The slickest con ever perpetrated on mankind

Yes, I agree. Any preacher that tells someone they are "Saved" is simply a con.But wait...there's more...Have you seen the bumper sticker "Not Perfect, Just Saved"?That is an even bigger con, that all you need to do is profess, to believe, (and pay the snake oil salesman) and you will be saved.AbE: the old thread The evolution of the Great Commission over time. from a couple years ago may help folk understand the origin and evolution of the marketing salvation concept.Edited by jar, : see AbE:

The Christian "Are you saved?" con is dishonest for many reasons.First, even if there is an afterlife, no one will know if they are saved or not until after they are judged.Second, it is too often marketed to the young, those who's brains have not yet developed.Third, it is most often marketed in a culture where critical thinking and questioning is not just discouraged, it is condemned.Fourth, there is no recourse; if someone dies and is judged and they find they are NOT saved, saying "But I got saved when I was eight" carries no weight.BUT...in reality, it is a great, very productive con. As long as the snake oil salesman evangelist reports his income and pays his taxes, the US Constitution protects his right to market a product (salvation) with NO product liability.

Of course not.What he says is that there is absolutely no evidence of an afterlife.

Only if you can provide verifiable evidence that can be independently tested.

You do know that the unknown author of 2 Timmy was not talking about the Bible?The difference is that the Christian Cons do not face product liability risks and cannot even be charged as long as they pay their taxes.

Nope. In fact so far there is no evidence she appeared.

Almost certainly even though fasting as practiced at the time and particularly within the Hebrew Tribes was more a dawn to dusk fast where only water was consumed during the day but a good meal in the morning and a good meal after sunset.I would say that his followers certainly saw Jesus as a shaman.

You misrepresent what I have posted and conflate concepts and issues.The first is whether or not Jesus was a Shaman. I don't think that there is any doubt that Jesus was seen as a traditional Shaman, someone with a particular insight and connection to the spirit world, able to oppose demons and evil spirits and to influence good or healing spirits.The second is the "Are you saved" con. To see that in action all you need to do is listen to Christian radio, watch the televangelists, attend any one of the Christian revivals, gatherings, or festivals, visit almost any Evangelical or Fundamentalist website.The con seems to extend even beyond promising and marketing salvation today, there are red prayer clothes marketed, blue prayer clothes marketed, prosperity prayer clothes, healing prayer clothes; and all are a protected con; there is no product liability that can be attached, no truth in advertising requirements, no oversight at all.This is not a new phenomena; you can see it in the evolution of the Great Commission over time to create a marketable product.

Who knows but it is totally irrelevant to the topic or thread. Look at the example mentioned above. Look at the evolution of the Great Commission over time. Of course they are Christians. Being a Christian does not mean someone is not a con man or snake oil salesman.