{"id":692,"date":"2011-07-03T02:36:33","date_gmt":"2011-07-03T06:36:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/community\/exploringourmatrix\/2011\/07\/03\/what-cancant-christianity-exist-without\/"},"modified":"2011-07-03T02:36:33","modified_gmt":"2011-07-03T06:36:33","slug":"what-cancant-christianity-exist-without","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/religionprof\/2011\/07\/what-cancant-christianity-exist-without.html","title":{"rendered":"What Can\/Can&#8217;t Christianity Exist Without?"},"content":{"rendered":"<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\">\n<html><head><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><meta http-equiv=\"content-type\" content=\"text\/html; charset=utf-8\"><\/head><body><p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.patheos.com\/community\/exploringourmatrix\/2011\/07\/01\/the-talpiot-tomb-and-the-james-ossuary-what-if\/\" class=\" decorated-link\" target=\"_blank\">My post asking a \u201cwhat if\u201d question about the Talpiot Tomb<\/a> sparked some comments about what Christianity does or does not require in order to \u201csurvive.\u201d Having just visited Israel, I have fresh in my mind the fact that, while some Jews are persuaded that some or all of the claims in the Bible and other sources relevant to their faith are literally true, many others (including most famously Reconstructionists) are persuaded that not only a literal Exodus can go but even the traditional depiction of God. <\/p>\n<p>The Israel Museum includes display cases full of evidence that challenge what the Bible and traditional beliefs say on various subjects.<\/p>\n<p>Is there any reason why Christianity could not only survive but thrive while evolving in similar ways to more progressive forms of Judaism? Is there anything inherently different about Christianity, especially given that Christianity itself emerged as a form of Judaism? If you think there is something, or nothing, without which Christianity would lose its reason for existence or its intrinsic nature, please say what it is and why.<\/p>\n<p><\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>My post asking a \u201cwhat if\u201d question about the Talpiot Tomb sparked some comments about what Christianity does or does not require in order to \u201csurvive.\u201d Having just visited Israel, I have fresh in my mind the fact that, while some Jews are persuaded that some or all of the claims in the Bible and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":136,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-692","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Can\/Can&#039;t Christianity Exist Without?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"My post asking a &quot;what if&quot; question about the Talpiot Tomb sparked some comments about what Christianity does or does not require in order to &quot;survive.&quot;\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/religionprof\/2011\/07\/what-cancant-christianity-exist-without.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Can\/Can&#039;t Christianity Exist Without?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"My post asking a &quot;what if&quot; question about the Talpiot Tomb sparked some comments about what Christianity does or does not require in order to &quot;survive.&quot;\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/religionprof\/2011\/07\/what-cancant-christianity-exist-without.html\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Religion Prof: The Blog of James F. McGrath\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:author\" content=\"http:\/\/www.facebook.com\/religionprof\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2011-07-03T06:36:33+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"James F. McGrath\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ReligionProf\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"James F. 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