the greatest power in the world. If we lose it, we shall drop straight away to a third-rate Power!"
What does culture mean to you?As an anthropologist, “culture” does not just mean Shakespeare and symphonies and high tea to me. That is a tiny subset that one particular subculture — Western aristocratic and bourgeois society — considers “high” (desirable) culture, as opposed to the “low” culture of the hoi polloi. But, both high and low are “culture,” and some other society’s estimation of the value of those particular cultural elements may be quite different.The word “culture” refers to the sum total of human knowledge and tradition that is passed on from generation to generation in a given society or subgroup, other than by genetics or instinct.So, culture includes the concepts of family, religion, law, politics, economics, identifying edible vs. non-edible food, agriculture and animal husbandry, cooking methods, medicine, tools and technology, language, literature, humor, music, art, architecture, clothing and hairstyles, and the understanding of the natural universe (i.e. the concepts of science), particular to a specific society or subset of society (including, at the largest, the entire human species or any subset thereof).
Christians: Is there power in......?
My word my pentacle has power! I know because i put it there....and i really think the HP who gave it to me put some there as well................... I feel so happy wearing it! The few times i have taken it off i felt horrid so now i don't take it off for any reason! Its part of me now! Recently my inlaws came to stay, and we gave them our room because it has a better bed....((father in law is very ill)) Anyway i have my altar in my room and i asked them to refrain from touching it...and no more was said about it until i got up the next morning to find F.I.L on the sofa!! I asked him if the bed was uncomfortable...."No", he said, " But i couldent sleep with all that witchy stuff in the room...it scared the bejesus out of me!" HE SAID HE FELT LIKE IT WAS WATCHING HIM ALL NIGHT!! I think he felt residual power and energies in the room! Next time he comes he has pre booked the teenagers bed! LOL!!! Blessed Be! Ariel )O(
How is Evolution possible?
Evolution simply means change. If you look at human history, there was a time when all we did was walk from place to place. Then someone, because of necessity, used domesticated animals for travel. Someone else may have added a cart to the animal to haul larger amounts of material. As time went on there were other additions due to environmental conditions and needs. The covered wagon prevented the occupants from the weather, but it was still pulled by horses or oxen. It wasn't until the late 1800's that the automobile was invented. If you compare the auto to the first horse drawn cart you can see the progression that had occurred from simple to complex. That's evolution. Organisms under go the same process. We are guided by our DNA, environmental interactions (climate changes, food availability, prey-predator relationships, hurricanes, volcanic eruptions, ultraviolet radiation, etc). Our DNA changes randomly, or by specific acts of nature. These changes accumulate over a period of time and can do harm or good to the organisms possessing these changes. Remember the change is only as good as the reproductive ability of the organisms. If they do not pass them on they are useless. That is why organisms that have highly successful reproductive rates dominate their habitat. Now if the environmental conditions become unfavorable and they cannot adapt, they will eventually become extinct. We can't stop evolution, because we cannot control all the variables acting upon us. It is a process.
Art is anything done by Man with creative perception. This needs excellent skills and techniques, with intone of emotions; when presented would have high degree of individuality and air of newness when presented.That is generic definition of Art; This includes Writing, Acting , dancing, Conposing , directing , singing, playing musical instrument and Sculpting n’ Painting .Specifically it is applied with relevance to Painting and Sculpting than other mentioned art forms.
Yes, of course. Area 51 is where the alien technology is stored and studied. Private companies are involved to adopt this technology and bring it into our world. Velcro is one example, having been discovered among the remains of the craft found in Roswell NM. The Nazis were the first to have discovered and utilized alien artifacts and incorporated them into their military technology, nearly winning the war. Hitler had a secret program to dig up and uncover ancient alien artifacts, under the cover of searching for Biblical artifacts. The US and Russia grabbed up the artifacts and the German scientists working on them at the end of WWII. This is why these two countries became the world superpowers. However, China has recently been finding it's own ancient artifacts in their huge land mass and studying them too. They recently launched their own space station using what they discovered. Alien archeologists are being deployed all over the world by most countries to uncover their own artifacts, with many of them having secret deals to turn them over to one of the three superpower countries in exchange for economic benefits and military protection. The great worry now is that terrorist organizations might uncover their own alien technologies.Thank God that we have Captain America and the other Avengers, along with their Russian and Chinese counterparts to track down and retrieve such artifacts and bring them back so we can use them safely. There is a limited degree of cooperation between the powers to keep them out of terrorist hands, but mostly, a great "cold" war exists between the 3 superpowers searching them out and grabbing them up before the terrorists or other super powers can get them first.