That is the beauty of European Culture... They take the best from the rest and then make it their own. Why? Not sure. Perhaps it is because their own culture was destroyed by Ancient Romans and Christians, which is easily done, where it is that culture is transmitted orally, as was the case.
None of these links challenge the belief that John wrote John. IMO John was writing to the Apostolic Christian community - Gnostics, Catholics whatever did not interest him (though his dispute with Diotrephes is interesting, here could be one of the first Catholics mentioned in history.)
All of those links challenge the claim that John wrote the Gospel; they might be right or wrong, but they present arguments that he might not have' please read at least 3 of them, or should I copy and paste the challenges?
I actually read them. One link didn't seem to do anything. The links proffer arguments for and against - and mostly they help support the main idea that John wrote John.
Interesting observation. Fundamentally, cultural identification everywhere is about adopting some 'flag' as your own, seeing it evolve in the process, through various societal forces. And then juxtaposing it against some other flag as a way to distinguish your tribe, promote that tribe, and dominate and conquer the other. Otherwise, the people in northern Europe and, even more so, those in North America, had far less connection to anything that had been done under the flag of "Hellenism", or by the "Greco-Roman" world, and by the "Christians" than many of their 'enemies' in the East who fought under other flags. Indeed, the whole nonsense about "Aryan supremacy" theory and "white supremacy theory" arises from that dynamic. The need to find some connection between rather unconnected people to claim what was done by them as their own!
Sure, they call into question, but they cannot marshal a good alternative. IMO is different because there were a number of Gospel already in circulation. John admitted as much. He was adding some touching points to a Jesus all Christians already knew of.
Discrimination causes poverty, unless jobs are assured for all; and poverty begets discrimination. Both have to be tackled simultaneously., requiring government intervention. Start by bulldozing the ghettos, one block at a time...teaching and employing people from within the ghettos themselves wherever possible...at no cost to you (don't you love that?)
Everything we learn from other cultures becomes "our own." Ever see a Chinese girl dressing as Lisa Simpson from the 'Simpsons'? Or an American eating barbecued pork ribs? Or an African wearing shoes? Or an Iranian citing Newton's laws of physics? Or a Pakistani talking about the round earth?
The time period of when John was written is a major blow to the idea that John actually wrote the book. There are others, and yes, the fact there were other Gospels, did not just mean Matthew, Mark, and Luke--he was also speaking up about the Gnostic Gospels, and speaking against them.
In the links you sent the time period accords just fine. Think it was something like 60-100 AD. We already know it was a late Gospel. And the character of John accords with the style of writing. John wasn't into history like Luke or into law like Paul. He was a simple, loving man who appreciated Jesus in a deeper way perhaps than other people. You read that in his letters.
Can you point to NT verses with overt reference to the trinity? Obviously I'm more attracted to the "God within" ; or alternatively, Marcion allows recognition of Christ - Prince of Peace - as deity without connection to the problematic Bronze Age OT deity. (I hate war, least of all genocide. I think it's time to get rid of the veto in the UNSC...).
In today's Australian newspaper. Some Chinese under investigation by our ASIO (security) for unwelcome links to the Chinese Communist Party have accused ASIO of being "racist." In this day and age the term "racism" is a cop out. Millions of immigrants want to live in the USA. My family is rare because we LEFT the USA ca 1900 to live in Australia. We are often asked, "but why?" America is one of the most muti-racial nations on earth. With one racial exception blacks do just fine - ask any Nigerian, Indian or Pakistani.
Jesus did not preach any "Trinity"? There is obviously disagreement about that - one might ask: why is there disagreement?
Very true in some senses, although you like to emphasize them in your particular way I could emphasize them differently. And more informatively. In a more 'enlightened fashion' that tries to counter false narratives encouraged by the kind of 'mythologies' that you like to take literally. But mythologies, regardless of their factual merit, have clear significance and importance in history. Much of human history is driven by such mythologies.
Yes, ASIO, the hypocritical mob of spooks who want secret trials of citizens who exposed immoral behaviour (in East Timor) by conservative politicians. And now the same spooks have forced the removal of a Labor politician who has expressed admiration of the Chinese system, without any charges being laid! ASIO are certainly anticommunist, in the best tradition of that awful post WW2 fascist creature Joe McCarthy, in the US ... Yet discrimination related to race is alive and well.....if not against communist ideology, then against poverty which happens to be the case for proportionally more blacks than whites in the US, and also Australia (where the 'gap' is a national disgrace). Past discrimination caused poverty among many blacks, and - now - still existing poverty causes discrimination. The only way out is a Job Guarantee.
Blacks are poor in every metric in every country in the world. Why is that????? Occam's Razor is your answer.
You guess too much and pass your 'guesses' as dogma. I am, however, well acquainted with America. I went to high school, college and law school in the US. And practiced law in the US for many years, before I moved to Iran. I moved for personal reasons but stayed and worked in Iran for many years (until quite recently) because I discovered what practically anyone who actually sets foot in Iran discovers quickly too. Something that is difficult to convey in words until you actually make the journey and are sufficiently endowed and have been sufficiently exposed to different places to appreciate things which make Iran one of the most awesome countries on earth. Despite all of its warts.
Never heard of a "Job Guarantee" Sounds rather political and certainly not very business minded (in the real economic world NO job is :"guaranteed" and if it was then that would be open to abuse.) Can't say if anyone in ASIO is "hypocritical" - that would be a personal problem - but the org is tasked with security, same as any other nation.) Yes, ASIO is "anti Communist" just as they are anti-fascist (in the best Russian tradition today) and anti-narco state, and anti espionage of any state etc.. Re Joe McCarthy - I would rather live with a Joe McCarthy presidency than in an Uncle Joe Stalin dictatorship. Many who were at the pointy end of McCarthy were rather fond of Uncle Joe. In Australia today many academics still hold fond memories of Uncle Mao - the guy who killed about 80 million people. No matter. How racist is that.
Because we don't agree? People amending, editing, redacting, appending the bible are a pox on the earth. And that is anything from the doctrine of the Trinity to Indulgences and Transubstantiation.