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if there wasn't any truth in it, nobody would have wasted their time and resources writing the books in the Old and New Testaments.
Humanity has been composing fiction since long before the old testament and will continue to do so indefinitely
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Think about it, many books have come and gone, but the Bible has been a divine source of inspiration for just about every culture throughout the world.
it's influenced the western world, and when the native cultures of North America met it first time from the Conquistadors, yeah, that had an influence alright.
Atheism has existed long before Jesus. Democritus, Epicurius and the Roman Lucretius wrote extensively on it. By your logic, "if there wasn't any truth in it, nobody would have wasted their time and resources writing" about it.
What if the bible is just meant as stories and not the literal interpretation that some put on it? There is a section in the bible (don't recall the exact section) that says that children who don't show respect to their parents should be tied down and eaten by wild animals! Now, I am sure that you will NOT take that literally! But you will take other sections literally. I don't like that "pick and choose" interpretation. It just doesn't make sense to me. If you need the exact section that I referred to I'll check it out and post it.
There's a whole field called "christian apologetics" which comes up with answers to "problems" like what you've pointed to, azloafer.
I'm guessing the passage you're referring to is from the old testament. The top 2 apologetic excuses for not having to follow the old testament are:
1) It was just meant for the jews
2) Jesus' death created a sort of pass, excusing everyone from having to strictly obey the old laws
Now it can be debated whether they pick and choose first and then come up with these excuses to justify them or they come up with the ideas first and then that leads them to inevitable conclusions about which parts have to be followed.
Thanks. I have had friends get all wired when I ask that question about things that sound crazy. They don't have an answer, they just get upset. So, to keep my friends I no longer discuss the bible with them. It is a touchy subject!
Yeah well I have more respect (well a little) for them making efforts to reconcile all of it then just sticking their fingers in their ears and going "lalalalalala" or just repeating verse after verse like a mantra which is equally evident that they're not listening to you at all. Plenty of evidence of the latter around here.
Usually it's best not to bring the topic up, and I usually don't unless something prompts me. I mean, you don't feel compelled to bring up all the time that the sky is blue, the grass is green and gravity makes things fall. Likewise, I don't see the need to bring up atheism. I only do it in response to a question or to refute a religious assertion.
God promised not to flood the earth again and thats why a rainbow can be seen after it rains......have you never seen one?
I think it is easier to not believe when your body knows it wants to do things that Christians say are not allowed.......We try not to do them because there is a spirit inside of us that makes things feel dirty if we disobey our father God.......If you think this is pushy or get mad over what i say ....i wonder why it causes such kind of an emotion in you ....if you didnt care about Texas why would it bother you that people say they are from there...you would just ignore it and move on to things you care about......i am not being pushy i am just saying why i believe in God.......and i dont see how that would make anyone angry
Why does man have emotions?.......Did the Big Bang of dust and rocks create emotions into our souls?
My pet turtle is able to balance a tennis ball on his back. This is incontrovertable evidence that it's turtles all the way down!
Levity aside, inserting "God" for each of your unanswered questions is not evidence for his existence.
From the first tree. If you meant to ask where did the seeds come from FOR the first tree, then I repeat the above, that trees didn't spring into existence.
well that's nice of him
ah, ain't that sweet. Did he put the Leprechan's pot of gold at the end, too?
When we look at the reasons why and they don't make any sense, yeah, it is pretty easy not to believe. For the things that do make sense like don't kill people or cheat on your wife, well, we see that as common sense and once again don't see the need for a god to tell us that nor as a proof we should believe in one.
Kind of tough to do since there's no such thing as a soul.
Answer this then ....you are pretty smart.........how do i have faith ....where did it come from?....and why cant your "intelligent sounding words" convince me to stop believing the feeling and the truth i have inside me about God Loving me.......i read your replies and think about them but my belief is still here .....tell me why you cant break that.......and remember you dont know my background
how do i have faith ....where did it come from?....and why cant your "intelligent sounding words" convince me to stop believing
I'm not a psychiatrist and even if I were, I haven't met you so I'm incapable of making a diagnosis. What I will say is the fact that you have a feeling something is so without any proof or rational reason to believe it yet you still do doesn't make it any more real than say feeling and believing in leprechans.
I'm not here to convince you that your feeling is wrong or that you are wrong for having the feeling. If it works for you, so be it. What I will say is you need to try and imagine what your arguments must look like to someone else who doesn't share your feelings. Try replacing "god" with "leprechans". Now would any of your arguments make you believe in leprechans? No? Then you've taken an important first step towards understanding how an atheist feels.
This is how I took the meaning of the word. My point of view. I like it. Stand by it.
4. Philosophy.
a. an extreme form of skepticism: the denial of all real existence or the possibility of an objective basis for truth.
b. nothingness or nonexistence.
In which case a nihilist would not even be able to "get", because getting indicates something. Anything would not go. No anarchy, heaven, hell, or sky above.
Maybe I should have said, "and just believe in nothing".
Last edited by thepizzaguy; 08-10-2007 at 08:43 AM..
Answer this then ....you are pretty smart.........how do i have faith ....where did it come from?....and why cant your "intelligent sounding words" convince me to stop believing the feeling and the truth i have inside me about God Loving me.......i read your replies and think about them but my belief is still here .....tell me why you cant break that.......and remember you dont know my background
If I'm to trust your feelings as you claim, I am to trust these people's claims as well.
(To answer your question; your beliefs come from your mind, which is a product of brain chemistry.)
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