Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I agree with you mams. It's futile to try to talk to people who don't want to listen and only want to tear apart what we say. There comes a time after we state what we believe and why, we need to move on and stop wasting our time. After all Jesus said Matthew 7:6 "Don't give what is holy to unholy people. Don't give pearls to swine. They will trample the pearls and then turn and attack you".
How long before someone will come in here and say I called nonchristian's pigs??
2 Timothy 2:23 "Again I say, don't get involved in foolish ignorant arguments that only start fights".
Which is what this has become, so I'm moving on to more productive things too.
I personally believe in "God" in the most open minded way possible but will not accept religion as the only means of doing so. Open minded, because nobody "really" knows the whole truth. There is a spiritual energy that created the universe, which I know as fact. Christian God is the real False Idol.
If the "anger and rage" mentioned in "mams" post is supposed to be a poke at my comments, well I can only laugh because there is nothing of the sort going through my mind! I'm way beyond such trivia. Anger gets one nowhere.
By the way I and others "arguing" here are certainly not here to start fights. You think anyone with an alternative view point to yourself is trying to start a fight, how narrow minded and intolerant.
As for talking to people "who don't want to listen" that is totally missing the point. I "listen" to anybody first; when I disagree with what I have heard I make it known! So far all evidence from so called "Christians" on this board shows that they can't even comprehend or "listen" to anything other than they want to hear, and automatically view those with alternative viewpoints as inferior, wrong, immoral or in "rebellion". Further proving that religion is a form of control concept one group of people uses over another. Corruption.
It is truly amazing to see all the anger and rage demonstrated by some folks against a god they don't even believe in.
It is truly amazing to see all the effort being exerted to disprove a book by some folks who admit they don't believe it.
It is truly amazing to see all the "absolute" statements regarding said god and book by folks whose philosophical viewpoint does not acknowledge or accept absolutes.
As far as "proving it" or "convincing" anyone who adamantly denies god and the bible .. it'll never happen. No matter what explanation or rationale or logical argument is made towards folks described above, they won't accept it anyway. So what's the point? To get into verbal confrontations with them? Not worth the effort.
I've said all that needs to be said . Time to shake the dust from my shoes and move on.
If you really believe this, why do you keep trying to convince others of the veracity of your book and keep quoting it as the only truth? If you realize that others will never believe you, maybe you should just be satisfied for yourself and stop demanding explainations for the beliefs of others.
If you are sincerely asking this question (and I really hope you are) then what you have to do is STUDY to find the answers you seek. And do remember, a public message board like this might not be the best place to do any "studying".
To non-Christians who have not studied it, the Bible can indeed seem full of "contridictions, unanswered and unexplained questions, unverifiable events, questionable characters and many, many other flaws". But I promise you it is not.
However, until you learn to speak the language, so to speak, it will remain confusing to you. It's kind of like picking up a French book when you don't know a word of French and being frustrated that the book makes no sense to you, see?
I hope and pray you'll take the time to study what the Bible really says and teaches
Have you considered that this study you propose may be the reason for finding the contradictions? This language it takes to understand may be just justification of what beliefs you come out of it with?
Have you considered that this study you propose may be the reason for finding the contradictions? This language it takes to understand may be just justification of what beliefs you come out of it with?
Truly not being combative here, just asking.
I appreciate your question and the fact you are sincere and not looking to be "combative"
I also understand where you are coming from, believe me I do. But truly when you take the time to research what God really says in the Bible you see those contradictions melt away. The best way to actually study and learn is with others - take a class or join a Bible study group. Doing it on your own is more difficult - again let others more fluent in the "language" help you to learn to speak it.
The bible, and other similar religious tomes, was written by primitive people witnessing dynamic events without the benefit of a background in any science or elegant logic. As a work of literature it has changed numerous times, depending upon which christian faction was/is interpreting ongoing or past events. It survives as a crutch for those seeking simplistic solutions for often complex dilemma's. Despite its many and changing manifestations and numerous inconsistencies and flaws, the Bible is a major literary work with a long and fascinating history. It is, of course, essentially fictitious and ludicrous when subjected to the cool objectivity of reason but it is a work of considerable beauty and originality nevertheless.
I appreciate your question and the fact you are sincere and not looking to be "combative"
I also understand where you are coming from, believe me I do. But truly when you take the time to research what God really says in the Bible you see those contradictions melt away. The best way to actually study and learn is with others - take a class or join a Bible study group. Doing it on your own is more difficult - again let others more fluent in the "language" help you to learn to speak it.
Bible study is biased. Like taking classes about political science conducted by neo-cons. Do bible classes practice critical analysis? Probably not. By listening to media preachers they all refer to the bible as "the truth", but can't prove it to be true.
We all have our burdens to carry. If you consider hearing voices that no one else can hear, having words mean something totally different things to you and all others, taking on faith the fictions that others teach us, you may be right. Or might need the room next to his.
And so might you be wrong shawn!!! The great religio-centric problem that "true believers" and zealots shirk is the burden of proof. Religious dogma can never stand the incisive and clear, unbiased, empirical analysis that separates truth from fiction. Religion relies upon pie-eyed obedience to dogma and unquestioning faith that flies in the face of logic and the scientific method. The bible cannot be examined deductively and subjected to provable scientific laws of causation. It is a work of allegory, anecdote and glorious fiction. It derives from another, simpler age before the dawn of science and increasing understanding of the cosmos. As such, it is dated, but remains a thing of beauty and fascination.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
. Time to shake the dust from my shoes and move on.
