What if the explaination acctually happens to be the phrase you've criticized so often? what if the explaination is that God acctually did it?

If we find concrete evidence, then we find concrete evidence. Of course, that would tend to raise a lot more questions. What created the creator? It's turtles all the way down.

If the explanation turns out to be that god did it, I'll become the most devout theist in the whole world.

Well then the only thing we can really do is wait and see... there's not much else. if, by the time we're old and decaying, they still havent found a reasonable answer for the dye, explaining what it is, and how Juan Diego got it, with all the technology they'll have then, i doubt they ever will.

The point is the attitude you keep while you watch and wait. Will you ascribe it to the god of the gaps? Or will you believe in eventual progress and discovery? I think the answer is pretty obvious to me.

Ok, i concede that point. but explain one thing to me.

If none of the miracles in the new testament ever happened, why were they written? why would the followers willingly condemn themselves? was it a case of mass insanity? or were the followers of Jesus masichists?

i sincerely doubt that they would lie about the acts in the new testament. they had nothing to gain from lying. and they would be killed if they believed.

Explain that, if you will.

They were promised a paradisaical afterlife and eternal happiness once they died. That's tempting to anyone.

True. but what you say is, basically, that Jesus never did any of the miracles that are spoken of in the new testament. Why didnt they join in with the others in Crucifying him? Their religion warned against false messiahs, after all.

Well the new testament could be wrong. * not that im saying it is*

the Jews like people would say are one of the oldest religions and they say That the TRUE messiah would come so who knows where this would lead to.

He was a charismatic figure. There would be more people who believed that he had done them than those who didn't because of the way exaggerations add onto rumours like a rolling snowball. And to be fair, the Bible would've been written putting its best face on display.