Zone1 Belief in God drops to 81 percent

[Meriweather]

So the Bible is a novel subject to interpretation like “ the wizard of Oz”

What is the theme of The Wizard of Oz?

 

[Cougarbear]

I say that because Evangelicals have become the face of American Christianity and it's a very angry face. Only people who are already assholes would be attracted to this political movement masquerading as a religion.

Look at your comments. They are angry comments. Who are you attracted to? Not Evangelists. The most angry faces are coming from the far left telling people to get mad and angry. Go get in the faces of Republicans and scream at them where they eat out at. Threaten Supreme Court Justices if they vote a certain way against their propaganda liberal leftist beliefs. Did you see the left's reactions when Trump won? Nothing but anger and masquerading as righteous people. Look at the people protesting in front of the Justices homes and how they are so angry! And, how the BLM and Antifa leftists destroyed cities since 2020. It's funny how you are unable to see the real anger from yourself and your side. But, have no problem pointing fingers at others. Even on January 6th, most of the people were laughing, old, and having a great time seeing the inside of the Capitol. There were some who were loud and obnoxious, but not nearly as many as were after Trump won.

 

[Dagosa]

What is the theme of The Wizard of Oz?

So, all you’re concerned with is the theme of the Bible like the wizard of Oz ?

 

[Meriweather]

kills the entire theory of the creation and the 6000 year old earth theory.

The idea that the earth is six thousand years old was the brainchild of James Ussher. He lived in the seventeenth century, so the idea of the earth being about six thousand years old is relatively modern. Do you know how he calculated the age? By counting the "begats". He used English interpretations.

 

[Donald H]

Reading your post more carefully, you point out your concept of God by saying they don't believe in "the" God. What do you mean? The God of the OT, NT, Muslims, Hindus? There are other forms of "gods" like idolatry. Worshiping your boats, football, Obama and so on. Perhaps the drop is due to idolatry of science.

Atheists don't believe in any of the gods. Boats, football, and Obama aren't gods for dog sake!

To attend churches, for most, you have to belong and many require membership dues.

You're kiddin me? Pay to go to a church??

 

[Donald H]

The idea that the earth is six thousand years old was the brainchild of James Ussher. He lived in the seventeenth century, so the idea of the earth being about six thousand years old is relatively modern. Do you know how he calculated the age? By counting the "begats". He used English interpretations.

In any case, the begats told us that the earth was about 6000 to 10,000 years old. Add em up!

You have to own it Meri.

https://answersingenesis.org/age-of-the-earth/

Evidences of a Young Earth​

The earth is only a few thousand years old. That’s a fact, plainly revealed in God’s Word. So we should expect to find plenty of evidence for its youth. And that’s what we find in the earth’s geology, biology, paleontology, and even astronomy.

 

[Cougarbear]

Atheists don't believe in any of the gods. Boats, football, and Obama aren't gods for dog sake!


You're kiddin me? Pay to go to a church??

How does a church pay for the building and everything that goes on in the Church? It's also a business as well. And, will man rob God? Yet you rob me in the tithes you don't pay. And, yes, you follow your gods of gold and wood. You may not see it in this light. But, we do. We see it.

 

[Ringtone]

When you're losing you sure are a nasty character.

When I'm losing?! Losing what? An argument that none of you morons understand because you're too busy trolling the thread, to busy denigrating and evading my questions that you don't understand? You yourself unwittingly admitted that you don't understand what you're blindly and mindlessly attacking. All of you are ridiculous. I'm asking a valid question, but all you hateful, nasty assholes do is troll the classical theists and their legitimate questions.

It's almost as if you don't really grasp the implications of what you claim to believe as you attack those who ask you legitimate questions about your beliefs.

See Posts #1,024 and #1,031.

How can an infinite regress of causality/temporality be traversed to the present, i.e., how could the universe be the eternal existent?​

It's a simple question. It pertains to what you all supposedly believe. Answer the question. Stop trolling the thread.

You sure are an especially obtuse and nasty character when a classical theist pulls your heckling and trolling panties down and exposes your little hoo-hoo, i.e., the fact that you don't understand the implications of your very own beliefs.

 

[Meriweather]

So, all you’re concerned with is the theme of the Bible like the wizard of Oz ?

Pretty much. Like the James Ussher issue with the age of the earth, taking the Bible literally was a nineteenth century invention, and only a small percentage ever went along with it.

Anyone who has studied literature to any extent, can point out the various elements of literature in the Bible. It contains myths, Just-so stories, folklore, legends, biographies, history, prose, plays, poetry, songs, quotes, and apocalyptic literature.

Back in Biblical times, no textbooks, encyclopedias, or even newspapers. There were points our ancestors thought vital enough to pass on to their descendants. They wrapped their wisdom/knowledge into memorable accounts, using various forms of literature.

Just as the purpose of The Wizard of Oz was not to talk about flying monkey, the purpose of the story of Noah is not about loading two of each type of animal onto an ark.

 

[occupied]

Look at your comments. They are angry comments. Who are you attracted to? Not Evangelists. The most angry faces are coming from the far left telling people to get mad and angry. Go get in the faces of Republicans and scream at them where they eat out at. Threaten Supreme Court Justices if they vote a certain way against their propaganda liberal leftist beliefs. Did you see the left's reactions when Trump won? Nothing but anger and masquerading as righteous people. Look at the people protesting in front of the Justices homes and how they are so angry! And, how the BLM and Antifa leftists destroyed cities since 2020. It's funny how you are unable to see the real anger from yourself and your side. But, have no problem pointing fingers at others. Even on January 6th, most of the people were laughing, old, and having a great time seeing the inside of the Capitol. There were some who were loud and obnoxious, but not nearly as many as were after Trump won.

My comments are angry because religion and religious people have harmed me in ways I am not willing to recount yet again for this board. Now lets examine the log in your eye. In a discussion on religion you jumped into politics with both feet. That's the problem. Evangelicals have their politics and religion all wrapped up in a mean nasty ugly ball that repels people who value kindness and reason and do not want to hate.

 

[Meriweather]

In any case, the begats told us that the earth was about 6000 to 10,000 years old. Add em up!

The problem is that Ussher thought each "begat" represented one generation. If he understood Hebrew and studied the Hebrew Bible more thoroughly, he would have had an 'Ah-ha' moment when he saw that sometimes 'begat' or even 'son of' could represent several--even many--generations.

 

[Dagosa]

Back in Biblical times, no textbooks, encyclopedias, or even newspapers. There were points our ancestors thought vital enough to pass on to their descendants. They wrapped their wisdom/knowledge into memorable accounts, using various forms of literature.

So, they are rumors handed down from one generation to another by peoples who are what, have a vested interest in their religion and the rumors they believe in ? What makes one religion like Christianity more relevant then another, like Jews, Islam, Hindu…..

 

[Meriweather]

You have to own it Meri.

What I own is the deeper study of the Hebrew Bible, not the sons of the Enlightenment who thought they could do away with all tradition (that Jews and even Catholics followed). They thought they could do away with the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin and take each English word literally--when those words they decided to take literally did not accurately present the original language.

English is a language with many words (over 170,000), and it is a subjective language. We use words like "anger". The meaning and usage of words also evolve over time.

Meanwhile, Hebrew is a language of fewer than seven thousands words, and that language paints pictures. For example "flaring nostrils" for anger.

 

[JustAGuy1]

I base my belief that a god doesn't exist on the fact that (his) bible has to be a word of fiction and no other proof of a god is available.

Even the catholic church has accepted evolution now and that kills the entire theory of the creation and the 6000 year old earth theory. There's no more substance in the bibles than there is in stories about Santa, Easter Bunny, Peter Pan. Hobbits, Superman, or Mole in Wind in the Willows.

That's not my belief system, it's my lack of belief in fictitious characters.

I think that if you don't want to hear the opinions of others who don't believe in a religion then you could appeal to the moderators for a new section that offers that protection.

Why does anything you think matter?

 

[Meriweather]

So, they are rumors handed down from one generation to another by peoples who are what, have a vested interest in their religion and the rumors they believe in ? What makes one religion like Christianity more relevant then another, like Jews, Islam, Hindu…..

Not rumors....Wisdom and knowledge.

What makes Judaism and Christianity equally relevant (and these are just the two with which I am most familiar) is that they offer a way of living this life. Some Christian sects focus too much on the hereafter, but mostly Christianity is teaching people The Way Jesus lived and taught. Some Jewish sects are even more disciplined, carefully following The Law handed down by Moses.

The religion Jesus focused on was not on what an entire nation should do, but what each individual should do in their own small part of family and community. Jesus appeared to think that if each individuals lived according to The Way he lived and taught, it would be like yeast. In other words his method seemed to be start at the bottom and grow from there, rather than perhaps starting at the top (Nation) and using a trickle down effect to the people.

 

[Calypso Jones]

Atheism actually IS a religion. It meet the criteria for a religion. Atheist cannot prove NO GOD exists so that is why they constantly and ..religiously..... attack the One True God.

This is one of the definitions of religion says Merriam Webster....however, it is “a cause, principle, or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith.” That aptly defines the remarks and beliefs of an atheist.

Atheism, or...the state religion has infiltrated and invaded education, science, history, entertainment, business, politics, grade schools, smithsonian and most other museums, the snews, POLITICS, organizations political or otherwise, govrnment, medicine, even religion. OF course it is growing. The godless spend a lot of time and energy destroying the beliefs and the eternal salvation of millions.

 

[Ringtone]

I think you are harsh and self righteous. The type that enjoys hurting others . It masquerades as intellectual. It's not.

There you go again with the self-righteous, personal attacks, accusing me, hurting my feelings while masquerading as the Virgin Mary, when all I'm doing is asking you a pertinent question vis-a-vis your very own beliefs. It's almost as if you don't grasp the implications of your very own beliefs as you denigrate those of classical theism sans an objectively absolute standard of justification anywhere in sight.

That's weird.

Stop trolling the thread and answer the question.

How can an infinite regress of causality/temporality be traversed to the present, i.e., how could the universe be the eternal existent?​

It's a fair and simple question.

 

[james bond]

Puff the magic dragon according to so called fanatic religious zealots.

As usual, you couldn't answer my question and give the SAF/POS reply. The six days of creation gives the clear truthful answer and takes care of FLOT and SLOT.

 

[Ringtone]

Complete arrogance. Yours isn’t the only religion In the world. You are actually claiming that only your religion is right - and the majority of people are wrong in their religions?

Yours is merely an opinion.

And you're claiming his religion is absolutely wrong sans an objectively absolute standard of justification anywhere in sight. You're just pretending otherwise.. Indeed, you deny that an objectively absolute standard of justification even exists in the first place, as you imply that philosophical relativism is true.

That's weird.

You're essentially arguing that all religious belief is relative except the absolute religious belief that religious belief is relative. Your assertion is inherently self-negating and actually proves the opposite is true. But it all just flies right over your head.

 

[BreezeWood]

That doesn't make any sense. First of all, the regression in time is singular, not plural. But as you say, the regression would be eternal; i,.e., it would go on forever into the eternal past, according to you and, presumably, surada, Dagosa, and rightwinger.

Hence, my question: since the regression in time would go on forever into the eternal past, how could this infinite regress of causality/temporality be traversed to the present?

crickets chirping

It's a simple question.

you seem to believe past and future are relevant measurements -

as the loop indicated there is no beginning or end to eternal ...