A bit more of your merciful god.

[hadit]

The Bible is clear about "belief" and consequences for the heathen. And, according to the Bible, the gods are very quick to ruthlessly slaughter masses of people on a whim - being a disappointment to them. The slaughters committed by the Christian gods are, you know, biblical.

Your ignorance is appalling. Christians have one God.

 

[Hollie]

And here is the ultimate circle back to the English/Modern Western Culture literally interpreting the Bible. I repeat: It pays to do the research on the history/culture/intent of the original author(s) and what they wished to teach their original audience. That is who they were speaking to...not you.

The myths, superstitions and fears of largely unknown authors of the Bibles may or may not be better understood with the "history/culture/intent of the original author(s), but that doesn't make fears and superstitions literally true.

 

[Hollie]

Your ignorance is appalling. Christians have one God.

Apparently in three forms. Thats polytheism.

 

[hadit]

Apparently in three forms. Thats polytheism.

Now you want to argue the Trinity?

 

[Meriweather]

Not unlike the testimony of those who claim to have been abducted by aliens, those who encountered Bigfoot.

Correct. The difference is whether Bigfoot or the aliens had advice/instructions on how to live with and interact with each other. What messages have Bigfoot and aliens presented to humans? What do they say their relationship is to humans?

 

[Hollie]

Now you want to argue the Trinity?

I'd prefer to argue stock buys.

 

[hadit]

I'd prefer to argue stock buys.

So leave the number of Gods Christians believe in to the Christians. I find it amazing how often non-Christians think they know and understand what Christians believe.

 

[Orangecat]

This is the stuff you teach little kids.

 

[bodecea]

In judges, chapter 11, jephthah made a deal with god if he was victorious over the Ammonites, he would sacrifice the first person to greet him on his return, by burning them alive.
He did indeed win and upon his return, was gleefully greeted by his daughter. Sadly the news was not goid. He cooked her a couple of months later to satisfy this ghost they believed in.
God never said a word apparently but when Abraham prepared his son to be barbecued as a sacrifice, at the very last minute, somehow Abraham got an email from God who suggested he spare him.

Its a shame your merciful god didn't show the same compassion for jephthats daughter as ge did for Isaac. This is the stuff you teach little kids.
How can you be part of such horrific and wicked teachings of your filthy god? Is that where you get your morals from?

Let's not forget Lot offering his virgin daughters to the crowd so they'd leave him alone.

 

[Hollie]

Correct. The difference is whether Bigfoot or the aliens had advice/instructions on how to live with and interact with each other. What messages have Bigfoot and aliens presented to humans? What do they say their relationship is to humans?

Exactly. So far, I'm not aware of any tales / fables relative to space aliens or Bigfoot aficionados who make any claim to their relationship with humanity. What separates claims to space aliens and Bigfoot from supernatural entities?

 

[Meriweather]

In part. I seek to gain an acknowledgement that we can live our es free from ancient fears and superstitions, that we are the ones responsible for how we live our lives and also, to understand the dangers in allowing religious extremists to force fundamentalist Christianity into the school system.

Keep in mind that there is a difference between "ancient fears and superstitions" and ancient knowledge and wisdom. Of course we are the ones responsible for how we live our lives!

"Extremists" go both directions. There are those extremists who want others to believe exactly as they believe--and there are the extremists who want to forbid teaching any religious philosophy at all. Religious philosophies are of value. No need to develop a superstitious fear of them to pass onto future generations.

 

[Meriweather]

The myths, superstitions and fears of largely unknown authors of the Bibles may or may not be better understood with the "history/culture/intent of the original author(s), but that doesn't make fears and superstitions literally true.

Give me an example. Use the story of Noah's Ark. What fears and superstitions do you see being taught?

 

[Blues Man]

It's perfectly okay, but it would be nice if they were honest about their intentions and acknowledge that they have a problem with people holding beliefs they don't like. You KNOW why Evangelical Christians knock on your door, they're concerned for your eternal situation, but there's no such incentive for an atheist to, as the OP has stated, hold thousands of debates on the subject. Again, what does the atheist gain?

Like I said evangelists are concerned for their own salvation and they think that converting people to their religion is how they obtain that

 

[Meriweather]

Exactly. So far, I'm not aware of any tales / fables relative to space aliens or Bigfoot aficionados who make any claim to their relationship with humanity. What separates claims to space aliens and Bigfoot from supernatural entities?

God's love of mankind and the situations in which they find themselves.

 

[Blues Man]

Even if you believe the Bible, there is nothing that "proves" or provides evidence that it is the Word of God. If you are looking for proof, you will not find it. That is like searching for dinosaurs in a beehive.

What we have in the Bible is testimony from those who have either experienced or believed in God. They wrote out a way of life, that can either be followed or discarded. All that is gold does not glitter, and the Bible (for some) contains golden threads that guide us in our choices, decisions and paths through life.

The version of "God kills babies and floods a planet" offers no insights or instructions to anyone. It is useless, it is worthless. It is like a gold miner returning to town with a wheelbarrow of dirt, leaving the gold behind.

If you're the type of person to believe everything someone said thousands of years ago I guess those testament's are enough.

I'm not wired like that.

And all those so called golden threads can be found in secular works on ethics, political science, philosophy and many others.

Like I said all religion did was attach rewards and punishments to those ideas

 

[Meriweather]

If you're the type of person to believe everything someone said thousands of years ago I guess those testament's are enough.

I'm not wired like that.

Nor am I. I tend to test everything that is said, be it someone thousands of years ago....or, you, today.

Why are you supposing you are so unique?

 

[Hollie]

So leave the number of Gods Christians believe in to the Christians. I find it amazing how often non-Christians think they know and understand what Christians believe.

Christians believe many different things. That's why there are so many versions of Christianity?

 

[Meriweather]

And all those so called golden threads can be found in secular works on ethics, political science, philosophy and many others.

Correct. Does it disturb you when they are found there? Or does it only disturb you when they crop up in scripture, Bibles, Holy Books?

 

[Hollie]

God's love of mankind and the situations in which they find themselves.

The gods love of mankind is arbitrary and capricious. Hence, the mass killings perpetrated by the gods per the Bible.

 

[Meriweather]

Like I said all religion did was attach rewards and punishments to those ideas

Like you said. You, yourself, see rewards and punishments. Many believers see it much differently than you--but as you said, you're not like that.