Joe Rogan stops short of saying he's Christian, notes Jesus followers 'live a better life'

Podcaster Joe Rogan stopped short of saying he is a Christian during an episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" earlier this week, but noted that he has come to realize that those who follow Jesus live better lives.

During a conversation with author and journalist Michael Shellenberger that aired Monday, Rogan mentioned his interview with Christian apologist Wes Huff last year, during which Huff noted to him that the Dead Sea Scrolls contained biblical manuscripts dated as early as the third century B.C. that were virtually identical to manuscripts from the 11th century A.D.

Shellenberger went on to dismiss the idea that modern man has it all figured out, or that ancient religion was simply hallucinatory and false.

"I think that's quite arrogant," he said.

Rogan said he believes the stories in the Bible likely relay a much more ancient story, and that he remains curious about "the ultimate truth" they were trying to convey. He also said he has come to discern that the teachings of Jesus Christ are flawless.

"I'm absolutely fascinated by the story of Jesus Christ, because if you wanted to come up with a way that people would live that would absolutely be far more beneficial than just going on natural instincts and tribal behavior, you would follow Jesus's teachings," he said.

"I can't find a flaw in the way He tells you to live life. There's a lot of religions that involve torturing non-believers and raping infidels and being able to do terrible things to the people that don't believe your religion. There's none of that in Christianity. It's all forgiveness. It's all treating your brother as your neighbor, as if they're like you. It's a beautiful way to live life."

Shellenberger then asked Rogan point-blank if he is a Christian, to which Rogan replied, "Well, I go to church. I have been for quite a while. I've been doing it for the last three or four years."

When Shellenberger noted he did not really answer his question, Rogan said, "Because I don't know. I think it's very interesting. And I do believe that if you follow the teachings of Jesus Christ, you will live a better life. I really do believe that."

Rogan echoed claims he has made before that the people he goes to church with are the kindest people he knows, though he expressed skepticism regarding some of the Bible's supernatural claims.

"It works, you know what I'm saying?" he said of Christianity. "Like, if people are trying to find an idea. Does that mean I believe people came back from the dead? Does that mean I believe Moses parted the Red Sea? Not really, no. It seems like that's most likely a story where people are telling it generation after generation after generation, but there's probably something happening. There's probably some truth to it."

Rogan's comments are the latest in his apparent years-long journey toward Christianity. Last May, he said he was skeptical of the Big Bang theory's claim that the universe created itself and noted he finds the Resurrection more realistic.

"It's funny, because people will be incredulous about the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, but yet, they're convinced that the entire universe was smaller than a head of a pin and that for no reason that anyone has adequately explained to me, instantaneously became everything? OK," he said.

"I'm sticking with Jesus on that one," he later added. "Jesus makes more sense. People have come back to life."

Last October, Rogan pushed back against those who dismiss the Bible as myth and said such people are not as wise as they believe themselves to be.

"I hear that among self-professed intelligent people, like it's a fairy tale," he said. "I don't know that's true. I think I think there's more to it. I think it's history, but I think it's a confusing history. It's a confusing history because it was a long time ago, and it's people telling things in an oral tradition and writing things down in a language that you don't understand, in the context of a culture that you don't understand."